Tiger-Leaping Gorge

The highlight of my trip to Yunnan: the two-day hike through one of the world's deepest gorges. About 60 km north of Lijiang, the Yangtze River (locally called Jinsha Jiang) cuts through the Jade Dragon Snow and Haba Snow Mountains, both over 5000 m in height, with steep cliffs on either side. This is the 18 km long Tiger-Leaping Gorge, so-named because a tiger is said to have jumped across the gorge at its narrowest point to escape a hunter. The hike takes about two days along mostly well-marked trails made by the Naxi people, the primary inhabitants of the gorge who live in small hamlets with terraced fields running up the lower slopes of the mountains. They produce corn and wheat and manage simple guesthouses along the way for the weary traveler. The most grueling part of the trek is the first third of the journey or so - an arduous climb known as "The 28 Bends". I can't really tell you how long it takes - 2 or 3 hours? My mind went numb for the majority of the climb, just concentrating on willing myself to put one foot in front of the other and not give into the Naxi men following behind us with the mules. Upon completing the 28 Bends, the trail gets a lot more friendly as it slopes gently down the mountainsides, with signs spray-painted on rocks along the way naming the upcoming guesthouses and immediately bringing to the weary mind images of food and showers and beds. Our two days and two nights spent in the gorge were incredible, some highlights being the waterfall we found running down the mountainside, making it to the top of the 28 Bends, and finally reaching the village of Walnut Garden and partying with the other trekkers that night at Sean's Guesthouse.
The group, all ready to hike that gorge! Bring on the 28 Bends!!
Beautiful Walnut Garden in the morning, seen from Sean's Guesthouse

As we hiked along the quiet trails, taking in all natural wonders around us, there were a few instances where we heard a deep booming noise echoing eerily throughout the gorge, contrasting harshly with the sunlight and the chirping of wildlife and the peaceful hamlets. The general consensus was that it was some sort of blasting to make way for upcoming development. It is difficult to speak about Tiger-Leaping Gorge these days without being reminded of the uncertain future the gorge and its inhabitants are currently facing. Preparations are now underway to build a massive hydroelectric dam on the Jinsha River, even though the gorge is a World Heritage protected site. This project will permanently alter the landscape surrounding the gorge and the river - displacing tens of thousands of people to harsher and unfamiliar northern climates, flooding the fertile river valley, stopping the flow of the upper Yangtze River and affecting all forms of wildlife, much of which is unique to this area of the world.
The Tiger-Leaping Gorge dam is actually one of about 12 other dams being built to complement the massive Three Gorges Dam completed about a year ago 15oo km downstream. Construction could begin as early as 2008 to dam up the largest reservoir on the Yangtze River, stretching back for about 125 miles. All in all, about 1.3 million people are being displaced by these projects as China seeks to generate more and more energy for its swiftly developing nation.
It seems the concern for our fragile environment and the livelihoods of indigenous peoples is continuously at odds with the Chinese government's desire to sustain its breakneck economic growth. But these days the Chinese government seems increasingly to be caught in a struggle between creating a modern and economically powerful nation and upholding their pledges to build a harmonious and green society. And the construction of dams - China now has over 85 000 - are certainly one of the more potent examples of such an ideological conflict. On one hand they irreparably alter natural ecosystems, swallow fertile land and force countless numbers of people to relocate to, more often than not, less favourable conditions. On the other hand, in wake of the country's mushrooming economy and serious pollution problems, dams are a much cleaner and more renewable source of energy than China's predominant form of power, which is coal. The Chinese Government holds that dams can bring industry and therefore employment to remote areas of the country and provide much-needed electricity for millions of people.
But it's not so much about whether or not to build dams but rather who gets a say in what happens - of where to build the dam, of how to mitigate the effects and ultimately whether or not the bad outweighs the good for all concerned. So far the two groups with the most clout in this situation are the Yunnan Provincial Government and the energy company looking to dam up Tiger-Leaping Gorge, the head of which is the son of the former Chinese prime minister who originally pushed the controversial Three Gorges Dam project into action. And the fact that China is a country where people are still jailed for speaking against the Communist government lends a hopeless air to the situation. Yet vocal public objection has certainly taken place, both within China and overseas. In light of claims that the Yunnan Provincial Government is foregoing certain procedures to move rapidly ahead with this project, people are calling for a more open and transparent process so that the voices of those most affected can be heard and addressed. Activists, NGOs and scholars from prominent Chinese universities have petitioned the government to halt construction on the dam and have also brought this issue to the attention of international organizations including the UN. As well, around 10 000 people from the gorge area have signed a petition asking the government to hold off on the project until more information is available. If the Tiger-Leaping Gorge appears to be another sad case of greed and short-sightedness winning out over natural and cultural preservation, then perhaps a closer look will reveal it as an example of social change that is gradually taking place in an increasingly global China. It remains to be seen whether this slow tide of social change can compete with the frenzied storm of economic development and save areas of such stunning natural and cultural integrity as Tiger-Leaping Gorge.

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A Rather Strange Mother's Day Event

I'm a fan of the "unconventional gift" but this is a just a little beyond my comfort zone: click here to read about a rather graphic way to celebrate the gift our Mother's gave us.

I'm not saying the miracle of life is nothing special nor that we shouldn't thank our mom's for going through a hell of a lot of pain to bring us into this world - I'm not even rallying against it. It's just not the first thing that would spring to mind when brainstorming up a Mother's Day activity for my eighth-graders. And since it is a little weird, I decided to post it.

I hope all Mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day last Sunday!

South of the Clouds

Some pictures from my trip to Yunnan Province in southwestern China. Yunnan southeast of Tibet and is home to the highest number minority peoples in China. It's capital, Kunming, is the "City of Eternal Spring" and I must say, this area of the world must see some of the best weather - clear, warm yet breezy, sunny but not overly humid.
The Stone Forest - a karst formation covering more than 300 square km. Originally underwater limestone sediment about 270 million years ago, it accumulated in layers until it rose above the water and was eroded into a vast forest of peaks and crags and ridges. The landscape is phenomenal, almost otherworldly, were it not for the theme-parkish village the Chinese built around it and hordes of tourist groups bustling through and climbing all over everything. The high entrance fees don't make it any prettier. . . OK I better stop now. Really, this forest is stunning but I think it is one of those instances where tourism was not employed for the greater good.









One of the pagodas in Dali, ancient capital of the Bai (a minority group) kingdom and now one of the more popular tourist destinations in Yunnan.
Traditional Chinese architecture - gabled roofs and intricate woodwork above the doors
The May Holiday Festival in full swing in Dali - droves of people flowing through the city gates to browse through one of the biggest markets I have ever been too - everything from designer clothes and shoes to traditional remedies in the forms of turtle shells, goat horns and snake skins floating in jars of oil















A typical eating establishment in Yunnan - lots of fresh vegetables displayed outside the restaurant, which are then added into noodle broths with meat for a hearty meal
The patterned landscape on the way to Lijiang, about 4 hours north of Dali by bus












Pictures from Lijiang Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town is a maze of classical Chinese architecture and cobblestone streets with small canals snaking around the buildings and traversed by those quintessential arched stone bridges. Much of this area was destroyed by an earthquake in the late 1990s and subsequently rebuilt following the traditional form. It is beautiful to look at and get lost in the winding streets although it is full of touristy shops and hordes of tourists to go along with them all, especially on Chinese holidays! Still, I did find some good buys - a lot of the merchandise features stone and marble carvings, paintings, and examples of the Naxi (another Chinese minority group) hieroglyphic script known as Dongba.

They Say the Darned-est Things. . .

No matter how naughty they can be, they always manage to bring a smile to your face. Some cute things my students (grade 8 level) have said in the past few weeks:

The Titanic Game - you must choose 5 people (jobs like policeman, doctor, singer, etc.) you would save if the Titanic was sinking and state why you would save them. These 5 people will be on an island together so they have to say who the best people to take would be.

"I would choose the model because she doesn't eat much."

"I would choose the writer because he can write S.O.S."

"I would choose the singer because he can yell for help."

"I would choose the model because she will make the other four men very happy on the island. And then she can swim away."

Student: "I would choose the cook and 4 people."
Me: "OK, but you have to say who the other 4 people are. What jobs do they have?"
Student: "No, just the cook and 4 people. No food!"
Me: ???
Student: "No food!"
Me: ???
Student: "The cook cooks the people. No food!"
Me: "Oh. . . " I then proceed to write "cannibal" on the black board. One of the more inventive answers that I got. . .

Every class: "Superman!!"

Another day I came to class and one of my students came up to me and pointed at his newly-buzzed hair and asked me if I thought he looked like a prisoner. He promised me if I shaved my head as well we could be prisoners together.

Once I was asking my students a bunch of conditional questions (ie. "If you won a million dollars, what would you buy?"):
Me: "If you met Michael Jackson, what would you say to him?"
Student: "You are not a man. You are not a woman. I hate you."

Me: "If you won a million dollars, what would you buy?"
(Male) Student: "A woman."

I'm gonna miss these kids! It's wonderful having 700 faces smiling at you every week, although I wish the classes could be smaller than 50-60 students so I could have gotten to know them better and could have felt that my lessons were more effectual. There are some really talented students in my classes who genuinely want to learn and I only wish I could have done more for them. In the same breath I wish I could have been better at sparking an interest in those students at the opposite end of the spectrum - those ones who come across as sullen and uninterested or else just completely shy and self-conscious. It's certainly been a challenge this past year and I still feel that I have a lot to learn about being an effective teacher. Hopefully the next time I teach a group of students they will (a) not exceed 30 in number and (b) speak the same language as I do!

What's this??

I can post again!!! YAY! Thank you government of China. Although I've not posted in so long no one probably reads this anymore. . .

The World's Most Livable Cities

Europe, Canada and Australia top the list of 215 cities worldwide!

Zürich and Geneva come first and second respectively, followed by Vienna tied with Vancouver for third place.

Top 50 Cities:

1. Zürich
2. Geneva
3. Vienna
4. Vancouver (tied for 3rd place)
5. Auckland
6. Dusseldorf
7. Frankfurt
8. Munich
9. Bern
10. Sydney, Australia (tied for 9th place)
11. Copenhagen
12. Wellington, New Zealand
13. Amsterdam
14. Brussels
15. Toronto
16. Berlin
17. Melbourne
18. Luxembourg
19. Ottawa (tied for 18th place)
20. Stockholm
21. Perth, Australia
22. Montreal
23. Nurnburg, Germany
24. Dublin
25. Calgary
26. Hamburg
27. Honolulu
28. San Francisco
29. Adelaide, Australia
30. Helsinki
31. Brisbane, Australia
32. Oslo, Norway (tied for 31st place)
33. Paris
34. Singapore
35. Tokyo
36. Boston
37. Lyon, France
38. Yokahoma, Japan (tied for 37th place)
39. London
40. Kobe, Japan
41. Washington
42. Chicago (tied for 41st place)
43. Portland, Oregon
44. Barcelona
45. Madrid
46. New York City
47. Seattle
48. Lexington, Kentucky
49. Pittsburgh
50. Winston Salem, North Carolina (tied for 49th place)
51. Osaka, Japan
52. Milan, Italy (tied for 50th place)

Canada did well - Vancouver in 3rd, Toronto in 15th, Ottawa in 18th, Montreal in 22nd and Calgary in 25th place.

Calgary also grabbed the top spot in the health and sanitation rankings. Baku, Azerbaijan scored the lowest in this ranking.

So where does China (my current home) figure? Well I could only get (free) information on the health and sanitation rankings. Japan holds the highest-ranking cities in Asia. China does not enter the list until 134th place, with Shanghai, its highest-scoring city in the health and sanitation category. Its lowest-scoring one is Beijing, at 166th place. Shenzhen, which was featured in the survey, must fall between 134th and 166th place. Not stellar, but not surprising either.

This report is based on the Mercer Human Resources Consulting Firm's annual survey titled The World's Most Livable Cities. This questionnaire is based on 10 categories covering a total of 39 different criteria, each assigned different weightings. Each city is assessed and awarded a score for each criterion and category, which are then averaged into an overall score, based on the weightings. The categories are as follows:

• Political and Social Environment
• Economic Environment
• Socio-Cultural Environment
• Medical and Health Considerations
• Schools and Education
• Public Services and Transport
• Recreation
• Consumer Goods
• Housing
• Natural Environment
  

The core purpose of this report is to allow companies a standard by which they can calculate a "hardship allowance" for their employees, should they be transferred to different cities around the world. "'Hardship allowance' refers to premium compensation paid to expatriates who experience – or should expect to experience – a significant deterioration in living conditions in their new host location."

Of course, beyond calculating hardship allowances, we all have different ideas and opinions of what constitutes a great city and we as individuals would obviously assign different weightings based on personal preferences. Interestingly enough, Mercer Human Resources Consulting outlines in their report a distinction between what they call "Quality of Life" and "Quality of Living". Quality of Life refers to those more abstract and subjective elements that affect an individual, such as emotional state and personal life, whereas Quality of Living, which the report assesses, refers to more concrete and objective elements such as transportation, infrastructure, cost of living, air and water quality, educational services, etc. It is true, one can live in a top-ranked city and still be unhappy due to tragic personal circumstances or live in a lower-ranked city and be more or less content.

In Mercer's own words:

The Quality of Living index is based on several criteria used to judge whether an expatriate is entitled to a hardship allowance. A city with a high Quality of Living index is a safe and stable one, but it may be lacking the dynamic je ne sais quoi that makes people want to live in world-renowned cities such as Paris, Tokyo, London or New York. Sometimes you need a little spice to make a city exciting. But that "spice" may also give a city a lower ranking.

What makes one person's quality of life better or worse cannot be quantified in an objective index. Therefore, Mercer's Quality of Living report reflects only the tangible aspects of living in a city on expatriate assignments, and leaves the question of the quality of one's life to those living it!

Bloggers of the World, Unite!!

OK now, for reasons open to speculation, the Chinese government has blocked all blog sites. Thankfully there is a way to get around this should you use blogspot, so I can still post! It's like I never even moved to a communist country where the government periodically tries to hinder the influx of information by blocking silly sites where people discuss what they had for breakfast in the morning or whine about their favourite TV show being canceled. Yeah, you go, China! I for one stand by my right to tell the world what brand of laundry detergent I switched to or what I think of Britney Spears' new haircut. I joined the growing ranks of bloggers the day I created my blogspot account back in July of '06 and I am committed to telling the world every minute detail of my fascinating life. And, as usual, one of the many knights in shining armour of the cyber-world has found a way to get around this blockade and created a proxy. We will prevail!

OK on a more serious note, things like this are common in many countries, China being one of the most notorious. Some speculate that, with the large congressional meetings taking place in Beijing during March, the government wants to tighten controls on the information flow, but this is just conjecture. And it certainly is not the first time it happened. A few months ago China un-blocked Wikipedia, that free online encyclopaedia we are all wild about, and within a week had re-blocked it. I don't understand it and I just get frustrated attempting to.

In all honesty I still consider myself a reluctant blogger after all this time, using blogspot primarily so my family and friends back home can see pictures and read my little anecdotes. I do get occasional bursts of creativity, but other than those rare flashes of inspiration, they go little beyond pictures and descriptions. And I have yet to post the contents of my breakfast online. One day, perhaps I will get there. . .

OK time to stop burning holes through my eyes with this computer and go watch TV. Although my favourite show's been canceled so I don't know how much fun that will be.

:D

Penang, Malaysia

The beautiful Kek Lok Si Temple (Temple of Supreme Bliss), one of the most famous Buddhist temples of SE Asia. We visited this temple during the few days we spent on the island of Penang. It rises above the little town of Ayer Itam with the Temple of the Ten Thousand Buddhas at the top, and shrines, gardens and a turtle pond along the way.








The fusion architecture - colonial and Chinese influences - is everywhere in Georgetown.
We also visited Fort Cornwallis, built in 1786 by Sir Francis Light after he took possession of the island from the Sultan of Kedah, thus making it a British outpost. The fort was named after the then Governor-General of Bengal, India. Its function ultimately became more administrative than military and during its entire history it never became engaged in any battle. In the last few years, a great amount of recording and ongoing restoration work has been taking place by the Malaysian government involving building conservation, surveying, architectural and engineering knowledge and archaeology.








Playing at the fort. I showed the picture of me to my kids and asked them why I was in prison. I got "stole something", "made a fire" and "cooked bad food". So not only am I a thief and an arsonist, but a horrible cook as well! So much for the cooking course I took :).
Mmmmm amazing Indian food - roti canai and milk tea.

The South

We spent a good amount of time in the southern beaches and islands - Krabi town, Ao Nang beach and Lanta Island.








We spent a day kayaking in the mangrove forests - which involved exploring caves, feeding monkeys and following in the footsteps of James Bond. . .

The monkeys were rather aggressive! They jumped right into our kayaks for the pineapple. They sure were cute. . . and smelly.
Kayaking through the site where James Bond was filmed





































The pier at Koh Lanta (Lanta Island), where we stayed for a few days.