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Photos: Hebrides

becci_hodge — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 06:09:00 GMT

My brother's wedding

Mahjong

becci_hodge — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:37:00 GMT

I've been learning Chinese characters with a colleague from school. Han-Fan Chinese is a company run by Ann and Catherine (English names), with the mission to coach expats' 'China Life'. On Friday June 5th at 8.00pm Guangzhou English channel will broadcast a small group from the language school learning the basics of Mahjong.

There are five basic modules to win and the game is a four player game. The tiles are named after the inventor. The worst tiles are the characters, so most people collect the circles, strips and numbers.

I played on an automotatice table with a push button start. It had neat little drawers to keep the chips in.

Can't wait to see the programme!

Photos: Mahjong

becci_hodge — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:33:00 GMT

Han-Fan Teacher Ann demonstrates

Photos: Simitai Great Wall

becci_hodge — Fri, 7 May 2010 20:02:00 GMT

1368 - Emperor HongWu

Bicycle Tour of Simitai Great Wall

becci_hodge — Fri, 7 May 2010 19:32:00 GMT

The cycling tour starts at a village 3 hours outside of Beijing, called something like Forever Young. The route is gentle with no steep hills or heavy traffic. There are nice views of small holdings and the road is tree lined with white and lilac wall flowers. After about 3/4 of the way, the road forks to the right and you can see the wall in the distance. The last climb to Simitai is quite arduous, until the down hill bit passes the reservoir and the Mandarin duck springs. It is said that the water here springs from Wuling Mountain and takes 50 years to find its way. The reservoir was built in 1977.

The Simitai section is the best preserved and most beautiful section of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. It is also heralded in legends of heroes and folklore. From the distance the zig zagging style strikes a spectacular impression. Up close, the stone steps are tiny and the watch towers are compact dwellings. Many people must have been recruited to build the wall: stone cutters, builders, carpenters and then supplies must have been brought to the guards from the villages below. Climbing to section 14 is along a mountain ridge way of steep slopes. The route is set in a bewildering landscape and the wall only makes sense because you can follow it for miles into the distance. Bricks are branded with Chinese characters and each towers has single archways, or double doorways, windows and ramparts. The photograph is from No 2 East Watch Tower. The route ends before the heavenly staircase and the fairy tower, at which point I retraced my steps and then walked the West section to tower 14 - Jin Shan.

Summer Palace and the Olympic Village

becci_hodge — Tue, 4 May 2010 22:49:00 GMT

Along the river west out of Beijing, we stopped at the 21st century museum to see the civilisation exhibition. It was good, but the exhibition called: Other Peoples' Snow, was an outstanding photographic exhibition of the St Bernard's Hospice in 1940-50 in Yunnan province. There were beautiful black and white photographs of Lisu people who encountered brave Catholic priests who had come to that region in the name of religion, education and sheltering the mountain.

We reached the river and followed it to the first bridge of Cixi's Summer Palace. The jade belt bridge is so high that the emperess' boat could sail underneath it before dropping her off at the pavillions. We stopped for lunch, Shanxi style dishes, and it was the best food I've tasted in China. We walked into the palace ground and wandered around admiring the colourful displays. The pavillions are yellow roofed and painted. On the northern path I found the sweetest chapel of the wisdom of the sea, which has an elegant painting of the thousand fragranced buddha alongside a relic. The views of the lake are lovely. The dragon island is out there too. When we walked down towards the crowds, the hawkers sold silly spectacles with red noses and those kiddie roll out out things. I bought a photograph of myself dressed up, and a magic trick.

The painted promenade is the longest corridor in the world. So making a walk alongside the lakeshore is a record breaker, no matter who you are. I enjoyed the wander through the purple cloud archway pass on the way back to the bikes.

The journey to the Olympic Village was a bit strenuous. But the village suddenly appeared, neat and tidy, as if someone ordered it just yesterday. We locked the bikes and then set off on foot to wander around for a while. The water cube is the most exciting building I've seen. It's so unusual, but it looks so damn simple at the same time. The best nest stadium is loftier, mightier and more spacious. The site of the Olympic Village is outstanding and completely inspiring. I wanted to go inside, but the wax works exhibition put me off. On the way back to downtown Beijing there was a storm. George came out to the Hutong and brough rain ponchos and then after a bit of indecision, we all rode back in the rain. Hurrah! Lightning and Thunder and Rain Oh My!

Photos: Summer Palace and the Olympic Village

becci_hodge — Tue, 4 May 2010 22:41:00 GMT

with David from Bicycle Kingdom

Old Beijing on a Bicycle

becci_hodge — Mon, 3 May 2010 19:56:00 GMT

I met up with David from Bicycle Kingdom at 9.00am. The shop was full of bikes and after a quick trial, I decided on the city bike with a basket. We set off towards the Forbidden City leaving the narrow park and rode along the busy street. The morning seemed cool but grey and sunless. We approached the east gate but the doorway was closed. Cycling alongside it and the moat, we arrived at the north gate or the marauding gate. The walk along the emperor's road was haphazard and busy with the tours. Passing over the threshold into the first courtyard the space is maginificent. The paved stone highlights the elevation of the emperor's wedding palace and there are three steps up to the platform. Immortal animals corner the palace, a dragon's son and a crane. The roof top has fire animals protecting the eaves. The whole city is built with run off water slopes which stream through the dragons' mouths at the edges. The wedding palace is surrounded by incense baskets.

We walked the entire line from north to south and looked at the Mongolian palace and its furniture. The paint on the first palace was pristine in the colours of gold, green, red and yellow. The southern most palaces are untouched and faded green. The winter water bowl is tarnished and scratched from raiders.

The palace museum contains the treasures from the Qing Dynasty from 1750s. The jewels are lapis lazuli, cat's eye, jade, pearl, gold and coral. The craftsmanship is intricate, such as spheres within spheres, 3 stamps on a chain from the same stone and the jade mountain carving preventing the flood.

Outside the east gate, we walked around and back to the north to pick up the bikes. We cycled through town and arrived at Huilin Restaurant for Golden Tofu, spicy green beans and corn.

The roses outside the Temple of Heaven are a colourful display. We walked inside the Temple and wondered at the 3 tiers of the perfect domes. I ran up the steps and took a peek at the tablets inside. The Chinese writing says: pray for the harvest. This is where the emperor used to come once a year for the harvest. And if they knew there was no rain, then he would go to the white altar. The watching fire stove is still there today, and the last lantern totem and the echoing wall. There are of course other phenomenon such as the 7 meteorites in the park, but these are the most significant.

We stopped to listen to the call for exercise in the park and to play the feather hackey sack game. The singing was a popular melody, sweet sounding and upbeat. One white blossom tree flowered in the pine park.

On the walk back, a hawker was removed from the park by a guard. I just managed to exchange 20 kwai for the bat and shuttlecocks for when I go to the park on Sundays. There are artists who paint in water Chinese characters on the pavement: "What is beautiful in the mind cannot be seen". The characters disappear in seconds.

The road we took to Tian An Men Square was long and wide. The doors were open at the square and the portraits of Chairman Mao and Sun Yat Sen were big displays. We took more photos and then visited the egg shaped National theatre sitting on a lake.

The rest of the day we cycled through Hutongs, passed old temples and keepers of clean streets and fruit stalls. Cotton pollen floated in the air creating an ambience like moving underwater or getting caught in a slip stream. The movement through the city was on a slow mo setting.

Photos: Old Beijing on a bicycle

becci_hodge — Mon, 3 May 2010 19:43:00 GMT

Guided by Bicycle Kingdom

Photos: Alternative spring break

becci_hodge — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:23:00 GMT

The Elephant Nature Centre

becci_hodge — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:38:00 GMT

On the way to the Elephant Nature Park, we watched “Caught In the Moment”, an American produced documentary about elephant conservation in Thailand. There are 500 wild elephants remaining in the jungles of Thailand; the rest are used to bring in revenue in Thailand’s colourful Tourist industry. Unfortunately their welfare is not protected by Thai law.

The park is sponsored by the Serengeti Foundation and leases a few hundred acres of riverside plain from the Thai government. It is founded by a woman called Sangduan Chailert, nicknamed “Lek” for short. She has created a unique sanctuary where every year, thousands of visitors come to volunteer to feed, muck out and bathe the 33 elephants.

When we arrived it was feeding time. After the safety advice, we had the tour of the place. It was busy with volunteers carrying baskets of fruit and pumpkins. The first thing we did was to walk along the bamboo walkway where the mahouts were watching a group of three females. We stopped for a while and the smallest gave us each a kiss. Then we got to feed the elephants and placed the corn, bananas and watermelon in the curled part of the elephant’s trunk, time after time. We watched the mahouts walking with the elephants and tried to notice the elephants we had heard about – Hope and Lilly.

The chance to interact with the elephants is a fantastic experience. After a good lunch, we changed for the river and followed the guide to collect a bucket and brush. We waded in a tipped the water onto the elephant’s back and scrubbed the trunk. Her name was Mae Khan Keow, which means Golden Crystal Mother.

Later on we listened to a volunteer talk about the future of the park and how Lek’s Jumbo Express makes it across Thailand to collect new elephants in their hour of need. The documentary we watched afterwards was very upsetting. It showed the cruel way villagers break the spirit of the elephant through hooks, nails and boxing them in.

The rest of the day was spent back in the river. This time we bathed Mae Kham Phan and Mae Tee, two other females.

This park is a great project for supporting elephant conservation.

Legal Empowerment Outreach Work

becci_hodge — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:02:00 GMT

Thursday February 11^th 2010

The main part of the day was the lesson on domestic violence at the Wildflowers Centre. This is a refuge for women who are pregnant or already mothers, and victims of abuse. The lesson was outside under the shelter of a bamboo pavilion. Nine women attended, three with their babies. Kristen began by having the group lower a dowel with just finger contact. The translator asked them how they found lowering the dowel and keeping the contact. Then Kristen explained that they each had a genie and needed to choose a single wish each. Some women chose to remain with their children or to have a happy family. One chose for a successful future for her son. I chose languages, to understand how to communicate more and Kristen chose for more money!

The outline of the declaration of human rights was interesting. Some women had heard of the declaration and most assumed that Thailand had not signed the agreements. Two or three women were able to read the handout that Kristen had had translated, which was good. The information on the protection under Thai law and the terms of sentence was listened to in silence until one woman suggested that if a man had money, the 8000 baht fine would be a pittance and merely an inconvenience rather than a punishment.

At this point, three women acted out a role play with a mini script: a young couple at a party meet a challenge to their relationship when she goes up to admire the car of another guy. Jealousy sets in and the boyfriend starts to display ownership and control of his girlfriend…I found it interesting that the women laughed at the aggressive behavior they modeled and then explained that they thought this was just a bad day. Kristen managed to clarify the confusing Thai law which sees a husband or a boyfriend as a member of the family, and to distinguish between abuse and bad behavior.

The introduction over with, the lesson moved into defining domestic violence. Actually, the brain storming was very tentative, with the women responding to the question with words such as: pulling, pushing, throwing objects and then discussing whether these were in fact correct examples of domestic violence. The women were then told about the categories of domestic violence, whilst Don translated into Thai. Thereafter, we prepared the tables with a sorting reading activity which was completed very well by the women in two separate groups. We took time to check the answers and to clarify the examples of emotional abuse and to distance other examples of bad behavior from abuse. The extension part of this activity was to elicit a response as to which two forms of abuse women are not protected to under the law: economic and sexual (there is a rape law, but this law is to be covered under a separate lesson). The women strongly believe that if they are in a relationship the man should provide for their child, equally they believe that if they stay at home all day, they should be entitled to money. This was noted and the two examples of domestic violence: abuse of authority and economic control will be further developed by the support workers and social worker at Wildflowers.

In the next part of the lesson, the discussion centered on how to report domestic violence. This was problematic because many women have experienced domestic violence in isolated hill tribe communities and within family structures with repeated patterns of abuse. We discussed what the police could do to protect them and suggested that if they felt police protection was inadequate, they should at least attempt to report it. Kristen made the point well that if an offender came to be prosecuted, within 6 months he could be out of prison ready to reoffend. So the issue of patterns of abuse was introduced in a focused manner.

Kristen asked the women to reflect on patterns of abuse, which they were able to do well. The women then acted out a role play which explored issues of abuse including, making up and guilt.

In the final part of the lesson, we discussed whether protection from domestic violence would be better in the city or in a rural location. Surprisingly, most women felt that they would be better protected in their rural communities. We discussed why and then we talked to them about a rally to promote awareness of domestic violence, which was held in Bangkok last week. The women looked at the photograph from the Bangkok Post and discussed the issue amongst themselves.

In conclusion, the women thanked us for the lesson and then we explained that there would be a break for two weeks before the next visit. We set a small homework task which was translated into Thai. The task is to make 8 cubes out of paper and to draw on windows, a door and a roof. The women will then write on words that balance and correct the forms of domestic abuse, for example: threats – support. The start of the next lesson will be a small presentation on how to build successful relationships.

The day finished with watching the human rights film, Bomb Harvest outside on the lawn. The film showed the work of a group of demolition workers (one Aussie and one Yorkshireman) and their mission to train the local mechanics, no mean machines, to destroy 9 bombs in Laos in a week. I calculated that according to the statistics, there are approximately 180,000 undetonated cluster bombs remaining around the schools, villages and largely communities

Bomb Harvest and other FAQS

becci_hodge — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:23:00 GMT

This morning I worked on the FAQs document. The questions include: before travelling, medical, financial, orientation, workload, climate and the environment. Some of these questions might need extra information from the Lao and Cambodia offices if BABSEA are presenting a combined front. The document is in its third draft and copied to Muan on an email.

Later, I helped Muan to read some of her emails and to reply to the gap year students.

In the afternoon, I prepared some homework for the Wildflowers lesson, which will involve the women making a 3d home out of paper cubes. They will write on the cubes four windows, a front door and a roof and include words which balance out the words associated with domesticated violence eg: threats and coercion – would be written as support. This is due for the next lesson for discussion and review. I used 40 A4 sheets of paper for this task.

During lunch I shopped at the Hill Tribe shop on the main road and bought some handicrafts.

Later, I watched Bomb Harvest, which is a documentary film about how cluster bombs dominant the life of two communities some 40 years after the “Secret War”.

Reflecting on the Wildflowers email from Kristen, it would help her to plan the future lessons if she had further information on the legal status of the Burmese women. For example, would they be given asylum status and permitted to stay and work?

Domestic Violence and Thai Law

becci_hodge — Tue, 9 Feb 2010 23:11:00 GMT

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Another beautiful morning in Chiang Mai at BABSEA, the sunrise was around 6am. I watched a melodrama on the local TV, and ate my porridge at the street café near Wat Suan Dok. After getting back to the office, I checked my emails, and then read through my schedule for the week ahead. Another lesson on Friday with the girls at the juvenile detention centre to plan, and then preparation for the lesson on domestic violence at the women’s refuge, Wild Flowers. Kristen and I met up and discussed the UN’s declarations in comparison to Thai Law, and reviewed the statutory rape law introduced in 2007. It was interested to note that the second type of rape in Thai law is nullified if the accused agrees to marry the victim. Kristen and I went through the lesson from start to finish and discussed patterns of violence, and teaching approaches to elicit responses from the group. It seemed appropriate to have the group categorize the different forms of violence, and to introduce an element of role play. We’ll have the Thai translator with us, and the relationship with the group is apparently stronger than with the young girls at the juvenile centre.

Later in the morning, I read through the previous lesson plans for MPlus+ which informs local Thai outreach workers about how to provide primary care for MSW – Male sex workers and other groups of at risk members. The lessons were detailed, and at times complex, in terms of understanding the legal implications and accessing the information for non English speakers. Nevertheless, I liked the content and felt burdened by the context and objectives of the upcoming workshop.

D and I went to the temple and ate under the Bodhi tree. When I returned, Kristen had typed up the lesson plan which included the script for the role play. I spent some time making cubes with key words written on. These would make up a model of a house of domestic violence, which might help the women to relate to how then can make bridges for a better future for themselves. My paper craft skills are not the best, but hopefully, it will add some dimension to the discussion on how to build better relationships. I am thinking about the following lesson now, and a personal safety checklist for future relationships and independent living.

Will help Muan tomorrow with her emails and try to make a list of energizer activities for Paul on his writing workshop. I read the newspaper, The Bangkok Post, and felt some concern about relations with Cambodia. I was encouraged to see a rally organized by the Government. This must have raised the profile of domestic violence in Thailand.

Just booked a trek for Monday and Tuesday. I found the Writer’s Café and had a beer and some noodles there for dinner. Hey, life is good.

Working with Bridges Across Boarders

becci_hodge — Mon, 8 Feb 2010 23:03:00 GMT

This morning at the BABSEA office, I helped Muan to collate together the applications from four gap year students from United World College, Singapore. Muan and I agreed that the checklist part of this administrative activity was really important. We discussed other parts of the volunteer programme, and I mentioned things that I hadn’t yet understood.

The late morning meeting on teaching approaches allowed for a discussion on how to engage groups at the JDC more actively, as well as in workshops. In particular, the discussion focused on the impending workshops and how to develop documents with translators and outreach workers.

The teaching session at the JDC was aimed at improving the girls’ awareness of food groups through playing board games and kinesthetic activities. The lesson was attended by 12 girls. Working with T translating much of the lesson in Thai, the girls walked around the five main food group signs and repeated the words loudly. Then we spun the bottle and individual girls listened to the definitions of each of the different food groups before walking up to the sign. This activity reinforced the learning of the key vocabulary: carbohydrate, fats, sugars, proteins, minerals. The girls then moved into smaller groups with a board game each. They were given 5 counters and we spun the wheel to specify each of the different food groups with pictures and words. They added counters to the pictures and we supervised them playing the game.

In the next game, T and I modeled “What am I?” a riddle game. The girls showed some enthusiasm for this difficult activity. One girl read aloud in English one riddle and then 4 other girls improvised a little, correcting their pronunciation of words such as thin, red, and green. We played 5 riddles and then moved into a discussion of special foods for special days. T asked the girls, “Which days do you celebrate? At first they mentioned the traditional customs before a few braver individuals said in English: “birthdays”, “Valentine’s day”. I asked them what food they liked to eat and they replied – “Cake!” I asked them what food they would eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner on their birthdays and remindered them throughout of the need for a balanced diet. So they learned that just cake, just fruit, just rice is not enough. Soon they got the idea and they begun to mention delicious balanced dishes such as omlette with pak choi.

The last game was a drama game based on the Cinderella story. I spun the bottle and specified who would be Cinderella and who would be her ugly sisters. I then showed the flashcards: who, what, where and reiterated the game playing. I then asked the ugly sisters to give Cinderella a task each to do using the word “must”. They told her to clean the toilet, cut the wood, and to water the plants. Cinderella was very good at miming everything out and the game was fun. I then read aloud the “invitation” from the King and Queen of Thailand, and I asked the ugly sisters what they wanted to buy to go to the party. They chose, glass slippers and white, high heel shoes. We finished the game with three new tasks for Cinderella and then a recap of the scene.

After the learning activities, the girls rejoined the bigger group and continued to crochet. We packed away and then left.

In the afternoon, I discussed with Paul a little about the upcoming workshop.

Gallery: West Yunnan

becci_hodge — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:17:00 GMT

Nujiang river trip

Ancient Tea Road Westwards

becci_hodge — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:40:00 GMT

In the morning, I watched the 60th anniversary of "New" China on the CCTV website. The live pictures streamed onto my laptop of the ethnic minority floats of Yunnan province and Tibet. By the afternoon, I was on my way to Shenzhen to catch a plane to Kunming.

We arrived late in Kunming and stayed overnight before catching a bus to Dulong in the Nu Autonomous County. The area is 4,506 square kilometres and 882 kilometres away from Kunming. It is the start of our journey along the Nujiang river and the magnificent bends between the gorges that flows in a southerly direction before turning westwards over 300m where it meets the Dala nountains.

After two nights we make towards Liuku and then Gongshan and enjoy an excellent meal with Yunnan fruit wine. I purchased a helium balloon to carry with me on our hike to Dimaluo in the morning. The high street is decorated with lanterns and flag bunting. Someone lets off a boot load of fireworks, which we enjoy on our after dinner stroll. Some make it to a Tibetan KTV whilst most of us, take the early night.

The road to Dimaluo is under construction. Some locals are waiting by the roadside as we read this, hoping that time will move quicker than they. It's fairly safe walking, although the landslides and road works do present issues for the workmen.

Aluo's place is a wooden construction, typical of the valley. The guide himself was out guiding travellers, so we were met by his wife, her sisters and grandmother, who at 62 was doing well. The guesthouse is a Christian home as missionaries settled in the area since at least 200 years. The atmosphere is rural and calm, conditions here are hard, especially in the winter when snow falls several feet. All of the 5 children were born without nurses or doctors and today the women sleep above the kitchen in one room under 5 heavy blankets.

The circular hike up the mountain is spectacular as we climb above the river into the autumn mist and pine trees. We pass donkeys and villagers before making it to the quiet little church at the top of the mountain. The water pipes are broken and need fixing. The summer flowers are still in bloom - gorgeous dahlias and untidy hedgerows. Soon after we return to Alou's place to celebrate a birthday and to drink the special home made wine.

The following day we begin teh 23 km hike to Binjonluo in Gongshan county. We send our packs ahead and reach our lunchtime spot slowly. However the views are spectacular. Onwars across a bracken filled moor and then the mountain side trail along the river towards to first of two bridges. The weather changes from mild to warm. We eat autumn fruits that are like seedy mangoes, picked as we rest in the alpine forests. Lots of yellow butterflies and red and brown birds flutter busily on the way. This mountainside is loved by the Nu people, who can speak in Tibetan, Nu and Mandarin. They have protected the trails, added pine seats and carved ladders out of boles.

Finally we reach the final bridge and then scramble across slippery rocks to the beach. Our stay is pleasant and entertaining. Our guesthouse is next to the local seconandary boarding school and there are many local handicrafts. Some try the local goat hotpot.

We return to Liuku and then catch the bus to Dali. I enjoyed the amazing atmosphere of this cool town. The back packers haven is rapidly rising in merits with fancy hotels, river cruises and beautiful modern developments. In my opinion, this has to be one of the most interesting towns in Southern China and certainly a fantastic place for families and multicultural communities. We finished the trip buying books, handicrafts and drinking crysthanthemum tea with Jim in his Peace Cafe.

English workshop in Bangkok

becci_hodge — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:12:00 GMT

How about a weekend workshop for Language B in Bangkok? Professional development takes on a different meaning in Asia and of course, I leapt at the chance! Inspite of a few worries about travelling alone, I arrived by midday and quickly took a taxi driven by one of the Thais lining up in the rank. We sped down the expressway and passed billboards advertising housing estate, private schools and aftershave...it's a man's world. Well, judging by the flamboyant sexuality near the bureau de change, it's not technically a man's world anymore...more of a "fashion yourself a gender personality".

The Sukhumvit road has pretty much tidied up the spare cash of wandering travellers. British retirees were sat at the bar in the restaurant, enjoying cafe food cheaper than they could make themselves and massage parlours and bars keep the atmosphere of the place lively and entertaining. It's not bohemian, or particularly stylish. You get the feeling that locals take pity on the tourists who come in search of sex. And of course, it's diverse and multi cultural. Restaurants serve Indian, Lebanese, Korean and Japanese food, if you ever get bored by the tasty Thai food, which isn't often.

I jumped onto the sky train and then changed at Siam and found the Silom line. 3 stops later and I was pretty much down on the river at Central, on Chao Phraya river. I paid 150 Baht for the tourist boat, which seemed like a good idea at the time, although the local boats offer a better deal. Then I stopped at the flower market and wandered through the stalls of yellow chrysanthemums, orchids and lilies. Thought I would find a bouquet for the reclining Buddha, can't go empty handed to the Buddha!

As it turned out, he was closed for the holiday so a local Chinese recommended another temple: Watrajapradit. It was nice, there was a gem dealer in the corner and a local teacher showed me around...the shrine, as the temple is a monk only zone. I left the flowers and then completed my side of the deal and visited the local gem factory...yes well, not in that much need for a sapphire ring at the moment. Thanks anyway.

The river ride was exciting. The air was cool and refreshing after Guangzhou. The temple of dawn was impressive also, and I considered climbing it for oh, about 10 minutes. Stupas are best left at a distance.

Aside for my day out on the river I shopped for a yard of hand loomed silk, attended a 3 day workshop, ate good food and wandered the streets with a purpose. Bangkok is a lively getaway and the language sounds like Hindi mixed with Arabic...well something weird anyway.

Would love to return to Chang Mai for the volunteer programme in Spring break...

Total Solar Eclipse-July 22nd 2009

becci_hodge — Tue, 4 Aug 2009 21:09:00 GMT

I woke up too early, probably because the Chinese group on the floor below had departed at 4.30 am; I must have become confused. Eventually, when the breakfast of steamed bread and honey was finished, we set off to find the precise coordinates, which marked a good spot for the observation.

There were at least two experts amongst us, and they discussed the ascension stars, the proximity of mercury and the distance of the nearest mountain to our spot. It was good; our excitement increased from overhearing their knowledgeable banter. Some of us felt rather absurd, travelling thousands of miles for just 4 minutes of darkness. Nevertheless, it was the phenomenon that we all sought and it had already been witnessed from other places. These far flung sites made great anecdotes to share with one another. There was the one on the Lizard in Cornwall in 1999, the one in the Soviet Union the year before, the friend of a friend who had been to Egypt to see it, and the commitment to the next one, in Wyoming, in 2012. Suddenly, we had galvanised as Eclipse Chasers.

En route, we passed several Tibetan watch towers in the area known locally as “Minyag”. These towers were built with mathematical designs of 8 corners, star and square shapes from the 11^th century onwards. The village homes were brightly decorated with ornate window sills presenting the phases of the moon, Buddhist mandalas and colourful flowers. Dahlias and cornflowers floated above the front flower beds. There was a sense of prosperity and community about the area.

As we continued, we started to descend deeper into the valley. It was lower down than we had anticipated, but we followed the course of the river, passing meadows full of wild orchids, harebells and cowslips.

Then we paused, checked the map, and scuttled out of the bus with as much of our equipment as we could carry. It had already started, from 8.00am or so, and now it was getting seriously close to the time of totality. What if we missed it? At 9.07 a local farmer passing on his motorbike, stopped to wonder why we were staring up at the bright sun in the middle of the road. Francis passed him an eclipse viewer, with a bit of adjustment, he nodded in agreement, yes, the sun was getting darker.

By 9.10am, the sky was dark and the atmosphere had changed. Everything was calmer and there was less noise a very few disturbances. Only the horizon was glowing with the last glimpses of the sunlight. Someone counted the duration, one minute, two minutes, three minutes, four minutes...

After we witnessed the solar eclipse, we drove onwards across the plains to Litang. It was a long drive and we passed nomads on the plains keeping yak and children in harsh, but beautiful surroundings. The roads were difficult, but they presented a challenge to the Chinese cyclists who were making a 30 day journey to Lhasa from Chengdu.

When we finally made it to Litang, our hotel manager announced that there was no possibility of our staying the night, on account of the sub-station, which had been vandalised for metal the night before. the robbery had cut the power supply to the whole street. Amused, but in need of comfort, we found a “foreigners accepted” hotel of dubious sobriety and dropped our bags there. Dinner was eaten across the road at Mr Zheng’s Lonely Planet approved restaurant.

Oh my, Litang...what a wild and dusty town! There were horses tied up in the street, staggering boys, colourful suits, furry hats, boom boxes blaring...all sorts of wild capers carrying on. Of course, we were cautioned by our guide not to sign anything or to speak about anything untoward to anyone. Harmony and perfection don’t always ride side by side. What a great town.

Leaving Chengdu for Xinduqiao

becci_hodge — Mon, 3 Aug 2009 22:51:00 GMT

I arrived in Sichuan Province from Guangzhou, Guangdong, in the city of Chengdu. The city lies in a basin, which means that it rarely enjoys the cool breezes of other cities, and it was very humid and hot. There was not much in the way of a blue sky either, and my guide John acknowledged the overcast sky as a constant phenomenon. Fortunately, we were only starting out from the “Brocade City” and wouldn’t have to bear the heat for long or the “civilised tourist street” that we were staying on, for that matter. The city owes its name to the four rivers which makes Chengdu “becoming perfect” in the eyes of the Chinese. Sichuan people are also proud of their spicy food, their many rivers and their wonderfully entertaining operas and arts. I visited the Taoist temple of the Green Ram and walked in the parks admiring the leisurely atmosphere of the mah-jong play and then fed the carp in the fishing pond for 2 kwai. Many, many local people keep fit, catch up the news and relax in the pleasant atmosphere of the parks, drinking from huge flasks of green tea and cracking open monkey nuts onto the linoleum tables. During the evening time, the group went to the Sichuan opera and we enjoyed the face changing show, a farce with a nagging wife, and some spectacular shadow puppetry. The Taoist temples that I visited offered an insight into the religious aspect to Taoism and in particular, the deities and immortals which, are not dissimilar to those in Tibetan Buddhism. There were giant tortoises sculptured from stone with Taoist texts engraved on their backs. On the front steps of every temple, incense burners were found in prominent positions for the Taoists to worship their ancestors. Many of the temples have been repaired with great care, and the gardens are well maintained by volunteers and monks alike. There are simple oracles and spaces for drinking tea, which makes the experience more enjoyable to the visitor.

Departing Chengdu on the way to Xinduquiao, my group of eight (Jason, Bert, Jim, Michele, Francis, John, Hilton and Elizabeth) got on the private bus and headed for the Garze prefecture. The landscape of deep gorges formed by the Qingyi River was our first impression of the journey. The region is served by a fairly good road, although there is a real danger of landslides caused by loose rocks and the recent rain fall. Landslides would also be a danger on highway 318, which we would join up with later on in the trip. It was in this Garze area that a French priest first set eyes on the wild panda, although these days, pandas are isolated to a breeding centre in Chengdu, and from what I have heard, not in such great sympathy either! Ahh, the English and their fondness of animals!

The Ya’an/Tibet border has a large population of 1 ½ million inhabitants. In ancient times it was ruled by the Mongols. After lunch at the restaurant at “the end of the world” we made for Kangding.

Kangding city was the main tea collection point and reshipment centre for Sichuan. It was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1786. Today it has the world’s highest airport, which seemed like a massive anti climax considering the delay it took us to reach the pass, due to unmade roads and heavy goods traffic. What we did experience after the long delays was a splendid sunset at a high altitude. As we descended into Xinduquiao, we missed our hotel and drove up and down the dusty road for quite a while before reckoning on the right driveway. It was a basic place, with fairly minimal maintenance and no hint whatsoever of the feminine touch. Still, the manager had dinner on the table within 5 minutes and we were able to recover from the sudden ascent into the mountains and the long delayed drive from Chengdu quite pleasantly. Dogs barked all night long, but in the morning it was cool and fresh, the perfect condition for viewing the total solar eclipse, which we had all come for...