Future adventures, Part II . . .

Today's going to be a busy day so I'm up and about early to fit in all I need to do. I had breakfast about 0530 (on the balcony of my friend's penthouse apartment - I am thankful for the wonderful friends I have) and want to work out, shower, do laundry, sort and repack clothing (I need to ship another box), write this post (I'll fit it between other things this morning) and eat an early lunch before a busy afternoon.

I'll start by visiting with a wonderful coffee shop owner I met Monday while trying to find the medical clinic I needed to get to for my tests, and who went out of her way to help me. When she called the clinic, they told her I needed to get there in five minutes before they closed for lunch so I had to leave immediately, but I returned after being poked, prodded, x-rayed and blood-let to thank her and we had a long chat. She traveled a lot when younger, she told me (she's younger than me, of course, but now married and running a business), and many people helped her so she tries to help others in return. I love that spirit of passing good things on.

Then back to the clinic to collect my results. Assuming I'm cleared (and I passed a much more extensive round of tests late last year), I'll then drop all my documents at the travel agent in order to get my working visa for China. Then I'll arrange to have my phone unlocked, pick up a packing box from the Post Office, drop that back at the penthouse and get ready for a Girl's Night Rooftop Party at Jen's apartment in Gunja.

For now, on to the Lonely Planet guide's 11-20 "Top Experiences" in China, and whether they make my list:

11: Kashgar's Sunday Market, Xinjiang

LP recommends the Sunday Livestock Bazaar in Kashgar, where Uighur farmers trade sheep, camels, horses, donkeys and cows, saying, "It's dusty, smelly, crowded, disorientating and wonderful all at once." I suspect I'm going to get plenty of that feeling in Beijing and doubt I'll travel to China's western frontier, officially the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region just to see that.

Although, researching outside of LP makes me realize it must be a fascinating region, as it shares borders with Mongolia, Russia, a number of stans (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan), Kashmir, Tibet, Qinghai and Gansu.

Not surprisingly, there's a fair bit of unrest in the region and the Kiwi may let discretion be the better part of valor and skip this one, at least if traveling alone. I'm sure I'll find plenty of adventure during my travels without seeking out danger deliberately.

Having written that, I realize I may have another reason to want to visit Kashgar, but that is LP's No. 25, so will have to wait for another blog post.

12: Huangshan and Hui Villages, Anhui

According to Unesco, which has it on its World Heritage List, Mt. Huangshan is known as the "loveliest mountain in China" and has been acclaimed in art and literature throughout history. It is shrouded in mist and light rain more than 200 days a year, but that has its own beauty in the photos I've been viewing. If it has inspired painters, poets and writers for millennia, I may have to seek spiritual renewal there myself.

The nearby Hui villages feature well-preserved residences and ancestral halls in a distinctive architectural style. The bridge at the entrance to the village of Hongcun, another Unesco World Heritage site, featured in Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," one of many Chinese-flavored movies I need to rewatch.

13: Diaolou in Kaiping, Guangdong

Another World Heritage site!

These look surreal - multi-storied defensive residences, communal towers and watch towers built in an eclectic mix of European and Chinese architectural styles scattered across farmland.

The fortified buildings were a response firstly to raiding bandits, then later to protect residents from Japanese troops. Many were built by returning emigres who had gone to work in the United States, Canada and Australia and returned home after amassing their fortunes.

I expect there are a lot of stories to be written there, even though many of the residents have again moved away.

NB: I'm doing much more additional research today, so will end this blog post at No. 15, simply so I can get on with the rest of my day.

15: Cycling Hainan

LP recommends cycling China's tropical island and it does seem a wonderful way to relax from the hustle and bustle I know is Beijing. This one is a definite maybe, though I may prefer to spend a few quiet days outside of China, in neighboring Thailand, Laos or Vietnam.

Time to get moving - more to come tomorrow . . .

Future adventures, Part I . . .

Now I'm no longer working and have done most of my packing, I have time to peruse the enormous Lonely Planet guide to China (1,054 pages) and am planning places I really want to see while in the Middle Kingdom. Lonely Planet has a "30 Top Experiences" list, most of which I agree look amazing. The first 10  follow, with my own comments, rather than LP's:

1. The Great Wall

Of course the Great Wall is a must-do in China and, even though I've been there before, I know i'll accompany friends when they come to visit (bring good walking shoes, guests). I'll probably link it with a return visit to the Ming Tombs, but will be careful to avoid the tours that take you briefly to such places of interest but spend most of their time at giant warehouses where you're pressured to buy "at cheapest rates."

I have no trouble bypassing the vendors at the Wall itself, I'm an old hand at that.

2. French Concession, Shanghai

I haven't been to Shanghai before but am eager to go. I have friends (a fellow journalist and his lovely wife) who live in the French Concession so look forward to having the inside scoop on where not to miss. Another Chinese friend and former colleague here, who is an expert on North Korea, is now lecturing at a university in Shanghai so I'll get to visit with him and his family also.

It's only an hour and a half flight from Beijing, so easy to get to.

3. The Forbidden City, Beijing

I'm sure I'll be a regular visitor here, as well as at Tiananmen Square opposite. I especially like Tiananmen on weekends, when it's filled with family groups flying kites. (Note to self: Get another fighting kite?)

There's also a fabulous rooftop garden opposite with great views of the Forbidden City that is a perfect place to enjoy a cool beverage while watching the sun set over the city.

4: Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan

This looks stunning but will probably be left until about this time next year, if I can find the time even then. Where I'd like to go even more is nearby Zhongdian, now known as Shangri-la. It was renamed after James Hilton's Shangri-la in "The Lost Horizon," rather than being the inspiration for it, but is home to the Ganden Sumtseling Gompa - a 300-year-old Tibetan Monastery considered the most important in southwest China.

As a fan of "The Lost Horizon" and its wise monks ("Everything in moderation, including moderation"), I will try hard to make it here.

5: Yangzi River Cruise

For me this is a would-like-to-do, rather than a must-do, simply because of the time involved. As much as I'd love to experience the Three Gorges on a relaxing river cruise, a four to five day tour may not fit into my itinerary or schedule.

I'm saving a chunk of time instead to travel the Trans-Mongolian Railway with a group of friends, during which we'll spend five days taking the train from Beijing, across China and up through Mongolia to Moscow. One of those friends also wants to do the train trip to Tibet, which tempts me also, but I'd even more like to take the train to Pyongyang if I can get a visa.

6: Terracotta Warriors, Xi'an

Another perhaps only, as I'd love to see them but only if I have time with all the other things I want to see more.

7: Hiking Dragons Backbone Rice Terraces, Guangxi

These I want to see, walk and photograph as these terraced rice paddies rise to 100 meters high and are spectacular. Guangxi also borders Vietnam so I'll try to time this to take a few days there also.

8: China's Cuisine

Obviously, this is a definite for me while living in China. There are many things the Chinese eat that I'll politely decline (yes, I'm a wimp when it comes to food, or at least very fussy), but I look forward to exploring teh wide range of cuisine's across the country.

I also plan to continue to prepare many of my own meals, and look forward to learning new ingredients and recipes.

9: Fenghuang, Hunan

Lonely Planet describes this as, "Houses perched on stilts, ancestral halls, crumbling temples and gate towers set amidst a warren of back alleys . . . " and shows the town set on the banks of the Tuo River. Another town I will try to find time to visit.

10: Changbai Shan, Jilin

This is China's largest nature reserve, with the centerpiece being the Heaven Lake, a vast body of water in a volcanic crater that straddles the border with North Korea. Known as Mt. Paekdu to Koreans, this area is revered by them and the Chinese and is the claimed birthplace of Kim Jong-il.

As said above, I hope to be able to visit North Korea during my time in China - if that isn't possible I'll just have to look across from the Chinese side, as I have from the South Korean side.

The next 10 recommended experiences will be in my next blog post . . .

Reuniting Good Neighbors . . .

Yesterday I got the chance to attend an event I helped put in motion almost a year ago, and one I was happy to see occur before I depart Korea again.

At that time, one of my senior editors at Yonhap News Agency invited me to dinner and I suggested we go to a restaurant I enjoy on Yongsan Garrison - home of United States Forces Korea. After I signed him in, he turned to me with a look of delight and told me he served there 30 years earlier as a KATUSA (Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army). He was excited to be back and as we walked to the restaurant, we passed the dental clinic where he served.

Over the next week, he spoke with some of his KATUSA alumni, and they asked whether it would be possible to visit the Post, tour their old place of work and meet the current staff and KATUSAs. It seemed to be exactly what the Good Neighbor program exists to do, so I contacted the personnel who run the program to see what could be done.

Phone calls were made, e-mails sent and the waiting began. And stretched, with the alumni becoming impatient and me trying to explain that big bureaucracies move slowly, and it doesn't come much bigger than the Army. I went off traveling, but checked in occasionally to see if there'd be any action and continued to ask for updates from my USFK contacts.

Who, it was eventually discovered, had been given an outdated point of contact for the Dental Clinic. As soon as that was discovered and an e-mail sent to the correct person, things started happening very quickly. My editor friend had a meeting with the officers who run the clinic, and a ceremony and dinner were planned for yesterday. I was informed and asked if I could attend.

The former KATUSAs, all of whom are now in positions of power in South Korea and who include a professor, a banker and prosperous businessman, were excited to be back on base and proud to be honored by the Dental Command. One was accompanied by his son, a 19-year-old university student who has yet to begin his mandatory military service, but who now knows where he wants to do it.

The officers and NCOs of the command were proud to host what they think is the first such visit by former KATUSAs, as they have no official organization, and answer questions on the changes over the past 30 years.

As for the young KATUSAs, they got a glimpse of their potential futures and realized the importance of maintaining the friendships they make at the outset of their adult lives. I sat at dinner with the son and two KATUSAs who told me they had the worst English of the entire group, but we were soon conversing easily, with much laughter.

I made new friends, including an officer who was promoted that day and has family living in Beijing - my next home - and the alumni of my editor friend. I was happy to see the plan come to fruition and to learn it will continue to flourish after I depart, as the older Koreans intend to form an organization to mentor and assist their descendants, and to stay in touch with their U.S. counterparts.

Mission accomplished . . .

Former KATUSAs from the 10th Med visit the 618th Dental Company.
Photo by Chuck Yang

Receiving a coin from 618th Dental Co. commander, COL David Mott.
Photo by Chuck Yang

Love and loss . . .

I went to a ball game yesterday with some incredible friends, hung out with a fabulous Russian friend at VFW, then found my way home. Great memories, many stories to be written, pictures already on facebook.

Woke this morning, soon heading to see my dear friend who probably won't be here when I next touch down (although I pray he will be) and realized I'm grieving my lost love and not living my life. I've been posting pictures of me having fun, rather than having fun.

And I am grieving. I thought he was my future, and was willing to become a tame(-ish) Kiwicat to be beside him.

BUT

It is what it is.

I love him, I wish him all the happiness, success and joy the world can offer, but it's time for me to continue to find my happiness, success and joy.

Maybe, like Alice (an in-joke for a very small circle of friends), I'll find another Eddy . . .

Facebook Failings . . .

I've been a fan of facebook for some time, but also a little concerned of the neediness and narcissism it can encourage. I've watched young friends and family members share exceptionally private matters and post a multitude of "selfies," many while still too young to legally use the medium and definitely too young to understand how easily it can be misused, but I've also watched those same young friends get encouragement and affirmation online when they're down or struggling. I was shocked the first time I received notification of the death of a friend via facebook, yet watched on with interest as family kept an uncle's page open and active after his death, and it became a living tribute to the man and a place they can go to visit with him, particularly those whanau far from home. A few weeks back, when a friend shared sad, sad news on her page, it seemed a smart way to make the announcement just the once rather than having to tell multiple people many times, and quickly became a way for those of us who love and admire her and her family to show that love without intruding.

I've also witnessed many changes social networks have made in society, not all of which are good. But life is change, and what we make of life comes from how we react and adapt to those changes, or in turn change the ones we dislike.

One good that is part of the social network process is the instant shaming of those who do ignorant, hurtful acts. From the salon owner in Michigan who berated the mother of an autistic child because he cried during his haircut, to the officials in China who handcuffed and humiliated a teen for spilling a drink on their car, the Internet has given power to ordinary people to say some things are unacceptable. That power can also be misused or taken too far, as all power can be.

It's interesting to watch that power, the power of the consumer, also alter the way the networks themselves conduct business. I have one friend who is an admin on a facebook community, Adventures of a Curvy Girl, who was banned yesterday for posting a picture of a fully dressed woman with a kitten lying across her chest. Facebook said it "violated community standards.

 It also recently rejected an ad about breast cancer because it contained an image of a woman's breast.

At the same time, it allows content featuring battered women, rape and violence, apparently claiming it falls under its definitions of "poor taste" or "crude attempts at humor." An internet campaign has thus far encouraged 15 companies that advertised on facebook to cancel their contracts, tho Dove, which markets itself as "committed to helping women realize their personal beauty potential," apparently has no problem with its ads appearing next to images such as one that shows a woman's face with her mouth taped and the words, "Don't wrap it and tap it, tape it and rape it."

Epic fail, facebook (perhaps you could rebrand yourself as talibanbook?).

Epic fail, Dove.

Good work, concerned Internet users.

UPDATE: Because the Internet moves quickly . . .

It's now being reported that Facebook has folded and released the following statement:

"In recent days, it has become clear that our systems to identify and remove hate speech have failed to work as effectively as we would like, particularly around issues of gender-based hate. In some cases, content is not being removed as quickly as we want. In other cases, content that should be removed has not been or has been evaluated using outdated criteria," the statement read. "We need to do better - and we will."

Yes, they do. Let's see if they will . . .

More good news (for Stephanie)

Ooops, I almost forgot to post this, or this, or these, these or these.

I'm starting to get the hang of this writing lark, I think . . .

Unexpected gifts . . .

As part of a very busy day yesterday (prep for an article, baseball game, New Zealand Wine Festival), I interviewed two women who stunned me. I'll link the article next week when it's published but the best bits won't fit there. This post is for Kimberly:

Background: Part of the USFK Good Neighbor program is an annual English Camp, where Korean high school students spend a week with an American host family, attend Seoul American High School on  Yongsan Garrison and live like Americans (albeit, Americans in Korea) for a week. I attended the graduation ceremony yesterday and interviewed a student and her host Mom.

I asked both what was their favorite part of the week.

The student told me it was going to feed the homeless at Seoul Station. She said her host family does this once a month and she intends to join them each month to do so.

I asked the host mother her favorite part of the week and she told me it was watching the girls' (she hosted two) reactions to her food. Then, because she talks more than me, she went on a rambling hilarious tangent about it. After we stopped laughing, I told her that her student said feeding the homeless was her favorite memory. I'm going to let her tell the rest:

"How could I forget that!

"My husband and I come from two totally different backgrounds. My Mom says that we weren't privileged but if we weren't, I didn't know. My husband was the complete opposite - he was raised very, very poor. So, in the beginning of our relationship, I always noticed how my husband thought I didn't understand less fortunate people. I don't think I did understand what it was to be less fortunate. At the same time, I didn't like the thought of people thinking I didn't understand or that I was totally unaware.

"So, we started that when we were in college. We were dating and we were constantly going out to eat, and we decided that once a week, whatever we were going to spend that day on going out to eat, we would put it in our pockets, which in college was only about five or six dollars. So, we would save that money up and at the end of the month, we would go to the grocery store and we would buy sandwiches and cookies and stuff like that and we would hand it out for the homeless."

They continued that throughout their marriage, which is nearing it's seventh anniversary, and it was at that time the students visited.

"We baked cookies, we baked brownies and muffins, we made sandwiches, we put juices together and we put it all in this bag and we went out to feed the homeless.

"What's really important, regardless of where you are, people are people, regardless of where they are, and some people fall on hard times. A lot of people think that homeless people either choose that way or they are lazy, and some of them might be, but if you can help that one homeless guy in the group that didn't choose, that was really trying and didn't quite make it, if I have to feed a hundred to get that one who really needs help, I'll do it, time and time again."