Thanksgiving '08

Images of Thanksgiving 2008. That's what Thanksgiving is to me: family, raspberry pie and playing cards.




Before & after.

practicingasianlanguages

Since being back in the States I've tried to keep practicing Laos and Japanese language.

One of the reason Asian languages are difficult to learn is that they do not use spaces between words.

haveyouevertriedtoreadasentencewithoutspaces?

Not so easy is it? It makes looking up words in the dictionary a little bit challenging.

Laos language has the additional complication that sometimes vowels are written before the consonant even though the vowel is pronounced after the consonant. It takes a little getting used to looking for vowels before, above and below the consonant. If you have Laos fonts installed on your computer (probably not) you can see a sentence written in Laos:

ເຈົ້າມັກກີນເບຍລາວບໍ່?

Written Japanese is complicated by the fact that there are three "alphabets". Two are phonetic; hiragana is used for native Japanese words and katakana is used for foreign words. These are relatively easy to learn. Kanji, the pictograms related to Chinese characters, are the real challenge to all foreigners attempting to learn to read Japanese. The sheer number presents a major task - several thousand need to be learned to read the daily newspaper. But a single kanji character may have several pronunciations and meanings depending on the context. oiyoiyoi. If you have Japanese fonts installed on your computer (probably not) you can see a sentence written in Japanese:

あなたは、日本に行きたいですか?

One of the things I learned in Asia about myself was that I actually enjoy learning foreign languages. After spending four years in high school attempting to learn Spanish and a couple years in France attempting to speak French both with limited success, I thought I just wasn't good at learning languages. I realized I'm not an auditory learner, I'm a visual learner. By learning the foreign characters I was able to learn the basic language much quicker than in the past.

Prize for the first person that can answer my questions.

mallory cave

Jason and I took a quick hike up to Mallory Cave today in the beautiful weather. Photo of Jason doing his curious squirrel impersonation:

lest we forget

Today is the 90th anniversary of the end of WWI. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 the Armistice Treaty came into effect to end the first world war. Take a moment to remember.

Carving Pumpkins

Mom and I spent the afternoon gutting pumpkins, cooking pumpkin seeds and carving our pumpkins. I tried to carve a pumpkin of my sinister sister since that was the scariest thing I could think of...

Hahaha

Back in CO!

My first homemade meal in Colorado! Mom rolled out some Italian pizza rolls to remind me that I should stay in Colorado longer...

Look delicious don't they?
Artistic presentation of an Italian pizza roll about to be devoured.

some stats

Some travel stats from traveling around Asia:

677 hand written pages in journals.
161 blog entries.
4234 photos, about 10 good ones.
4 countries - Japan, Thailand, Lao PDR, Nepal.
417 days = 1 year, 1 month and 20 days.
9991 hours from Denver takeoff to Denver landing.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki has become one of my favorite foods in Japan. I was trying to learn how to make it on my last night in Japan. Quality okonomiyaki is all about the facial expressions.

. . . . .

enoshima

Some photos from an afternoon in Enoshima with Mariko.

Tsukiji Market

The world famous Tsukiji Seafood Market with warehouse after warehouse of Styrofoam boxes of fish and row after row of fishmongers. Rubber boots, fish saws and the smells of fresh fish abound. Mariko took me there later morning so the craziness of the morning shipments had worn off and the vendors were happy to chat with us.

There is some political pressure to move the market to a new location so I was glad to see it before it moves.

As anyone who has been to the Tsukiji Market knows, the real beauty of the market is the sushi shops nearby with the freshest sushi in the world. So of course we stopped for lunch. Amazing doesn't do it justice. Wow that was good sushi.

A great way to spend my last full day in Japan, thanks Mariko.

Yokohama Triennale

Went to the Yokohama Triennale - Time Crevasse modern art show that Mariko had suggested. Modern art exhibits are very much hit or miss affairs with me - usually miss. Artists need to explain why the did something or what it was they were trying to accomplish or what limitations they were imposing on themselves. Give me a little explanation and then I've something to judge otherwise I usually just find it odd.

So I entered the show with apprehension that, with limited ability to read Japanese, the show would be less than exciting. But my apprehensions were soon replaced with curiosity and wonder, it was a well put together show.

There was an animatronic marching band that was quite swell as was the hall of broken mirrors.

Hama Rikyu Gardens

The Hama Rikyu Gardens are a beautiful Edo style garden surrounded by skyscrapers from the futuristic Shiodome business area.

Formerly the personal hunting ground of the Tokygawa shoguns, the gardens are now a haven for ducks, herons and cranes.



In the middle of the main pond is a teahouse that offers Japanese tea and sweets in traditional tea-ceremony style.

A peony garden, plum tree grove and cosmos fields have flowers for every season.

Respect for the Aged Day (keiro no hi)

The third Monday in September is keiro no hi, a national holiday to celebrate long life, and show respect for the elders of society.

The community meets at the local temple to invite the spirit into the mini shrine. The door in the mini shrine is opened to let the spirit inside and given gifts. Once inside, the yukata clad lads from the neighborhood bounce the shrine around on their shoulders while chanting.

At night paper lanterns are strewn across the square and everyone eats and drinks. Men and women take turns playing the drums and everyone dances to thank the spirits for a good harvest.

Japanese men at an intersection

Who says Japanese people are shy?

haha, I love this photograph.

Shinto Festival

Today was the carry the mini shrine around town shouting and cheering without your pants day. Every neighborhood has their own mini shrine to carry around and their own color scheme, but I haven`t seen a costume yet that isn`t missing the bottom half of the yukata...

Tomorrow is a national holiday and I have seen festival booths set up all over town. I can only imagine what the day has in store for me... And the important question, should I wear pants?

Clearly, I am still trying to figure out what this festival is all about...

Kamakura

Spent the day in Kamakura, a city known as "Little Kyoto" because there are so many temples and shrines.

Tokeiji temple was founded in 1285 by a nun named Kokusan. In those days a woman did not have the right to seek a divorce. But in the temple women could live for 3 calendar years and then obtain a divorce. Tokeiji is nicknamed the Divorce Temple. The joke in the town is that if a woman is running in town she must running from her husband and she is kindly directed to the temple... In 1873 the temple law was adopted by the national court of justice.

Next was Jochiji Temple with its celebrated nectar well and wooden Buddha statues of past, present and future. The trail that winds through the cyprus forest that leads to a special cave. If you are brave enough, the cave leads to happiness...

Tokyo Science Museum

Spent all day playing at the Science Museum in Tokyo with Mariko. A mirror room for making full-size kaleidoscopes. A bowling ball roller coaster room. Dry ice vortex. Riding bicycles on a wire.

Onegiri and inarizushi for a lunch snack and introduced me to sukonbu. Yum.

Thanks for a wonderful day Mariko! It was fun to be 7 years old.

Rikugien Gardens

The name Rikugi-en means six elements of poetry and scenes from famous poems are reproduced in the gardens.

Rikugien is quite a beautiful garden with a central pond, islands, forested areas, man made hills and several tea houses are hidden amongst the forests and hills.

Only the Japanese could successfully fit such a peaceful oasis into the middle of a noisy metropolis. Rikugien Gardens was exactly the peaceful escape I needed. Time to decompress from being in Laos and Thailand and think.

Dinner with friends in Bangkok

Not really much happening in Bangkok, just a stopping place between Laos and Tokyo for a couple days for me. Met some Japanese friends for dinner that are studying Thai here in Bangkok. They took me to a famous restaurant named SomTam not far from the Siam BTS station.

Thanks for a wonderful evening of laughing! hahaha Hope to see you again in Thailand or Laos or Japan or America...

Saying goodbye in Luang Prabang

The great part of traveling is meeting new people and making new friends. The bad part is saying goodbye to all those friends.

Saying goodbye to my home and friends at the library was difficult... My students, my teachers, my friends... I will miss you all.

It's been an exhausting day of having the same emotional conversation over and over and over. Yes, I hope to come back next year. No, I am not sure yet. Thank you for the scarf. Yes, I will miss you too...

Makes me wonder if it would just be easier to stay. Oiyoiyoi. But I'm excited to be heading to Japan to see some friends I haven't seen in a while and back to the USA thereafter.

Exhausted. I hope to see you again soon Luang Prabang!

Boat Racing Festival

The Boat Racing Festival in Luang Prabang is lots of things besides boats and racing. Sweltering heat. Throngs of people. And certainly not to be forgotten, Beerlao... Its really more of a week long BBQ that culminates in a boat-race...



Drinking beer with Say... And eating moua noi, gop and bot kwai with MeeMee...


Thanks everyone for inviting me into your homes to drink beer and eat weird foods!

I got married!

Everyone knew I would be coming home with an Asian wife... Here's a photo of us from our special day.


One of the staff at the library has gotten into using photoshop to put friends photos into strange places. This was his birthday present to me.

birthday 33

Happy Birthday to me! 33 years... Oiyoiyoi.

What a year. Last year I was just leaving Hiroshima, Japan and eating a satsuma dinner in Kagoshima. And today I'm in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. Who could have possibly guessed - certainly not me. I love the adventure of infinite possibilities that life affords.

I received a special lunch of naem khao from the library and a birthday cake with "Happy Birthday Mad Scientist" written on it. Spent the afternoon cleaning our new aquarium. Couldn't have been a better day. Well, except seeing my family and friends in Colorado. I miss you all!

The evening started with a surprise party back at my house. So humbling to be greeted at the front door with "Happy Birthday" and singing. Oiyoiyoi. Presents of shirts and scarves. Heaps of food and drinks. 3 more birthday cakes. Oi. I don't deserve such wonderful friends.

Off to my favorite place, the Muong Swa for some lamvong lao dancing and the ubiquitous Beerlao! Limbo dancing. Line dancing. Evol even got up on stage and sang a song for me. Oiyoiyoi. One of the birthday cakes came along for yet another Happy Birthday singing. Lao people are crazy. I love it.

I'll post some pictures as soon as I get them from Saiphone.

Thanks everyone for a wonderful day! And thanks for all the incredible emails from friends far away.

a typical day in Lao

You know you are having a typical day in Laos when you...

... drive a scooter one-handed everywhere you go because the other hand is holding an umbrella.
... eat fur moo noodle soup for breakfast.
... see women riding scooters side-saddle.
... no longer think eating fermented fish sauce is weird.
... have students that are novice monks in orange robes.
... eat sticky rice at every meal and it doesn't bother you.
... get a craving to eat spicy chillies instead of running away in fear.
... no longer get annoyed at the Lao pace of doing things.

(I will keep adding to this list)

8888 anniversary

Today is the 20 year anniversary of the 8888 Uprising in Burma.

The resignation of General Ne Win, leader of the socialist ruling party in Burma, brought mass demonstrations for democratization to a climax. August 8, 1988 marked the official beginning of the so-called Four Eights Uprising by students and Buddhist monks. The uprising ended on September 18, after Tadmadaw soldiers sprayed automatic rifle fire into crowds of protesters. Other demonstrators were carried away in trucks and never seen again. Human rights groups say at least 3,000 people were killed.

Aung San Suu Kyi entered politics to work for democratization, helped found the National League for Democracy on 27 September 1988, and was put under house arrest on 20 July 1989. She was offered freedom if she left the country, but she refused.

Take a moment today to think of the struggles of others for basic rights.

the strongest animal in the world

Today we got a new visitor at the library, the strongest animal in the world - the rhinoceros beetle came to visit.

I know what you're thinking... A beetle cannot be the strongest animal in the world, surely an elephant is much stronger. Well yes, but, an elephant con only lift about 25% of its own weight. In comparison, a rhino beetle can lift 850 times its own weight! Can you imagine?? For a chubby farang like me weighing in at 80 kg (175 lbs) I would have to lift 68,000 kg (145,000 lbs)! Oi!

He's been an active member of the staff so far. Quite smart and incredibly strong. He's escaped from his box twice already and goes PSSS, PSSS when he's scared. So far the staff has declined on finding him some food to eat - buffalo poop. We might try some rotten fruit instead...

the VIP movies

The guys traveling with me to Bangkok had never been to a movie theater. Of course we wanted to catch a flick while we were here but the only tickets left for Journey to the Center of the Earth were VIP tickets. You only live once right...

So I've never been to a VIP movie theater either, first time experience for me too... The theater has about 12 tables, each seating area with two electronic reclining chairs! We ordered popcorn and drinks from our waiter. Have you ever had a waiter in a movie theater?? hahaha

This is a photo of Porjoua wearing his new shirt to movies.

National Science Museum in Bangkok

A whole museum full of interactive science. I was in heaven. We stayed and played with the science stations all day we were having so much fun. Actually they kicked us out before we had time to try everything. I got lots of ideas of new interactive science experiments to try. The staff favorite was having a conversation via parabolic dishes across the room.

The staff had a great time experimenting with all of the science stations and learned lots of science. They got to experience great service as users of the museum that they can hopefully in turn use as a model for providing great service back home.

We watched a science show on electricity that was fabulous. The guy doing the show was part comedian, part magician and part mad scientist - I think he's my hero.

www.nsm.or.th

Siam Ocean World

After last nights trip to the book tower we wanted to go somewhere different today. Off to Siam Ocean World, the biggest aquarium in South-East Asia... Some highlights from the aquarium: touching star fish and shark pods, penguin and sea turtle feeding, an underwater magic show, spitting archer fish, jellyfish... We followed the theme of strategies for adaptation and survival through the aquarium as we related it to three Laos guys adapting and surviving the culture shock of Bangkok...

And riding in a glass bottom boat in the shark tank!

For the second day in a row, the guys filled up their cameras with photos.

www.siamoceanworld.co.th