BALI DANCERS

Bali was such a great week long vacation that I've got to do this in a couple of posts. Here's the skinny:

Bali has the beauty of Hawaii, the landscape to match, and the people are some of the friendliest, funnest folks you'll find. In my travels over the past three years to such places as India, Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia, and Turkey, after one week I said: "I'm coming back here next year." Why...because being in Bali felt like a vacation and not an excursion. Excusions are fine mind you, they're just not always relaxing. Bali was just that.

I digress.

In two separate towns, Ubud and Permuteran, I stumbled across young children practicing traditional Bali dances. Just pure luck. The first time was down the beach from our bungalow at "Puri Taman Sari" where I found out we were one day too late to see the nightime show. The next was in Ubud, at a temple where young girls were practicing dances.

What amazed me was the grace, poise and sheer determination of these young dancers. As you can see from their faces, it was concentrate, concentrate..and then think really hard about what to do. No monkey business here. That comes later at the monkey jungle.

To read more about Balinese Dances:
Bali Dance Info <--Click Here

For example: "The typical posture of Balinese dance has the legs half-bent, the torso shifted to one side with the elbow raised and lowered in a gesture that displays suppleness of the hands and fingers. The torso is shifted in symmetry with the arms. If the arms are to the right, the shifting is to the left and vice-versa."





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What a Long Strange Month It's Been

Now if I could only remember the song with something like that line in it.

Ze Problem has been that for some reason my BLOG would revert to strange characters that looked like this [] [] [] [] [] instead of words. I got it fixed only for it to happen again. After three weeks, I can now see my BLOG again. I was just about to head on over to the Geocities BLOG site, but that really lacks a bunch of features.

So coming to a BLOG, like this one, near you will be.

BALI: Everything you thought it was and more.

CHINESE NEW YEAR: More Bang For Your Buck.

BACCHETTA SUNCOAST RALLY: The passion for a new recumbent was fueled and I can't find a fire extinguisher!!!!

SHANGHAI TO SUZHOU

In preparation for creating a 200K ride for the Randonneurs of China (ROCn), I decided to bike from Zhudi Town to Suzhou, about 40 miles away.

Depressing.

Village after village of squalor and garbage everywhere.

Why didn't I take photos? I don't know. Maybe I was just in one of those blue funks because I just can't seem to find a "nice" place to cycle.

So I said to myself: "Self. Take some photos. You promised yourself you'd do that every day and you're failing miserably.".

These first three were of "River Front" views but what got to me was how hard it must be for these folks to eek out a living. Not exactly beach front property.

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Other images along the way:
Caution Sign. But for what? Ummm, watch out there's a house with a big shade tree ahead???

LU WAN WALKING TOUR

 

A walking tour.   One of these days I'm going to do one in New York City again where a tour guide said: "Take a walking tour, but only look up."  You'd be surprised at what you see. 

Got a late start but from one of the guide books decided to head down to Fuxing Park and then to Sun Yat Sen's residence and museum. I've got to go back to Fuxing park and do a complete photo essay. We were short on time, so it was a dash through the park to get to the right street exit. Just some quick glimpses of life in Fuxing (Foo Shing) park.





Figures that the person standing in front the Marx & Engels statue would be wearing a "red" coat.

Leaving the park was a set of rules. Rule 2 was pretty blunt

Heading to Sun Yat Sen's residence I came across a photoshoot. It become photographer taking pics of photographer taking pics of photographer......



The guide book describes Sun Yat Sen as the equivalent of the U.S. elder statesmen, Benjamin Franklin. Sun counseled young hotheads in his circle--with the tragic difference that Sun's circle was divided. The museum had an excellent collection of personal and political mementos, with enough english sub titles to breach the language gap. Take some time and read about Sun Yat Sen, a fascinating political figure in the history of China. Right down the street was the residence of Zhou Enlai.



Too soon the sun disappeared, literally.

Moved Back Again

Finally BLOGGER figured out ze problema. So I'll now be posting back here. Hmm.. you could get caught in a BLOG LOOP. This one sends you to GEOcities which sends ou back to BLOGGER which.......

Moving On

Can't blog from China for some reason. After searching the Blogger help files I've thrown up my hands and now am throwing in the towel.

This blog has moved to Geocities.

Holiday Season

For the holiday season, there's a nice break given my wife by her school and that means heading home for the holidays:

A flurry of shoppers, wrapped packages in arms, jostling, bumping and careening off each other in crowded aisles.

The kiosks that pop up in the malls offering those last minute stocking stuffers and unique products.

Other "Christmas" special kiosks with tons of decorations, much of which you wonder how the ideas for something new just keep coming and coming.

Christmas season music in the background, especially over and over and over hearing "Rudolph" and "I Dream Of A White Christmas".

Street trees turned into light shows all aglisten with every shape of lightbulb imaginable.

Store clerks wearing their best Santa hat and festooning themselves with garland, and glitter in their hair.

Kids getting their picture taken with Santa Claus lined up and waiting to whisper that special gift only the jolly old elf can deliver.

Oh you thought all of that is in Oregon? NOPE...this is what I saw last night in downtown Shanghai and I'm still shaking my head in wonderment. What an unexpected early Christmas present I got.

Now if it would only snow in Shanghai before I head home.

"SHOT FROM GUNS !!!"

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Photos by Ellen Levenhangen and Andy Marks cuz Dumb Joe left his camera home.


On the "FRASTTBITV" ride (oh..that's the "Friday After School To The Bar In The Village") we came across a guy in front of a mini fire on the sidewalk. Lou, one of the leaders says "Stop. You gotta see this." We said "What?" Sitting on the sidewalk was a guy rotating a huge blackened object that looked like an urn. Attached to the bottom of the urn is a wheel that he turns with a gloved hand while the other hand pours coals into a small furnace area and alternately stokes a mini bellows.


The crowd looked to be as interested in us as we were in this street vendor. There were quite a number pointing and smiling at us good naturedly as we tried to talk to them about what was going on.
Lou says "Okay..get ready for a big bang". He takes the blackened urn off the fire, drapes a long heavy fabric sleeve over it, turns a couple of levers and BLAM!!. Smoke surrounds him as he reaps his wares: Puffed Rice!!!




That blam and seeing him gather his rice reminded me as a kid of an advertising slogan I remembered for Quaker Oats Puffed Rice and Wheat: "Shot from Guns".

I asked a couple of the teachers on our ride if they had heard the slogan and well let's just say there is such a thing as a generation gap...chasm?

A bit of a google and here's the history of "Shot From Guns" according to the Minnesota Historical Society. The following is an ad from about 1930 where Quaker Oats urged people to buy Anderson's puffed cereals.

Food Shot From Guns Of Peace

Over 125 million explosions in each grain of wheat and rice make Puffed Grains virtually as nourishing as hot cooked cereals.

Grains of wheat and rice, as completely digestible, as nourishing as though they had been cooked for hours... yet crisp...... flaky... alluringly crunchy!
This is what the discovery of "food shot from guns" brings to your breakfast table.

Professor A.P. Anderson, their inventor, knew that wheat and rice grains contain millions of tiny food cells. He knew that even prolonged Lengthy. overcooking sometimes fails to open all these cells. Hence these finest of cereal grains are often not completely digestible.

Discovers way to explode food cells.

So he seals the grains in huge guns. Revolves them for hours in fiery ovens. When the guns are fired, 125 million explosions occur in each grain. Every food cell is broken open. The grains become more perfectly cooked than hot cooked cereals. And virtually as nourishing. These 125 million explosions not only make wheat and rice more assimilated, but also easier to digest. They are made flaky, crunchy, flavory...utterly delicious. All their natural nut-sweet flavor is developed. When the guns pour forth their shower of Puffed Grains it smells like an old-time kitchen on baking day. It smells so good you can hardly wait to lift a handful of these grains to your mouth. No wonder Quaker Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice have been found to be the children's favorite cereal!

Puffed Rice is a creamy rich dainty treat. It digests readily. Turns to energy in a hurry. Puffed Wheat is made of whole wheat. It offers rich minerals. Plus 25% bran.

The Quaker Oats Company.

THE GREAT WAIL OF CHINA

No, it's not a wrong spelling of the Wall, although The Wall is absolutely stunning and great. Before leaving China I'll definitely get to Bejing and the Great Wall.


And it's not the wail of one of many stringed instruments you hear on the streets of Shanghai.






The wail doesn't come from a Erhu, which looks to be what I see many itinerary muscians strumming on the steps of subway stations.




And it's not the wail of the "One Family One Child" rule in China. Well, that wail could be coming from the parents or the child, many of which are starting to get McDonalded Sized.




No...The Great Wail of China comes from the horns of cars, trucks, cabs, scooters, motorcycles, and even the proverbial Chinese tractor. There is no rhyme, reason, or semblance of a logical reason why a car horn gets tooted here. They just are.

And I'm beginning to feel like I'm going to wail on the next driver that bleeps his horn!!!!

A Ride to Shanghai from Zhudi Town

I've come to realize I'm not gonna find a whole lot of scenics on bike rides in and around Shanghai.

A school teacher here in Zhudi Town (about 25 clicks from the center of Shanghai) commented: "You RODE into the city??? I'm so afraid of cycling here. These aren't my country roads." Nope..it's not "..country roads..take me home...." Thank you John.

What is interesting is the variety of what you see. The following photos were taken yesterday on a 30 mile round trip from where I live in Zhudi Town to downtown Shanghai and back.

Itinerant street vendors hawking wares.
Entered a park and found what looks to be a terra cotta warrior guarding tombstones.
Example of tombstone in the cemetary.
Two friends. Often see couples holding hands while cycling.
Seen this a few times. They burn trash all over the city.
A typical downtown street. It does get crowded. Kills the average speed.
Example of a "Bike Park". In certain areas you have to park your bike at specified locations.
Found a small park by acccident. Many parks have exercise machines or equipment and I've always seen someone using them. Often the older crowd.
A gentleman wrapped in his enjoyable isolation doing his TiChee (I'll get correct spelling)
My new MTN Bike for Friday beer rides. If I tell you how little it cost, Guido will fit you with a pair of cement shoes.

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Chinese "FROGGER"

"Frogger" was an ATARI game I think during the 80's where you tried to get the frog across a busy highway without the frog getting squished. Seems the Chinese adopted this game in the city of Urumqi as you can see by the pic. Pedestrians will walk or run or hurry or sprint for dear life to one of the lane lines, wait for an opening, and continue (well..at least try) to the other side.

FROGGER LINK

The Silk Road

Urumqi, Turpan and Dunhuang: Three cities on the "Silk Road" which I got to see because one of the teachers leading a tenth grade "cultural immersion" trip go injured. They needed a last minute replacement. Who was I to say no? I did forget that taking care of teenagers is sometimes like herding cats.

I suggest you research each of the three cities to learn more of the vast culture of China. I figured all of China had that chinese look. Not to be. The area of Umumqi is the home of the Uyghur (weeger) people, who have a mongolian heritage and have a Turkish look: Dark, swarthy complexsion, sharp angular features and little did I know: a Muslim area.

A very busy five days with a lot of time traveling, including an overnight in a hard sleeper car: 30 bunks arranged in cubes of six with 3 bunks (lower, middle, upper) on the sides of each cube. You're right: I now know what sleeping in a submarine must have been like. Wish I could have taken pics of people getting in and out of the top bunk!!!

What the kids and I got to do during the five days:
Uigur Singing and Dancing Workshop
Erdaoqiao Market Shopping
Buffet Dinner with Uiger Singing and Dancing
Xinjian History Museum (With a host of mummies)
KFC: Yah..I didn't figure how this was a cultural experience. On 2nd thought it was and not a pleasant one. Umm...you don't want to know what the chicken looked like. Then again..it wasn't mutton.
Turpan Chinese Dinner
Sugong Pagoda
Karez Irrigation System (Look it up. Fascinating)
Jiaohe Ancient City
Overnight Train Trip
Sand Dunes: The fun part. Believe it or not many of these internationally traveled kids had never seen a camel up close and personal.
Magoa Caves (Incredible 90 feet Bhuddas carved out of stone. Only took 29 years)

A great trip in spite of about a seven hour delay on China Southern airlines. Gee, I felt just like I was flying in or out of Chicago!!!

Silk Road: Urumqi, Turpur & Dunhuang

Due to an unfortunate accident to a school trip leader, I was a last minute substitute on a Shanghai American School cultural immersion trip for tenth graders. And yes, chaperoning tenth graders is akin to herding cats.

But what an experience. Three cities in a little over four days or Planes, Trains and Auto...er.. Buses. The itinerary in four beat time:

Oct. 23 Fly a.m. to Hongqiao airport
Oct. 23 Transfer to bus and drive to Urumqi
Oct. 23 Afternoon Uiger (pronounce weeger) Dance Workshop
Oct. 23 Shop the market until you drop
Oct. 23 Buffet dinner with Uiger Dance Show

Oct. 24 Uiger Hat Workshop
Oct. 24 Lunch with local flavor...um....okay it was a KFC.
Oct. 24 Bus to Turpan
Oct. 24 Dinner in Turpan

Oct. 25 Sugong Pagoda
Oct. 25 Karez Irrigation System
Oct. 25 Visit Jiaohe Ancient City
Oct. 25 Visit Local Market
Oct. 25 Visit local Uiger family for refreshments and another dance lesson.
Oct. 25 Board overnight sleeper (as in cramped) train to Dunhuang

Oct. 26 Visit sand dunes. Camel ride. Sand dune sledding.
Oct. 26 Lunch at local silk road side road off the road and beaten path cafe.
Oct. 26 Visit Magao Caves
Oct. 26 Visit local market

Oct. 27 Wake up call at 2 a.m. morning flight cancelled.
Oct. 27 Scurry around to make flight arrangements.
Oct. 27 Spent a really long time getting new flights.
Oct. 27 Get home after midnight

A bit of commentary and some pics in me next blog entry. In the meantime, kids who grow up in an international environment grow up fast. At midnight dropping them at a hotel to be picked up by parents or their "driver", two of them had permission slips to "hail a taxi". Picture a 14 year old walking down to a city street, hand up in the air, whistles, hops in cab.

Fade to black.