Monday, 22 August 2011
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Final Week - Moscow to Worcester
We pick up the pace as we leave Moscow, both the kids now fully recovered and back on form. The countryside becomes greener as we move from spring in Russia into the full blown summer of Belarus, Poland and Germany. We enjoy the clean and orderly broad streets of Berlin, perhaps our favorite city, as we tour the East Wall Gallery, check point charlie and the Chancellory and then it's off to Paris from Central Station, the most spectacular of the trip.
The high speed train whisks us overnight through the bright yellow rape seed fields of France to the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and sunset over the Eiffel Tower. Heading out at dawn for my last run on this epic journey, I pause to watch the sun rise from the Place de la Concorde and look back over the weeks at the places we have been. The splendor of Bangkok's temples, the dusty streets of Laos, the no nonsense Chinese, hard Mongolian traders, Red Square and the familiarity of Europe and see it all before me as the dream that it is.
I believe we have all learnt something from this adventure - about ourselves, about each-other and about the people who live on this vast continent who despite their many differences are united in the common needs and desires, fears and joys of the human condition. Throughout our travels we have been overwhelmed by the kindness of our fellow human beings who's warmth, help, hospitality and friendship have been constant companions. We return home invigorated by this magical journey and with our faith stronger than ever...
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
The high speed train whisks us overnight through the bright yellow rape seed fields of France to the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and sunset over the Eiffel Tower. Heading out at dawn for my last run on this epic journey, I pause to watch the sun rise from the Place de la Concorde and look back over the weeks at the places we have been. The splendor of Bangkok's temples, the dusty streets of Laos, the no nonsense Chinese, hard Mongolian traders, Red Square and the familiarity of Europe and see it all before me as the dream that it is.
I believe we have all learnt something from this adventure - about ourselves, about each-other and about the people who live on this vast continent who despite their many differences are united in the common needs and desires, fears and joys of the human condition. Throughout our travels we have been overwhelmed by the kindness of our fellow human beings who's warmth, help, hospitality and friendship have been constant companions. We return home invigorated by this magical journey and with our faith stronger than ever...
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Worcester, UK
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Trans-Mongolian life
Our 5 days in Ulan Bataar came an end and we prepared our 5 days 4 nights train journey to the largest country in the world, Russia. This signified that our crazy epic is coming to an end. Home bound now. Home on the other side of the planet.
Our trans-Mongolian train ride began with slogging our luggages which were now heavier due to addition of food. Alot of instant noodles, instant mash potatoes, bread, tomatoes, corn flakes etc. We were greeted by grunts and half smiles from the Mongolian train attendants.
Four of us fit comfortably in the 2nd class compartment and we waved goodbye to dark hair and yellow brown skins continent.
The carriage was very busy. People unpacking and repacking. I took a peak- it seemed that they were repacking their shopping. Alot of clothes and bags being taken out of their packing?! So I unpacked too- rearranging our food into rations for different days ( which at the end unnecessary as both children were sick and could not eat much).
Soon as the train started to move, people started moving up and down the hall with things in their arms. Quite a few poked their heads into our compartment when they realised we cannot communicate, they just went away. We remained puzzle.
Finally a lady stopped and asked if we were interested to buy her bags. "So that is what they are doing, trading in the train. Can't imagine why anyone would want to shop on train ..." Boy, were we wrong!
Jon Jon began to get sick on the first night, starting with turning his stomach and lunch into a plastic bag. We silently prayed that it was just a one off and soon it would be over.
Between his vomiting we went through custom and immigration of Mongolia and Russia.
Soon vomiting became diarrhoea. It did not help when we had a hard time working out the bathroom on the train. We thought they had turned off the tap to conserve water. (Actually, we did not realised the tap is designed differently from what we are used to.) When Jon shit in his pant, we were thinking SHIT!
It did not help when he seemed to only need the toilet when the train stopped. (Not allowed in the toilet when in a station.)
The first 2 days on the train were pretty fretful and smelly. However, it did not stop us noticing something quite interesting.
Once we crossed over to Russia, the train would stop for about 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours during the day until 10pm at night. During these stops, the Mongolians would rush down with their goods to sell to the waiting Russians. A moving 20 minutes fleas Market. This happened all the way to Moscow.
On the 3rd day, colours finally returned on Jon's face. We sighed a relief. No one noticed that the poor boy in cabin 3 was sick all these time.
Alas, good fortune did not stay. Day 4, San complained about something in her throat. Soon the vomiting started. San San ran up and down the corridor with plastic bag down her neck.
She rapidly turned white and her face started to sink into her bone as she brought out all the fluid in her already skinny body.
Finally, the attendants realised cabin 3 was in trouble. It was hard to them to notice our situation since they seemed to be only interested in cooking their own meals and locking up toilets.
A Russian doctor was called against our will. Without choice, San was given an injection to stop her vomiting. (At the time of writing four days after she started, she is still unwell.)
Finally, we arrived in Moscow on the fifth day. We were very glad to get off the train. It was indeed a period of testing on our patience!!!
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Our trans-Mongolian train ride began with slogging our luggages which were now heavier due to addition of food. Alot of instant noodles, instant mash potatoes, bread, tomatoes, corn flakes etc. We were greeted by grunts and half smiles from the Mongolian train attendants.
Four of us fit comfortably in the 2nd class compartment and we waved goodbye to dark hair and yellow brown skins continent.
The carriage was very busy. People unpacking and repacking. I took a peak- it seemed that they were repacking their shopping. Alot of clothes and bags being taken out of their packing?! So I unpacked too- rearranging our food into rations for different days ( which at the end unnecessary as both children were sick and could not eat much).
Soon as the train started to move, people started moving up and down the hall with things in their arms. Quite a few poked their heads into our compartment when they realised we cannot communicate, they just went away. We remained puzzle.
Finally a lady stopped and asked if we were interested to buy her bags. "So that is what they are doing, trading in the train. Can't imagine why anyone would want to shop on train ..." Boy, were we wrong!
Jon Jon began to get sick on the first night, starting with turning his stomach and lunch into a plastic bag. We silently prayed that it was just a one off and soon it would be over.
Between his vomiting we went through custom and immigration of Mongolia and Russia.
Soon vomiting became diarrhoea. It did not help when we had a hard time working out the bathroom on the train. We thought they had turned off the tap to conserve water. (Actually, we did not realised the tap is designed differently from what we are used to.) When Jon shit in his pant, we were thinking SHIT!
It did not help when he seemed to only need the toilet when the train stopped. (Not allowed in the toilet when in a station.)
The first 2 days on the train were pretty fretful and smelly. However, it did not stop us noticing something quite interesting.
Once we crossed over to Russia, the train would stop for about 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours during the day until 10pm at night. During these stops, the Mongolians would rush down with their goods to sell to the waiting Russians. A moving 20 minutes fleas Market. This happened all the way to Moscow.
On the 3rd day, colours finally returned on Jon's face. We sighed a relief. No one noticed that the poor boy in cabin 3 was sick all these time.
Alas, good fortune did not stay. Day 4, San complained about something in her throat. Soon the vomiting started. San San ran up and down the corridor with plastic bag down her neck.
She rapidly turned white and her face started to sink into her bone as she brought out all the fluid in her already skinny body.
Finally, the attendants realised cabin 3 was in trouble. It was hard to them to notice our situation since they seemed to be only interested in cooking their own meals and locking up toilets.
A Russian doctor was called against our will. Without choice, San was given an injection to stop her vomiting. (At the time of writing four days after she started, she is still unwell.)
Finally, we arrived in Moscow on the fifth day. We were very glad to get off the train. It was indeed a period of testing on our patience!!!
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, 29 April 2011
Week 12 - To Moscow
We stagger onto the Ulaan Battar to Moscow train laden down with the weight of five days of provisions. Five days later we stagger off the train in Moscow not much lighter and with two lean children having become alarmingly skinny. Within hours, Jon Jon is vomiting and diarrhea follows shortly after and becomes a permanent companion, shifting to San San on day four. Our cabin fills with plastic bags of foulness as the bouts of illness synchronies with the regular station stops, when the toilets are tightly bolted shut. We end up washing the sheets to avoid a hefty fine and leave the whole situation behind us with a big sigh of relief.
During the periods when the sick children are asleep, the ride is quiet and relaxed as the train drifts through an endless forest of silver birch, dotted with villages of oval roofed wooden cottages. It's mid April but the trees are bare, there is snow in the air and the rivers are still partially frozen hinting at the long and frigid winter still drawing to an end.
The train is packed with Mongolian traders with cabins full of jeans, jackets, coats, scarves, bags, trainers, shoes, blankets, thermos flasks.... even half body mannequins for displaying trousers and tops. Ten minutes prior to each stop this army of commerce begins to mobilize, queuing down the train with arms full of stuff. The doors pop open and they spill onto the platform and launch into a frenzy of trade with the crowds of Russian bargain seekers who seem to be at every station regardless of the hour. The Mongolian train timetable must be committed to memory across the whole of southern Russia. With only 20 minutes in hand no time is wasted, deals are fast and furious for cash or barter. I note that a thick Chinese blanket is worth two bags of dried fish on the Russian/ Mongolian border... Then the train slowly jerks forward and they all jump back on board - some still selling from the open door as the train gathers speed, customers jogging along side passing cash and grabbing their goods.
At last we are in Moscow and safely ensconsted in a bright and airy four bed dorm only thirty minutes walk from Red Square. Having been cooped up for so long, I'm up at dawn and out for a run, exploring this ancient capital. With the sun coming up over the Kremlin, I head north from the square and smile to see two huge advertisements, the most prominent by far, are for our old friends Hyndai and Samsung...
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
During the periods when the sick children are asleep, the ride is quiet and relaxed as the train drifts through an endless forest of silver birch, dotted with villages of oval roofed wooden cottages. It's mid April but the trees are bare, there is snow in the air and the rivers are still partially frozen hinting at the long and frigid winter still drawing to an end.
The train is packed with Mongolian traders with cabins full of jeans, jackets, coats, scarves, bags, trainers, shoes, blankets, thermos flasks.... even half body mannequins for displaying trousers and tops. Ten minutes prior to each stop this army of commerce begins to mobilize, queuing down the train with arms full of stuff. The doors pop open and they spill onto the platform and launch into a frenzy of trade with the crowds of Russian bargain seekers who seem to be at every station regardless of the hour. The Mongolian train timetable must be committed to memory across the whole of southern Russia. With only 20 minutes in hand no time is wasted, deals are fast and furious for cash or barter. I note that a thick Chinese blanket is worth two bags of dried fish on the Russian/ Mongolian border... Then the train slowly jerks forward and they all jump back on board - some still selling from the open door as the train gathers speed, customers jogging along side passing cash and grabbing their goods.
At last we are in Moscow and safely ensconsted in a bright and airy four bed dorm only thirty minutes walk from Red Square. Having been cooped up for so long, I'm up at dawn and out for a run, exploring this ancient capital. With the sun coming up over the Kremlin, I head north from the square and smile to see two huge advertisements, the most prominent by far, are for our old friends Hyndai and Samsung...
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Moscow, Russia
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Week 11 - Mongolian Ger
Three in the morning and the call of nature has me pushing open the brightly painted wooden door of our Mongolian Ger and wandering out into the vast open plain of the Terelj National Park. The full moon gently filtered by high light cloud casts a magical silver glow over the silent grassland. The air is cold and clear and my gentle clouds of breath seem to issue in a roar against the deafening silence and the crunch of my boots on the sandy ground echoes off the broad slopes of the surrounding hills. I think this is quite possibly as far from civilization I have ventured and still been comfortable and the sense of calm is tangible.
Back in the Ger, I throw another log on the small metal stove and climb back under the sleeping back. The bags are designed for sub zero temperature but this roomy felt walled tent is beautifully warm and I can see from the light of the sputtering candle that Michelle and the kids are fast asleep, comfortably sprawled on the single wooden beds. Blowing out the candle, this warm space plunges into semi darkness and I drift off to sleep, watching the dancing shadows from the glow of the fire.
When I wake up, the sun is illuminating the sky to the east behind the bolder strewn hills, our fire is dead and the morning chill has taken the room. I quickly set the fire, get a fresh brew of shou cha into the flask and quietly get on with my morning puja. By the time the family stirs the Ger is hot once more and the farmers son is cheerfully banging on our door with a big plate of bread and jam. Jon Jon complains of sore legs and we remind him of his two hours on the brown Mongolian gelding with the farmers son the previous evening - most of which at full gallop. The bread is soon devoured and as always too soon we are back on our way to Ulaan Bataar. I reserve comment on Mongolia's capital and feel our stay there was a little too long but I will remember Mongolia fondly for our stay in an ancient and simple rural abode that sits so well in this land of rugged beauty.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Back in the Ger, I throw another log on the small metal stove and climb back under the sleeping back. The bags are designed for sub zero temperature but this roomy felt walled tent is beautifully warm and I can see from the light of the sputtering candle that Michelle and the kids are fast asleep, comfortably sprawled on the single wooden beds. Blowing out the candle, this warm space plunges into semi darkness and I drift off to sleep, watching the dancing shadows from the glow of the fire.
When I wake up, the sun is illuminating the sky to the east behind the bolder strewn hills, our fire is dead and the morning chill has taken the room. I quickly set the fire, get a fresh brew of shou cha into the flask and quietly get on with my morning puja. By the time the family stirs the Ger is hot once more and the farmers son is cheerfully banging on our door with a big plate of bread and jam. Jon Jon complains of sore legs and we remind him of his two hours on the brown Mongolian gelding with the farmers son the previous evening - most of which at full gallop. The bread is soon devoured and as always too soon we are back on our way to Ulaan Bataar. I reserve comment on Mongolia's capital and feel our stay there was a little too long but I will remember Mongolia fondly for our stay in an ancient and simple rural abode that sits so well in this land of rugged beauty.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia
Chinese/ Mongolia Border Crossing
An interesting interlude on the train from Beijing to Ulaan Bataar was a 1.5 hour stop in the middle of the night at the Chinese border town of Erlian. With no idea what was going on, we sit confused as some people get off the train and head into the station while others stay on board. We decide that the latter would be a safer bet as at least we are still 'on' the train.
And so we sit puzzled by the crashing clunks that jerk us off our seats as we go slowly back and forth into a huge maintenance shed. Once in the shed we look across at a train that has been dismantled into single carriages on the track next to us. Each carriage is slowly being lifted off it's wheels by four huge orange hydraulic jacks and the bogies are being drawn out on long steel cables. There are people sat in the carriages and on the side it says "Beijing to Ulaan Bataar" - how can we be sat parallel to our own dismantled train? Racing Jon to the end of our carriage, we find it has been uncoupled from it's neighbors and is similarly being lifted off it's wheels. Not being the brightest family on the trans-mongolian rail system, we try to work out what is going on.
Jon suggests that maybe there was a nail on the track and it burst all the tires so they have to fix them all. We double check and discover that trains have metal wheels and no tires... Michelle wonders if the sandstorm we went through earlier in the day has damaged the axels... Finally it starts to dawn on us that maybe the Chinese and Mongolian tracks are different sizes and they need to change the bogies.
Sure enough, once connected to the internet at Ulaan Bataar, we discover the well documented phenomena of the Erlian bogie change where the 1,435 mm standard gauge used by China is changed to the Russian 1,520 mm gauge used by Mongolia. It seems that this is in all the guidebooks and everyone knows about it. Having dumped our guide book in Laos, to us it was a fantastic mystery! We resolve never to bother with a guidebook again - it takes all the fun out of things.
Apparently the gauge is changed back on the Belarus/ Polish border - something to look forward to but unfortunately this time we will know exactly what's going on.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
And so we sit puzzled by the crashing clunks that jerk us off our seats as we go slowly back and forth into a huge maintenance shed. Once in the shed we look across at a train that has been dismantled into single carriages on the track next to us. Each carriage is slowly being lifted off it's wheels by four huge orange hydraulic jacks and the bogies are being drawn out on long steel cables. There are people sat in the carriages and on the side it says "Beijing to Ulaan Bataar" - how can we be sat parallel to our own dismantled train? Racing Jon to the end of our carriage, we find it has been uncoupled from it's neighbors and is similarly being lifted off it's wheels. Not being the brightest family on the trans-mongolian rail system, we try to work out what is going on.
Jon suggests that maybe there was a nail on the track and it burst all the tires so they have to fix them all. We double check and discover that trains have metal wheels and no tires... Michelle wonders if the sandstorm we went through earlier in the day has damaged the axels... Finally it starts to dawn on us that maybe the Chinese and Mongolian tracks are different sizes and they need to change the bogies.
Sure enough, once connected to the internet at Ulaan Bataar, we discover the well documented phenomena of the Erlian bogie change where the 1,435 mm standard gauge used by China is changed to the Russian 1,520 mm gauge used by Mongolia. It seems that this is in all the guidebooks and everyone knows about it. Having dumped our guide book in Laos, to us it was a fantastic mystery! We resolve never to bother with a guidebook again - it takes all the fun out of things.
Apparently the gauge is changed back on the Belarus/ Polish border - something to look forward to but unfortunately this time we will know exactly what's going on.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, 18 April 2011
Ulan Bataar's countryside
30 hours on the Trans-Mongolian, we went through customs and immigrations for both China and Mongolia, watched the train checked and changed it's rails, passed through the Gobi desert in the night and arrived at Ulan Bataar. UB Guesthouse has timely and kindly picked us up from the train station.
The city of UB resembles Russian, European small town with a few tall buildings. The signs are in Cyrillic but there are enough English around to be understood. There are still many signs of it's ex-communist status. But the country has been a democratic country since 1992.
UB Guesthouse is what I imagine a proper hostel is. Rooms with bunk-beds, good services for backpackers. Interesting enough, it is run by a Korean, Mr Kim and his Mongolian partner. Lots of backpackers. Tiny kitchen packed with people to get breakfast.
Very quickly, we jumped on the opportunity of a trek to the nearby country side, to stay a night in a farm in a ger.
So an hour car ride in the early Monday morning, we arrived in Terelj.
Surrounded in rocky mountains, the nomadic farm is located in the sandy plain where their cows and horses grazed. They put us in a ger- the Mongolian round tent. It is surprising comfortable and warm. Dave and Jon had a lot of fun sticking woods and papers in the iron cast burner.
Big Tibetan dogs sat around our tent, waiting for us to throw bits of food to them. It is amazing how dogs can eat a lot and eat everything. San was not pleased when the dogs raided our tent and ate the chocolate.
In the evening, we had a go at horse riding. Dave was unsure. I enjoyed it. San was trying to talk to the horse. But Jon had the most fun as he was riding with the farmer's son who showed him all the tricks.
In the middle of the night, i woke to take leak in nature. Was surprised by how bright it was outside the ger. I could not see any stars as it was almost a full moon, it shone like a lamp in dark room, giving light to the plain. Everything else was quiet. It was a serene moment for me until I realised I really have to go. Nature call!
The children had a fabulous time with horse riding, helping the farmer boy with little chores, watching the farmer chainsawed firewood, staying in a tent, and simply just rolling around in nature and making lots of noise.
So much to learn, the world is so big...
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
The city of UB resembles Russian, European small town with a few tall buildings. The signs are in Cyrillic but there are enough English around to be understood. There are still many signs of it's ex-communist status. But the country has been a democratic country since 1992.
UB Guesthouse is what I imagine a proper hostel is. Rooms with bunk-beds, good services for backpackers. Interesting enough, it is run by a Korean, Mr Kim and his Mongolian partner. Lots of backpackers. Tiny kitchen packed with people to get breakfast.
Very quickly, we jumped on the opportunity of a trek to the nearby country side, to stay a night in a farm in a ger.
So an hour car ride in the early Monday morning, we arrived in Terelj.
Surrounded in rocky mountains, the nomadic farm is located in the sandy plain where their cows and horses grazed. They put us in a ger- the Mongolian round tent. It is surprising comfortable and warm. Dave and Jon had a lot of fun sticking woods and papers in the iron cast burner.
Big Tibetan dogs sat around our tent, waiting for us to throw bits of food to them. It is amazing how dogs can eat a lot and eat everything. San was not pleased when the dogs raided our tent and ate the chocolate.
In the evening, we had a go at horse riding. Dave was unsure. I enjoyed it. San was trying to talk to the horse. But Jon had the most fun as he was riding with the farmer's son who showed him all the tricks.
In the middle of the night, i woke to take leak in nature. Was surprised by how bright it was outside the ger. I could not see any stars as it was almost a full moon, it shone like a lamp in dark room, giving light to the plain. Everything else was quiet. It was a serene moment for me until I realised I really have to go. Nature call!
The children had a fabulous time with horse riding, helping the farmer boy with little chores, watching the farmer chainsawed firewood, staying in a tent, and simply just rolling around in nature and making lots of noise.
So much to learn, the world is so big...
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Leaving the Middle Kingdom
1.4 billion people, 56 ethnic groups, weathers that range from desert heat to mediterranean coolness to Siberian freeze... ... The Middle Kingdom has so much to offer.
For the last 7 weeks, we have seen many parts of China, from walking amid the hundreds years old Pu'er tea, dancing with the colourful Tibetan in the highland, chatting with smiling charismatic coast people, sleeping in ancient Hakka fortified mansion, mesmerized in memory of Old Shanghai, standing in aw in presence of the terricota warriors, and finally falling in love with the mandarin language. All in all, there is still so much to learn and see from a nation so big.
As we sit on the Trans-Mongolian train, looking out as it journeys toward the north, I am thinking I have only seen a little of this middle kingdom and resolve to come back again another day.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
For the last 7 weeks, we have seen many parts of China, from walking amid the hundreds years old Pu'er tea, dancing with the colourful Tibetan in the highland, chatting with smiling charismatic coast people, sleeping in ancient Hakka fortified mansion, mesmerized in memory of Old Shanghai, standing in aw in presence of the terricota warriors, and finally falling in love with the mandarin language. All in all, there is still so much to learn and see from a nation so big.
As we sit on the Trans-Mongolian train, looking out as it journeys toward the north, I am thinking I have only seen a little of this middle kingdom and resolve to come back again another day.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Week 10 - Putonghua
Beijing is bursting with spring as we make our way through the blossoming streets to our hostel to the north of the station. The cool breeze warms in the sun on a bright and cloudless day that repeats itself for the full week of our stay in the north capital.
" 'Bei' is 'north' - 'jing' is 'capital'. 'Dong' is 'east' - 'nan' is 'south' and 'xi' is 'west'. You can remember by Dongjing or Tokyo - east capital, Nanjing - south capital and Xian - west capital. Very simple..." Thus starts five days of intensive drilling on Chinese tones and pinyin pronunciation and my first real appreciation for the fascinating nature of putonghua, the 'common language'.
This is a language of thousands of one syllable words, each with four tones rendering unrelated different meanings. These are strung together to weave longer words the meanings of which are abstracted from the originals with a beautiful soft logic.
Put dong (east) with xi (west) and you get 'dongxi' - meaning things. When looking for things we move our head from side to side, from east to west. Long (second tone) is dragon. Xia (first tone) is shrimp. So - 'longxia' is lobster. Dragons are big and powerful with many good qualities. Project these good qualities onto a shrimp and it transforms it into a lobster. You know it makes sense...
So by learning two or three words you are actually learning four, five or more new words and quickly building vocabulary. However, unless the tone of every word is pronounced precisely, that vocabulary is useless. You find yourself uttering unadulterated gibberish, drawing quizzical looks or blank stares as reward for the effort of committing hundreds of these little alien sounds to memory.
Thirty hours of 'zh ch sh r z c s....' and 400 new words later and I'm starting to realize how long, hard and fascinating this journey into Mandarin is going to be. But perhaps the main battle is won. After years of closed minded dogged resistance to my better half's language, I surprised myself by looking forward to class, eagerly writing up notes and actually enjoying the effort of memorizing vocab. Perhaps our week amongst the blossoms of the north capital will mark my gradual emergence from the shadows into the bright light of Asia...
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
" 'Bei' is 'north' - 'jing' is 'capital'. 'Dong' is 'east' - 'nan' is 'south' and 'xi' is 'west'. You can remember by Dongjing or Tokyo - east capital, Nanjing - south capital and Xian - west capital. Very simple..." Thus starts five days of intensive drilling on Chinese tones and pinyin pronunciation and my first real appreciation for the fascinating nature of putonghua, the 'common language'.
This is a language of thousands of one syllable words, each with four tones rendering unrelated different meanings. These are strung together to weave longer words the meanings of which are abstracted from the originals with a beautiful soft logic.
Put dong (east) with xi (west) and you get 'dongxi' - meaning things. When looking for things we move our head from side to side, from east to west. Long (second tone) is dragon. Xia (first tone) is shrimp. So - 'longxia' is lobster. Dragons are big and powerful with many good qualities. Project these good qualities onto a shrimp and it transforms it into a lobster. You know it makes sense...
So by learning two or three words you are actually learning four, five or more new words and quickly building vocabulary. However, unless the tone of every word is pronounced precisely, that vocabulary is useless. You find yourself uttering unadulterated gibberish, drawing quizzical looks or blank stares as reward for the effort of committing hundreds of these little alien sounds to memory.
Thirty hours of 'zh ch sh r z c s....' and 400 new words later and I'm starting to realize how long, hard and fascinating this journey into Mandarin is going to be. But perhaps the main battle is won. After years of closed minded dogged resistance to my better half's language, I surprised myself by looking forward to class, eagerly writing up notes and actually enjoying the effort of memorizing vocab. Perhaps our week amongst the blossoms of the north capital will mark my gradual emergence from the shadows into the bright light of Asia...
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Beijing, China
Monday, 11 April 2011
Week 9 - Xian
Perhaps having united the Middle Kingdom, Emperor Qin's monumental effort to bury 6,000 full sized pottery soldiers was based on his clairvoyant vision of the river of money that would issue forth 2,500 years later... If so, he was most certainly a visionary as the slick commercial venture of the Terra-cotta Warriors is a sight to behold, both in terms of this undoubtedly remarkable ancient historical wonder and the way it is sold.
Some fifteen years ago, I recall being dropped off by taxi pretty well outside the gate of Pit 1, pushing my way through a throng of trinket sellers to buy my ticket and wandering directly into the main exhibit (Pit 2 being under construction). Having casually wandered around for half an hour, I remember grabbing a corn on the cob from a street stall and hopping back into a cab back to town.
Now it's a case of walking half a kilometer through a vast car park full of coaches and cars, pushing your way through a gaggling throng of smartly dressed official guides to a Disneyland style ticketing office. Ticket in hand you then have to work your way through row upon row of neat souvenir shops, coffee shops, restaurants, book stalls and a multitude of street vendors for a good 20 minutes before reaching the bag scan machines manned by armed security and a battery of ticket turnstiles. For RMB5 per person you can bypass the whole fiasco by golf buggy that runs through a newly built park behind the shops - but only on the way in. There is no avoiding it on the way back. And needless to say the place is packed!
Eves dropping on a bunch of foreigners on the bus back to town discussing the possibility of the whole thing being an elaborate Chinese government scam, made us smile. There was a serious edge to their conversation and if I hadn't seen it back in the '90s, I could have found myself wondering.
All in all, an interesting day trip - the historical value of which is indeed huge but the overall experience a little tiresome. I personally found the 14 km walk around Xian's ancient city wall far more enjoyable, dispute the constant, "Are we there yet?" that seems to be following me around. Next stop - Beijing and a week of intensive Mandarin lessons... roll on Mongolia.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Some fifteen years ago, I recall being dropped off by taxi pretty well outside the gate of Pit 1, pushing my way through a throng of trinket sellers to buy my ticket and wandering directly into the main exhibit (Pit 2 being under construction). Having casually wandered around for half an hour, I remember grabbing a corn on the cob from a street stall and hopping back into a cab back to town.
Now it's a case of walking half a kilometer through a vast car park full of coaches and cars, pushing your way through a gaggling throng of smartly dressed official guides to a Disneyland style ticketing office. Ticket in hand you then have to work your way through row upon row of neat souvenir shops, coffee shops, restaurants, book stalls and a multitude of street vendors for a good 20 minutes before reaching the bag scan machines manned by armed security and a battery of ticket turnstiles. For RMB5 per person you can bypass the whole fiasco by golf buggy that runs through a newly built park behind the shops - but only on the way in. There is no avoiding it on the way back. And needless to say the place is packed!
Eves dropping on a bunch of foreigners on the bus back to town discussing the possibility of the whole thing being an elaborate Chinese government scam, made us smile. There was a serious edge to their conversation and if I hadn't seen it back in the '90s, I could have found myself wondering.
All in all, an interesting day trip - the historical value of which is indeed huge but the overall experience a little tiresome. I personally found the 14 km walk around Xian's ancient city wall far more enjoyable, dispute the constant, "Are we there yet?" that seems to be following me around. Next stop - Beijing and a week of intensive Mandarin lessons... roll on Mongolia.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Xian, China
Week 8 - Hakka Tuluo
Seven hours sat bolt upright on a hard seater train puts us into Yongding in Fujian at 4:30 am in surprisingly good spirits. There is only one reason to be here and the early hour does not perturb the touts from crowding the disembarking passengers offering rides to the areas many Tulou. We are soon whisked off by minivan deep into a countryside which slowly reveals a startling beauty as a watery sun emerges from the pre dawn sky.
The scene that opens before us could not be any further from the sprawling industrial city we have just left behind. The ancient villages in this misty valley are separated by rice paddi and fields of vegetables and made up of perfectly round light brown smooth walled buildings called Tuluo. Built by Hakka migrants 300 to 500 years ago to provide protection to whole clans, some of these four storey buildings have up to 500 rooms laid out in concentric rings radiating from a central open courtyard. I can quite honestly say that I have never seen anything like it.
We are met at the entrance to Liulia village by a small, bespectacled, energetic Chinese fellow intent on carrying my 27 kg rucksack into the Tuolo where we are to stay. He tells us in pretty good English that this sprawling mansion has been in his family for generations leading us through open courtyards, along a narrow corridor and up a flight of rickety wooden steps to our meter thick walled and stone floored room. Clean, simple but a tad cold we all drop into the snuggly beds to catch up on the nights lost sleep.
We spend the afternoon exploring this delightful village - crisscrossing the little bridges across its bubbling stream, taking photos of the water wheels and of course diving in and out of the many Tuluo. Strangely, the cool breeze, gently flowing water, sleepy gift shops and rustic colors put me in mind of Broadway in the Cotswalds, one of my parents' favorite spots, invoking fond childhood memories.
Too soon we are on the road once again this time by minivan, heading north east back to Xiamen where we pick up the train to Shanghai. Brief though it was, I suspect the memory of our trip to Liulia village will endure.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
The scene that opens before us could not be any further from the sprawling industrial city we have just left behind. The ancient villages in this misty valley are separated by rice paddi and fields of vegetables and made up of perfectly round light brown smooth walled buildings called Tuluo. Built by Hakka migrants 300 to 500 years ago to provide protection to whole clans, some of these four storey buildings have up to 500 rooms laid out in concentric rings radiating from a central open courtyard. I can quite honestly say that I have never seen anything like it.
We are met at the entrance to Liulia village by a small, bespectacled, energetic Chinese fellow intent on carrying my 27 kg rucksack into the Tuolo where we are to stay. He tells us in pretty good English that this sprawling mansion has been in his family for generations leading us through open courtyards, along a narrow corridor and up a flight of rickety wooden steps to our meter thick walled and stone floored room. Clean, simple but a tad cold we all drop into the snuggly beds to catch up on the nights lost sleep.
We spend the afternoon exploring this delightful village - crisscrossing the little bridges across its bubbling stream, taking photos of the water wheels and of course diving in and out of the many Tuluo. Strangely, the cool breeze, gently flowing water, sleepy gift shops and rustic colors put me in mind of Broadway in the Cotswalds, one of my parents' favorite spots, invoking fond childhood memories.
Too soon we are on the road once again this time by minivan, heading north east back to Xiamen where we pick up the train to Shanghai. Brief though it was, I suspect the memory of our trip to Liulia village will endure.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Yongding, Fujian, China
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Capitals of China
We have been to the 3 major stops of China.
Shanghai - the modern civilization of China. In 1800s, the city went from a sleepy town to the modern trading city ahead of the rest of Asia. In 1920s, Shanghai had been the pearl of asia, leading the trade, fashion, crime of the chinese of Asia. It is interesting to see the contrast between the new and the old. The banking institution buildings built in the early days still stand today. Today, it is still leading the rest of China in term of modernization. Comparing Shanghai to the other places we have visited, I don't think Shanghai is a good representation of China, just like the way London does not represents the rest of it's country.
From Shanghai, the finance capital in china, we crossed over to Xi-an, the ancient capital of China. This was the beginning and end of the Silk Road. It is also here where small kingdoms were unified by Emperor Qin and found China. I believe the common written chinese language were also developed here. Today, what was left was the 600 years old city wall. The rest of the city did not stand still. It is hard to imagine what it was. What brought us here was the 'BinMaYong'. The human size earth-made soldiers buried to accompanied Emperor Qin to the underworld to continue to conquer. Question is if all is created by mind, did emperor Qin conquered the underworld in the end?
Finally, we arrived in Beijing, the capital of china. We got a week here and we have been here many times. Last night, we went to our favorite restaurant, Afunti, a silk road Muslim restaurant that provides food, drink, and
Entertainment. The children really enjoyed it and that begins the last lag of our journey in china.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Shanghai - the modern civilization of China. In 1800s, the city went from a sleepy town to the modern trading city ahead of the rest of Asia. In 1920s, Shanghai had been the pearl of asia, leading the trade, fashion, crime of the chinese of Asia. It is interesting to see the contrast between the new and the old. The banking institution buildings built in the early days still stand today. Today, it is still leading the rest of China in term of modernization. Comparing Shanghai to the other places we have visited, I don't think Shanghai is a good representation of China, just like the way London does not represents the rest of it's country.
From Shanghai, the finance capital in china, we crossed over to Xi-an, the ancient capital of China. This was the beginning and end of the Silk Road. It is also here where small kingdoms were unified by Emperor Qin and found China. I believe the common written chinese language were also developed here. Today, what was left was the 600 years old city wall. The rest of the city did not stand still. It is hard to imagine what it was. What brought us here was the 'BinMaYong'. The human size earth-made soldiers buried to accompanied Emperor Qin to the underworld to continue to conquer. Question is if all is created by mind, did emperor Qin conquered the underworld in the end?
Finally, we arrived in Beijing, the capital of china. We got a week here and we have been here many times. Last night, we went to our favorite restaurant, Afunti, a silk road Muslim restaurant that provides food, drink, and
Entertainment. The children really enjoyed it and that begins the last lag of our journey in china.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, 31 March 2011
The worst city in China?
We got on the train again, this time back to Guangzhou for 15 hours.
We reached DongGuan Dong train station early in the morning, bought our return journey to Yong Ding, only to discover that we had to travel for other 1.5 hr on local bus to get to see my auntie.
1.5 hour bus journey revealed dreary industrial city that seems to span endlessly in all direction.
80% of the resident come from another place in china. I have come to the conclusion that this is the reason why it is not well taken care of.
Despite this, we are well looked after and fully enjoyed being with family for a day.
The following evening, we made the same journey back to the train station, only to realize that the train tickets we had were seater ticket. This meant a 7 hours train journey into the night, sitting upright.
It could be an uncomfortable journey, but knowing what is to be expected, I was determined to made the best of it.
Dakini Yoga begins the first hour and allows my mind to patiently accept the seating arrangement . I was sat very far from the rest of the Turberfield.
However, it also allowed me to observe people surrounding me. There was a lot of chatting, squeezing and sleeping. There were people who could not get a seat and had to stand throughout their journey. Luggages cramped everywhere, under seats, over seats, between legs. Many families traveling together. The young looking after the elderly, the grandparents looking after the children.
Many people were desperately trying their best to be comfortable. I knew there was no point trying. So instead I tried to relax into a sitting position and listen to puja. It kept me alert through most of the journey, and hence fairly comfortable.
Finally at 5 am, we arrived in YongDing and quickly ushered off to the Hakka Tulou in LiuLian village.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
We reached DongGuan Dong train station early in the morning, bought our return journey to Yong Ding, only to discover that we had to travel for other 1.5 hr on local bus to get to see my auntie.
1.5 hour bus journey revealed dreary industrial city that seems to span endlessly in all direction.
80% of the resident come from another place in china. I have come to the conclusion that this is the reason why it is not well taken care of.
Despite this, we are well looked after and fully enjoyed being with family for a day.
The following evening, we made the same journey back to the train station, only to realize that the train tickets we had were seater ticket. This meant a 7 hours train journey into the night, sitting upright.
It could be an uncomfortable journey, but knowing what is to be expected, I was determined to made the best of it.
Dakini Yoga begins the first hour and allows my mind to patiently accept the seating arrangement . I was sat very far from the rest of the Turberfield.
However, it also allowed me to observe people surrounding me. There was a lot of chatting, squeezing and sleeping. There were people who could not get a seat and had to stand throughout their journey. Luggages cramped everywhere, under seats, over seats, between legs. Many families traveling together. The young looking after the elderly, the grandparents looking after the children.
Many people were desperately trying their best to be comfortable. I knew there was no point trying. So instead I tried to relax into a sitting position and listen to puja. It kept me alert through most of the journey, and hence fairly comfortable.
Finally at 5 am, we arrived in YongDing and quickly ushered off to the Hakka Tulou in LiuLian village.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
A quick holiday from our holiday
Xiamen, a shiny new city welcomes us. Flashy skyscrapers, overhead metro, fast-food chain, well organized road ... ... No wonders this is one of China most livable city. It is clean and modern, on an island, by the coast. People here are relaxed and to me, honest.
A day in Xiamen, and we boarded Cosco Star cruise to get the Taiwan. It was interesting to sleep to the gentle motion of the ship. There are many types of rooms on the cruise. I saw floor room where people sleep on mattresses on floor. There were about 50 men per room. Then there are the common dormitory with common toilets. No much privacy. There are also privates- 2 person room, 6 person room. We took the 6 person dorm private room. It has a toilet and it was good to have some time to ourselves.
When we opened our eyes next, we have arrived in Taiwan, Keelung in the north.
The Asian Dharma Celebration went in a breeze. Too soon, we are back in China. However, mentally, we returned charged, with renewed courage and energy to keep practicing. In this prolonged holiday, ADC is our holiday within. It was fantastic to see everyone, and especially to see our teachers, to be inspired again.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
A day in Xiamen, and we boarded Cosco Star cruise to get the Taiwan. It was interesting to sleep to the gentle motion of the ship. There are many types of rooms on the cruise. I saw floor room where people sleep on mattresses on floor. There were about 50 men per room. Then there are the common dormitory with common toilets. No much privacy. There are also privates- 2 person room, 6 person room. We took the 6 person dorm private room. It has a toilet and it was good to have some time to ourselves.
When we opened our eyes next, we have arrived in Taiwan, Keelung in the north.
The Asian Dharma Celebration went in a breeze. Too soon, we are back in China. However, mentally, we returned charged, with renewed courage and energy to keep practicing. In this prolonged holiday, ADC is our holiday within. It was fantastic to see everyone, and especially to see our teachers, to be inspired again.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Week 7 - Donguan
After a night in the Taiwan Kadampa Meditation Centre watched over by the Buddhas on the Gompa Shrine and a brief visit to my old colleagues at ERM Taiwan, we fly to Taiwan's Jinmen island and take a short ferry back to Xiamen on the second entry of our Chinese visas. After one more day exploring Xiamen's islands we are back on the overnight sleeper train heading south to Donguan to visit Michelle's distant relatives.
The contrast between Xiamen and Guandong could not have been more stark. After the breezy greenery the endless industrial sprawl of Donguan felt stark and menacing. It took over an hour and a half to cross from the train station to the hotel without a break in this city of 7 million people. The relatives we have come to see, Wenzhounese cousins on Michelle's fathers side, own an sprawling branded leather goods factory and distribution business spanning the whole country and employing hundreds. Built from scratch over 20 years to hand down to the next generation, the whole operation is managed by family members in true Chinese style.
Needless to say we are warmly welcomed and well looked after and the following day are back on the train heading north to the Hakka roundhouses of Yongding and Liulian.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
The contrast between Xiamen and Guandong could not have been more stark. After the breezy greenery the endless industrial sprawl of Donguan felt stark and menacing. It took over an hour and a half to cross from the train station to the hotel without a break in this city of 7 million people. The relatives we have come to see, Wenzhounese cousins on Michelle's fathers side, own an sprawling branded leather goods factory and distribution business spanning the whole country and employing hundreds. Built from scratch over 20 years to hand down to the next generation, the whole operation is managed by family members in true Chinese style.
Needless to say we are warmly welcomed and well looked after and the following day are back on the train heading north to the Hakka roundhouses of Yongding and Liulian.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Donguan, China
Week 6 - Xiamen and Taipei
We arrived is the charming seaside town of Xiamen much in need of a hot shower after two days and nights on the sleeper train from Kunming. Other than the inevitable limitations to personal hygiene, our first long haul train was a surprisingly comfortable adventure filled with idle chatter, leisurely home schooling, card games, books and lots and lots of piping hot tea.
Xiamen was delightful - breezy, clean, green and well planned with a winning mix of modern high-rise and quaint old French colonial streets which were a treat to explore before taking to the sea with an overnight cruise to Keelung on route to Taipei. Pausing for a photo in front of the Rainbow Warrior which happened to be birthed at the port, we hopped on to the intercity and bumped into four familiar red robed ladies a few stops from the Kadampa Asia Dharma Celebration in Taipei and plunged into a blissful long weekend of empowerment, teaching and meditation.
Me and San San helping out in the shop, Michelle manning the festival cafe and Jon Jon charming the customers with his cheeky grin and big brown eyes - a very welcome diversion into the bosom of our Sangha family to mark the half way point of our trip in Taipei.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Xiamen was delightful - breezy, clean, green and well planned with a winning mix of modern high-rise and quaint old French colonial streets which were a treat to explore before taking to the sea with an overnight cruise to Keelung on route to Taipei. Pausing for a photo in front of the Rainbow Warrior which happened to be birthed at the port, we hopped on to the intercity and bumped into four familiar red robed ladies a few stops from the Kadampa Asia Dharma Celebration in Taipei and plunged into a blissful long weekend of empowerment, teaching and meditation.
Me and San San helping out in the shop, Michelle manning the festival cafe and Jon Jon charming the customers with his cheeky grin and big brown eyes - a very welcome diversion into the bosom of our Sangha family to mark the half way point of our trip in Taipei.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Taipei, Taiwan
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
The powerless me
Thousands of miles away from Singapore, away from home...usually being away from home is good for me. I seems to be born with gypsies blood, for I have always been traveling from places to places, family to family ever since I was a kid. It seems right for me not to be near my parents and siblings. I got use to being on my own.
But today, I wish that I am at home. I wish to have the clairvoyance of a buddha to be with my mum in Singapore. I wish I am as powerful as a Buddha to take away the pain and fear that my mum is encountering. I wish I could replace her loneliness with happiness.
Geshe-la said that if we do not understand the sufferings of others, how could I develop the compassion for them to be free from sufferings! My half-hearted practice comes from not realizing the real sufferings. My effortless practice is pitiful. How can I help anyone at the rate my practice is going? How can I take way the pain and suffering of others? How can I claim that I love my mum when I can't even take away her sufferings.
There is a need to start looking. Looking very hard at this reality that we call life. How meaningful is it? Everyday, we wake up, we chase after what we call meaningful. But how meaningful is meaningful when I am not even able to take fear away from people whom I love and care for!!! It is time to start questioning: am I really living meaningfully?
Don't let life pass you by...don't let it deceive you...how meaningful is your life to date???
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
But today, I wish that I am at home. I wish to have the clairvoyance of a buddha to be with my mum in Singapore. I wish I am as powerful as a Buddha to take away the pain and fear that my mum is encountering. I wish I could replace her loneliness with happiness.
Geshe-la said that if we do not understand the sufferings of others, how could I develop the compassion for them to be free from sufferings! My half-hearted practice comes from not realizing the real sufferings. My effortless practice is pitiful. How can I help anyone at the rate my practice is going? How can I take way the pain and suffering of others? How can I claim that I love my mum when I can't even take away her sufferings.
There is a need to start looking. Looking very hard at this reality that we call life. How meaningful is it? Everyday, we wake up, we chase after what we call meaningful. But how meaningful is meaningful when I am not even able to take fear away from people whom I love and care for!!! It is time to start questioning: am I really living meaningfully?
Don't let life pass you by...don't let it deceive you...how meaningful is your life to date???
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Xiamen, China
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
China train
40 hours on hard sleeper on Kunming rail - The only way to travel in style and to see the amazing landscape. 80% of the Chinese population travel in this amazing well connected railway.
Hard sleeper mean economy class with 6 bunks per partition and about 25 partitions per car.
One also get the cheaper version of seater car which involve sitting in a crowded car through the whole journey. This is not recommended if you have long journey. Or you can upgrade to soft sleeper which is a 4 berth private partition.
There is a feel of being in a community on the train. You meet all sort of people from different part of China. People rushing to get to a wedding in their hometown, people going across the country to harvest tomatoes, businessman trying to close a deal, local tourist traveling to their next destination. Many different ascent of mandarin being spoken.
People were talking to each other about food, languages, places they have been to, things that they are doing, and even their problems. So much kindness and love that are shared with strangers for the 40 hours journey; many goodbyes were said and a warm welcome to the new passenger.
We remain the only western foreigner on board. They reference us as 'Lao why'. As usual the children and Dave attracted a lot of curiosity. Dave shaving attracted an audience, homeschooling on the train invited questions about why the children are not in school, the magic show we put on for San and Jon that made them laughed when the children wowed, the educational card game which puzzled them as there are no numbers on the card, and finally people double back to check out why we are sleeping in upright position when we do our silent puja.
The true Chinese experience on it's own. Definitely worth doing if you are intending to get to know China.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Hard sleeper mean economy class with 6 bunks per partition and about 25 partitions per car.
One also get the cheaper version of seater car which involve sitting in a crowded car through the whole journey. This is not recommended if you have long journey. Or you can upgrade to soft sleeper which is a 4 berth private partition.
There is a feel of being in a community on the train. You meet all sort of people from different part of China. People rushing to get to a wedding in their hometown, people going across the country to harvest tomatoes, businessman trying to close a deal, local tourist traveling to their next destination. Many different ascent of mandarin being spoken.
People were talking to each other about food, languages, places they have been to, things that they are doing, and even their problems. So much kindness and love that are shared with strangers for the 40 hours journey; many goodbyes were said and a warm welcome to the new passenger.
We remain the only western foreigner on board. They reference us as 'Lao why'. As usual the children and Dave attracted a lot of curiosity. Dave shaving attracted an audience, homeschooling on the train invited questions about why the children are not in school, the magic show we put on for San and Jon that made them laughed when the children wowed, the educational card game which puzzled them as there are no numbers on the card, and finally people double back to check out why we are sleeping in upright position when we do our silent puja.
The true Chinese experience on it's own. Definitely worth doing if you are intending to get to know China.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Xiamen, china
Week 5 - Home From Home
A blight on our rucksack in the steamy tropics, our heavy coats were a very welcome sight indeed as they emerged from the depths of the bag at 6 am in Shangri La's frigid bus station. We were welcomed from the overnight sleeper bus from Kunming by a light sprinkling of snow and the familiar dizzying shortness of breath of our mountain home.
And home it was! Back in our old room; having lunch with the Thangka Academy students; dinners with Dakpa, Jeff and Baskar; hiking with Jeff and Sonam; helping out in the office; discussing Dharma with Master Kedrup; doing the rounds of the temples - it was as if the last few months had never happened... Having been on the road for a month, to spend time with our friends in Shangri La was a delight - a real home from home which enabled us to recharge our batteries for the next long haul two day rail crossing from Yunnan through Guangxi and Guangzhou to Xiamen in Fujian.
Once again we thank you all for looking after us, fattening us up and putting us back on our way - we hope to see you all again soon!
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
And home it was! Back in our old room; having lunch with the Thangka Academy students; dinners with Dakpa, Jeff and Baskar; hiking with Jeff and Sonam; helping out in the office; discussing Dharma with Master Kedrup; doing the rounds of the temples - it was as if the last few months had never happened... Having been on the road for a month, to spend time with our friends in Shangri La was a delight - a real home from home which enabled us to recharge our batteries for the next long haul two day rail crossing from Yunnan through Guangxi and Guangzhou to Xiamen in Fujian.
Once again we thank you all for looking after us, fattening us up and putting us back on our way - we hope to see you all again soon!
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Shangri La, Yunnan, China
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Feel like home again
Snow welcomed us on our arrival in Shangri-la in the beginning of the week. It has been a good week being back at 'home'.
Children enjoyed being a little more settle and in a place where there are friends.
It is hard to imagine that we have been away. There are changes but familiar changes.
Fluffy, the dog found us again. We were surprised that it remembered us and knew where we live. However, this time she is not alone. We can see she is with baby.
Dave did some voluntary work with the Thangka association. I caught up with my students. They made yak butter tea for me. It is also good to see the master.
Winter is soon over, and Shangri-la is beginning to see more movements, shops are beginning to reopen after the Tibetan new year rest.
Today, it is the last day here. Jeff is coming on the bus with us. I think it is going to be quite an entertaining ride to Kunming.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Children enjoyed being a little more settle and in a place where there are friends.
It is hard to imagine that we have been away. There are changes but familiar changes.
Fluffy, the dog found us again. We were surprised that it remembered us and knew where we live. However, this time she is not alone. We can see she is with baby.
Dave did some voluntary work with the Thangka association. I caught up with my students. They made yak butter tea for me. It is also good to see the master.
Winter is soon over, and Shangri-la is beginning to see more movements, shops are beginning to reopen after the Tibetan new year rest.
Today, it is the last day here. Jeff is coming on the bus with us. I think it is going to be quite an entertaining ride to Kunming.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Shangri-la, china
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
China's sleeper bus
First time in our life, we caught China's long distance over-night sleeper bus. First from Menghai to Kunming and then from Kunming to Shangri-la.
Unlike the other long distance coach that we have taken, the sleeper coach we have caught in China has beds. I really mean bunk beds instead of reclining seats. 3 sets of bunk beds in a row and there were about 30 beds on a bus. No toilets but the bus driver will stop when you advise him for urgent stop. If you are not too tall, it is not too bad. But the beds are really made for Asian height so I pity anyone over 1.75m.
A word of advise, try not to have too many hand carry on board, there is not much space for anything else. When you book your ticket, try to get middle seats, as smoking is permitted at the front door and the rear seats suffer many bumps.
Advise for other travelers with children: there are child prices for tickets both on trains and buses. Most of the time, it is judged by height of your child. Child of height under 1.5m normally get half the price and under 1.2 m maybe free. It is advisable to bring your child along, so that the ticketing officer could judge what you need to pay.
Sansan who is quite tall, sometime has to pay adult fare and sometime she get half price. Whereas Jon is free from time to time.
China's transport system has been pretty reliable. We have not felt any dangers in term of children safety. Chinese have been very friendly and accommodating with our children.
Advise on buying tickets in China - China do not operate a queue system like western countries. It is very much get your feet into any space when you can. Even when you are in a queue, someone else can still cut you by squeezing in the little space you left in front of you or ordering their tickets before you could speak. So in order not to get frustrated with the local custom, firstly don't leave any space when you are in a line; secondly have your money ready, wave and shout your order as soon as the officer is almost finished with previous customer.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Unlike the other long distance coach that we have taken, the sleeper coach we have caught in China has beds. I really mean bunk beds instead of reclining seats. 3 sets of bunk beds in a row and there were about 30 beds on a bus. No toilets but the bus driver will stop when you advise him for urgent stop. If you are not too tall, it is not too bad. But the beds are really made for Asian height so I pity anyone over 1.75m.
A word of advise, try not to have too many hand carry on board, there is not much space for anything else. When you book your ticket, try to get middle seats, as smoking is permitted at the front door and the rear seats suffer many bumps.
Advise for other travelers with children: there are child prices for tickets both on trains and buses. Most of the time, it is judged by height of your child. Child of height under 1.5m normally get half the price and under 1.2 m maybe free. It is advisable to bring your child along, so that the ticketing officer could judge what you need to pay.
Sansan who is quite tall, sometime has to pay adult fare and sometime she get half price. Whereas Jon is free from time to time.
China's transport system has been pretty reliable. We have not felt any dangers in term of children safety. Chinese have been very friendly and accommodating with our children.
Advise on buying tickets in China - China do not operate a queue system like western countries. It is very much get your feet into any space when you can. Even when you are in a queue, someone else can still cut you by squeezing in the little space you left in front of you or ordering their tickets before you could speak. So in order not to get frustrated with the local custom, firstly don't leave any space when you are in a line; secondly have your money ready, wave and shout your order as soon as the officer is almost finished with previous customer.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Pedestrian Streets,Deqen,China
Monday, 14 March 2011
Week 4 - Tea
The cool breeze from the van window carries the subtle fragrance of the passing bamboo groves, a whiff of pine from the forest and as we climb, the unmistakable and alluring aroma of tea. We are deep in the heart of Puer, winding our way up into the mountains flanked with terraced tea trees painted vibrant green by the spring sun. Smiling tea pickers show the children which leaves to pick and how to pinch from the top stems, a technique unchanged in thousands of years. Freshly picked tea gently browns in the sun on the cottage roofs and bamboo platforms of the villages that grace the slopes. This is home to the ancient tea plantations of Yunnan.
We work our way a few kilometers along a dappled woodland track through 200, 300, 400 and 500 hundred year old tea trees to a huge gnarled tree dating back to the year 1200. Such ancient trees make Bang Zhang, a shen cha so prized by the dealers of Beijing and Shanghai that it is booked a year in advance. In my notes I have scrawled; 'light in color, a little bitter at first, mellowing after a few brews. Leaves an extraordinary almost sweet after taste in the throat and back of the tongue which gets stronger over time.' This was one of ten teas we slurped over two days in a pretty teashop on the edge of Menghai. Our exceptional hosts, Ms May and Ms Cher, effortlessly satiate our thirst for both tea and knowledge and we leave with a small shipment on route to Singapore and a dozen pages of scribbled notes. A few more steps along our journey into the magical world of tea.
I now lie in the sleeper bus on route to Kunming, gazing out into the darkness. The black lit by flashes of humanity as villages speed past the window and imagine the world of the folks who planted those ancient trees. I see pressed cakes packed onto the horses of the mulateers on route to Lahasa; months of unthinkable hardship through some of the worlds toughest topography. A route we now follow for a while in modern convenience as we head back along the ancient tea horse road to our friends in Shangri La. Time to unpack our woolies...
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
We work our way a few kilometers along a dappled woodland track through 200, 300, 400 and 500 hundred year old tea trees to a huge gnarled tree dating back to the year 1200. Such ancient trees make Bang Zhang, a shen cha so prized by the dealers of Beijing and Shanghai that it is booked a year in advance. In my notes I have scrawled; 'light in color, a little bitter at first, mellowing after a few brews. Leaves an extraordinary almost sweet after taste in the throat and back of the tongue which gets stronger over time.' This was one of ten teas we slurped over two days in a pretty teashop on the edge of Menghai. Our exceptional hosts, Ms May and Ms Cher, effortlessly satiate our thirst for both tea and knowledge and we leave with a small shipment on route to Singapore and a dozen pages of scribbled notes. A few more steps along our journey into the magical world of tea.
I now lie in the sleeper bus on route to Kunming, gazing out into the darkness. The black lit by flashes of humanity as villages speed past the window and imagine the world of the folks who planted those ancient trees. I see pressed cakes packed onto the horses of the mulateers on route to Lahasa; months of unthinkable hardship through some of the worlds toughest topography. A route we now follow for a while in modern convenience as we head back along the ancient tea horse road to our friends in Shangri La. Time to unpack our woolies...
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Menghai, Yunnan, China
Sunday, 13 March 2011
From Udomxai to China
Early this morning, we woke the sleepy children and walked to the bus station to catch the 7 hours journey to China.
A dusty looking mini bus greeted us. We hurled our backpacks onto the roof of the bus. The bus was packed with mainly Chinese and Laos trying to get home.
We were a bit worried how this journey was going to end up. The children both had stomach bugs so we had episodes of diarrheas and vomitings. We had to delay our move twice.
Fortunately, the journey passed quickly bringing us through bumpy, dusty, windy road over beautiful mountains with beautiful blossoms and wooden houses on stilt.
We said our goodbyes to Laos at the immigration office which is just a wooden hut.
Thank you to the hospitality of the Laos people. Being one of the poorest country, your welcome has been warm and sincere.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
A dusty looking mini bus greeted us. We hurled our backpacks onto the roof of the bus. The bus was packed with mainly Chinese and Laos trying to get home.
We were a bit worried how this journey was going to end up. The children both had stomach bugs so we had episodes of diarrheas and vomitings. We had to delay our move twice.
Fortunately, the journey passed quickly bringing us through bumpy, dusty, windy road over beautiful mountains with beautiful blossoms and wooden houses on stilt.
We said our goodbyes to Laos at the immigration office which is just a wooden hut.
Thank you to the hospitality of the Laos people. Being one of the poorest country, your welcome has been warm and sincere.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Mengla, China
Week 3 - Lao to China
Crossing the Lao/ China border into Yunnan at Botan was something of a deliverance from shadow into light. The dusty primitive hill tribes, rough winding roads and mountains scared by slash and burn gave way to a lush vista of organized agriculture in a startling transition. A transition that somehow had the feel of a home coming. Sprawling plantations of banana, rubber and tea; neat rows of vegetables connected by excellent roads and managed from sturdy and pretty brick built villages sparked the mumbled comment of; "back to civilization...." Having dropped the Lao folks off at Botan, the mood of the Chinese on the minibus visibly relaxed. After a long slow bumpy and silent journey from Udomxay, the speed trebled on the smooth roads of Yunnan, laud Chinese music came over the sound system and the bus filled with cheerful banter.
Lao was a very relaxing place but as we progressed north, the grinding poverty, poor sanitation and hygiene and resultant sickness and diarrhea picked up by the kids slowed us down, leaving us in a bit of a catch 22. An urgency to get out of the dust and the grime whilst at the same time becoming trapped by it, wary of eight hours of bus contained foulness. Paranoid of everywhere we ate, constantly washing our hands and looking for places with the least flies became something of a family obsession, tainting the tranquility of Udomxay. So it was with some reliefs that we finally crossed the border with no more drama than the occasional scheduled pee break.
After a big bowl of famous Yunnan 'over the bridge' noodle soup - settling everyones bruised stomachs - and a night at one of Mengla's most modest of guest houses, we were up well before dawn and back on the bus. This time heading northwest to Menghai into the 'sacred' tea plantations and factories of Pu-er to buy tea at it's source. We are relying of Michelle to get us a great price!
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Lao was a very relaxing place but as we progressed north, the grinding poverty, poor sanitation and hygiene and resultant sickness and diarrhea picked up by the kids slowed us down, leaving us in a bit of a catch 22. An urgency to get out of the dust and the grime whilst at the same time becoming trapped by it, wary of eight hours of bus contained foulness. Paranoid of everywhere we ate, constantly washing our hands and looking for places with the least flies became something of a family obsession, tainting the tranquility of Udomxay. So it was with some reliefs that we finally crossed the border with no more drama than the occasional scheduled pee break.
After a big bowl of famous Yunnan 'over the bridge' noodle soup - settling everyones bruised stomachs - and a night at one of Mengla's most modest of guest houses, we were up well before dawn and back on the bus. This time heading northwest to Menghai into the 'sacred' tea plantations and factories of Pu-er to buy tea at it's source. We are relying of Michelle to get us a great price!
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Menghai, Yunnan
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang was a quiet French colonial country town. It is now a popular tourist destination, someday you can see more tourists than locals. There are many temples. The unique sight of the morning alms giving is very special to the buddhist side of me. This tradition is brought forward from the time of Buddha. We are so honored to be allowed to join in by the locals to gain merits through the way of giving.
Unfortunately, this tradition is being threatened by tourism. We saw tens of tourists poking their camera and disturbing a sacred practice. It felt like an animal in a zoo.
In addition, some tourist would unknowingly buy bad alms and give the monks food poisoning.
We came prepared. Thru reading on lonely planet and other website, we requested our guesthouse to prepare alms for the mornings. The owner of Vanvisa kindly brought us with her in the mornings and corrected what we did wrong. Doing it this way has made it memorable.
Apart from temples, there is the quiet life of Laos. It has been a privilege to stay here for 4 days and not rushing around. There was the incident of Sansan being sick from stomach flu.
However, all is well and we are now waiting for our pickup to go to Udomxai, 4 hours on a local bus because we had to cancel our previous day minivan. On it's own, it will be an interesting journey. More on that later...
Recommended: Vanvisa Guesthouse, near Wat That, alway from the main tourist busyness but still near enough to be close. A fan triple beds is 150,000 kip. A family run guesthouse, so if you preferred the formal hotel accommodation then it is not a place for you. Book through a phone call. Contact: +856-71-212 925 or mobile 020 5 408 133
Mrs Vandara spoke fluent French and English and is always willing to help.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Unfortunately, this tradition is being threatened by tourism. We saw tens of tourists poking their camera and disturbing a sacred practice. It felt like an animal in a zoo.
In addition, some tourist would unknowingly buy bad alms and give the monks food poisoning.
We came prepared. Thru reading on lonely planet and other website, we requested our guesthouse to prepare alms for the mornings. The owner of Vanvisa kindly brought us with her in the mornings and corrected what we did wrong. Doing it this way has made it memorable.
Apart from temples, there is the quiet life of Laos. It has been a privilege to stay here for 4 days and not rushing around. There was the incident of Sansan being sick from stomach flu.
However, all is well and we are now waiting for our pickup to go to Udomxai, 4 hours on a local bus because we had to cancel our previous day minivan. On it's own, it will be an interesting journey. More on that later...
Recommended: Vanvisa Guesthouse, near Wat That, alway from the main tourist busyness but still near enough to be close. A fan triple beds is 150,000 kip. A family run guesthouse, so if you preferred the formal hotel accommodation then it is not a place for you. Book through a phone call. Contact: +856-71-212 925 or mobile 020 5 408 133
Mrs Vandara spoke fluent French and English and is always willing to help.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Luang Prabang, Laos
Friday, 4 March 2011
UXO
It is almost 40 years after the second indo-china war. For the rest of the world, everything have move on from that 9 long years battlefield. However, the people of Laos are still suffering from the consequences of it.
According to UXO Laos there is a person a day still being killed by UXO - unexploded ordinance. Villagers' life could not be reverted to what it was before the bombings. Fertile land could not be sowed, children could not play freely in their backyard. Proper road and infrastructure could not be built. Going to work and school become a hazard.
Not really being directly involved in the vietnam war, but due to it Laos became the most bombed country on earth. There was no direct combat yet the damage is unbelievable and the killing is still on going!
It is sad but real. There is nothing we can do to turn back the clock. But at least we could be more aware of the sufferings of these people from the land of a million elephants. There is no justifiable violence. Patience Acceptance is the only way to real peace. Accepting other people's way of thinking and way of life is important. It does not mean we have to do the same but instead of an enemy we will have a friend due to our understanding. Then perhaps what had happened here will not happen again.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
According to UXO Laos there is a person a day still being killed by UXO - unexploded ordinance. Villagers' life could not be reverted to what it was before the bombings. Fertile land could not be sowed, children could not play freely in their backyard. Proper road and infrastructure could not be built. Going to work and school become a hazard.
Not really being directly involved in the vietnam war, but due to it Laos became the most bombed country on earth. There was no direct combat yet the damage is unbelievable and the killing is still on going!
It is sad but real. There is nothing we can do to turn back the clock. But at least we could be more aware of the sufferings of these people from the land of a million elephants. There is no justifiable violence. Patience Acceptance is the only way to real peace. Accepting other people's way of thinking and way of life is important. It does not mean we have to do the same but instead of an enemy we will have a friend due to our understanding. Then perhaps what had happened here will not happen again.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Luang Prabang, Laos
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Week 3 - Lao
Michelle mentions below how Vientiane has progressed since our last trip ten years ago. As progress is generally measured in terms of economic growth, this is certainly true. A boom in tourist income, continuing foreign aid and increasing foreign direct investment, particularly in minerals and energy, have firmly make their mark.
The new guest houses, pubs and restaurants are the most obvious signs but we saw extensive Chinese sponsored flood defenses on the Mekong, a beautiful Korean sponsored play ground, a Japanese sponsored road and an Indonesian sponsored world peace gong in Patuxai park. New office blocks, government buildings and foreign banks on Th Lan Xang and That Luang smack of foreign investment and the improved power supply, new shopping mall, roads, pavements, hospital, school and housing developments all point to an economy on the move. Having quietly adopted the Chinese/ Vietnamese model of "free market" communism and with a border with both, Lao could be a country to watch.
It is a far cry from the Lao of the late 1970s and 80s. A travel agent of about my age described hiding in her basement as a child as machine guns on the roof shot at incoming helicopters, endless bombing raids, FBI informants, executions in the streets... She described how in her opinion communism brought peace, stability, law and order to her teenage years; how cheap Korean motorbikes (more than half the price of US bikes) allowed them to upgrade from bicycles; and amusingly watching foreign traveller in tears as machine gun touting immigration officials cut their long hair before letting them into the county; "you not girl - you want see my country you look like man!" (apparently they didn't come back...).
As for "sleepy" - I can see where that is coming from. In Luang Prabang this is literal - tuk tuk drivers snoozing in their vehicles, guest house staff heads down on reception desks, restaurant staff nodding off on their tables all add to the pace of this charming French colonial town. Sleepy indeed!
But I think there may be a deeper meaning behind this observation. A few points made by our landlady in Luang Prabang during a long lazy afternoon chat stick in my mind. She asked me; "what do we need that we do not already have?" Adding; "the more we have the more we want, there is no end to it. We need to be content or we will never be happy." She goes on to say; "we could die any time so why worry so much about the future?" Who can deny the wisdom in these words and how does a thousand years of such thinking manifest itself? This view seems to pervade the heart of Lao and if "progress" here is to be tempered, it is this that will probably do the tempering. I'm not convinced that this is a bad thing.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
The new guest houses, pubs and restaurants are the most obvious signs but we saw extensive Chinese sponsored flood defenses on the Mekong, a beautiful Korean sponsored play ground, a Japanese sponsored road and an Indonesian sponsored world peace gong in Patuxai park. New office blocks, government buildings and foreign banks on Th Lan Xang and That Luang smack of foreign investment and the improved power supply, new shopping mall, roads, pavements, hospital, school and housing developments all point to an economy on the move. Having quietly adopted the Chinese/ Vietnamese model of "free market" communism and with a border with both, Lao could be a country to watch.
It is a far cry from the Lao of the late 1970s and 80s. A travel agent of about my age described hiding in her basement as a child as machine guns on the roof shot at incoming helicopters, endless bombing raids, FBI informants, executions in the streets... She described how in her opinion communism brought peace, stability, law and order to her teenage years; how cheap Korean motorbikes (more than half the price of US bikes) allowed them to upgrade from bicycles; and amusingly watching foreign traveller in tears as machine gun touting immigration officials cut their long hair before letting them into the county; "you not girl - you want see my country you look like man!" (apparently they didn't come back...).
As for "sleepy" - I can see where that is coming from. In Luang Prabang this is literal - tuk tuk drivers snoozing in their vehicles, guest house staff heads down on reception desks, restaurant staff nodding off on their tables all add to the pace of this charming French colonial town. Sleepy indeed!
But I think there may be a deeper meaning behind this observation. A few points made by our landlady in Luang Prabang during a long lazy afternoon chat stick in my mind. She asked me; "what do we need that we do not already have?" Adding; "the more we have the more we want, there is no end to it. We need to be content or we will never be happy." She goes on to say; "we could die any time so why worry so much about the future?" Who can deny the wisdom in these words and how does a thousand years of such thinking manifest itself? This view seems to pervade the heart of Lao and if "progress" here is to be tempered, it is this that will probably do the tempering. I'm not convinced that this is a bad thing.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Luang Prabang, Lao
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
10 years on
The last time, Dave and I visited Vientiane was more than 10 years ago in Year 2000, when I had to do a visa run from Bangkok.
We were younger then, and were only here for a night. I remembered the dusty road, the lack of traffic, the square dancing in the local night clubs, eating peculiar BBQ meat on stick, the 11pm curfew...
I did not think much of Vientiane then. To me it was a quiet backward countryside compared to Bangkok.
Today, I return with my family, 2 children and Dave. There have been many changes. Of course, it is still one of the least developed south east Asia country. But one can see progress. It is more relaxed now. Locals are a little more friendly with foreigners as tourism grows. Private Guesthouses appears to have replaced the state owned hotels. Western cuisine are easily found in the main city centre. Not lacking especially in French restaurants since Laos was a French colony. Cars replaced motorbikes and motorbikes replaced bicycles. More and more new high rise office blocks are being built.
Dave said this is part of progress. A French fellow traveller told us Laos is a sleepy place, I am not sure I can agree to that.
Right now we are just about to board the overnight bus to take us to the next tourist town-Luang Prabang. Maybe that is where he meant as sleepy!
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
We were younger then, and were only here for a night. I remembered the dusty road, the lack of traffic, the square dancing in the local night clubs, eating peculiar BBQ meat on stick, the 11pm curfew...
I did not think much of Vientiane then. To me it was a quiet backward countryside compared to Bangkok.
Today, I return with my family, 2 children and Dave. There have been many changes. Of course, it is still one of the least developed south east Asia country. But one can see progress. It is more relaxed now. Locals are a little more friendly with foreigners as tourism grows. Private Guesthouses appears to have replaced the state owned hotels. Western cuisine are easily found in the main city centre. Not lacking especially in French restaurants since Laos was a French colony. Cars replaced motorbikes and motorbikes replaced bicycles. More and more new high rise office blocks are being built.
Dave said this is part of progress. A French fellow traveller told us Laos is a sleepy place, I am not sure I can agree to that.
Right now we are just about to board the overnight bus to take us to the next tourist town-Luang Prabang. Maybe that is where he meant as sleepy!
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Vientiane, Laos
Saturday, 26 February 2011
Goodbye Thailand
After nearly 2 weeks in Thailand, we board the overhead sleeper train in Ayutthaya to head for Nong Khai, the border town with Laos.
"Sawa-dee ka" must now be changed to "Sabai-dee".
A event-less night. No fuss. No bedwetting. No falling off the upper bunk. The children find it interesting to sleep on train.
At 9 am in the morning we arrived in Nong Khai and crossed over the Mekong River by another shuttle train. Jon waved goodbye to Thailand.
Thailand, a place of fascination! Beaches, night life, history, culture, Buddhism... You can find it all here.
We used to live here, back in 2000. This is the country where Dave and I got married and where San-San was conceived. There is a mixed feeling. I know how sleazy and dangerous this country can be. However at the same time, it never fails to amaze
me how simple the people are. "Mai Ben Rai" which means never mind is a phrase constantly used with a smile. They are fiercely loyal to their king and sincerely religious. To see so many Buddhas images everywhere is such a blessing!
As we bid farewell to this amazing country, I sincerely hope that Dharma continue to flourish here.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
"Sawa-dee ka" must now be changed to "Sabai-dee".
A event-less night. No fuss. No bedwetting. No falling off the upper bunk. The children find it interesting to sleep on train.
At 9 am in the morning we arrived in Nong Khai and crossed over the Mekong River by another shuttle train. Jon waved goodbye to Thailand.
Thailand, a place of fascination! Beaches, night life, history, culture, Buddhism... You can find it all here.
We used to live here, back in 2000. This is the country where Dave and I got married and where San-San was conceived. There is a mixed feeling. I know how sleazy and dangerous this country can be. However at the same time, it never fails to amaze
me how simple the people are. "Mai Ben Rai" which means never mind is a phrase constantly used with a smile. They are fiercely loyal to their king and sincerely religious. To see so many Buddhas images everywhere is such a blessing!
As we bid farewell to this amazing country, I sincerely hope that Dharma continue to flourish here.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Vientiane, Laos
Friday, 25 February 2011
Ancient capital of Siam
After a frantic 2 days in Bangkok, we left all that busyness behind us as we boarded the train to head for Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Siam during the Ayutthaya kingdom.
One and half hour train ride later, we got off at a non-assuming train station. You won't be able guess that this is a hot tourist spot.
The guest house we are staying in is close to the ancient palace. We took 2 bicycles and rode around to do some sight-seeing. It is great not to rely on public transport.
There are many Buddhist temples ' ruins within the ancient palace compound. The children are keen to see the largest reclining outdoor Buddha, having seen the largest reclining Buddha in Wat Pho in Bangkok.
These ancient ruins fascinate me. I always thought it is very romantics to wander through all the were once there and try to imagine the splendor and glory that the place once held.
Throughout the afternoon, I gently debated with the children as to who created these places and where are they now?
All are created by mind and eventually all are dissolved by mind.
I think the Siamese did not build the magnificent architect for tourist to wander around today. Likewise, in 500 years time, New York city may become a ruin for tourist to visit to see the glory of the 21 century.
However, it is hard to see this change coz we hold on to New Year city so tightly and we believe that it will always be there like the way it is now.
Looking at Ayutthaya,I must remember emptiness - everything I see does not really exist the same way I believe it to exist!
Verdict-Ayutthaya a big thumb up. Buddhas, ruins, laid back, friendly and relaxing!!!! Of all the places we have been through to date this is one of my favorite.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
One and half hour train ride later, we got off at a non-assuming train station. You won't be able guess that this is a hot tourist spot.
The guest house we are staying in is close to the ancient palace. We took 2 bicycles and rode around to do some sight-seeing. It is great not to rely on public transport.
There are many Buddhist temples ' ruins within the ancient palace compound. The children are keen to see the largest reclining outdoor Buddha, having seen the largest reclining Buddha in Wat Pho in Bangkok.
These ancient ruins fascinate me. I always thought it is very romantics to wander through all the were once there and try to imagine the splendor and glory that the place once held.
Throughout the afternoon, I gently debated with the children as to who created these places and where are they now?
All are created by mind and eventually all are dissolved by mind.
I think the Siamese did not build the magnificent architect for tourist to wander around today. Likewise, in 500 years time, New York city may become a ruin for tourist to visit to see the glory of the 21 century.
However, it is hard to see this change coz we hold on to New Year city so tightly and we believe that it will always be there like the way it is now.
Looking at Ayutthaya,I must remember emptiness - everything I see does not really exist the same way I believe it to exist!
Verdict-Ayutthaya a big thumb up. Buddhas, ruins, laid back, friendly and relaxing!!!! Of all the places we have been through to date this is one of my favorite.
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Ayutthaya, Thailand
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Week 2 - Thailand to Lao
Made it to Samui just in time for a Thai public holiday combined with the full moon party - the place was going berserk! One night in Chewang was a little too long, moved to Coconut Calm on Bo Phut beach which may perhaps have been calm some other time... Squeezing four of us on one double bed in the only room available, with Jon's starfish sleeping style, was a tad tricky so we spent the last two nights at Charlee Villa - a much quieter, simpler and cheaper place (with two beds) at the "dark" end of the beach (much more to our liking....).
With the kids sporting golden tans, we head off on the overnight bus to the madness of Koh San Road in Bangkok. The beach is done.... Ailments to date:
- cut foot (John on a steel bar hidden in the sand)
- cut arm (San slipping on the rocks at the end of the beach)
- cold (Michelle)
- blistered toes (Dave running 7k barefoot on the beach)
- skin rash (San on legs and Dave on body and right arm, possibly some kind of sea lurgy but who knows)
- various levels of sunburn (everyone)
Not too bad so far....
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
With the kids sporting golden tans, we head off on the overnight bus to the madness of Koh San Road in Bangkok. The beach is done.... Ailments to date:
- cut foot (John on a steel bar hidden in the sand)
- cut arm (San slipping on the rocks at the end of the beach)
- cold (Michelle)
- blistered toes (Dave running 7k barefoot on the beach)
- skin rash (San on legs and Dave on body and right arm, possibly some kind of sea lurgy but who knows)
- various levels of sunburn (everyone)
Not too bad so far....
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Koh Samui, Thailand
Rabid dogs of Samui?
Over the years I've taken to running every few days for an hour or so at dawn. I find it the most beautiful time of day, cool in the tropics, the streets are deserted and the world is energized by the sunrise. A time when the family are asleep, I'm not called for or missed - a precious hour within which I can rest my mind in rhythmic breathing. With sunrise at 6, I was thus up at 5:30 on our last morning in Samui heading out for a run. Mindful of the packs of unpredictable semi wild dogs roaming around the island, I venture off towards the track leading from the "resort" to the main road armed with an umbrella and a torch. Just enough starlight to pick out my route between the wooden huts, the only sound my shoes on the sand, a light breeze in the palm trees and the gentle lapping of the ocean at the beach.
Peering into the gloom of the track as it heads into the woods, I hear a deep snarling growl perhaps 25 meters ahead to the right. I imagine I see fiery demon eyes peering out of the blackness when the bushes burst into a chorus of barks sending a chill of adrenaline down my spine. As I hold my ground, weighing up the path and the umbrella gripped firmly in my hand, the barks are answered by more barks further off in the darkness, then others and still more off in the distance in every direction. The gloom appears to be literally crawling with angry dogs and the possibility of launching myself up the track and reaching the main road with my throat intact feels increasingly remote. I decide to postpone this caper until sun up and head back to our hut. It's now maybe 5:35 am. I stroll back to the beach, the chorus of savagery slowly quietening behind me.
Turning in front of the first hut on the beach, I startle four wrecked backpackers lounging on the balcony, shrouded in blue smoke, half smoked spliff in hand no doubt contemplating the nature of the universe in slow hushed tones. My chirpy "morning!" is met initially with surprise, an element of confusion and then a quiet german accented "good morning...." from a young bearded guy whose eyes appeared to be looking in different directions. Being somewhat familiar with their condition, I continue on my way explaining; "I was going for a run - but have you heard those woods? Don't stray from your balcony...". To which the balcony bursts into hysterical laughter that I can still hear as I kick off my shoes back at our hut. I vaguely remember those days.... I wake up Michelle and we spend an hour or so doing puja. When I head out for my run, the woods are bathed in the gentle early morning light, the packs of mangy dogs are still milling about but the dawn has robbed them of their power. The huts at the end of the beach were still silent when we left for Bangkok at mid day.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Peering into the gloom of the track as it heads into the woods, I hear a deep snarling growl perhaps 25 meters ahead to the right. I imagine I see fiery demon eyes peering out of the blackness when the bushes burst into a chorus of barks sending a chill of adrenaline down my spine. As I hold my ground, weighing up the path and the umbrella gripped firmly in my hand, the barks are answered by more barks further off in the darkness, then others and still more off in the distance in every direction. The gloom appears to be literally crawling with angry dogs and the possibility of launching myself up the track and reaching the main road with my throat intact feels increasingly remote. I decide to postpone this caper until sun up and head back to our hut. It's now maybe 5:35 am. I stroll back to the beach, the chorus of savagery slowly quietening behind me.
Turning in front of the first hut on the beach, I startle four wrecked backpackers lounging on the balcony, shrouded in blue smoke, half smoked spliff in hand no doubt contemplating the nature of the universe in slow hushed tones. My chirpy "morning!" is met initially with surprise, an element of confusion and then a quiet german accented "good morning...." from a young bearded guy whose eyes appeared to be looking in different directions. Being somewhat familiar with their condition, I continue on my way explaining; "I was going for a run - but have you heard those woods? Don't stray from your balcony...". To which the balcony bursts into hysterical laughter that I can still hear as I kick off my shoes back at our hut. I vaguely remember those days.... I wake up Michelle and we spend an hour or so doing puja. When I head out for my run, the woods are bathed in the gentle early morning light, the packs of mangy dogs are still milling about but the dawn has robbed them of their power. The huts at the end of the beach were still silent when we left for Bangkok at mid day.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Bo Phut Beach, Koh Samui, Thailand
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Ko Samui - Chaweng and BoPhut beaches
We are leaving tomorrow, and toward the end of this beach life, it has become a more relaxing holiday.
We arrived in Ko Samui, took a taxi which cost Thai Baht 550 after very hard bargaining on Dave's side.
Our first stop was Chaweng Beach. We spent the first night in a crammed room with loft access for an extra mattress. A double room with fan and extra bed cost Thai Baht 1200 including 4 breakfasts. Tel.+66(0)7-7413420
The street of Chaweng beach reminded me of Broad Street in Birmingham, offering different high end clubs and pubs.
Swiftly, we made the decision to move and jumped on a taxi to BoPhud Beach arriving at Coconut Calm Beach Bungalow. A Fan twin bedroom cost Thai Baht 1200. The place was good for someone with a party mood.
Tel.+66(0)77 427 558
After 3 nights, we ventured toward end of the BoPhud beach and found a local run, wooden hut, basic amenity of our delight. We quickly extended our stay and moved to Charlee Villa. The beach is as not as brilliant as the 2 previous but Charlee offers quiet and low key holiday. No hawkers, no massages, just a simple restaurant. Triple fan room at Thai Baht 900. Tel. +66(0)7-8857884
Tomorrow, we shall carry on with our journey toward Bangkok. Another night on the bus!
A word of advise to those on budget- it is worth to make a trip to BoPhud fisherman's village to book tickets back to Bangkok. It will be cheaper than booking it through the accommodation.
The most expensive cost is transport fee in Ko Samui. So be prepared to pay tourist price even 200baht for a 5 min journey in taxi and tut-tut!
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
We arrived in Ko Samui, took a taxi which cost Thai Baht 550 after very hard bargaining on Dave's side.
Our first stop was Chaweng Beach. We spent the first night in a crammed room with loft access for an extra mattress. A double room with fan and extra bed cost Thai Baht 1200 including 4 breakfasts. Tel.+66(0)7-7413420
The street of Chaweng beach reminded me of Broad Street in Birmingham, offering different high end clubs and pubs.
Swiftly, we made the decision to move and jumped on a taxi to BoPhud Beach arriving at Coconut Calm Beach Bungalow. A Fan twin bedroom cost Thai Baht 1200. The place was good for someone with a party mood.
Tel.+66(0)77 427 558
After 3 nights, we ventured toward end of the BoPhud beach and found a local run, wooden hut, basic amenity of our delight. We quickly extended our stay and moved to Charlee Villa. The beach is as not as brilliant as the 2 previous but Charlee offers quiet and low key holiday. No hawkers, no massages, just a simple restaurant. Triple fan room at Thai Baht 900. Tel. +66(0)7-8857884
Tomorrow, we shall carry on with our journey toward Bangkok. Another night on the bus!
A word of advise to those on budget- it is worth to make a trip to BoPhud fisherman's village to book tickets back to Bangkok. It will be cheaper than booking it through the accommodation.
The most expensive cost is transport fee in Ko Samui. So be prepared to pay tourist price even 200baht for a 5 min journey in taxi and tut-tut!
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Ko Samui
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Week 1 - Singapore to Thailand
After a sleepy and starry night stopping in Malaysia only for teh tarric and comfort breaks, our 'luxury' coach delivers us in a comfortable and timely fashion to Hat Yai in southern Thailand.
The King smiles down on the tattooed bands of smoking western travelers staggering from mini vans into the immigration queue on their fortnightly visa runs, replenished with duty free. Orange Malay campung gives way to the blue corrugated tin roofs of rural Thailand, side roads degrade to dirt as the sun comes up over our third country in thirteen hours.
That familiar sense of stepping down from the organized glitz of Singapore's wealth with each northern border crossing sets in as the pace slows like a satisfied sigh. This is the children's first time in Thailand; the country where San San was conceived and our journey into marriage and parenthood began; the country that awoke my gypsy blood with Richard and Catherine back in 1991. It's good to be back. The beach calls.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
The King smiles down on the tattooed bands of smoking western travelers staggering from mini vans into the immigration queue on their fortnightly visa runs, replenished with duty free. Orange Malay campung gives way to the blue corrugated tin roofs of rural Thailand, side roads degrade to dirt as the sun comes up over our third country in thirteen hours.
That familiar sense of stepping down from the organized glitz of Singapore's wealth with each northern border crossing sets in as the pace slows like a satisfied sigh. This is the children's first time in Thailand; the country where San San was conceived and our journey into marriage and parenthood began; the country that awoke my gypsy blood with Richard and Catherine back in 1991. It's good to be back. The beach calls.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Hat Yai, Thailand
Our 2nd journey
Finally we are on our way. 12 hours bus ride through the peninsula of Malaysia got us to the border city of Thailand, Hat Yai. Bus fare was S$40 for each seat with Sri Maju Bus service. It was comfortable enough to sleep through the journey. The bus arrived on time and dropped us off at its tour office where we bought our next bus tickets for Ko Samui - B580 per person for bus and ferry to Ko Samui.
Stayed in Cathy guesthouse, the most popular backpacker accommodation- only 400 Thai Baht for a 4 beds room with high ceiling and fans. Very noisy as it located in the main streets of the city. Luckily for us it was only the next street up from the tour office.
Despite the noise and the heat, we slept well.
This morning we set off again for another 7 hours on the road. Now we are on a ferry almost on Ko Samui. Strangely I recalled the book - The Beach. Twenty years ago, Ko Samui is the place to head for the sun and beach. I have never been here. I could only imagine it based on what i have read and seen on TV.
What awaits me at the shore. Have time stood still? Or has the lure of money change the way of life on the island?
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Stayed in Cathy guesthouse, the most popular backpacker accommodation- only 400 Thai Baht for a 4 beds room with high ceiling and fans. Very noisy as it located in the main streets of the city. Luckily for us it was only the next street up from the tour office.
Despite the noise and the heat, we slept well.
This morning we set off again for another 7 hours on the road. Now we are on a ferry almost on Ko Samui. Strangely I recalled the book - The Beach. Twenty years ago, Ko Samui is the place to head for the sun and beach. I have never been here. I could only imagine it based on what i have read and seen on TV.
What awaits me at the shore. Have time stood still? Or has the lure of money change the way of life on the island?
- Posted by Mich using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Thailand, Ko Samui
Friday, 11 February 2011
On our way again
Passports brimming with visas, a bit of USD cash for emergencies and four bus tickets to Hat Yai in hand we are almost ready to head off at last. Over the last week or so we have been treated to a whole bunch of excellent lunches, dinners and expensive Starbucks coffee's as our friends and family have wished us well and sent us on our our way. All that is left is to throw a few things in our backpacks, clean and lock the flat and get ourselves down to Beach Rd and were off.
Thank you to everyone in Singapore for taking such good care of us, we will keep blogging if you are curious what we are up to and we will see you in the summer. To our friends and family in Thailand, China and UK - looking forward to seeing you soon.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Thank you to everyone in Singapore for taking such good care of us, we will keep blogging if you are curious what we are up to and we will see you in the summer. To our friends and family in Thailand, China and UK - looking forward to seeing you soon.
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Singapore
Friday, 28 January 2011
Going native....
Had a very 'Asian' day today; mandarin revision and exam in the morning followed by an excellent Chinese New Year lunch with ERM Singapore; 3.5 hour Kengso puja at KMC; a big Chinese New Year dinner with Michelle's family and now finishing the day with a strong cup of pu-er. All told, an excellent day but itching to hit the road - still waiting for our Russian visa and kicking our heels...
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
- Posted by Dave using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Singapore
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Respectful
I was taken back recently by how people can be unkind to one another due to their belief. In my quest of knowledge in Buddhism, I was constantly being reminded compassion is the key. If you have no compassion, you will have no respect for others.
Here, I like to share a quote that I have heard from a China journalist who quoted a monk about having respect for other:
" it is not a matter of who you believe but what you believe. Spiritual Guides, regardless of from which religion or which sect of the religion, are like our parents, who have only love and kindness for us. So other people's spiritual guide are like their parents. We do not go around crititizing other people parents. We will respect them as whom they are, despite the fact that we may not believe everything that they teach. So why do we go around and dislike other people spiritual guide. We should act according to what we have learnt - be kind and compassionate to all irregardless of whom they believe."
I looked around and see the dispute around the world and find that the most meaningless is the war arise due to different religion. So sad. So many innocent life killed. So many people suffering.
If only, we could really take the above quote to heart, then maybe one day there will be peace on earth.
Mich
Here, I like to share a quote that I have heard from a China journalist who quoted a monk about having respect for other:
" it is not a matter of who you believe but what you believe. Spiritual Guides, regardless of from which religion or which sect of the religion, are like our parents, who have only love and kindness for us. So other people's spiritual guide are like their parents. We do not go around crititizing other people parents. We will respect them as whom they are, despite the fact that we may not believe everything that they teach. So why do we go around and dislike other people spiritual guide. We should act according to what we have learnt - be kind and compassionate to all irregardless of whom they believe."
I looked around and see the dispute around the world and find that the most meaningless is the war arise due to different religion. So sad. So many innocent life killed. So many people suffering.
If only, we could really take the above quote to heart, then maybe one day there will be peace on earth.
Mich
Being Vegetarian
It has been almost 2 years since we decided to embark on the journey of becoming a vegetarian. Inspired by our faith, encouraged by our children, we became a flexitarian in the summer of 2009.
Flexitarian is where one who choose vegetarian dish over meat when there is a choice, but when there is no choice then one shall not fuss and eat whatever is available. This was a wise choice for someone with a love for meat.
We started with just being vegetarian at home. It was easy to do so as Seoul offers many kinds of fresh vegetable, tofu, beans etc. However, eating out became a challenge. There are not many vegetarian restaurents in Seoul, and vegetable dishes are mainly offered as a condiment dish to a meat main course.
In Seoul, vegetarian are being questioned as it is not a norm thing to do. Korean become a vegetarian due to religion or to detox. Older generation believed that meat provide certain nutrient that vegetable does not. Most korean food, even kimchi, uses meat during their preparation.
It was frustrating at that time, but looking back, it was fun and at least now we could say," I am vegetarian. Please take out the meat." in Korean very fluently. There were a lot to learn in the process, how to be patient in trying to explain that we don't eat meat and that include all animals not just beef. How to not take pride that we are vegetarian, ie. thinking we got more compassion than others. How to patiently understand that others do not understand why we chose the path we are on. Most importantly, how to not get frustated when we get meat in our order.
When we finally got back to Singapore, we were delighted to find so many vegetarian options. Mock meat, local dishes made with just vegetable... It made me feel like we are not missing out at all. Food is a big incentive for a Sinagproean.
However, there were still obstacles whereby my mum could not understand why we have become vegetarian, as if we were trying to be diffcult. We have to resist all the delicious temptation of the food that we used to eat, especially when they are available everywhere. Like any journey, it is easy to stray from the original intention.
I must thank all of those who have helped us on the way....and those who have challenged us. Today, I am glad to say it is not hard to be a vegetarian.
I see a lot of benefits of not paying so much attention on what I put in my mouth but at the same time be mindful of what I put in my mouth. And NO, I don't miss eating meat.
There were times when we 'fall off the wagon' and had meat. But fortunately,these days are getting less and few. In a week, it will be the first proper Chinese New Year that we are going to celebrate since becoming a vegetarian, I am curious to see how it turns out... ...finger crossed.
Flexitarian is where one who choose vegetarian dish over meat when there is a choice, but when there is no choice then one shall not fuss and eat whatever is available. This was a wise choice for someone with a love for meat.
We started with just being vegetarian at home. It was easy to do so as Seoul offers many kinds of fresh vegetable, tofu, beans etc. However, eating out became a challenge. There are not many vegetarian restaurents in Seoul, and vegetable dishes are mainly offered as a condiment dish to a meat main course.
In Seoul, vegetarian are being questioned as it is not a norm thing to do. Korean become a vegetarian due to religion or to detox. Older generation believed that meat provide certain nutrient that vegetable does not. Most korean food, even kimchi, uses meat during their preparation.
It was frustrating at that time, but looking back, it was fun and at least now we could say," I am vegetarian. Please take out the meat." in Korean very fluently. There were a lot to learn in the process, how to be patient in trying to explain that we don't eat meat and that include all animals not just beef. How to not take pride that we are vegetarian, ie. thinking we got more compassion than others. How to patiently understand that others do not understand why we chose the path we are on. Most importantly, how to not get frustated when we get meat in our order.
When we finally got back to Singapore, we were delighted to find so many vegetarian options. Mock meat, local dishes made with just vegetable... It made me feel like we are not missing out at all. Food is a big incentive for a Sinagproean.
However, there were still obstacles whereby my mum could not understand why we have become vegetarian, as if we were trying to be diffcult. We have to resist all the delicious temptation of the food that we used to eat, especially when they are available everywhere. Like any journey, it is easy to stray from the original intention.
I must thank all of those who have helped us on the way....and those who have challenged us. Today, I am glad to say it is not hard to be a vegetarian.
I see a lot of benefits of not paying so much attention on what I put in my mouth but at the same time be mindful of what I put in my mouth. And NO, I don't miss eating meat.
There were times when we 'fall off the wagon' and had meat. But fortunately,these days are getting less and few. In a week, it will be the first proper Chinese New Year that we are going to celebrate since becoming a vegetarian, I am curious to see how it turns out... ...finger crossed.
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Planning
Decided on the full route - Singapore trans Siberian to the UK. Russian visa takes about 10 working days and requires exact entry and departure dates and details of accommodation, Lao visa we can pick up on entry (at certain border crossings from Thailand), Mongolian visa only takes a day or two but it takes six working days to apply for a transit visa for Belarus. Looks like our departure from Singapore will be mid February. Planning continues...
Friday, 21 January 2011
Round Two...
Having secured a new passport for San San more quickly than anticipated we are now preparing for our second trip and trying to decide whether to travel overland all the way from Singapore to London on the trans Siberian train (spending most of our time in China) or just to travel overland to China then fly to the UK. It’s Dave’s mums birthday in May so we need to be there for that. A lot will be depend on the ease of getting visa for Mongolia and Russia and the cost comparison between the train and the plane… watch this space for. Either way, we plan to be out of Singapore early Feb and not back here until the summer…
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Back in Singapore
From Lijiang to Singapore, we stayed in Dali for Christmas and Kunming for flight departure. All along, we stayed in hostels. That made me feel like I was a student again. Ha...
Before we knew it, time has passed and we are in Singapore doing Tara puja for the New Year.
Singapore is cool in this period, with predictable monsoon rain every afternoon. I think we have all missed its weather and rejoice in only wearing T-shirt. Here, we shall stay for another month because we have to wait for San-San new passport.
At the moment we are still not sure where we are going but I think we are certain we shall be on the road again. At least to make our way to UK for spring festival.
Dave has developed a keen interest in learning mandarin. I am happy coz I think it is a process of learning to be humble, to accept other culture and language.
Singaporean take pride in knowing many tongues, but we are losing touch with the cultures and respect for it. I hear people complaining about there being too many mainland Chinese, My new found love.
I grow up in an environment where I was told Mainland chinese are greedy and dirty. I cannot dispute that there was a dislike in me for them, to that extent that I think being oversea Chinese i am far more superior than them. Of course, I change every moment. As I get close to Buddhism I find my view to broaden, these negtive veiws fall away and my dearest spiritual teacher teaches us to see from a different angle. For that, I am grateful.
Today, Dave reminded me about my quest to learn about the Chinese in the beginning of my trip. I smile coz the Chinese holds a dear place in my heart. For who they are, they reminded me of my father who passed away when I was fourteen. How can I have disrespect for my fathers.
Then I remember what Geshe-la keeps telling us- all sentient being were our mothers! I believe I can feel a little of that now.
- Posted by using BlogPress from my iPhone
Before we knew it, time has passed and we are in Singapore doing Tara puja for the New Year.
Singapore is cool in this period, with predictable monsoon rain every afternoon. I think we have all missed its weather and rejoice in only wearing T-shirt. Here, we shall stay for another month because we have to wait for San-San new passport.
At the moment we are still not sure where we are going but I think we are certain we shall be on the road again. At least to make our way to UK for spring festival.
Dave has developed a keen interest in learning mandarin. I am happy coz I think it is a process of learning to be humble, to accept other culture and language.
Singaporean take pride in knowing many tongues, but we are losing touch with the cultures and respect for it. I hear people complaining about there being too many mainland Chinese, My new found love.
I grow up in an environment where I was told Mainland chinese are greedy and dirty. I cannot dispute that there was a dislike in me for them, to that extent that I think being oversea Chinese i am far more superior than them. Of course, I change every moment. As I get close to Buddhism I find my view to broaden, these negtive veiws fall away and my dearest spiritual teacher teaches us to see from a different angle. For that, I am grateful.
Today, Dave reminded me about my quest to learn about the Chinese in the beginning of my trip. I smile coz the Chinese holds a dear place in my heart. For who they are, they reminded me of my father who passed away when I was fourteen. How can I have disrespect for my fathers.
Then I remember what Geshe-la keeps telling us- all sentient being were our mothers! I believe I can feel a little of that now.
- Posted by using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Singapore
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