Chongqing to Guilin

The cruise ended at Chongqing and we disembarked at 830AM. However, my flight to Guilin didn't actually leave until 8:55PM, therefore I had an entire day to explore Chongqing. The city has great historical significance in recent Chinese history as it served as the capital of the Kuomintang as it battled the Communists for political control of the country. The best way to describe Chongqing is that it has the geography of Pittsburgh and the economy of Detroit. It is situated at the confluence of the Yangtze and another river and is a major manufacturing center for the entire country.

After dropping off my backpack at the airport, I found a bus to take me back to the core of the city. I explored the city as best I could in the midst of intermittent showers. Western China has been experiencing heavy rains, and thereby downstream flooding, this summer. There was something really exciting/frightening walking around an unknown foreign city. I never felt so alone on this trip than I did this day.

I did duck into a hotpot restaurant to partake of Chongqing's famous hotpot cuisine. The waitress didn't understand my Chinese and the menu didn't have pictures. I conveyed to her the idea that she was to bring me whatever and I would try it. So, I must confess here, that I understood that hotpot meant that one cooked their meal in a specially made contraption that had boiling water and that it was quite spicy. The Chongqing definition of spicy is sinus clearing, burn your mouth, panting and sweating spicy. And that doesn't start describing it. Plus, the waitress brought me some stuff I couldn't even swallow. I am proud to say that i am an adventurous eater, but I still have no idea what the black squid looking like stuff was. The waitress giggled when she saw what state I was in and how much food was left over when she came to clean up the dishes.

In Chongqing, I also saw some indications that the Chinese have more disposable income than in the past. I saw people walking their pets and I saw advertisements for orthodontists.

That evening I flew to the city of Guilin in Guangxi Province. It is the gateway to the great karst topography that most have seen in pictures of China. The first day my biking guide John and I took a tour through the city. We went to a couple parks, but must interestingly, we found a market. Here's what's for sale.

The Three Gorges on the Yangtze River

After my day in Hong Kong, I flew up to the "small" town of a mere 4 million called Yichang. It's the largest city in the western portion of Hubei province and situated directly downstream from the Sandouping/Three Gorges Hydroelectric Project. However, it is also located right at the end of the eastern most of the famous Three Gorges of the third longest river in the world, the Yangtze. In China it is known as the Chiang Jiang which translates to the "the long river." Fact: One-third of all Chinese live in the Yangtze River basin. The translates to one in every twelve persons in the world that lives in the Yangtze River basin.

I arranged to take the cruise upstream to Chongqing, which was 4 nights and 3 days of cruising. Victoria Cruises is an American owned company catering to English speakers. The boat can carry up to 300+ passengers. Our sailing had a total of 64, so it was quite an intimate sailing. I was a total anomaly being a young, non-married passenger. I don't think they really had any idea what to make of me. My dining partners were couples from Canada, New Zealand and Dallas, TX. You guess as to which set contained the least urbane member.

The cruise used to be all about the scenery of the gorges. However, since the mid-1990's, when the Chinese government elected to build the Sandouping Dam, the dam itself, as well as it's effects, is a major component of the trip. The positive aspects that are touted are the 26 generators that will supply China with a large proportion of it's electricity, flood control and improved navigation for those upstream.

The 1.4 mile long Sandouping/Three Gorges Dam. It is 18 meters wide at the top and 130 meters wide at its base.

On the other side, the locks, which have a set for upstream and downstream travel. The Panama Canal only has one set of locks.

There are a series of 5 consecutive steps in the locks. At the moment, only 4 are in use as the reservoir behind the dam is being filled to its capacity.

Entering lock 1. Eventually four ships would traverse the locks with our ship.

One of the doors of the lock from my cabin window as we moved from one lock to the next.

So I've discussed the benefits of the dam. However, what have been the tradeoffs? We have all heard about the thousands of cultural and historical artifacts that have been submerged. The environmental impact is yet unknown, however it is a certainty that the river morphing into a reservoir will have some impact. However, it is the 1.3 million or so residents of the flooded areas of the 400-mile reservoir created by the damming of the river that seems to me to be the biggest story.

Cities flooded were usually rebuilt above 175 meters above sea level, which will be the reservoir's height upon completion of the dam. Former city dwellers were given subsidized prices to purchase new apartments. Residents who were farmers in the flooded region were also given the subsidized price to purchase places to live in a newly built city adjacent to their land. In speaking with a couple of the guides we had, the consistent story I got was that the younger people who were displaced were certainly affected, but they were quickly adaptable (and perhaps more amenable to) urban life. However, it was the older subsistence farmers who were uprooted from their homes and land who suddenly found themselves in cities with no skills or economic opportunities. These are truly displaced people.

A new city built above 175 meters

A common site along the Yangtze. These structures are built for landslide and erosion control

The Yangtze is the artery for coal mining and transportation

I want to end with the beauty of the Three Gorges. It's impossible to show you the immensity and grandeur of the place. To be on a boat with the walls of the gorge all around you is something one must experience. Pictures don't do it justice. However, I'll post some of the best shots.

Sailing upstream along the "mini three gorges"

As a Geology major, here is a requisite shot of an exposed cross-section seen in the Wu Gorge.

The new city of Fengdu (The city of ghosts) on the far side. The former city, in the foreground, has already reverted to grassland and will soon be flooded.

Paying homage to Buddha

The Qiling Gorge at sunset

Hong Kong and Macau

My two week trip was bookended by a day in Hong Kong at the beginning and then a day each in Hong Kong and Macau at the end. I cannot emphasize enough how much I love Hong Kong. I love how everything works so efficiently and how it truly is the international crossroads of Asia. It's this amazing fusion of British properness and Chinese fortitude. You have Gloucester Road in the Wan Chai District. You have MTR stops of Sheung Wan, then followed by Central, Admiralty, Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan and Mong Kok. It's schizophrenic, but it works.

I also love the juxtaposition of these urban high-rise buildings climbing up the side of a mountain, which form the apex of Hong Kong Island. But where the buildings end, the forest and nature begin. The boundaries of urban and nature are stark, there is none of this suburban sprawl we have in the United States.

If I were a shopper, I would love Hong Kong even more. However, as most of you know, shopping isn't my thing. However, I did pick up a pair of Banana Republic cargo shorts for $9 at Stanley Market. I took the bus to Stanley at the end of my trip. As a youngster, I remember the Stanley Market as this amazing place where my parents bought me many things inexpensively. The trip as an adult wasn't nearly as wonderous, but this time I appreciated the cool sea breezes and scenery of the southern part of Hong Kong Island.

I also loved the food vendors on the street. During my trip, I sampled gyoza (pot stickers) at every chance I could. The best I had were from this sidewalk stand in Kowloon. In Hong Kong, I also had gyros and French pastries. I could totally live in Hong Kong.

The only drawback to Hong Kong was that my Mandarin wasn't understandable to the Cantonese speaking majority of residents. Therefore, I had to be an English speaker in Hong Kong. So on to the pictures.

During that first day in Hong Kong, I just started walking from my hotel, in Wan Chai by the convention center, up to the Victoria Peak tram. I walked through the Pacific Center mall, mostly to suck up the air-conditioning.

From the top of Victoria Peak, Hong Kong in the foreground with Victoria Harbor separating Hong Kong Island from Kowloon. The clouds overhead were the precursor to a major afternoon storm.

Looking east along the Northern coast of Hong Kong Island.

Lugard Road which rings the top of Victoria Peak. Residents are only allowed to drive in a counter clockwise direction.

From the top of Victoria Peak, I walked down to Mid-Levels district, which is located on the slopes adjacent to the central district. The really neat thing (in my nerdy mind) was the fact that a string of 17 (of course I counted) covered escalators link Central to the top of the urban area. Going by the unoriginal name of the "Central Escalator". The escalator runs downhill from 6-10AM and uphill from 1030AM-Midnight. Of course I had to walk to the bottom to ride the escalators up and then walk to the bottom again.

The Central Escalator

The Central Escalator Again

A typical street as seen from the escalator.

A mosque tucked into the crowded city streets.

The never ending dredging of Victoria Harbor

Hong Kong at sunset.

The day before I left Asia, I took an hour long hydrofoil ride to the former Portugese colony of Macau. Hong Kong and Macau are situated on the Eastern and Western sides of the Pearl River delta. I did not find Macau to be all that exciting. I was hoping to see more of an impressive collection of European architecture but I found a more run down version of Hong Kong. Perhaps I missed something.

New casinos next to faux/restored European architecture on the waterfront.

Macau is the Las Vegas of Asia

The Macau Tower and Entertainment Center

The Macau Tower looking down from the observation deck.

Greetings from Hong Kong

So, many of you might be surpised to see this post since I proclaimed I wouldn't be posting during my trip. However, I sit here at the top of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong in the midst of a massive rainstorm and am waiting it out before I venture outside again to walk down the mountain.

So for many of you who don't know, I am on this trip due to a chance encounter with a colleagues brother who was on the HRS campus back in January. This guy was recruiting students for a program called Rustic Pathways which takes kids all around the world for summer programs. I jokingly asked the guy whether or not there were employment opportunities. His response was "Yes, we always need flight escorts." So, I applied and was hired to meet a group of 17 students at SFO, make sure they got through security and then onto the plane bound for Hong Kong. On the Hong Kong side, I simply had to get them through immigration, customs, the SARS body temperature check (!) and then pass them off to the program officer here in Hong Kong. That being done, I meet the students in two weeks and fly them home. For my efforts, I got a round trip ticket for one-third of the price.

I'll leave the details of my wanderings here in Hong Kong for an official posting with pictures. However, to give you all a tease of whats to come. Tomorrow, I fly up to Yichang to take a three day four night cruise on the Yangtze River. After than, I'll be joining a six-day biking tour through the beautiful countryside of Guangxi Province. I will then return to Hong Kong for a couple days (and plan to take a side trip to Macau) before flying back to San Francisco.

Hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July! The day didn't exist for me as I boarded the plane at 1AM July 4th and arrived in Hong Kong at 630AM July 5th. No promises on me posting again before my return to the US on the 19th of July.

Notes from Seattle

Quotes that took me for loop when I heard them!

"I need to charge my cell phone" -- Mom, as she came home after picking me up from the airport

"I bought it on eBay" -- Dad, after I asked him where he got the putter I'm borrowing for golf tomorrow

I also have to comment on the significant proportion of fans at the Mariners/Red Sox game I attended last night. Can there be such a large number of expat New Englanders in the Puget Sound region? I couldn't believe the sheer number of Red Sox paraphenalia being worn throughout Safeco Field. I must also mention that I found Red Sox fans to be particularly obnoxious, even moreso than Yankee Fans. Something must have changed upon winning the 2004 World Series that has given members of the Red Sox Nation them this sense that they can be more "in your face" than before their big victory. It seemed as if every time the Red Sox team did something positive, they all started pointing at us Mariners fans. Could it have been as childish as them feeling better at the expense of our unhappiness? It sure felt that way. In the end, the Red Sox fans had to be bummed by the fact that the Mariners swept the series 3-0.

The Senator's Wedding

There are people in your life that somehow you pick up along the way, just by random chance and they stick. My friend Kathryn K. (her last name is the same as an influential US Senator in the 1950's) introduced me to her friends as someone that she inherited from a previous relationship (I was a friend of her ex). My friend Carlos came down from Seattle to attend the wedding as well, which was held at the Brazilian Room in Tilden Park located high in the Berkeley Hills.

The ceremony was a combination of a traditional Jewish ceremony (chupa and broken wine glass) and a Laoatian ceremony, since "the senator" had spent a couple years living in Laos. One thing struck me as wise and it was said by Rabbi Jane. She said that many people think the longest journey is the search for the right partner. But, she in fact dismissed that claim. Instead, the longest journey is the one in which each person makes themselves whole and ready to accept another person fully into their lives. That hit home because I am well into this long journey and doing the hard work that is needed to be a person that can contribute and not be a detriment to a partnership.

Weddings are moments of reunion, celebration and acquisition of wisdom. "The senator's" wedding certainly fit that bill.

Scenes from a Mt. Diablo Hike

LA Peeps and My Introduction to the Wii

The ride ended Saturday June 10th at the VA Center in the Brentwood area of West Los Angeles. I spent the night at my friend Mel's condo which is located in the new hot spot, Downtown. Located a mere two blocks from the Staples Center, Mel's condo is in one of the myriad new high rise complexes being built around Los Angeles' historic downtown area. Hello, gentrification.

The next morning, I drove out to the San Gabriel Valley to have dim sum with my Aunt Ming, Uncle Shao, cousin Evelyn (a fellow teacher) and her husband Mark. I was told to make sure to get to my Aunt and Uncle's at 9:30AM in order to get to the very popular dim sum restaurant in time to line up outside to make sure we got a seat. Trust me, I didn't dare be late, and wasn't.

Myself (Oh my god, I am so looking like my Dad) and Aunt Ming

Myself and Uncle Shao

After dim sum, I attended the LA Dodger-Toronto Blue Jays game at Dodger Stadium with Evelyn and Mark. The hometown Dodgers got routed 11-5, but it was my first time to Dodger Stadium and the day was beautiful.

After the game, I met up with a former HRS student, who has joined the teaching ranks. She and her boyfriend cooked me dinner. A shout out to Gretchen W. and Jakob. The momentous event of the day, however, was my initiation to the world of the Nintendo Wii. I first got to try it out at Mark and Evelyn's before the game. But Gretchen and Jakob also had one. I must have spent a good hour playing it.

I HAVE TO HAVE ONE. It's impossible to truly describe it's allure, but just as it is with many things, the simplicity of the idea and the quality of the execution is what makes it so universally appealing. But for me, there is an added bonus. Since my accident, I haven't been able to play tennis because I am unable to run. With the Wii, I am able again to play tennis, albeit with a Wii remote, but the essence is the same. I had the BIGGEST grin on my face while I was playing it. I was so into it, I broke a sweat and they had to turn on the air conditioning.

The weeklong trek came to a close with a late night flight from LAX to SFO, but it was a great trip all around.

Aids/Lifecycle 6

This past week, I volunteered as a "roadie" for the San Francisco to Los Angeles Aids/Lifecycle bike ride. The ride lasts seven days and the riders cover 545 miles of the central California coast on their journey. This year 2,300 riders and 500 or so "roadies" (aka support staff) were a moving city for a week. The ride raised 11 million dollars for Aids research and support for those living with the disease. Although, I just finished the experience today and have yet to really have it sink in and fully process the experience, it was, if anything, to me a wonder of logistical majesty and beauty.

The riders started from the Cow Palace in San Francisco

I served on one of the two advance teams, which arrived at each site a day early to set up the tent grid (where the bikers would set up their tent) set-up tables and chairs for the dining tent and most glamourously, hang glow sticks in the port-a-potties to provide light in the night for those needing to use the facilities.

The Aids/Lifecycle Advance B team

Advance B unloading the tables and chairs truck. At each of our three sites we set up tables and chairs for 2,000 people.

Because we were on a two-day cycle, unlike the bikers and other roadies who moved to the new camp each day, our group hopscotched the Advance A team. They got to work at the sites on Day 1 (Santa Cruz), Day 3 (Paso Robles) and Day 5 (Lompoc). Our group set up the sites for Day 2 (King City), Day 4 (Santa Maria) and Day 6 (Ventura). Below, I've provided a sequence of shots that show the evolution (and de-evolution if there is such a word) of a site.

The empty tent grid at Preisker Park in Santa Maria, CA

The grid has been set. Notice the white stakes which hold placement cards for riders to find their tent spot.

Then the......

...circus....

...comes to town.

And just as quickly as it comes, it leaves. Note everyone is wearing red because Day 5 (the morning of this picture) is "Red Dress" day. And trust me, all sexes wear red dresses.

The tent grid. Cleaner than we found it. And it was off to Ventura.

Part of me found the work to be drudgery, but that's what I signed up for. Someone has to pick up trash and make sure the details are mapped out. But the most overwhelming feeling I got from this experience is that I REALLY REALLY want to do the ride itself. I want the feeling of elation and success that I saw so many of the riders come in with at the end of the day. So, we'll see if I can get the motivation up to do the training. Another issue is that the ride always occurs during the first week of June which is Finals/Graduation week at school. This year, I didn't proctor my final and had to miss graduation. It's a tough call, but we'll see what happens.

A bunch of us on the Advance B team were talking about doing the ride. One this is for sure, we have our jersey motto already picked out. It will read, "Last year we picked up after your asses. This year, we're watching them!". I might just have to ride next year to get to wear a jersey saying that.

I'll post more in the next couple days about my other thoughts about the ride, but I wanted to give you all a sense of what I did this past week.

The One Tank of Gas a Month Challenge

Going green is the buzzword of the moment. Everywhere I go, and you too probably, I hear about recycling but more importantly, reducing my carbon footprint. You're probably going, yeah, yeah, been there heard that. So, I took on a challenge to use only one tank of gas during one 30-day period. So, starting April 27th, when I filled up the gas tank in the Subaru, I've only used 3/4 of the tank through today, May 28th.

How have I done it? Well, on Monday mornings, I'll drive into work with my bike. Throughout the week, I leave the car at school and then drive it home for the weekend. But, I've found that unless I'm leaving town or making a shopping run, I tend to ride public transportation here in the city. The key tool has been the ability to get NextMuni, a program that tells you how long until your bus comes, on my phone that makes taking the bus/streetcar a bearable option. The 5-Fulton and 31-Balboa are some of the buses that I've now ridden for the first time.

I'm not yet willing or can fathom the idea of getting rid of the car altogether, but I'm certainly going to try and reduce my insurance bill.

I secretly love Lindsay Lohan

I was talking to my sister on the phone yesterday as I was headed to see the movie, Georgia Rule. By the way, I was actually a little embarassed to be one of the only men in the theater for this "chick flick" on Mother's Day. But hey, 7 of the 20 screens at my favorite movieplex were showing Spider-Man 3 so the pickings were slim. And we know that my sandbox kind of skews me towards musicals and "sensitive" movies. Anyway, I digress.

My sister pointed out to me, upon my movie selection, that I must love Lindsay Lohan. She pointed out that I loved "The Parent Trap" and then I also did love "Mean Girls". She didn't mention that I was impressed with Lohan's performance in "Bobby" as well. Plus, I think Lohan has gotten a bum rap being all wrapped up in the Paris Hilton/Britney Spears crowd. I mean, can't we all see that she's just had her typical early adulthood problems be blown out of proportion by the press? Can't we all see that she is just a sweet young girl in need of true love and compassion? So, yes, for Lindsay she can do little wrong in my eyes. And her current tabloid news is simply jealousy on the parts of the press for her success.

Man, am I pathetic or what?

I Know What A Married Man Must Feel Like

In the Upper School Math Department, there are five men and our only female colleague Ms. S. To say that she is a good female influence on us five often crass, rarely sensitive to her or other female issues is a true understatement. We value and love her greatly. But that doesn't mean that we can do things like remember her birthday. Today was her birthday and none of us remembered until one of my colleagues overheard a student wishing her "Happy Birthday" in the hallway.

Minutes later, there we were, the five of us men in a semi-panic all having dropped the birthday ball on our only, and most valued female colleague. (Did I mention that she's five months pregnant, too?) It was I was one of those heterosexual married male characters on television who has forgotten his wife's birthday/anniversary and knows that he's in hot water. Or going to be because his wife will know that any gesture or gift that he comes up with will be seen as last minute and totally inauthentic.

So, I called in the big gun. I called her husband who came up with a swell idea that was something we could pull off. I'm not sure that irises are her favorite flower, but there definately is a backstory that came with it and so one of my colleagues went out and bought some irises. We all signed a heartfelt card of appreciation and well wishes. But I also confessed that we had totally forgotten her birthday. Honesty is the best policy, they say and the humor of the situation was part of what made it a funny moment.

But I can't assure you that we won't run into this situation again one year from now, though. You can't assume old dogs can learn new tricks.