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

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

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

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

Location:Taipei, Taiwan

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

Location:Xiamen, China

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

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

Location:Shangri La, Yunnan, China

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

Location:Shangri-la, china

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

Location:Pedestrian Streets,Deqen,China

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

Location:Menghai, Yunnan, China

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

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

Location:Menghai, Yunnan

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

Location:Luang Prabang, Laos

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

Location:Luang Prabang, Laos

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

Location:Luang Prabang, Lao

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

Location:Vientiane, Laos