Plain of Jars:
Veing Xai:
12.17.2006
Our Motorcycle Excursion in Central Laos
Happy Holidays!
I hope this finds you enjoying the holiday season with family and friends. I also hope you have finished whatever shopping you need to do this time of year, and, if you haven't, you'll be in my thoughts. The holiday rush is definitely one thing I am NOT going to miss this year!
As you might expect, I've been thinking more of family and friends as 2006 draws to a close. Even with the risk of being labeled sappy or mushy since I include this in every email, I want to say again that I miss everyone very much and love you all. If you're getting this email, then I mean it. :) Alright, now that the mushy stuff is out of the way, I'll get on with the email.
Michele and I will be celebrating the holidays in Northern Laos near the borders of Thailand, China, and Myanmar. Right now we're in Luang Prabang, the former royal capital of Laos, enjoying a bit of a break from traveling (4 days in one spot!!!). I have really enjoyed Laos. The people are very kind and sincere (and patient - something I put to the test every time I try to pay for something since $1 = 10,000kip; I think I'm developing a disorder where I lose track of or add zeros). The scenery is also stunning with jagged limestone peaks, rivers, and dense jungle. I've also enjoyed learning more about it's recent history, especially the secret war the USA fought in Laos during Vietnam to try to prevent the spread of communism (it didn't work). I'll save that for another email so I don't dampen that holiday spirit, only know that there is a lot to learn about this small and fascinating country and the war is still impacting people's daily lives.
In the last 3 weeks, we have visited more sacred Wats (buddhist monastery temples) than I can count, sat on 10 hour bus rides through minority hill-tribe villages (where around 25% of the people get motion sick), visited the secret headquarters of the communist rebels built into Limestone caves, and hit the road on a motorcycle for a four day trip to one of the longest caves in the world. (My family has already heard the following story, but it's the most interesting one I have from the last 21 days that doesn't include the war, so I hope they don't mind reading it again.)
You read right, motorcycle. As most of your probably know (or could guess), I've never ridden a motorcycle before. I learned quickly on a four day trip through rural Laos on rural roads, but had a great time and don't really have any cool motorcycling stories to tell. The good thing about communist Laos is that there aren't many cars on the road (just buses, tractors, and a lot of children and farm animals); the bad thing is that some of the roads are non-existent. I wish I could say I was a natural, but Michele's pictures show otherwise. (all Laos pictures have been updated at http://www.justalittlemoretime.myphotoalbum.com/)
The highlight and purpose of the 4 day trip was to visit a 7km long cave that took 45 minutes to get through by motorable canoe. The thing was HUGE and had HUGE stalagmites. The best part was getting there, because the village was on a 40km dead end road that's only open during the dry season (now). Getting there took 4 hours (10km or 6mph) on roads going through rice fields and many villages. We ended up staying in a homestay at the end of the road and were the evening's entertainment for all of the villagers. Village life in Laos apparently resolves around drinking, so our interaction with the villagers also revolved around drinking. Luckily Michele knew enough Thai/Lao (the languages are very similar) to make things interesting and everyone appreciated us at least trying their home brewed Lao-Lao (STRONG whisky) and Lao-Yai (rice beer). It was strong stuff, but I have to admit that the Lao-Yai wasn't that bad. Lucky for me I have a much higher tolerance coming from altitude, so I was able to outlast the seasoned villagers who, to their defence, had a HUGE head start. :) The whole village comes out and even the kids get in the act. They just set up two huge speakers and blare music from 5pm to 3am. The craziest part was the kids! They just have a huge keg with two straws sticking out set in the middle of an open space and the kids are dancing around and merrily chugging as much of the Lao-Yai as they please. The youngest had to be around 6 or so. Needless to say we got some very boisterous "Sa Bai Dee"s (hello) from the kids...and apparently they do this every day!!! (and still wake up at 5am) It was a really good cultural interaction seeing how they live (still very, very basic apart from the speakers and bottomless kegs) and feeling like we got to meet some authentic people who aren't putting on faces for the tourists. Their kindness is really humbling. The rest of the trip was basically a scenic drive through the Laos jungle near the Vietnam border and visiting a couple more caves (including two that were turned into sacred Buddhist sites). It was a really good detour.
Now that I think of it, this will be the last email you'll receive in 2006. 2007! Insane! So what are your New Years (or next two weeks) resolutions? :) Any wisdom gained in the last year? I've spent the last 30 minutes writing and deleting my feelings on the end of this year and start of the next, but I must admit that I don't have any pearls of wisdom (I'm sure you're shocked). I guess the main thing I've learned from 2006 (apart from the crushing facts that I can't grow a respectable beard and 2006 will be my adult peak as far as the hair on my head is concerned) is that life is a beautiful thing and much less complicated than we make it most of the time. The main goal for myself and wish for everyone in 2007 is just to enjoy each moment and to maintain a perspective on the things that are actually important in life. Easy as that. :) Happy new year!!!
I hope you have a great holiday and happy new year! Holiday pictures, updates, stories, etc are always welcome.
Thanks for everything in 2006 and I can't wait to catch up in 2007. Take care of yourself!
much love,
jason
Vang Vieng:
Born to Ride:
Just trying to get Jason to smile!
I hope this finds you enjoying the holiday season with family and friends. I also hope you have finished whatever shopping you need to do this time of year, and, if you haven't, you'll be in my thoughts. The holiday rush is definitely one thing I am NOT going to miss this year!
As you might expect, I've been thinking more of family and friends as 2006 draws to a close. Even with the risk of being labeled sappy or mushy since I include this in every email, I want to say again that I miss everyone very much and love you all. If you're getting this email, then I mean it. :) Alright, now that the mushy stuff is out of the way, I'll get on with the email.
Michele and I will be celebrating the holidays in Northern Laos near the borders of Thailand, China, and Myanmar. Right now we're in Luang Prabang, the former royal capital of Laos, enjoying a bit of a break from traveling (4 days in one spot!!!). I have really enjoyed Laos. The people are very kind and sincere (and patient - something I put to the test every time I try to pay for something since $1 = 10,000kip; I think I'm developing a disorder where I lose track of or add zeros). The scenery is also stunning with jagged limestone peaks, rivers, and dense jungle. I've also enjoyed learning more about it's recent history, especially the secret war the USA fought in Laos during Vietnam to try to prevent the spread of communism (it didn't work). I'll save that for another email so I don't dampen that holiday spirit, only know that there is a lot to learn about this small and fascinating country and the war is still impacting people's daily lives.
In the last 3 weeks, we have visited more sacred Wats (buddhist monastery temples) than I can count, sat on 10 hour bus rides through minority hill-tribe villages (where around 25% of the people get motion sick), visited the secret headquarters of the communist rebels built into Limestone caves, and hit the road on a motorcycle for a four day trip to one of the longest caves in the world. (My family has already heard the following story, but it's the most interesting one I have from the last 21 days that doesn't include the war, so I hope they don't mind reading it again.)
You read right, motorcycle. As most of your probably know (or could guess), I've never ridden a motorcycle before. I learned quickly on a four day trip through rural Laos on rural roads, but had a great time and don't really have any cool motorcycling stories to tell. The good thing about communist Laos is that there aren't many cars on the road (just buses, tractors, and a lot of children and farm animals); the bad thing is that some of the roads are non-existent. I wish I could say I was a natural, but Michele's pictures show otherwise. (all Laos pictures have been updated at http://www.justalittlemoretime.myphotoalbum.com/)
The highlight and purpose of the 4 day trip was to visit a 7km long cave that took 45 minutes to get through by motorable canoe. The thing was HUGE and had HUGE stalagmites. The best part was getting there, because the village was on a 40km dead end road that's only open during the dry season (now). Getting there took 4 hours (10km or 6mph) on roads going through rice fields and many villages. We ended up staying in a homestay at the end of the road and were the evening's entertainment for all of the villagers. Village life in Laos apparently resolves around drinking, so our interaction with the villagers also revolved around drinking. Luckily Michele knew enough Thai/Lao (the languages are very similar) to make things interesting and everyone appreciated us at least trying their home brewed Lao-Lao (STRONG whisky) and Lao-Yai (rice beer). It was strong stuff, but I have to admit that the Lao-Yai wasn't that bad. Lucky for me I have a much higher tolerance coming from altitude, so I was able to outlast the seasoned villagers who, to their defence, had a HUGE head start. :) The whole village comes out and even the kids get in the act. They just set up two huge speakers and blare music from 5pm to 3am. The craziest part was the kids! They just have a huge keg with two straws sticking out set in the middle of an open space and the kids are dancing around and merrily chugging as much of the Lao-Yai as they please. The youngest had to be around 6 or so. Needless to say we got some very boisterous "Sa Bai Dee"s (hello) from the kids...and apparently they do this every day!!! (and still wake up at 5am) It was a really good cultural interaction seeing how they live (still very, very basic apart from the speakers and bottomless kegs) and feeling like we got to meet some authentic people who aren't putting on faces for the tourists. Their kindness is really humbling. The rest of the trip was basically a scenic drive through the Laos jungle near the Vietnam border and visiting a couple more caves (including two that were turned into sacred Buddhist sites). It was a really good detour.
Now that I think of it, this will be the last email you'll receive in 2006. 2007! Insane! So what are your New Years (or next two weeks) resolutions? :) Any wisdom gained in the last year? I've spent the last 30 minutes writing and deleting my feelings on the end of this year and start of the next, but I must admit that I don't have any pearls of wisdom (I'm sure you're shocked). I guess the main thing I've learned from 2006 (apart from the crushing facts that I can't grow a respectable beard and 2006 will be my adult peak as far as the hair on my head is concerned) is that life is a beautiful thing and much less complicated than we make it most of the time. The main goal for myself and wish for everyone in 2007 is just to enjoy each moment and to maintain a perspective on the things that are actually important in life. Easy as that. :) Happy new year!!!
I hope you have a great holiday and happy new year! Holiday pictures, updates, stories, etc are always welcome.
Thanks for everything in 2006 and I can't wait to catch up in 2007. Take care of yourself!
much love,
jason
Vang Vieng:
Born to Ride:
Just trying to get Jason to smile!
11.26.2006
Mass Commericalism in Chiang Mai
Story to come... Pictures ready...
Bridge Over Rive Kwai:
Thailand's Ancient Capitals:
The Golden Triangle:
Chaing Mai:
International Flower Festival:
Lamphang:
Bridge Over Rive Kwai:
Thailand's Ancient Capitals:
The Golden Triangle:
Chaing Mai:
International Flower Festival:
Lamphang:
Thanksgiving Wishes
Hello all!
I just wanted to send a quick email to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
There is nothing like travel to remind me just what I am thankful for and this trip has done a particularly wonderful job. The first and most obvious thing traveling reminds me of is all of the people I respect, admire, and care about that distance constricts contact with (each and everyone of you have been hand picked for this mass email because of this very reason - whether you like it or not). I am very thankful for the role each of you has played in my life and look forward to all of our future interactions.
Secondly, I am thankful for the living circumstances I have been born into. I am able to find a job... even be choosy finding a job, I can live in a home with a spare bedroom if I like, I can own a car and go wherever I like, I can get a free education and go onto advanced schooling if I like, I can speak my mind, I can form groups to change my government, I can be proud to be a woman, I can live without fear of bombs and guns, I can practice whatever religion suits me best, I have health care, I have a government that (generally) works for me, I have clean water, I have sanitary clinics, I have safe roads to travel on, I have heat in the winter, there is little trash in my streets, there are so many things I have to be grateful for... I am fortunate because many people around the world cannot say the same thing about their living conditions.
Now my challenge is not to take these things for granted, to never complain about what I have, to wake up each morning thankful for everything around me, to be truly alive in the moment, to make sure I am not taking more than my fair share, and to live each day working to better these conditions for myself, my children, and others around the world.
I will end this email here and wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with loved ones! Below are some of the pictures that have been sent to us from you over the last 7 months... if you are not on there... send us a picture! Click on any picture to see it larger.
Much Love,
-Michele-
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope this years holiday finds you happy and healthy and celebrating with family and/or friends, eating to your hearts content, and watching the Broncos bounce back after Sunday's meltdown. :) I was fortunate enough to catch my first football game of the season yesterday...unfortunately it was the last 10 minutes of the Bronco-Chargers game. These 10 minutes of football reminded me of the joy of the game and frustration and pain of being a loyal Broncos fan. I don't know if I was the best ambassador for the great sport, because the only thing worse than talking and pleading to a television screen in the privacy of your own home is yelling "Plummer!" from the depths of your soul while watching in a guesthouse full of Thai people who A) don't know anything about football and B) don't know what "Plummer" means. All things considered, I wouldn't change a thing...except for not having to yell "Plummer!" so much.
Other than watching my team fall apart and getting extremely homesick thinking of the holidays, everything is going really well (just trying to be dramatic). For those of you who didn't get Michele's last update, I'll try to summarize the latest...
Michele doesn't have rabies and is completely healthy. We changed our plans to be as safe as possible and are currently traveling in Northern Thailand while she receives her 5 shots. A very friendly house cat bit her on the hand in Southern Laos, and we came back to Thailand to get the vaccine in safe conditions (Laos is classified as a Third World Country and using needles was a concern...not to mention availability of the vaccine). No big deal in the grand scheme of things, and the only noticeable side effect for us is MIchele's new found, ridiculously unhealthy fear of cats. :)
So what have we done with our time? We've had fixed travel periods in between shots (2 days, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days) and have used them to explore central and northern Thailand. In the last 3 shots, we have visited Kanchanaburi (famous for the Bridge over the River Kwai where 98,000 people died building the Death Railway to Burma during WWII), the old Thai capitals of Ayuthaya and Sukothai, and have developed an expertise in Bangkok public transport (we've had to return to Bangkok for each shot).
We are currently in Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand and old capital of the north. The north is very beautiful and we have enjoyed getting back into the green mountains, visiting gorgeous temples (called wats in Thailand), and learning about ethnic minority tribes that inhabit the Burmese/Thai/Laos border region. Michele has also spent her time developing a workable knowledge of Thai (something I gave up on when we left for Laos). A commendable feat.
Tomorrow we're going to start our final 10 day trip before the last shot by traveling along the Burmese/Thai border and hopefully learn about the Burmese refugees that have fled the instability in Myanmar. I really wish we had more time to explore the region to learn about these people and hear their stories, but we'll have to make due with the time available. If you're interested in the current situation in Myanmar/Burma, a good source is www.irrawaddy.org. Myanmar/Burma has one of the most oppressive governments on the planet and the plight of its people has been overlooked by the rest of the world. The United Nations is looking like they might finally take action, so, if you are interested, now would be a good time to get involved and put pressure where it's badly needed.
I know this is a pretty general and uninteresting update, but it's been so long that I just need to catch people up to speed. I sincerely hope to put more thoughts about our trip and what I'm experiencing into these emails, and, believe me, there are a LOT of thoughts to put down, but it'll have to wait for a future date. I hope that date comes soon. :)
So that's us. How are you doing? What's news? I hope all is well with you and your family.
I want to send my love and best wishes to everyone for Thanksgiving. I don't know how else to put it, but I've been thinking about a lot of things with the upcoming holidays and I hope you know how much I care for each and every one of you. I know it's cliche, but traveling and seeing how people live around the world (and how I relate to that big picture) have helped me to better appreciate all the beautiful things in my life. I am so thankful to have so many great teachers, friends, acquaintances, etc in my life, and I thank you for giving me so much. There are so many things I'm grateful for this year, but, as always, the people in my life are right on top of the list. I think about you every day and wish you nothing but happiness.
Happy Thanksgiving!
love,
jason
I just wanted to send a quick email to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
There is nothing like travel to remind me just what I am thankful for and this trip has done a particularly wonderful job. The first and most obvious thing traveling reminds me of is all of the people I respect, admire, and care about that distance constricts contact with (each and everyone of you have been hand picked for this mass email because of this very reason - whether you like it or not). I am very thankful for the role each of you has played in my life and look forward to all of our future interactions.
Secondly, I am thankful for the living circumstances I have been born into. I am able to find a job... even be choosy finding a job, I can live in a home with a spare bedroom if I like, I can own a car and go wherever I like, I can get a free education and go onto advanced schooling if I like, I can speak my mind, I can form groups to change my government, I can be proud to be a woman, I can live without fear of bombs and guns, I can practice whatever religion suits me best, I have health care, I have a government that (generally) works for me, I have clean water, I have sanitary clinics, I have safe roads to travel on, I have heat in the winter, there is little trash in my streets, there are so many things I have to be grateful for... I am fortunate because many people around the world cannot say the same thing about their living conditions.
Now my challenge is not to take these things for granted, to never complain about what I have, to wake up each morning thankful for everything around me, to be truly alive in the moment, to make sure I am not taking more than my fair share, and to live each day working to better these conditions for myself, my children, and others around the world.
I will end this email here and wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with loved ones! Below are some of the pictures that have been sent to us from you over the last 7 months... if you are not on there... send us a picture! Click on any picture to see it larger.
Much Love,
-Michele-
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope this years holiday finds you happy and healthy and celebrating with family and/or friends, eating to your hearts content, and watching the Broncos bounce back after Sunday's meltdown. :) I was fortunate enough to catch my first football game of the season yesterday...unfortunately it was the last 10 minutes of the Bronco-Chargers game. These 10 minutes of football reminded me of the joy of the game and frustration and pain of being a loyal Broncos fan. I don't know if I was the best ambassador for the great sport, because the only thing worse than talking and pleading to a television screen in the privacy of your own home is yelling "Plummer!" from the depths of your soul while watching in a guesthouse full of Thai people who A) don't know anything about football and B) don't know what "Plummer" means. All things considered, I wouldn't change a thing...except for not having to yell "Plummer!" so much.
Other than watching my team fall apart and getting extremely homesick thinking of the holidays, everything is going really well (just trying to be dramatic). For those of you who didn't get Michele's last update, I'll try to summarize the latest...
Michele doesn't have rabies and is completely healthy. We changed our plans to be as safe as possible and are currently traveling in Northern Thailand while she receives her 5 shots. A very friendly house cat bit her on the hand in Southern Laos, and we came back to Thailand to get the vaccine in safe conditions (Laos is classified as a Third World Country and using needles was a concern...not to mention availability of the vaccine). No big deal in the grand scheme of things, and the only noticeable side effect for us is MIchele's new found, ridiculously unhealthy fear of cats. :)
So what have we done with our time? We've had fixed travel periods in between shots (2 days, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days) and have used them to explore central and northern Thailand. In the last 3 shots, we have visited Kanchanaburi (famous for the Bridge over the River Kwai where 98,000 people died building the Death Railway to Burma during WWII), the old Thai capitals of Ayuthaya and Sukothai, and have developed an expertise in Bangkok public transport (we've had to return to Bangkok for each shot).
We are currently in Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand and old capital of the north. The north is very beautiful and we have enjoyed getting back into the green mountains, visiting gorgeous temples (called wats in Thailand), and learning about ethnic minority tribes that inhabit the Burmese/Thai/Laos border region. Michele has also spent her time developing a workable knowledge of Thai (something I gave up on when we left for Laos). A commendable feat.
Tomorrow we're going to start our final 10 day trip before the last shot by traveling along the Burmese/Thai border and hopefully learn about the Burmese refugees that have fled the instability in Myanmar. I really wish we had more time to explore the region to learn about these people and hear their stories, but we'll have to make due with the time available. If you're interested in the current situation in Myanmar/Burma, a good source is www.irrawaddy.org. Myanmar/Burma has one of the most oppressive governments on the planet and the plight of its people has been overlooked by the rest of the world. The United Nations is looking like they might finally take action, so, if you are interested, now would be a good time to get involved and put pressure where it's badly needed.
I know this is a pretty general and uninteresting update, but it's been so long that I just need to catch people up to speed. I sincerely hope to put more thoughts about our trip and what I'm experiencing into these emails, and, believe me, there are a LOT of thoughts to put down, but it'll have to wait for a future date. I hope that date comes soon. :)
So that's us. How are you doing? What's news? I hope all is well with you and your family.
I want to send my love and best wishes to everyone for Thanksgiving. I don't know how else to put it, but I've been thinking about a lot of things with the upcoming holidays and I hope you know how much I care for each and every one of you. I know it's cliche, but traveling and seeing how people live around the world (and how I relate to that big picture) have helped me to better appreciate all the beautiful things in my life. I am so thankful to have so many great teachers, friends, acquaintances, etc in my life, and I thank you for giving me so much. There are so many things I'm grateful for this year, but, as always, the people in my life are right on top of the list. I think about you every day and wish you nothing but happiness.
Happy Thanksgiving!
love,
jason
11.10.2006
Laos... Where?
Our stay in Laos has been limited to only a few days. The border control did let us into the country despite our outward appearances and we even made it all the way down to the beautiful islands in the southern part of the country (formed my the Mekong River not the ocean - for those of you looking at your maps wondering what I am talking about). While there we stayed in a small, quaint bungalow perched on stilts over the river. Each night we slept under a thatched roof with the sounds of crickets near-by (Jason hated it... his biggest fear... if one gets near him he screams like I do when many things get near me ;) ), until that is... we were forced to flee back into Thailand. After only 3 days of sipping coconut juice from a straw stuck in the top of a coconut that the guest house owners daughter just climbed a tree to retrieve for us was too soon to leave for our tastes... but that is what the situation demanded...
The Situation:
One day as I was heading to brush my teeth before bed, minding my own business, and out of the shadows leaped a ferocious animal that attacked my hand tearing away my flesh and leaving two marks about the size of the tip of a fine point pen. I bled a little. After being slightly stunted and feeling a bit as if I had been the culprit of a terrible act of terrorism, my first instinct was to run to Jason. Hand outstretched I showed him my minor wound with tears in my eyes and pointed to where the assault happened.
Strategizing Next Steps:
After cleaning out the wound, that stopped bleeding long ago, we discussed our strategy. Feeling that the lighting fast animal would be hard to catch for any acts of revenge we decided to focus more on the prospects of rabies. Rabies is a virus that is spread through the saliva of animals and people almost always die once symptoms start to show, which can be anywhere between a week to a couple of years after the bite. Over 50,000 people a year die from rabies and, although, it is not a huge problem in America due to the fact that most animals people typically come into contact with are vaccinated from the virus but in many countries (such as Laos) it is epidemic. People do not have the means to vaccinate their children from common childhood diseases so you can imagine how many pets get their shots. (side note: we read today that China has just created a law that restricts it's citizens from having more than one pet in efforts to curb rabies which killed over 2,000 Chinese in 2004 - only 3% of pets in China are currently vaccinated) In order to ensure the virus does not take over the body, a series of 5 shots over a month and a special "lifesaving" shot immediately after the bite is given.
Our choice was either to take our chances and hope that this crazed animal was not one of the few animals with rabies or to be safe and get the shots. After talking with the US Embassy in Laos we learned that rabies, although rare, is still a big concern and that it is recommended to get vaccinated... in Thailand, as they cannot votch the sanitary conditions of clinics in Laos. Because I am fortunate enough to have the money to afford the shots (which my travelers insurance ended up paying for), the ability to travel back to Bangkok, and the fear of an AIDS infected needle we decided to head back to Thailand. Thus we are in Bangkok again. Which really isn't such a bad spot to be.
In the process of making this decision we thought a lot about our privilege to be able to afford insurance versus that of those around us who would not be able to afford such a simple life saving shot.
The Updated Plan:
I got my first three rounds of shots were in Bangkok. Tonight we will leave and make our way to Chang Mai over the next week where I will get my forth and then head towards Udon over the next two weeks were I will get my last shot before hopping back into Laos, hopefully for more of a sustained period of time.
So when I was writing everyone from India complaining about being sick all of the time I am sure many of you wanted to write back and tell me to quit drinking the water (which I did not do for all of you who were temped to do so ;) ) but I do give you permission to scold me for being silly enough to pet (which is what really happened) the animals in rabies infected countries, even the cute ones.
Below is a picture of the culprit showing little apathy and regret the next day, as well as an updated picture of the two of us... that's right my hair is SHORT... it is the consequence of differing fashion opinions between cultures.
Wat Champasak:
Si Phan Don Islands:
The Situation:
One day as I was heading to brush my teeth before bed, minding my own business, and out of the shadows leaped a ferocious animal that attacked my hand tearing away my flesh and leaving two marks about the size of the tip of a fine point pen. I bled a little. After being slightly stunted and feeling a bit as if I had been the culprit of a terrible act of terrorism, my first instinct was to run to Jason. Hand outstretched I showed him my minor wound with tears in my eyes and pointed to where the assault happened.
Strategizing Next Steps:
After cleaning out the wound, that stopped bleeding long ago, we discussed our strategy. Feeling that the lighting fast animal would be hard to catch for any acts of revenge we decided to focus more on the prospects of rabies. Rabies is a virus that is spread through the saliva of animals and people almost always die once symptoms start to show, which can be anywhere between a week to a couple of years after the bite. Over 50,000 people a year die from rabies and, although, it is not a huge problem in America due to the fact that most animals people typically come into contact with are vaccinated from the virus but in many countries (such as Laos) it is epidemic. People do not have the means to vaccinate their children from common childhood diseases so you can imagine how many pets get their shots. (side note: we read today that China has just created a law that restricts it's citizens from having more than one pet in efforts to curb rabies which killed over 2,000 Chinese in 2004 - only 3% of pets in China are currently vaccinated) In order to ensure the virus does not take over the body, a series of 5 shots over a month and a special "lifesaving" shot immediately after the bite is given.
Our choice was either to take our chances and hope that this crazed animal was not one of the few animals with rabies or to be safe and get the shots. After talking with the US Embassy in Laos we learned that rabies, although rare, is still a big concern and that it is recommended to get vaccinated... in Thailand, as they cannot votch the sanitary conditions of clinics in Laos. Because I am fortunate enough to have the money to afford the shots (which my travelers insurance ended up paying for), the ability to travel back to Bangkok, and the fear of an AIDS infected needle we decided to head back to Thailand. Thus we are in Bangkok again. Which really isn't such a bad spot to be.
In the process of making this decision we thought a lot about our privilege to be able to afford insurance versus that of those around us who would not be able to afford such a simple life saving shot.
The Updated Plan:
I got my first three rounds of shots were in Bangkok. Tonight we will leave and make our way to Chang Mai over the next week where I will get my forth and then head towards Udon over the next two weeks were I will get my last shot before hopping back into Laos, hopefully for more of a sustained period of time.
So when I was writing everyone from India complaining about being sick all of the time I am sure many of you wanted to write back and tell me to quit drinking the water (which I did not do for all of you who were temped to do so ;) ) but I do give you permission to scold me for being silly enough to pet (which is what really happened) the animals in rabies infected countries, even the cute ones.
Below is a picture of the culprit showing little apathy and regret the next day, as well as an updated picture of the two of us... that's right my hair is SHORT... it is the consequence of differing fashion opinions between cultures.
Wat Champasak:
Si Phan Don Islands:
10.27.2006
Fair Trade Rice in Surin
Halloween is in a couple of days... does anyone of any big plans? We will dress up as dirty wanders and plead with Laos border control to let us into their country anyways. hehe... we really are very dirty though. Today I decided that it is better to wear my shirt inside-out because the outside is just too stained and I refuse to wear one of my pairs of pants to the coop we worked with in Surin. We have already been asked if the washing facility (a large bucket) where we are staying is adequate (just trying to take care of us or a hint... your guess is as good as mine ;).
The next portion of this email is mostly educational and background information if you would prefer to just read about our stay instead of wading through all this information go to the "***" now ;).
Fair Trade:
So for a little background info before I share my thoughts on Surin. This is a good time to explain what I did with my life in Denver the year before we left to travel. I co-coordinated an event that brought together students, farmers, organizations, non-profits, and others interested in the topic of fair trade.
First off I should say that fair trade is not the opposite of free trade. Fair trade works completely within the current free trade, market driven model, though many people who have talked with people who have been affected by free trade agreements tend to be against the affects the model has on many communities. I am not going to touch on free trade in this email as I am not fully educated on the topic and it surely would make this email so long it would be unreadable in one sitting (making the big assumption it isn't already).
Fair trade, however, I know a bit more about. It is the belief that many large companies at the moment are taking advantage of people in less developed countries who have few options other than to enter into contracts and even less bargaining power when setting the details of the contract, resulting in the current situation. Many people are unable to cover their costs at the end of each year and are falling deep into debt.
Businesses around the world who sell fair trade products believe whether or not other governments allow this practice (sometimes they even encourage it) to continue, the producers of the products we consume should have a louder voice. In the fair trade supply chain all the parties involved seek to increase dialogue, transparency, respect, and equality in international trade. This means that prices are raised to insure the producer earns enough money to pay for education, basic health care, and community development, as well as work under safe conditions. It also gives more ownership to the producers through the coop model.
Here (there) in the US individuals can choose whether or not to buy fair trade items. There is a certifying body (TransFair) that stamps each fair trade item with their stamp, similar to the organic certifying method. You can read more about fair trade from the links on the left hand side of our blog.
We came to Surin because two of the rice farmers in this area attended the event I organized and we wanted to meet-up with them here. While we were here we taught a bit a English, learned the necessary Thai, ate tons of Thai food, and had the wonderful opportunity to stay at a fair trade village with an incredible woman who is an outstanding organizer.
Surin 40 years ago:
About 40 years the Thai government started promoting what they called the Green Revolution. The idea was to increase productivity by shifting the focus from producing multiple crops on one plot of land to be used for local consumption to expanding land size, increasing technology, and focusing on cash crops (only producing one crop that has a high market value) meant for export. When Government officials came in and told the farmers that planting... say sugarcane, would make them money because the people in Europe had a sweet tooth and would pay higher prices for it and that with the use of chemical fertilizers they could harvest larger quantities, the numbers added up well and many people switched over to cash crops. This switch has meant that farmers sell everything they produce in order to make money to buy the food they consume. The result was mass deforestation and the wide spread use of chemical fertilizers, in addition to the increase in economic wealth of Thailand.
In the mist of the Green Revolution:
Chemical Fertilizers:
What the farmers didn't calculate was the fact that using chemical fertilizers would deplete the soil quality and each year it would take more and more fertilizer to produce the same output. It soon became clear that the chemicals also had damaging affects on the environment and the farmers health. Within the first 13 years the number of farmer's deaths doubled and the number of people suffering from pesticide poisoning sky rocketed by 8 times what it was before the "Green Revolution". Pesticides have been associated with cancer, genetic mutation, and birth defects. It causes groundwater contamination and does damage to fisheries.
Debt:
As the price of rice fell and the level of investment needed to be made in order to maintain a chemical farm rose the farmers tried to increase productivity through land expansion. With the monetary investment needed for land expansion, increasing amounts of fertilizer and seeds the farmers saw their profits fall and soon had to start borrowing money. Farmers borrow from the BAAC at a rate of 12%. Each March they are expected to pay back their loan in full, though many fail to meet this deadline and fall further in debt. The accumulated debt is over $7 billion dollars and 68% of farmers in the northeastern rice growing region hold a debt that is three times their annual income and clearly getting worse with a 12% interest rate. Before the Green Revolution the farmer's income was very low, now it is negative.
Breakdown of Villages:
As people became desperate village communities began to break down. After the rice growing season family members would more to Bangkok in search of additional employment... driving taxis, manual labor, anything. Through this process there was a loss of indigenous knowledge and an explosion of urban problems as the gap between rich and poor grew. Some farmers even had to 'sell' their daughters when the planting season ends to cover investments and pay off past debts. All this is the result of a government policy which but agricultural production and nation wide economic growth before the livelihoods and culture of its citizens. There was a time when everything a farmer needed could be grown on his/her land but now there is little money left over for food.
A "New" Method:
In the last 5 years people have begun to choose to go back to the traditional methods of farming. Many Famers are deciding to start practicing integrated farming again where they grow multiple crops on their land and increase livestock production. The benefits include: the fact that different plants exploit different soil, livestock serves to control pests and weeds, as well as reducing the risk of production loss due to environmental fluctuations. Additionally, crop residues and animal waste can be converted into marketable products and allow the recycling of nutrients. Example below.
***Surin as an example:
During our stay in Tab Tai Village we had the opportunity to see what an integrated, organic, fair trade, small scale farm functioned like and more importantly the type of life it fostered in the community. Our week in Tab Tai looked like this...
We enter what will become our temporary home for the next week and immediately Pi Kanya (our host) is apologizing in her minimal English for it being too small... she's been to the US - she knows how we live. It was almost embarrassing to reassure her that her one room, cement house, with no furniture besides a few mats (which we slept, ate, and relaxed on) and a small TV (which they watched Thai soap opras on) was just perfect (especially since we didn't know perfect in Thai and English was not an option for communication). We have now traveled long enough to know that a home like this is all a family needs to be happy and to us it was just was perfect as any other house in the world she could have lead us into but she knew it was not what we grew-up in at home... ("..." because that was a side tangent and I have no way of connecting that to my next thought).
The next morning we were woken by the creaking of the door as the family woke to start their day. The next morning Jason and I tried to remember what time it was that they left, but were too dazed to remember if it even really happened. When we finally rolled out of bed at 6:30 the family was already hard to work on their daily chores. Jason and I were soon put to work helping prepare a garden to plant vegetable seeds in. After digging, racking, de-weeding, and poking the ground (these are not the technical terms) we spread manure around the plot. So when Pi Kanya said "manure" I did my best to hold back my "ew" expression (I can really be a girl sometimes) but when she took us over the to pig pen and started shoveling manure into the bucket I decided that pig poo isn't soo bad. It didn't smell bad, it wasn't mushy or dirty. Later we found out this was because Pi Kanya's pigs are healthy pigs whose diet consists of organic rice shells (which they buy at a discount from their coop that sells the shells of the rice (a waste product after the processing of rice) that they and other farmers sell to the coop - it's a big circle), thus their poo doesn't smell and is the perfect organic fertilizer for her vegetable garden. Her family saves 2,000 Baht ($54 - which is a lot of money in Tab Tai) a year by using their organic moo's (moo in the 'rising' tone is the Thai word for pig... it is definitely the cows who moo so I think they got this one backwards) poo instead buying it. If they were to feed the moo's non-organic feed then their poos would be the "ew" type and smell real bad.
In the afternoon we walked around with Pi Kayna and picked out vegetables for the Green (Organic, not cash crops) Market that her and the other farms have set-up as a way to raise awareness about organic rice and bring in additional cash. Most woman leave with a 300- 700 Baht ($8 - $19) profit. The veggies also made an appearance in our dinner. That night we helped with dinner and went to bed soon after the sun went down.
The next day I don't remember when the door creaked either - though I am sure I checked my watch and Jason didn't even move. Around 6:00 we roll out of bed to find out that the first organic moo's meat (pork that is) is up for sale for the other villagers... it won't even make it into Surin. The community tends to keep alot of the food within the community, helping eachother to be more sustainable. The event was monumental, and even though our minimal Thai didn't catch a word they said (probably because they speak Khmer (Cambodian) in the village, a fact we learned later in the day) we could feel the excitement. An organic moo meant that fertilizer would be more cost effective, not to mention that moo's like rice shells so much that, on average, they weight 5-10lbs more than a moo eating leftovers. This is an added profit of 400 - 800 Baht ($10-$22) per moo. Pi Kanya said that with the money they have saved they plan to buy two female moo's to produce baby moo's in order to not have to pay the high price of buying a baby moos from some big moo farm - also increasing their sustainability.
In the afternoon (the sun was really too hot to work) most of the family congregated at the front of the house and talked about life in the village, which we understood none of so we went to read a bit. On the way to our reading spot we saw a chicken help her newly hatched chick start to strut (also not a technical term). The chickens are useful on the farm because they taste good and because they help with the pests that have come back in full force since Pi Kanya has stopped using pesticides. That evening was the same as the first.
The third day was Sunday and many of the farmers spent a larger portion of the day enjoying the company of friends from down the road. In the morning we "taught English" (AKA played red light, green light) to the villages children's group which was started by Pi Kanya's daughter. The club was formed so that traditional wisdom could be passed from the elders in the community to the youth, with a focus of sustainability.
I spent the afternoon making sure the cows didn't eat the banana trees. This is a more important job than you would be led to believe by the title. Those cows are not picky when it comes to green plants and, to no fault of my own, Pi Kanya now has two less banana trees.
When we were walking the cows back to their barn Pi Kanya said to Jason to 'Kin Kao" (which means 'to eat' in Thai) and motioned her arm from him to come. A couple minutes later Jason comes walking up with a cow from the pasture... by Pi Kanya's face we know immediately that wasn't what she meant. Jason's looks at her "Get Cow?". The original intention was for Jason to bring over some of the hay for the cows to eat which lied to his right (Kin Kao)... he brought back the cow which grazed to his left (get cow). Oh we all laughed... some just harder than others.
The next day we found out that Pi Kanya's family gets up sometime between 2:00 and 4:30am depending on the chores that need to be done for the day... though we tried our best the earliest we could muster was 5:30am during our stay. The day was spent taking a bike ride to Pi Kanya's rice field. Her family owns about 6 acres of land. It will take her a couple of weeks to harvest the rice with her husband. Once the rice is cut it will be taken to Rice Fund (this is where we spent the rest of our stay teaching English). Rice Fund is the coop that famers from the region of Surin own. It accepts only Organic or "in conversion" rice for sale domestically and internationally. Rice Fund processes, stores, and boxes all of its own rice. The shells that are left over after processing are sold back to the farmer at a discount for fertilizer and moo (pig remember) feed. Surin Farmer's Support also works very closely with the Rice Fund. It's main objective is to be of support to organic farmers. It also oversees the Green Market and the Kao Hom (Fragrant Rice) shop (where we stayed), which sells the rice and other natural products here in Surin. Currently, the Rice Fund has a large surplus of their rice sitting in their mill, unable to sell it because there is not enough demand for the product in Thailand or abroad.
The rest of the days we spent in Tab Tai were mostly a combination of the first few days... accept for the day I taught Beam (Pi Kanya's 4 year old son) to ride a bike. It was so wonderful to see his face when he saw me walking beside him instead of hanging onto the back holding him up. I was so proud of him (his picture is on the blog).
The farmers in Surin are certified Organic and Fair Trade, though I get the feeling that Organic and Fair Trade is just a way to reach a niche market. I didn't feel like Fair Trade had much of an impact within the community (though if I spoke Thai I might have a different story). What I felt made these communities so strong was that they were self reliant. The market didn't really matter anymore because no matter what they had food on the table at the end of the day. They had the security of being (almost... they would miss their soaps) completely sustainable. It made me questions which one is more important, finding a market to sell your product to in order to make money or the security that comes with sustainability - or if they both have their own roles....
Now that our stint on the farm is done, we are back in Surin with really nothing else to report. Which is a good thing because I am sure no one is reading any longer ;). That's okay it helps me to process it all.
Tomorrow we will cross into Laos at Chong Mek and explore the backroads of Laos for the next month. We will spend a day or two in places like Si Phan Don, Champasak, Sam Neua, Luang Prabang, and Muang Sing... if you are following us in your atlas' at all.
Much love to everyone who is still around to hear it!
Bangkok:
Grandfather in Tab Tai Village:
Surin:
The next portion of this email is mostly educational and background information if you would prefer to just read about our stay instead of wading through all this information go to the "***" now ;).
Fair Trade:
So for a little background info before I share my thoughts on Surin. This is a good time to explain what I did with my life in Denver the year before we left to travel. I co-coordinated an event that brought together students, farmers, organizations, non-profits, and others interested in the topic of fair trade.
First off I should say that fair trade is not the opposite of free trade. Fair trade works completely within the current free trade, market driven model, though many people who have talked with people who have been affected by free trade agreements tend to be against the affects the model has on many communities. I am not going to touch on free trade in this email as I am not fully educated on the topic and it surely would make this email so long it would be unreadable in one sitting (making the big assumption it isn't already).
Fair trade, however, I know a bit more about. It is the belief that many large companies at the moment are taking advantage of people in less developed countries who have few options other than to enter into contracts and even less bargaining power when setting the details of the contract, resulting in the current situation. Many people are unable to cover their costs at the end of each year and are falling deep into debt.
Businesses around the world who sell fair trade products believe whether or not other governments allow this practice (sometimes they even encourage it) to continue, the producers of the products we consume should have a louder voice. In the fair trade supply chain all the parties involved seek to increase dialogue, transparency, respect, and equality in international trade. This means that prices are raised to insure the producer earns enough money to pay for education, basic health care, and community development, as well as work under safe conditions. It also gives more ownership to the producers through the coop model.
Here (there) in the US individuals can choose whether or not to buy fair trade items. There is a certifying body (TransFair) that stamps each fair trade item with their stamp, similar to the organic certifying method. You can read more about fair trade from the links on the left hand side of our blog.
We came to Surin because two of the rice farmers in this area attended the event I organized and we wanted to meet-up with them here. While we were here we taught a bit a English, learned the necessary Thai, ate tons of Thai food, and had the wonderful opportunity to stay at a fair trade village with an incredible woman who is an outstanding organizer.
Surin 40 years ago:
About 40 years the Thai government started promoting what they called the Green Revolution. The idea was to increase productivity by shifting the focus from producing multiple crops on one plot of land to be used for local consumption to expanding land size, increasing technology, and focusing on cash crops (only producing one crop that has a high market value) meant for export. When Government officials came in and told the farmers that planting... say sugarcane, would make them money because the people in Europe had a sweet tooth and would pay higher prices for it and that with the use of chemical fertilizers they could harvest larger quantities, the numbers added up well and many people switched over to cash crops. This switch has meant that farmers sell everything they produce in order to make money to buy the food they consume. The result was mass deforestation and the wide spread use of chemical fertilizers, in addition to the increase in economic wealth of Thailand.
In the mist of the Green Revolution:
Chemical Fertilizers:
What the farmers didn't calculate was the fact that using chemical fertilizers would deplete the soil quality and each year it would take more and more fertilizer to produce the same output. It soon became clear that the chemicals also had damaging affects on the environment and the farmers health. Within the first 13 years the number of farmer's deaths doubled and the number of people suffering from pesticide poisoning sky rocketed by 8 times what it was before the "Green Revolution". Pesticides have been associated with cancer, genetic mutation, and birth defects. It causes groundwater contamination and does damage to fisheries.
Debt:
As the price of rice fell and the level of investment needed to be made in order to maintain a chemical farm rose the farmers tried to increase productivity through land expansion. With the monetary investment needed for land expansion, increasing amounts of fertilizer and seeds the farmers saw their profits fall and soon had to start borrowing money. Farmers borrow from the BAAC at a rate of 12%. Each March they are expected to pay back their loan in full, though many fail to meet this deadline and fall further in debt. The accumulated debt is over $7 billion dollars and 68% of farmers in the northeastern rice growing region hold a debt that is three times their annual income and clearly getting worse with a 12% interest rate. Before the Green Revolution the farmer's income was very low, now it is negative.
Breakdown of Villages:
As people became desperate village communities began to break down. After the rice growing season family members would more to Bangkok in search of additional employment... driving taxis, manual labor, anything. Through this process there was a loss of indigenous knowledge and an explosion of urban problems as the gap between rich and poor grew. Some farmers even had to 'sell' their daughters when the planting season ends to cover investments and pay off past debts. All this is the result of a government policy which but agricultural production and nation wide economic growth before the livelihoods and culture of its citizens. There was a time when everything a farmer needed could be grown on his/her land but now there is little money left over for food.
A "New" Method:
In the last 5 years people have begun to choose to go back to the traditional methods of farming. Many Famers are deciding to start practicing integrated farming again where they grow multiple crops on their land and increase livestock production. The benefits include: the fact that different plants exploit different soil, livestock serves to control pests and weeds, as well as reducing the risk of production loss due to environmental fluctuations. Additionally, crop residues and animal waste can be converted into marketable products and allow the recycling of nutrients. Example below.
***Surin as an example:
During our stay in Tab Tai Village we had the opportunity to see what an integrated, organic, fair trade, small scale farm functioned like and more importantly the type of life it fostered in the community. Our week in Tab Tai looked like this...
We enter what will become our temporary home for the next week and immediately Pi Kanya (our host) is apologizing in her minimal English for it being too small... she's been to the US - she knows how we live. It was almost embarrassing to reassure her that her one room, cement house, with no furniture besides a few mats (which we slept, ate, and relaxed on) and a small TV (which they watched Thai soap opras on) was just perfect (especially since we didn't know perfect in Thai and English was not an option for communication). We have now traveled long enough to know that a home like this is all a family needs to be happy and to us it was just was perfect as any other house in the world she could have lead us into but she knew it was not what we grew-up in at home... ("..." because that was a side tangent and I have no way of connecting that to my next thought).
The next morning we were woken by the creaking of the door as the family woke to start their day. The next morning Jason and I tried to remember what time it was that they left, but were too dazed to remember if it even really happened. When we finally rolled out of bed at 6:30 the family was already hard to work on their daily chores. Jason and I were soon put to work helping prepare a garden to plant vegetable seeds in. After digging, racking, de-weeding, and poking the ground (these are not the technical terms) we spread manure around the plot. So when Pi Kanya said "manure" I did my best to hold back my "ew" expression (I can really be a girl sometimes) but when she took us over the to pig pen and started shoveling manure into the bucket I decided that pig poo isn't soo bad. It didn't smell bad, it wasn't mushy or dirty. Later we found out this was because Pi Kanya's pigs are healthy pigs whose diet consists of organic rice shells (which they buy at a discount from their coop that sells the shells of the rice (a waste product after the processing of rice) that they and other farmers sell to the coop - it's a big circle), thus their poo doesn't smell and is the perfect organic fertilizer for her vegetable garden. Her family saves 2,000 Baht ($54 - which is a lot of money in Tab Tai) a year by using their organic moo's (moo in the 'rising' tone is the Thai word for pig... it is definitely the cows who moo so I think they got this one backwards) poo instead buying it. If they were to feed the moo's non-organic feed then their poos would be the "ew" type and smell real bad.
In the afternoon we walked around with Pi Kayna and picked out vegetables for the Green (Organic, not cash crops) Market that her and the other farms have set-up as a way to raise awareness about organic rice and bring in additional cash. Most woman leave with a 300- 700 Baht ($8 - $19) profit. The veggies also made an appearance in our dinner. That night we helped with dinner and went to bed soon after the sun went down.
The next day I don't remember when the door creaked either - though I am sure I checked my watch and Jason didn't even move. Around 6:00 we roll out of bed to find out that the first organic moo's meat (pork that is) is up for sale for the other villagers... it won't even make it into Surin. The community tends to keep alot of the food within the community, helping eachother to be more sustainable. The event was monumental, and even though our minimal Thai didn't catch a word they said (probably because they speak Khmer (Cambodian) in the village, a fact we learned later in the day) we could feel the excitement. An organic moo meant that fertilizer would be more cost effective, not to mention that moo's like rice shells so much that, on average, they weight 5-10lbs more than a moo eating leftovers. This is an added profit of 400 - 800 Baht ($10-$22) per moo. Pi Kanya said that with the money they have saved they plan to buy two female moo's to produce baby moo's in order to not have to pay the high price of buying a baby moos from some big moo farm - also increasing their sustainability.
In the afternoon (the sun was really too hot to work) most of the family congregated at the front of the house and talked about life in the village, which we understood none of so we went to read a bit. On the way to our reading spot we saw a chicken help her newly hatched chick start to strut (also not a technical term). The chickens are useful on the farm because they taste good and because they help with the pests that have come back in full force since Pi Kanya has stopped using pesticides. That evening was the same as the first.
The third day was Sunday and many of the farmers spent a larger portion of the day enjoying the company of friends from down the road. In the morning we "taught English" (AKA played red light, green light) to the villages children's group which was started by Pi Kanya's daughter. The club was formed so that traditional wisdom could be passed from the elders in the community to the youth, with a focus of sustainability.
I spent the afternoon making sure the cows didn't eat the banana trees. This is a more important job than you would be led to believe by the title. Those cows are not picky when it comes to green plants and, to no fault of my own, Pi Kanya now has two less banana trees.
When we were walking the cows back to their barn Pi Kanya said to Jason to 'Kin Kao" (which means 'to eat' in Thai) and motioned her arm from him to come. A couple minutes later Jason comes walking up with a cow from the pasture... by Pi Kanya's face we know immediately that wasn't what she meant. Jason's looks at her "Get Cow?". The original intention was for Jason to bring over some of the hay for the cows to eat which lied to his right (Kin Kao)... he brought back the cow which grazed to his left (get cow). Oh we all laughed... some just harder than others.
The next day we found out that Pi Kanya's family gets up sometime between 2:00 and 4:30am depending on the chores that need to be done for the day... though we tried our best the earliest we could muster was 5:30am during our stay. The day was spent taking a bike ride to Pi Kanya's rice field. Her family owns about 6 acres of land. It will take her a couple of weeks to harvest the rice with her husband. Once the rice is cut it will be taken to Rice Fund (this is where we spent the rest of our stay teaching English). Rice Fund is the coop that famers from the region of Surin own. It accepts only Organic or "in conversion" rice for sale domestically and internationally. Rice Fund processes, stores, and boxes all of its own rice. The shells that are left over after processing are sold back to the farmer at a discount for fertilizer and moo (pig remember) feed. Surin Farmer's Support also works very closely with the Rice Fund. It's main objective is to be of support to organic farmers. It also oversees the Green Market and the Kao Hom (Fragrant Rice) shop (where we stayed), which sells the rice and other natural products here in Surin. Currently, the Rice Fund has a large surplus of their rice sitting in their mill, unable to sell it because there is not enough demand for the product in Thailand or abroad.
The rest of the days we spent in Tab Tai were mostly a combination of the first few days... accept for the day I taught Beam (Pi Kanya's 4 year old son) to ride a bike. It was so wonderful to see his face when he saw me walking beside him instead of hanging onto the back holding him up. I was so proud of him (his picture is on the blog).
The farmers in Surin are certified Organic and Fair Trade, though I get the feeling that Organic and Fair Trade is just a way to reach a niche market. I didn't feel like Fair Trade had much of an impact within the community (though if I spoke Thai I might have a different story). What I felt made these communities so strong was that they were self reliant. The market didn't really matter anymore because no matter what they had food on the table at the end of the day. They had the security of being (almost... they would miss their soaps) completely sustainable. It made me questions which one is more important, finding a market to sell your product to in order to make money or the security that comes with sustainability - or if they both have their own roles....
Now that our stint on the farm is done, we are back in Surin with really nothing else to report. Which is a good thing because I am sure no one is reading any longer ;). That's okay it helps me to process it all.
Tomorrow we will cross into Laos at Chong Mek and explore the backroads of Laos for the next month. We will spend a day or two in places like Si Phan Don, Champasak, Sam Neua, Luang Prabang, and Muang Sing... if you are following us in your atlas' at all.
Much love to everyone who is still around to hear it!
Bangkok:
Grandfather in Tab Tai Village:
Surin:
10.26.2006
10.25.2006
The Basics of Learning Thai
We just finished working with a rice co-op here teaching English... though they are way to busy to learn English so we ended up teaching ourselves Thai... I know Hello! Though I often get flustered when I have to use it and say Thanks! instead... I aim to please. It is quite a difficult language to learn. They speak with tones so a word that is spelt the same but said with a higher tone is a completely different word than one said with a lower tone. It would seem that it wouldn't really make that much of a difference if you said a rising tone word in a high tone voice but really it means that NO ONE will understand you. For instance 'glai' said in a falling tone (that's right f-a-l-l-i-n-g) means near, however if you say it in a flat tone (how I would prefer to always talk) it means far... I don't think I am going to get anywhere (I mean this in quite a literal sense of the word) with a language like this.
Anyways we teach no English but we eat A LOT of Thai food. They have these great outdoor markets that offer all the food you can eat at about $0.50 a dish... it's beautiful. My favorite though is their sweets... they do them right. I have found this wonderful banana bread (if you didn't know this is my personal absolute favorite) that is like my moms but better (though that's not what I tell her). Ummmm! So I am putting on the weight that I lost on my "India" diet.
We decided to leave our co-op gig a bit early since we are clearly not teaching, nor learning, any languages and head to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Fun Fun! Okay I am going to go eat... they have this great popcorn that is covered in something I can't translate but wish I could recreate when I can home...
Anyways we teach no English but we eat A LOT of Thai food. They have these great outdoor markets that offer all the food you can eat at about $0.50 a dish... it's beautiful. My favorite though is their sweets... they do them right. I have found this wonderful banana bread (if you didn't know this is my personal absolute favorite) that is like my moms but better (though that's not what I tell her). Ummmm! So I am putting on the weight that I lost on my "India" diet.
We decided to leave our co-op gig a bit early since we are clearly not teaching, nor learning, any languages and head to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Fun Fun! Okay I am going to go eat... they have this great popcorn that is covered in something I can't translate but wish I could recreate when I can home...
10.02.2006
Great Women
My Great Grandmother recently passed away at the age of 94, following her husband, my greatgrandfather, one year after his death at age 103. She lived a very fulling life and suffered very little in her late age having to cope only with poor hearing. They both were very strong people who I admire very much. Both knew it was their time to go and pasted on in their sleep with loved ones near-by. My only wish is that I could have been there to celebrate her life with my family.
The picture is of my cousins (minus the Cinci Boucher children) and I:
Another important woman in my life is my Aunt Arlene, who has just been told that she has pancreas cancer and that it is in the advanced stages. Her family is very strong and are working to cope with the realities of her situation, though miracles are possible and there is no reason to think that one can't happen in this situation, like I said she is a very stong woman. Your thoughts and prayers and appreciated.
Arlene with my Grandma Hart:
The picture is of my cousins (minus the Cinci Boucher children) and I:
Another important woman in my life is my Aunt Arlene, who has just been told that she has pancreas cancer and that it is in the advanced stages. Her family is very strong and are working to cope with the realities of her situation, though miracles are possible and there is no reason to think that one can't happen in this situation, like I said she is a very stong woman. Your thoughts and prayers and appreciated.
Arlene with my Grandma Hart:
Final Good-Byes to India
We time in India is up and it is time to move on to Thailand! We spent everyday of a full 5 months experiencing:
• Countless Religious Temples visited: Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Muslim, Tibetan
• Temp: Low 35, High 120
• Weight loss: 25lbs each
• Cities Visited: 71
• Avg Daily Spend: $18.82 together
• Avg Hotel: $4 together, Avg Meal $1 each
• Days Spent: 157
• Languages heard: Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Ladakhi, Punjabi, Tibetan
• Times through Delhi: 6
• Number of time taken transport between 6 and 24hrs in length: 37, all in private buses and only twice in a train car with air-con
Our Route (there is a southern part of India that is not on this map:
• Countless Religious Temples visited: Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Muslim, Tibetan
• Temp: Low 35, High 120
• Weight loss: 25lbs each
• Cities Visited: 71
• Avg Daily Spend: $18.82 together
• Avg Hotel: $4 together, Avg Meal $1 each
• Days Spent: 157
• Languages heard: Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Ladakhi, Punjabi, Tibetan
• Times through Delhi: 6
• Number of time taken transport between 6 and 24hrs in length: 37, all in private buses and only twice in a train car with air-con
Our Route (there is a southern part of India that is not on this map:
A Foreshadow of India in 2025
India's Children and Education:
Child Labor Statistics:
- There are 80-115 million child laborers in India, the highest in world
- The worlds most dangerous countries for children are: Sudan, Uganda, Congo, Iraq, Somalia, and India
- 9.8 million children (age 5-14) work economic activities and another 6.6mil work in households
- Even though Child labour is illegal in India, there have been only 91 violations of children working in hazardous conditions
Children's Education:
- Most children who finish government primary school are incapable of simple arithmetic and less than half of the teachers on payroll were there and teaching
- 40% of Indians under age 30 don't know what year they gained independence
- The literacy rate is 64% men, 45% women
Health in India:
Health:
- There are only 5 countries in the world where a lower porportion spent on health comes form the government. Just 21% compared to USA 45%, proportion of India's GDP spent on health is 0.9%
- Between 1999 and 2003 the number of children were fully immunised from childhood diseases dropped from 52% to 45%
- 65% of indians are under the age of 35
- After South Africa, India has the most HIV-positive cases in the world, in 2005 there were 5.1 million reported cases
- 986 army personal on boarder have AIDS
Children's Health:
- 1.2 mil child starve each year, there are 43,000 babies born daily.
- 47% of children are malnourished, which is double the percent of malnourished children in Sub-Siberian Africa
- In 2006 India received $300 million in World Bank grants for child development and to provide nutrition and health services to children under 6 years despite the fact a World Bank study showed this program has made no improvements over the last 30 years. Some would say the system is corrupt because India's growth rate is 9% and they consistently have a food grain surplus.
- Half of India's children under age 6 are under nourished
Where have all the Women Gone?
How do I start the process of trying to describe to you what the majority of Indian women face in their daily lives. I didn't have any personal conversations with an Indian woman, in fact I rarely came into contact with an Indian woman. To me an Indian woman is a colorful, mysterious human whom I see caring for small children on a packed cattle car (what could be most closely translated as a 'bus' or 'train' in English) or hard at work carrying rocks on their heads at a construction site. I did not see women work unless it was at hard labor jobs... they did not work in stores, they, largely, were not waitresses, they were not vendors, there were little to no situations for us to have any interaction with an Indian woman. Maybe because only 45% of Indian's women are literate (compared to 64% of men) so there were less who could speak English to communicate with me, maybe because there are not enough jobs for men and women so the men work and the women stay home with the children, maybe it is less common for women to talk to strangers in general... I do not know. Their stories only came alive to me in the newspapers. The newspapers say the male to female ratio is 910 women to every 100 men, and falling. India had a population of 1.027 billion people in 2001, and rising. This would mean a shortfall of almost 93,500,000 women... let me say that another way to make sure everyone realizes just how many women that is... 93 and a half million women are missing from India.
Where have all these women gone and what about a society creates such a deficit of women? In India the answer to this question is not a secret. The government doesn't seem to be hiding anything. If the numbers are skewed it is most likely because the incident is such a societal norm that the victim either didn't think to report the crime or didn't think anything would come of it if they did. Each day the newspaper told me stories of the injustices the women of India face and examples of why there are far fewer women than men.
Dowry:
The dowry in India's society was used as a means to distribute wealth between male and female children. Male children received non-moveable wealth (home, business, land, etc) while women received the move-able wealth, a.k.a. money. In India the dowry is given by a female's parents to her parents-in-law at her wedding and throughout her life. Arranged marriages are still very common (you can read want ads in their daily papers) and the main considerations parents look for in a suitable mate for their offspring is what caste they are in and how much the brides family is able to pay in dowry (the consequences of not paying enough is below). Because of this male babies are seen as assets and female babies a financial burden which leads to the abortion of female fetuses, discussed below.
Wife Burnings:
Indian police say they received more than 7,026 reports of bride-burning in 2005. It is believed that for every reported case 250 go unreported - that is 1,756,500... almost 2 million a year. Of the ones reported less than 10% of the cases are pursued through the legal system. According to the Rajasthan Police Annual Report 1999, dowry deaths between 1997 and 1999 increased by 24.43%, getting worse, not better. During our stay in India we read about multiple wife burnings. Reasons we saw given for the burnings was the failure of the wife’s family to provide what is seen as a large enough dowry, the wife's family falling behind on dowry payments, the desire of the husband to rid himself of his wife without dishonoring himself (through divorce of course... murder is much less dishonoring than divorce... right?), or the failure of the wife to produce a male child (which, if I remember my high school biology correctly, the male sperm decides the sex of a baby). The burning of brides started in the late 20th century... it is not an ancient tradition.
Bride Burning Claims Hundreds in India - http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9608/18/bride.burn/
Abortion:
Another reason (most likely the main one) why there are fewer woman than men in India is the high abortion rates of female fetuses. Although it is illegal in India to check the sex of an unborn child there are still many cases of parents bribing doctors to abort female babies. While we were in India we read a newspaper article about an abandoned water well that was discovered containing hundreds of aborted female fetuses. One of the reasons given for aborting a child is the large dowries a family must pay for their daughter to be married, leading low income families to financial hardship. The sex ratio is so low in some regions due to the abortion of female fetuses that women are 'imported' from other regions (and Nepal) and shared amongst brothers.
Indian Child - http://www.indianchild.com/abortion_infanticide_foeticide_india.htm
Where have all these women gone and what about a society creates such a deficit of women? In India the answer to this question is not a secret. The government doesn't seem to be hiding anything. If the numbers are skewed it is most likely because the incident is such a societal norm that the victim either didn't think to report the crime or didn't think anything would come of it if they did. Each day the newspaper told me stories of the injustices the women of India face and examples of why there are far fewer women than men.
Dowry:
The dowry in India's society was used as a means to distribute wealth between male and female children. Male children received non-moveable wealth (home, business, land, etc) while women received the move-able wealth, a.k.a. money. In India the dowry is given by a female's parents to her parents-in-law at her wedding and throughout her life. Arranged marriages are still very common (you can read want ads in their daily papers) and the main considerations parents look for in a suitable mate for their offspring is what caste they are in and how much the brides family is able to pay in dowry (the consequences of not paying enough is below). Because of this male babies are seen as assets and female babies a financial burden which leads to the abortion of female fetuses, discussed below.
Wife Burnings:
Indian police say they received more than 7,026 reports of bride-burning in 2005. It is believed that for every reported case 250 go unreported - that is 1,756,500... almost 2 million a year. Of the ones reported less than 10% of the cases are pursued through the legal system. According to the Rajasthan Police Annual Report 1999, dowry deaths between 1997 and 1999 increased by 24.43%, getting worse, not better. During our stay in India we read about multiple wife burnings. Reasons we saw given for the burnings was the failure of the wife’s family to provide what is seen as a large enough dowry, the wife's family falling behind on dowry payments, the desire of the husband to rid himself of his wife without dishonoring himself (through divorce of course... murder is much less dishonoring than divorce... right?), or the failure of the wife to produce a male child (which, if I remember my high school biology correctly, the male sperm decides the sex of a baby). The burning of brides started in the late 20th century... it is not an ancient tradition.
Bride Burning Claims Hundreds in India - http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9608/18/bride.burn/
Abortion:
Another reason (most likely the main one) why there are fewer woman than men in India is the high abortion rates of female fetuses. Although it is illegal in India to check the sex of an unborn child there are still many cases of parents bribing doctors to abort female babies. While we were in India we read a newspaper article about an abandoned water well that was discovered containing hundreds of aborted female fetuses. One of the reasons given for aborting a child is the large dowries a family must pay for their daughter to be married, leading low income families to financial hardship. The sex ratio is so low in some regions due to the abortion of female fetuses that women are 'imported' from other regions (and Nepal) and shared amongst brothers.
Indian Child - http://www.indianchild.com/abortion_infanticide_foeticide_india.htm
What it feels like:
While in India I was treated like a possession. Jason was expected to make all of our decisions and to be the sole breadwinner and money handler. At dinner they expected Jason to order for me and if for some reason my dish was unavailable they would ask him what I would like instead. They asked him my name, with me standing next to him. They would carry on a conversation with him without saying a word to me and then ask him if they could take my picture. The men weren't trying to be disrespectful to me... they are just raised to be disrespectful of women in general. There was no point in getting mad at them (though it was terribly hard to stop myself) because they didn't understand how they had offended or wronged me.
I think the situation was magnified in our situation because we were traveling together. If you were a male traveling alone you would never notice anything was wrong and if you were a female traveling alone they would have to interact with you or not and you would never know the difference. Only traveling in a male-female pair would you be able to feel the inequality. Poor Jason couldn't win. At the end of some days I would feel so dejected and hurt... with part of the anger directed at him. "How could you let them treat me that way? How are you any different than me?" But what is it that he can do?
Ladakhi Culture and the Himalayas
Since our last posting we have been keeping busy exploring the beautiful serenity of the Indian Himalayas for a month and a half until we had to make our way back for one last round of Delhi chaos before catching our flight to Thailand (whose government was just overthrown by, what ended up to be, a peaceful military coup).
Most of our time in the Himalayas was spent in the region of Ladakh. The area is largely Buddhist, mostly above tree line, and isolated from the rest of India 9 months out of the year. Some remote villages are still only accessible by footpaths (A.K.A. no roads). During our stay, we had the privilege of taking a 10 day trek to visit some of these peaceful communities hidden by 20,000 ft tall mountains. The trek gave us a glimpse into the daily lives of the villagers, which is very similar to what it was a century ago. What we learned from the villages changed our definition of community.
Our government would consider the people of Ladakh to be among the poorest in the world as they make less than a dollar a day. In fact, these people are so "poor" that they are completely sustainable, not having to rely on currency at all (though the idea of wealth as money is slowing being introduced into some communities and becoming more popular among younger generations who want to become more "rich"). Whole communities live in the barren high desert (a desert above tree line) valleys of the Himalayas producing all the food and clothing they need to survive; working together to build homes and keeping each other company in the freezing winter months; having no waste or environmental degradation because they never take more than they need; they are completely sustainable.
This way of life has created communities so close that the line between community and family has become blurred. Each spring the harvest dates of families crops are staggered to allow time for neighbors to help each other harvest the barley. Through this method, whole communities can work together at a leisurely pace to make sure that the village, as a collective unit, has enough food to last through the winter. Working together goes beyond just the fields and into almost every aspect a life. New homes are built by the community. Life events such as birth, marriage, and death are as much a part of the old woman down the street's life as it is immediate families. It made me think how great it would be to be able to rely on a neighbor like a family member and how much more fulfilling life would be if everything I went through was the burden or celebration of everyone around me.
To a certain degree this same mentality of "brotherhood" and "extended family" was an aspect of every culture we traveled through in India. In the Sikh religion (a religion similar to Hinduism) all males change their last name to Singh and become "brothers". It is common for Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist extended families to share one home. A Muslim family we stayed with in Kashmir lived in a home where three generations lived (grandmother and grandfather, two of their sons, their sons wives, and all their grandchildren). The family atmosphere made me long for the same kind of support and guidance for my future children.
Even Delhi showed hints at a community... one where a man would do anything for a fellow friend. Which can be demonstrated by a story that happened to us as we arrived in Delhi this last time... we were getting a ride from a rickshaw (three wheeled small cart of a taxi) from the train station to our hotel when we heard a small thump on the side of the rickshaw. Moments later a man ran up to our driver forcing him to stop and grabbing him by the shirt shaking and yelling at him for hitting his friend (who maybe had a bump but surely was not hurt worse). Apparently (our only interpretation was the angry look on the man's face and our drivers reluctance to get out of the rickshaw) the man was so upset by our driver accidentally hitting his friend that he took it upon himself to let the driver know just how upset he was. That's some camaraderie that we have seen multiple times throughout mainland India.
These aspects of India, as well as some events that have occurred in my life over the last two weeks has really made we realize just how precious life is and how important it is to really support those you love. It made me want to be geographically closer to those close to me where I am in a better spot to be of support...
Now to a less mushy topic... Delhi. It seems India has taught us a bit of how to defend for ourselves because our last trip to Delhi was almost enjoyable and I think I might even miss the challenge a bit. On the 30th of September we flew into Bangkok's three day old airport (surprisingly everything went really smoothly, though the flight was empty - it appears others thought ahead about this major move and made plans accordingly...). Though Thailand is now ruled by a military coup we are a bit disappointed because we have yet to see a military officer or even a policeman. I guess all-in-all this is good for our travel plans but a bit disconcerting that the Thai people showed so little opposition to the military overthrowing their democratically elected Prime Minister... we will report more later because if I wrote more now I would be talking of ignorance ;).
Thailand so far has been a breeze to navigate compared to India and we feel as if we are back in a U.S. city (a week in and we have yet to see a cow!). For the first month here we will be spending time in the rice farming community of Surin (near where Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand meet) working with and learning from a fair trade rice co-op here. We look forward to learning more about how fair trade has affected the lives of the farmers and what daily life is like on a rice farm! We will hang out for a month or so before heading on to Cambodia...
A picture of Jason and I on our co-birthday (the 8th) because both of our birthdays was spent on a terribly cramped 8 hr bus ride. To celebrate we climbed a pass to look at India's tallest mountains (24,000ft - almost twice the hieght of CO's mountains) eye to eye.
Ladakh:
Spiti:
Kinnaur:
Shimla:
Most of our time in the Himalayas was spent in the region of Ladakh. The area is largely Buddhist, mostly above tree line, and isolated from the rest of India 9 months out of the year. Some remote villages are still only accessible by footpaths (A.K.A. no roads). During our stay, we had the privilege of taking a 10 day trek to visit some of these peaceful communities hidden by 20,000 ft tall mountains. The trek gave us a glimpse into the daily lives of the villagers, which is very similar to what it was a century ago. What we learned from the villages changed our definition of community.
Our government would consider the people of Ladakh to be among the poorest in the world as they make less than a dollar a day. In fact, these people are so "poor" that they are completely sustainable, not having to rely on currency at all (though the idea of wealth as money is slowing being introduced into some communities and becoming more popular among younger generations who want to become more "rich"). Whole communities live in the barren high desert (a desert above tree line) valleys of the Himalayas producing all the food and clothing they need to survive; working together to build homes and keeping each other company in the freezing winter months; having no waste or environmental degradation because they never take more than they need; they are completely sustainable.
This way of life has created communities so close that the line between community and family has become blurred. Each spring the harvest dates of families crops are staggered to allow time for neighbors to help each other harvest the barley. Through this method, whole communities can work together at a leisurely pace to make sure that the village, as a collective unit, has enough food to last through the winter. Working together goes beyond just the fields and into almost every aspect a life. New homes are built by the community. Life events such as birth, marriage, and death are as much a part of the old woman down the street's life as it is immediate families. It made me think how great it would be to be able to rely on a neighbor like a family member and how much more fulfilling life would be if everything I went through was the burden or celebration of everyone around me.
To a certain degree this same mentality of "brotherhood" and "extended family" was an aspect of every culture we traveled through in India. In the Sikh religion (a religion similar to Hinduism) all males change their last name to Singh and become "brothers". It is common for Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist extended families to share one home. A Muslim family we stayed with in Kashmir lived in a home where three generations lived (grandmother and grandfather, two of their sons, their sons wives, and all their grandchildren). The family atmosphere made me long for the same kind of support and guidance for my future children.
Even Delhi showed hints at a community... one where a man would do anything for a fellow friend. Which can be demonstrated by a story that happened to us as we arrived in Delhi this last time... we were getting a ride from a rickshaw (three wheeled small cart of a taxi) from the train station to our hotel when we heard a small thump on the side of the rickshaw. Moments later a man ran up to our driver forcing him to stop and grabbing him by the shirt shaking and yelling at him for hitting his friend (who maybe had a bump but surely was not hurt worse). Apparently (our only interpretation was the angry look on the man's face and our drivers reluctance to get out of the rickshaw) the man was so upset by our driver accidentally hitting his friend that he took it upon himself to let the driver know just how upset he was. That's some camaraderie that we have seen multiple times throughout mainland India.
These aspects of India, as well as some events that have occurred in my life over the last two weeks has really made we realize just how precious life is and how important it is to really support those you love. It made me want to be geographically closer to those close to me where I am in a better spot to be of support...
Now to a less mushy topic... Delhi. It seems India has taught us a bit of how to defend for ourselves because our last trip to Delhi was almost enjoyable and I think I might even miss the challenge a bit. On the 30th of September we flew into Bangkok's three day old airport (surprisingly everything went really smoothly, though the flight was empty - it appears others thought ahead about this major move and made plans accordingly...). Though Thailand is now ruled by a military coup we are a bit disappointed because we have yet to see a military officer or even a policeman. I guess all-in-all this is good for our travel plans but a bit disconcerting that the Thai people showed so little opposition to the military overthrowing their democratically elected Prime Minister... we will report more later because if I wrote more now I would be talking of ignorance ;).
Thailand so far has been a breeze to navigate compared to India and we feel as if we are back in a U.S. city (a week in and we have yet to see a cow!). For the first month here we will be spending time in the rice farming community of Surin (near where Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand meet) working with and learning from a fair trade rice co-op here. We look forward to learning more about how fair trade has affected the lives of the farmers and what daily life is like on a rice farm! We will hang out for a month or so before heading on to Cambodia...
A picture of Jason and I on our co-birthday (the 8th) because both of our birthdays was spent on a terribly cramped 8 hr bus ride. To celebrate we climbed a pass to look at India's tallest mountains (24,000ft - almost twice the hieght of CO's mountains) eye to eye.
Ladakh:
Spiti:
Kinnaur:
Shimla:
Roof of the World
Well, we're back on the road again after spending a fantastic month in McLeod Ganj (home of HH the 14th Dalai Lama as well as the Tibetan gov't and culture in exile). While there, we tried to learn as much about the Tibetan culture as possible. Through all the activities we become imvolved with, we gained many friends and benefited from the genuine happiness, compassion, kindness, and unique world view of the Tibetan people. They challenged us daily, and we are so glad that we were able to stop and get to meet so many great people. Their unique kindness is really beyond words and one that we hope to emulate in many ways.
Their culture is under attack and at risk of being lost forever, and the people continue to face unimaginable torture, oppression, and countless other hardships. Their relatively small population (6 million) and China's enormous economic clout makes the Tibetans heavily reliant upon the outside world to act to diminish their suffering. Right now they are being completely ignored. To learn more about the history of Tibet, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet. For the Tibetan side of current events and history, go to http://www.tibet.org/News/.
So we've left our temporary home and are back to wandering around the mountains of India. We will be spending our last month in this fascinating country (depart 30 Sept for Thailand) in some of the highest mountains in the world. Over this last month, we hope to continue learning about the Tibetan culture, visit ancient monasteries, as well as do some serious hiking (hopefully as many as ten days). Jason says it will be the highlight of his life... I remind him that I am ;). We'll be spending most of our time in a region called Ladakh, which supposedly has the most traditional Tibetan culture outside of Tibet (and some would argue the world) as well as some of the world's highest mountains (K2 - the second highest mountian - is just outside it's border). Tomorrow we begin this final leg by traveling the world's second highest road at 17,582 feet (we also hope to go over the highest road before leaving India). Onward!
Their culture is under attack and at risk of being lost forever, and the people continue to face unimaginable torture, oppression, and countless other hardships. Their relatively small population (6 million) and China's enormous economic clout makes the Tibetans heavily reliant upon the outside world to act to diminish their suffering. Right now they are being completely ignored. To learn more about the history of Tibet, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet. For the Tibetan side of current events and history, go to http://www.tibet.org/News/.
So we've left our temporary home and are back to wandering around the mountains of India. We will be spending our last month in this fascinating country (depart 30 Sept for Thailand) in some of the highest mountains in the world. Over this last month, we hope to continue learning about the Tibetan culture, visit ancient monasteries, as well as do some serious hiking (hopefully as many as ten days). Jason says it will be the highlight of his life... I remind him that I am ;). We'll be spending most of our time in a region called Ladakh, which supposedly has the most traditional Tibetan culture outside of Tibet (and some would argue the world) as well as some of the world's highest mountains (K2 - the second highest mountian - is just outside it's border). Tomorrow we begin this final leg by traveling the world's second highest road at 17,582 feet (we also hope to go over the highest road before leaving India). Onward!
8.16.2006
Free Tibet (BBC article)
Many Tibetans believe that only the Dalai Lama can save Tibet from extinction. But even a Dalai Lama is mortal. And they are deeply anxious about what will happen when the present one dies. For Tibetans, he is not just a Buddhist monk, a god and a king - the latest in a centuries'-long line of spiritual and temporal rulers - but a larger-than-life symbol of their unique civilisation.
For the past 50 years, from his sanctuary on the other side of the Himalayas, the 14th Dalai Lama has kept alive their dreams of survival as a separate people.
Many fear that his death will rob them of their last chance of any genuine self-rule. Others predict chaos and bloodshed. Tibetan extremists might finally feel free to resort to terrorism, giving Beijing the chance to crack down harder.
The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, amidst a failed uprising against the Chinese occupation which had begun nine years earlier.
Since then he has been the face of Tibet for the outside world. He has won the Nobel Peace Prize, the public backing of film stars, and the private support of presidents and prime ministers.
But no country recognises his government-in-exile. And as China's power grows there are few who even dare question its claims over Tibet.
The Dalai Lama has become more important than ever to Tibetans since he left his homeland, according to Phuntsog Wangyal, who also fled in 1959 after taking up arms against the Chinese.
"He not only touches the people's hearts but he is ingrained in their minds. They have total faith in him," he said.
"It is impossible for the Chinese to destroy this image in his lifetime. But it is inevitable that he will die."
As a founding trustee of the London-based Tibet Foundation, Phuntsog Wangyal believes the sheer charisma of the present Dalai Lama will be hard to replace.
"Who will take up his mantle? There is no-one equivalent to him. I don't think anyone will be able to have that kind of authority." The extent of that authority was graphically displayed recently when thousands of people in Tibet threw their rare animal skins onto huge fires after the Dalai Lama criticised the use of products from endangered species.
Political structure
Samdhong Rinpoche is the first elected prime minister of the government-in-exile. He was chosen in 2001 by members of the Tibetan diaspora as part of an attempt to democratise a movement that has for decades revolved around the Dalai Lama's personal charisma, spiritual strength and towering reputation.
"By institutionalising the continuity of leadership, the arrangements are now in place to avoid a vacuum and make the Tibetan people not so dependent on the Dalai Lama," he told the BBC News website. But he stressed that there could be no substitute for a Dalai Lama. The usual search would take place for a reincarnation, using the traditional mixture of portents, omens and guidance from senior lamas.
The Dalai Lama has said he expects his successor to be found in a "free country", so he can carry on what he calls his "unfulfilled mission". In an apparent concession to Beijing, however, Samdhong Rinpoche said that if the 14th Dalai Lama were to be allowed to return to Tibet within his own lifetime, the 15th would be found there. "If not, then of course he could not be born under occupation".
Chinese control
China says it wants the next Dalai Lama to be chosen under its own supervision. It is highly unlikely to accept someone from beyond its borders.
The long stretch between the death of one Dalai Lama and the adulthood of the next has always been a time of division and political weakness.
Kalsang Phuntsog Godrokba, president of the radical, but influential, Indian-based Tibetan Youth Congress, believes the Chinese plan to fill the vacuum with a new Dalai Lama of their own choosing, just as they have done with the Panchen Lama - the second most senior Tibetan spiritual leader.
In 1995, the Dalai Lama recognised a six-year-old boy in Tibet as successor to the 10th Panchen Lama, who died in 1989. China detained the boy and chose another in his place. The original boy has not been seen since. "The Chinese definitely want to see the Dalai Lama die so they can have a Dalai Lama of their own", said Mr Godrokba.
But he believes the non-violent, moderate path espoused by the present Dalai Lama could be abandoned by Tibetans after his death. "Violence is something in the hearts and minds of Tibetans. But so long as we have the Dalai Lama it is not easy to organise anything. It will take time," he said. "The Tibetan Youth Congress's commitment to independence will never change," he added.
According to many analysts, time is on China's side. They say Beijing is deliberately stalling in its sporadic talks with the Dalai Lama's representatives, since it believes that after his death the Tibet issue will simply vanish from the international agenda.
China is currently taking steps to solidify their control in Tibet. They have opened a new train line that goes straight from Bejing to Lhasa and with it large numbers of Chinese settlers. It is not long off that Tibetans will be minorities in Tibet, making it hard to hand power over to a minority political leader, even if it is his homeland.
But others think China should capitalise on the prestige of the current Dalai Lama by reaching a settlement now, rather than waiting to see what his followers may do in his absence. Samdhong Rinpoche said contacts with Beijing were likely to come to a halt in the absence of the spiritual leader, since China refuses to recognise the government-in-exile. It was therefore important to reach agreement soon, or there would be "deadlock", he argued.
There is growing speculation that the Dalai Lama's dream of visiting Tibet - or at least some Tibetan parts of China - might indeed become reality before he dies. Earlier this month, China renewed its offer to discuss such a visit if he made it clear he had "completely abandoned Tibetan "independence".
The prospect of having more control over his successor just might tempt China to relax its conditions. But Beijing is also aware of the danger - that the high emotions aroused by the return of Tibet's god-king after half a century could lead to the biggest demonstrations yet against Chinese rule.
**This post is from the BBC web site - I did not write it!**
Further Reading:
Guide to Tibet's Major Issues
Profile: The Dalai Lama
Chinese Troops Open Fired on Tibetans Fleeing - 10/12/2006
Railway Raises Fears about Tibet's Future - 4/27/2006
Han Chinese Describe Life in Tibet -4/29/2006
Fleeing a Tibetan Monastery - 4/27/2006
The Tibetan Government in Exile website
International Campaign for Tibet website
Free Tibet Campaign website
For the past 50 years, from his sanctuary on the other side of the Himalayas, the 14th Dalai Lama has kept alive their dreams of survival as a separate people.
Many fear that his death will rob them of their last chance of any genuine self-rule. Others predict chaos and bloodshed. Tibetan extremists might finally feel free to resort to terrorism, giving Beijing the chance to crack down harder.
The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, amidst a failed uprising against the Chinese occupation which had begun nine years earlier.
Since then he has been the face of Tibet for the outside world. He has won the Nobel Peace Prize, the public backing of film stars, and the private support of presidents and prime ministers.
But no country recognises his government-in-exile. And as China's power grows there are few who even dare question its claims over Tibet.
The Dalai Lama has become more important than ever to Tibetans since he left his homeland, according to Phuntsog Wangyal, who also fled in 1959 after taking up arms against the Chinese.
"He not only touches the people's hearts but he is ingrained in their minds. They have total faith in him," he said.
"It is impossible for the Chinese to destroy this image in his lifetime. But it is inevitable that he will die."
As a founding trustee of the London-based Tibet Foundation, Phuntsog Wangyal believes the sheer charisma of the present Dalai Lama will be hard to replace.
"Who will take up his mantle? There is no-one equivalent to him. I don't think anyone will be able to have that kind of authority." The extent of that authority was graphically displayed recently when thousands of people in Tibet threw their rare animal skins onto huge fires after the Dalai Lama criticised the use of products from endangered species.
Political structure
Samdhong Rinpoche is the first elected prime minister of the government-in-exile. He was chosen in 2001 by members of the Tibetan diaspora as part of an attempt to democratise a movement that has for decades revolved around the Dalai Lama's personal charisma, spiritual strength and towering reputation.
"By institutionalising the continuity of leadership, the arrangements are now in place to avoid a vacuum and make the Tibetan people not so dependent on the Dalai Lama," he told the BBC News website. But he stressed that there could be no substitute for a Dalai Lama. The usual search would take place for a reincarnation, using the traditional mixture of portents, omens and guidance from senior lamas.
The Dalai Lama has said he expects his successor to be found in a "free country", so he can carry on what he calls his "unfulfilled mission". In an apparent concession to Beijing, however, Samdhong Rinpoche said that if the 14th Dalai Lama were to be allowed to return to Tibet within his own lifetime, the 15th would be found there. "If not, then of course he could not be born under occupation".
Chinese control
China says it wants the next Dalai Lama to be chosen under its own supervision. It is highly unlikely to accept someone from beyond its borders.
The long stretch between the death of one Dalai Lama and the adulthood of the next has always been a time of division and political weakness.
Kalsang Phuntsog Godrokba, president of the radical, but influential, Indian-based Tibetan Youth Congress, believes the Chinese plan to fill the vacuum with a new Dalai Lama of their own choosing, just as they have done with the Panchen Lama - the second most senior Tibetan spiritual leader.
In 1995, the Dalai Lama recognised a six-year-old boy in Tibet as successor to the 10th Panchen Lama, who died in 1989. China detained the boy and chose another in his place. The original boy has not been seen since. "The Chinese definitely want to see the Dalai Lama die so they can have a Dalai Lama of their own", said Mr Godrokba.
But he believes the non-violent, moderate path espoused by the present Dalai Lama could be abandoned by Tibetans after his death. "Violence is something in the hearts and minds of Tibetans. But so long as we have the Dalai Lama it is not easy to organise anything. It will take time," he said. "The Tibetan Youth Congress's commitment to independence will never change," he added.
According to many analysts, time is on China's side. They say Beijing is deliberately stalling in its sporadic talks with the Dalai Lama's representatives, since it believes that after his death the Tibet issue will simply vanish from the international agenda.
China is currently taking steps to solidify their control in Tibet. They have opened a new train line that goes straight from Bejing to Lhasa and with it large numbers of Chinese settlers. It is not long off that Tibetans will be minorities in Tibet, making it hard to hand power over to a minority political leader, even if it is his homeland.
But others think China should capitalise on the prestige of the current Dalai Lama by reaching a settlement now, rather than waiting to see what his followers may do in his absence. Samdhong Rinpoche said contacts with Beijing were likely to come to a halt in the absence of the spiritual leader, since China refuses to recognise the government-in-exile. It was therefore important to reach agreement soon, or there would be "deadlock", he argued.
There is growing speculation that the Dalai Lama's dream of visiting Tibet - or at least some Tibetan parts of China - might indeed become reality before he dies. Earlier this month, China renewed its offer to discuss such a visit if he made it clear he had "completely abandoned Tibetan "independence".
The prospect of having more control over his successor just might tempt China to relax its conditions. But Beijing is also aware of the danger - that the high emotions aroused by the return of Tibet's god-king after half a century could lead to the biggest demonstrations yet against Chinese rule.
**This post is from the BBC web site - I did not write it!**
Further Reading:
Guide to Tibet's Major Issues
Profile: The Dalai Lama
Chinese Troops Open Fired on Tibetans Fleeing - 10/12/2006
Railway Raises Fears about Tibet's Future - 4/27/2006
Han Chinese Describe Life in Tibet -4/29/2006
Fleeing a Tibetan Monastery - 4/27/2006
The Tibetan Government in Exile website
International Campaign for Tibet website
Free Tibet Campaign website
7.23.2006
A Good Resting Spot
After almost 3 months of travel we have settled for one and a half months in Dharamsala, India. It is the home of the Buddhist spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the exiled government of Tibet. Many Tibetans have fled China by walking over the Tibetan and Nepalese mountain range - some times walking for months - to settle in India until they can reclaim Tibet (from China) as their home.
It is a very interesting culture and religion that we have learned a lot about during our stay. From here we will travel north further into the Himalayas before leaving for Thailand but, for the time being, we were happy to unpack our bags and glad to not be spending long hours on cramped buses and trains!
We found a nice room off the main road with few other tourists. It has a lot of windows where we can see mountains from our bed (when it's not raining), a nice kitchen that we hope to cook our own meals in, and a clean bathroom with a HUGE but friendly spider. However, after our friendly spider took the liberty to invite friends (each one getting bigger and bigger), We have promptly chased them all out after a (human) friend told us that "they are only deadly a few days out of the year"... so the rest of the year they just hurt really bad?!?!?!
Other than our unwelcome friends we are really enjoying our stay in Dharamsala and everything here is going really well. Dharamsala was a lot to take in at first as it is much more westernized and tourist than the other parts of India we have been in so far... it is so weird to complain that because we too are tourists but it just felt weird coming from an area where it was hard to get around in and where we would go days without seeing other westerners to a city where everything was catered to westerners and it seems there might be more white people here than Tibetans. But now that we have found our grove we love it and think it will be hard to say good bye!
We are staying busy with various projects, too busy sometimes as we are having a hard time meeting our goals. It is worth it though because we are able to learn so much more from the people we have met working on the projects than we could have planned on. Both of us are really organized - sometimes to the point of being a bit anal - so it is a good lesson to learn to recognize and take full advantage of more meaningful experiences when they arise. As far as being busy... we like it....
Michele is teaching a beginner computer class every day (M-F) from 3-5pm. There are about 6 students in the class, and they range from knowing how to open a chat program but nothing else about computers to students who want to learn HTML (which she can't teach them) It's challenging to find a way to teach files and folders to someone who only knows basic English while teaching myself advanced programs like Pagemaker to keep the others busy as well.
Jason stays busy teaching an intermediate/advanced English class every day (M-F) from 3-4pm. There are about 30 students in the class, and they range from knowing hello/goodbye to asking me about the meaning of cynic. It's tough to know how much is getting through, it seems to be going pretty well.
Immediately after class there is "English conversation" which consists of brave tourists coming to face a Tibetan question firing squad. This is a really great experience, because you just talk for an hour and can talk about anything you'd like. Whenever we have a question about something we pose it in conversation class and have learned so much from the answers. Many people came up to us and asked us to tutor them in English and there are many non-profits in the area offering English classes. So in one of the classes we asked why it is that so many people want to learn English; there answers were: lack of jobs so there is nothing else better to do with spare time, want to share plight with others and English is often needed to do this, and the desire to move to the US (one child in the US can support the whole family in Tibet). They are not shy about asking us whatever is on their mind either... we have talked about gun control and poverty in America or why we think communism has offered less economic opportunities for its citizens than democratic countries do. I challenge you to try and explain your answer in simple English!
The people are just incredible, and the differences between our lives to date make it feel like we live on entirely different planets. Definitely a learning experience! We'll talk to people our age about their escape over the Himalayas and how they left their entire family behind (most people we met have no family in India and traveled here in their teens) and can't go back for fear of being thrown in jail (the Chinese government is afraid they have ties to the Dalai Lama)...and then they'll offer us tea or ask if we want to sing a song. For people who have met so many adversities in their lives one would imagine that they have become pessimistic about life or consumed with anger at the Chinese but they are the most genuinely kind, compassionate, and optimistic culture I have ever had contact with; never complaining and not thinking twice about offering everything they have.
There are two girls in that we met in class who have started inviting us to their home (one room with two beds and a stove top - toilet next door) after the class. They have hearts that we can't comprehend and that sometimes overwhelm our western boundaries - a very good lesson! They have shared with us their stories of the life they left in Tibet and their travels to India. One girl was 14 when she made her first attempt and, after finding a picture of the Dalai Lama on one of the girls traveling with her, was thrown into a Chinese prison for 14 days to interrogate her... 2 years later she tried again. The other girl is quiet but, when you listen carefully, has such a deep heart. In Tibet her cousin is worshiped as a Lama (a re-incarnated enlightened person). We could never have learned so much about Tibet from reading our Intro to Buddhism books!
In addition we are also working with some Tibetans one-on-one and our main commitment is doing random tasks for an organization that trains Tibetans in painting traditional thangkas and sells the final product in the states (detailed paintings of gods commonly scene on the inside of temples - www.tibetanpaintings.com). At first we felt like there was so many other things to do with our time because we had just come from the plains of India where the poverty is so intense that we had to debrief at the end of some days to working on the same types of tasks an entry level position would have in the US and for a family who economically, visibly does not need our help. Although, at first we felt we were not needed we realized that our work here helped to preserve a traditional Tibetan art that, other than this school and one other, is pretty much lost... we learned that that's really important as well. The woman we worked with welcomed us into her home and really made us comfortable. We have throughly enjoyed our conversations with her; she taught us a lot about the Indian culture that we would not have otherwise learned.
We were planning on leaving last weekend but found out the Dalai Lama will be speaking this week - so of course we postponed and most of this week we will spend talking with our new friends, starting to work on some of our goals, and hopefully learning form the Dalai Lama's wisdom - he's a pretty amazing man.
Our Friend Jem:
Our Friends Tashi and Palsto:
Two Tibetan woman at Temple
The Green Tara - a painting made by the studio we work for:
Pictures from around Dharamsala:
Pictures from Thangde Gatsal (the thangka paintings):
It is a very interesting culture and religion that we have learned a lot about during our stay. From here we will travel north further into the Himalayas before leaving for Thailand but, for the time being, we were happy to unpack our bags and glad to not be spending long hours on cramped buses and trains!
We found a nice room off the main road with few other tourists. It has a lot of windows where we can see mountains from our bed (when it's not raining), a nice kitchen that we hope to cook our own meals in, and a clean bathroom with a HUGE but friendly spider. However, after our friendly spider took the liberty to invite friends (each one getting bigger and bigger), We have promptly chased them all out after a (human) friend told us that "they are only deadly a few days out of the year"... so the rest of the year they just hurt really bad?!?!?!
Other than our unwelcome friends we are really enjoying our stay in Dharamsala and everything here is going really well. Dharamsala was a lot to take in at first as it is much more westernized and tourist than the other parts of India we have been in so far... it is so weird to complain that because we too are tourists but it just felt weird coming from an area where it was hard to get around in and where we would go days without seeing other westerners to a city where everything was catered to westerners and it seems there might be more white people here than Tibetans. But now that we have found our grove we love it and think it will be hard to say good bye!
We are staying busy with various projects, too busy sometimes as we are having a hard time meeting our goals. It is worth it though because we are able to learn so much more from the people we have met working on the projects than we could have planned on. Both of us are really organized - sometimes to the point of being a bit anal - so it is a good lesson to learn to recognize and take full advantage of more meaningful experiences when they arise. As far as being busy... we like it....
Michele is teaching a beginner computer class every day (M-F) from 3-5pm. There are about 6 students in the class, and they range from knowing how to open a chat program but nothing else about computers to students who want to learn HTML (which she can't teach them) It's challenging to find a way to teach files and folders to someone who only knows basic English while teaching myself advanced programs like Pagemaker to keep the others busy as well.
Jason stays busy teaching an intermediate/advanced English class every day (M-F) from 3-4pm. There are about 30 students in the class, and they range from knowing hello/goodbye to asking me about the meaning of cynic. It's tough to know how much is getting through, it seems to be going pretty well.
Immediately after class there is "English conversation" which consists of brave tourists coming to face a Tibetan question firing squad. This is a really great experience, because you just talk for an hour and can talk about anything you'd like. Whenever we have a question about something we pose it in conversation class and have learned so much from the answers. Many people came up to us and asked us to tutor them in English and there are many non-profits in the area offering English classes. So in one of the classes we asked why it is that so many people want to learn English; there answers were: lack of jobs so there is nothing else better to do with spare time, want to share plight with others and English is often needed to do this, and the desire to move to the US (one child in the US can support the whole family in Tibet). They are not shy about asking us whatever is on their mind either... we have talked about gun control and poverty in America or why we think communism has offered less economic opportunities for its citizens than democratic countries do. I challenge you to try and explain your answer in simple English!
The people are just incredible, and the differences between our lives to date make it feel like we live on entirely different planets. Definitely a learning experience! We'll talk to people our age about their escape over the Himalayas and how they left their entire family behind (most people we met have no family in India and traveled here in their teens) and can't go back for fear of being thrown in jail (the Chinese government is afraid they have ties to the Dalai Lama)...and then they'll offer us tea or ask if we want to sing a song. For people who have met so many adversities in their lives one would imagine that they have become pessimistic about life or consumed with anger at the Chinese but they are the most genuinely kind, compassionate, and optimistic culture I have ever had contact with; never complaining and not thinking twice about offering everything they have.
There are two girls in that we met in class who have started inviting us to their home (one room with two beds and a stove top - toilet next door) after the class. They have hearts that we can't comprehend and that sometimes overwhelm our western boundaries - a very good lesson! They have shared with us their stories of the life they left in Tibet and their travels to India. One girl was 14 when she made her first attempt and, after finding a picture of the Dalai Lama on one of the girls traveling with her, was thrown into a Chinese prison for 14 days to interrogate her... 2 years later she tried again. The other girl is quiet but, when you listen carefully, has such a deep heart. In Tibet her cousin is worshiped as a Lama (a re-incarnated enlightened person). We could never have learned so much about Tibet from reading our Intro to Buddhism books!
In addition we are also working with some Tibetans one-on-one and our main commitment is doing random tasks for an organization that trains Tibetans in painting traditional thangkas and sells the final product in the states (detailed paintings of gods commonly scene on the inside of temples - www.tibetanpaintings.com). At first we felt like there was so many other things to do with our time because we had just come from the plains of India where the poverty is so intense that we had to debrief at the end of some days to working on the same types of tasks an entry level position would have in the US and for a family who economically, visibly does not need our help. Although, at first we felt we were not needed we realized that our work here helped to preserve a traditional Tibetan art that, other than this school and one other, is pretty much lost... we learned that that's really important as well. The woman we worked with welcomed us into her home and really made us comfortable. We have throughly enjoyed our conversations with her; she taught us a lot about the Indian culture that we would not have otherwise learned.
We were planning on leaving last weekend but found out the Dalai Lama will be speaking this week - so of course we postponed and most of this week we will spend talking with our new friends, starting to work on some of our goals, and hopefully learning form the Dalai Lama's wisdom - he's a pretty amazing man.
Our Friend Jem:
Our Friends Tashi and Palsto:
Two Tibetan woman at Temple
The Green Tara - a painting made by the studio we work for:
Pictures from around Dharamsala:
Pictures from Thangde Gatsal (the thangka paintings):
7.20.2006
India angers bloggers as it cuts Web access
Many of you may have heard about the Mumbai, India bombings on the 11of July. The government claims that a terrorist group based in India, who they believe to "have ties with Bangledesh, or Nepal, so therefore is directly, or indirectly, funded by Pakistan", carried out the bombings that killed almost 200 people. We are a bit worried because the Indian government has pointed fingers so quickly and taken many people (we read as many as 200) into custody only days after the blasts. The two countries were in the process of scheduling peace talks but it now seems that India might pull out of these important talks. Other than the implications the bombings have had on India - Pakistan relations and the USs relations with both the countries we seem to be far away from any danger so there is no need to worry! You can read more about how the US is involved with these bombings at another entry below.
Speaking of our blog... we can no longer view or edit the site. It appears (the story follows) that the government has restricted the countries Internet access of a few large blogs - Blogspot.com included. If I remember correctly we are able to add postings by emailing our account... I just have to remember the name... otherwise we will be off-line until we reach Thailand... or until the country protests (which they do well).
India Angers Bloggers
As India's financial capital, Mumbai, observed a moment of silence Tuesday to commemorate the seven bombings of commuter trains seven days earlier, a blistering silence blanketed the Indian blogosphere. Last Tuesday's attacks in Mumbai killed 182 people and wounded more than 700.
For reasons yet to be disclosed by the authorities, the government has directed local Internet service providers to block access to a handful of Web sites that are hosts to blogs, including the popular blogspot.com, according to government officials and some of the providers. The move has sown anger and confusion among Indian bloggers, who accuse the government of censorship and demand to know why their sites have been jammed. Among the speculation offered was that certain blogs could be used by terrorists to coordinate operations.
Nilanjana Roy, a Delhi-based writer who runs kitabkhana.blogspot.com, a literary blog, called it "a dangerous precedent." "You have a right to know what is being banned, and why it's being banned," she said. "I can understand if it's China or Iran or Saudi Arabia. I'm truly appalled when it's my country doing this."
The ban, which has come into effect in recent days, means that people living in India are, in theory, kept from reading anything that appears on the blocked platforms, whether Indian blogs or otherwise. But the ban seems far from effective. Some Internet providers have blocked access. Others have not, and many more blog aficionados have figured out how to continue reading their favorite sites. One Web site offers help, by way of a free blog "gateway." "Is your blog blocked in India, Pakistan, Iran or China?" it asks, and goes on to offer instructions for outwitting the restrictions. That site was prompted by the efforts of the Pakistan Telecom Authority to block blogspot.com in February, as a way to prevent Danish cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad from spreading.
It is impossible to know how many Indian blogs are affected. One blogger, Mitesh Vasa, from Vienna, Virginia, has documented "40,128 Indian bloggers who mention India as their country." That does not include those who do not name which country they are based in, nor others who identify their country of origin, as Peter Griffin does from Mumbai, as "utopia."
Another simular article:
India's burgeoning blogging community is up in arms against a move to block their web logs.
Speaking of our blog... we can no longer view or edit the site. It appears (the story follows) that the government has restricted the countries Internet access of a few large blogs - Blogspot.com included. If I remember correctly we are able to add postings by emailing our account... I just have to remember the name... otherwise we will be off-line until we reach Thailand... or until the country protests (which they do well).
India Angers Bloggers
As India's financial capital, Mumbai, observed a moment of silence Tuesday to commemorate the seven bombings of commuter trains seven days earlier, a blistering silence blanketed the Indian blogosphere. Last Tuesday's attacks in Mumbai killed 182 people and wounded more than 700.
For reasons yet to be disclosed by the authorities, the government has directed local Internet service providers to block access to a handful of Web sites that are hosts to blogs, including the popular blogspot.com, according to government officials and some of the providers. The move has sown anger and confusion among Indian bloggers, who accuse the government of censorship and demand to know why their sites have been jammed. Among the speculation offered was that certain blogs could be used by terrorists to coordinate operations.
Nilanjana Roy, a Delhi-based writer who runs kitabkhana.blogspot.com, a literary blog, called it "a dangerous precedent." "You have a right to know what is being banned, and why it's being banned," she said. "I can understand if it's China or Iran or Saudi Arabia. I'm truly appalled when it's my country doing this."
The ban, which has come into effect in recent days, means that people living in India are, in theory, kept from reading anything that appears on the blocked platforms, whether Indian blogs or otherwise. But the ban seems far from effective. Some Internet providers have blocked access. Others have not, and many more blog aficionados have figured out how to continue reading their favorite sites. One Web site offers help, by way of a free blog "gateway." "Is your blog blocked in India, Pakistan, Iran or China?" it asks, and goes on to offer instructions for outwitting the restrictions. That site was prompted by the efforts of the Pakistan Telecom Authority to block blogspot.com in February, as a way to prevent Danish cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad from spreading.
It is impossible to know how many Indian blogs are affected. One blogger, Mitesh Vasa, from Vienna, Virginia, has documented "40,128 Indian bloggers who mention India as their country." That does not include those who do not name which country they are based in, nor others who identify their country of origin, as Peter Griffin does from Mumbai, as "utopia."
Another simular article:
India's burgeoning blogging community is up in arms against a move to block their web logs.
7.15.2006
Mumbai Terrorist Attacks 7/11/06
The world has been a little extra crazy as of late with too many conflicts in the Middle East, the resurgence of violence in Afghanistan ( the very important return of Guantanamo Bay to national debate (http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_4043353 ), and the terrible bombings in Mumbai, India. If you've been following the news lately, you have heard about the terrorist bombing in Mumbai, killing over 200 people. Fortunately, we were nowhere near Mumbai and are both completely safe. Our thoughts are with all of the lives impacted by the blast, and we sincerely hope that cooler heads prevail and the incident doesn't lead to any reprisal attacks that have been far too common in India's past.
I must go on somewhat of a sidetrack for a second and give some "in India" perspective on the Mumbai blasts... Michele and I were both amazed regarding the immediate (unsubstantiated) accusations from the Indian media towards Pakistan. Now the US media expresses it's own biased theories, but the Indian media made their opinions sound like confirmed fact. The level of suspicion and outright anger between the two countries is pretty sobering, and it seems as if people want Pakistan to be responsible. The fact that the bombers came from within India has hardly been debated (even though there were violent political riots in the days prior to the blast. This is all very dangerous b/c the two countries have already been to war and were currently making progress in peace talks. The Mumbai blasts have put all of this in jeopardy, and there are already indications that the relations have soured . Why all the agitation? Again, it is over the region of Kashmir, which has also seen increased violence as of late.
So why am I spending all of this precious email time going over the decades old India-Pakistan conflict? It's because the US has such a HUGE influence over both countries and is involved in the entire mess. The US is a lead backer of Pakistan's president Musharraf, even though it's debatable whether he has the approval of his own people, and India is becoming a key economic and strategic partner of the USA. It has been incredible to talk to the people and read the papers to see how much importance they put on the relationship with the USA...almost frighteningly so.
So here are some recent events that might have been hidden in the US papers that are of extreme importance here:
1) The US Congress is currently deciding whether to approve an agreement made by President Bush to give India access to US civilian nuclear technology (for energy...much needed in India). In return, India will open its civilian nuclear facilities to inspection (also important). This is a big deal, because India is one of the few countries not to have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (the others being Israel, North Korea, and...Pakistan) and current US law bans trade of nuclear technology with countries that have not signed the agreement. We are making an exemption for India. This is especially relevant given the current debate surrounding Iran and their insistence on using nuclear technology for domestic energy needs (of course debated by the rest of the world)
For more info: BBC News or New York Times.
2) While negotiating nuclear deals with India, the US is supporting Pakistan's military with a recent sale of 18 F-16 fighter jets. The US resumed sales of military equipment to Pakistan last March after suspending them from 1990-2005 b/c of Pakistan's nuclear program.
Now I recognize the reality of US policy in this region of the world, but all I'm saying is that we need to make sure to keep an eye on US policy in arming two nations with deep seeded anger for each other and a history already including three military conflicts. As if you didn't already have enough to keep your eyes on. :)
I must go on somewhat of a sidetrack for a second and give some "in India" perspective on the Mumbai blasts... Michele and I were both amazed regarding the immediate (unsubstantiated) accusations from the Indian media towards Pakistan. Now the US media expresses it's own biased theories, but the Indian media made their opinions sound like confirmed fact. The level of suspicion and outright anger between the two countries is pretty sobering, and it seems as if people want Pakistan to be responsible. The fact that the bombers came from within India has hardly been debated (even though there were violent political riots in the days prior to the blast. This is all very dangerous b/c the two countries have already been to war and were currently making progress in peace talks. The Mumbai blasts have put all of this in jeopardy, and there are already indications that the relations have soured . Why all the agitation? Again, it is over the region of Kashmir, which has also seen increased violence as of late.
So why am I spending all of this precious email time going over the decades old India-Pakistan conflict? It's because the US has such a HUGE influence over both countries and is involved in the entire mess. The US is a lead backer of Pakistan's president Musharraf, even though it's debatable whether he has the approval of his own people, and India is becoming a key economic and strategic partner of the USA. It has been incredible to talk to the people and read the papers to see how much importance they put on the relationship with the USA...almost frighteningly so.
So here are some recent events that might have been hidden in the US papers that are of extreme importance here:
1) The US Congress is currently deciding whether to approve an agreement made by President Bush to give India access to US civilian nuclear technology (for energy...much needed in India). In return, India will open its civilian nuclear facilities to inspection (also important). This is a big deal, because India is one of the few countries not to have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (the others being Israel, North Korea, and...Pakistan) and current US law bans trade of nuclear technology with countries that have not signed the agreement. We are making an exemption for India. This is especially relevant given the current debate surrounding Iran and their insistence on using nuclear technology for domestic energy needs (of course debated by the rest of the world)
For more info: BBC News or New York Times.
2) While negotiating nuclear deals with India, the US is supporting Pakistan's military with a recent sale of 18 F-16 fighter jets. The US resumed sales of military equipment to Pakistan last March after suspending them from 1990-2005 b/c of Pakistan's nuclear program.
Now I recognize the reality of US policy in this region of the world, but all I'm saying is that we need to make sure to keep an eye on US policy in arming two nations with deep seeded anger for each other and a history already including three military conflicts. As if you didn't already have enough to keep your eyes on. :)
Hem Kund, Valley of Flowers, Amritsar
Photos from Hem Kund and the Valley of Flowers:
Amritsar Photos (clink on any photo for a larger view and to view all)
7.01.2006
The Blue City and Great Thar Desert
Story yet to come... but here are the pictures:
The Blue City:
The Great Thar Desert:
The Blue City:
The Great Thar Desert:
6.16.2006
Living the Life of a Maharaja
Currently we are traveling through Rajasthan in Western India. It is called the Land of Kings and with palaces and forts scattered across the dessert (think Arizona landscape and temperature) it is not hard to imagine yourself as a maharaja... that is until Jason refuses to fan me or a steaming cow pie engulfs my shoe... no personal servants or beautifully decorated elephants for me!
Rajasthan is made up of small ancient kingdoms each with their own king... which also means they each have their own palaces, summer palaces, forts, fortified cities, and charm. We started the region in Jaipur and then visited Pushkar and Chittorgarh on our way to Udaipur, where we have stopped briefly before we finish the region. Some say the middle of the summer right before the monsoon is a bad time to come to the dessert but if you can tolerate the 120 degree (that has been our hottest days 110 is more realistic) weather (which can only be done by visiting the sites early in the morning, drinking lots of water, and retreating for shade far before noon) it is quite pleasant to walk around the almost deserted streets and we are quite enjoying ourselves.
I got really sick for the second time in Jaipur and spent the rest of our time in the city and all of our time in Pushkar sick in bed with a high fever (101-104) and poor stomach... too weak to even sit-up so I will take my commentary straight to Chittorgarh where we visited a fort that was 13km (about 8 miles) in circumference and dates back to the 8th century. They say it is one of the greatest in Rajasthan and has a history that epitomises romanticism, chivalry and tragedy... maybe someday Hollywood will make a movie one it ;). Chittor was attacked three times by very powerful armies and each time the soldiers realized the city's ultimate fate and chose death before dishonour by committing jauhar - each time the men rode to fight an impossible fight and the women and children committed suicide. And there are other stories similar to this one but all along the same lines... an interesting history.
After Chittor we indulged ourselves in Udaipur at some of their most "romantic" restaurants sitting in cushion-lined (think low beds with tons of cushions) alcoves (think bay windows 5 stories up) overlooking a summer palace island on a beautiful lake with dusty low mountains in the background. Pretty amazing... so we blew our budget but no meal has been over $8 yet so we still aren't too bad ;).
Rajasthan is made up of small ancient kingdoms each with their own king... which also means they each have their own palaces, summer palaces, forts, fortified cities, and charm. We started the region in Jaipur and then visited Pushkar and Chittorgarh on our way to Udaipur, where we have stopped briefly before we finish the region. Some say the middle of the summer right before the monsoon is a bad time to come to the dessert but if you can tolerate the 120 degree (that has been our hottest days 110 is more realistic) weather (which can only be done by visiting the sites early in the morning, drinking lots of water, and retreating for shade far before noon) it is quite pleasant to walk around the almost deserted streets and we are quite enjoying ourselves.
I got really sick for the second time in Jaipur and spent the rest of our time in the city and all of our time in Pushkar sick in bed with a high fever (101-104) and poor stomach... too weak to even sit-up so I will take my commentary straight to Chittorgarh where we visited a fort that was 13km (about 8 miles) in circumference and dates back to the 8th century. They say it is one of the greatest in Rajasthan and has a history that epitomises romanticism, chivalry and tragedy... maybe someday Hollywood will make a movie one it ;). Chittor was attacked three times by very powerful armies and each time the soldiers realized the city's ultimate fate and chose death before dishonour by committing jauhar - each time the men rode to fight an impossible fight and the women and children committed suicide. And there are other stories similar to this one but all along the same lines... an interesting history.
After Chittor we indulged ourselves in Udaipur at some of their most "romantic" restaurants sitting in cushion-lined (think low beds with tons of cushions) alcoves (think bay windows 5 stories up) overlooking a summer palace island on a beautiful lake with dusty low mountains in the background. Pretty amazing... so we blew our budget but no meal has been over $8 yet so we still aren't too bad ;).
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