The City of Wuhan
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 in: News, Travel
My first morning in China was consumed by the search for a decent method to access facebook. For some reason, China has deemed that facebook contains pornographic or inappropriate materials, so they’ve blocked the entire domain. I had to give up to take a shower before Ben arrived to take me to the next hotel in a more convenient neighborhood.
The buses are flat-rate in the city, for 2 yuan a ride (only 1 if the bus doesn’t have A/C). 1 Yuan is about 13 cents. We piled into a double decker “sightseeing bus” and Ben handed me a bit of toilet paper to wipe the condensation off the windows. “In China, you need to prepare your own toilet paper,” Ben warned me. (more…)
Dean Potter “Free Bases” Switzerland’s Eiger
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 in: Current Events
When I go slacklining, it drums up a lot of curiosity from the locals. Some people ask if I mountain climb. In order to avoid confusion and a lengthy explanation, I generally just say “yes,” although I don’t consider myself much of a mountain climber. I’ll also explain that slacklining came from mountain climbing, and mountain climbers will slackline between cliffs hundreds or thousands of feet off the ground.
“Do you use a safety line?”
“Well, I would. That high off the ground, it’s not just a matter of skill or balance anymore. A sudden gust of wind is all it takes to knock you off. 50 feet or 500 feet, you aren’t walking away from that fall. You’d have to be pretty nuts to go it without any safety equipment.”
Dean Potter is pretty nuts.
This is Potter slacklining in Utah’s Arches National Park, sans lifeline. He’s one of the climbers out there pushing the envelope of adrenaline junkies, doing a lot of dangerous stuff without safety equipment. His latest stunt was to climb Switzerland’s 13,000 Eiger and then base jump from the top. Normal parachutes are too heavy to climb with, so Potter designed his own special parachute weighing only 6 pounds. This sort of counts as safety equipment; if he falls or can’t proceed he could use the chute to get to safety, but there are places on the climb where mistakes would be deadly.
This was a practice run on a smaller cliff. Potter successfully completed his “Free Base” of the Eiger (they should reconsider that name), and is preparing for a European tour detailing his adventures. The tour has been temporarily canceled due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland which has grounded flights and made travel difficult in Europe; he’s rescheduling for later this year.
via Dailymail.co.uk
China’s response to the Qinghai quake
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 in: Current Events
I remember the Sichuan earthquake last year, when China was very closed off in terms of letting aid and media into the disaster zone. Its media and relief isolation was seen as stubborn obstinance, pride in the face of natural disaster. China wanted to handle this internally, and didn’t need the world’s help or attention. Or so we thought.
It later became evident that many schoolchildren were killed when their poorly-constructed schools collapsed around them. These schools, later nicknamed “Tofu-dreg schoolhouses,” 豆腐渣校舍, were responsible for many deaths, and 7,000 of these buildings collapsed while the surrounding buildings were relatively unaffected. Parents of these dead children have protested their government for cutting corners in constructing the buildings, but have been censored and prevented from getting much media attention. This would be an example of 河蟹 （A Chinese euphemism for being “harmonized,” or censored).
My first morning here in Wuhan, there was an earthquake with a magnitude of about 6.9, that struck the Qinghai province about 2000 miles to the west of where I am. I didn’t feel anything or know about the quake until some people back home asked if I was alright and I turned on the TV. By then, the body count had reached 700 and over 10,000 were injured. At the time I wrote this, the death toll approaches 1,500.
Many more photos of the aftermath and relief effort here: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/earthquake_in_yushu_china.html
Today, I turned on the TV and for the past two hours there has been nonstop coverage of the disaster relief, including an extensive press conference (in English) from the government, including a full Q&A section from reporters from all over the world. What I find interesting is the government’s apparent consideration for the religious beliefs of the local people (especially in the Tibetan areas affected), local monks are aiding in the disaster relief, and performing funeral services for the dead. China (and by China, I mean the minister of disaster relief heading this conference) is doing a lot to show it is sensitive to the needs of the victims, including their religious beliefs, dietary habits, and monetary needs to recover from the quake. One example of this is an increased payout to victim’s families (8,000元/$1,172 as opposed to 5,000元/$732 from previous quakes) and a substantial amount of food relief is flour and other grains rather than rice, showing they are paying attention to the people to whom they are providing relief). The ultimate test comes in the form of a request from the Dalai Lama himself to visit the stricken area (source). A similar visit to the landslide zones in Taiwan last year angered China, but it will be interesting to see how they respond, given their apparent sensitivity to the local religions. Something tells me he won’t be allowed to visit.
The government officials are very keen to emphasize the speed of their response, and how effective their relief efforts have been, still saving people trapped in the rubble. The collapsed homes are mostly mud and brick huts, which made them vulnerable to the quake, but I see in their own footage many large buildings reduced to piles of rubble. Given China’s history for cutting corners and zeal for rapid expansion and construction, I can’t help but wonder if we’re facing another scandal.
I don’t know what media coverage outside China is like, but I wonder if the eyes of the world will turn again to China like they did after the Sichuan quake. I also wonder if China’s previous experience with scandal and media isolation has taught them how to better respond to this disaster with more transparency. Evading or blockading media attention only intensifies the world’s gaze, and so it seems that China has learned this lesson. But only time will tell.
In the meantime, I wish there were something I could do to help the relief efforts.
To China!
Monday, April 19th, 2010 in: News, Travel
I slept surprisingly well considering all the things I had on my mind when I went to bed; I awoke to the buzz of my cellphone ringing; it was Kaoru with my wakeup call. Maria was already up and getting ready to work, so I fell into line and finished arranging my gear. We left together and walked to the station; we were leaving on the same train but in opposite directions, so I thanked her and gave her a big awkward hug through my backpack.
T
he train was uncomfortably crowded, but there was no waiting for the next one. I squeezed myself into the crowd with my luggage. I exchanged some friendly banter with a British couple on their way home from holiday, and decided to catch the Narita Express from Shinagawa instead of Tokyo station. The ticket machine was being stubborn and I barely made it onto my train before the doors closed. I sat down and furiously punched away on my cell phone, sending my last few e-mails while I still had the opportunity. I gave my thumbs a break and switched to writing letters. The train sped unrelentingly towards the airport.
I got to the airport at exactly 9am, a little less than 2 hours before my flight. I spent that time waiting to check in my baggage and arranging to send my cell phone back to Nagoya. By the time I got through immigration and arrived at the terminal, the other passengers had already lined up to board the plane. The timing turned out perfectly, but in retrospect I should have caught an earlier train just to be safe. I’ll just consider this a free lesson for next time. (more…)
Life of a Nomad – It’s time to go.
Monday, April 19th, 2010 in: News, Travel
This is my last post from Japan. It’s not a narrative, so it’ll be brief.
Sometimes the life of a nomad is difficult; I’m already ready to throw out half of my things, and I still think I would have too much. One of my goals is to find out just what is really necessary, and get rid of the rest of the bulk. Kaoru’s take on travel is that all she needs is money and a passport; everything else can be acquired on the road. I’m starting to appreciate that more and more. Hauling my life around is already starting to take it’s toll, and not just on my back. Of course, there are a few things I can’t or don’t want to discard that isn’t what travelers normally carry and isn’t as available everywhere I go, like my slackline and yo-yos. The other stuff… sleeping pad and pillow, all my warm clothes and shoes… I wonder how much of it I really need. But then again it’s not just a matter of what I’m using at the time, but when the time comes that I do need these things I’ll be really glad I brought them with me. Hopefully that day will come sooner than later.
Traveling has an innate sense of impermanence built into it; no matter how long I stay somewhere, it’s always temporary, and even if I don’t really want to, I eventually have to move on. Hopefully I have some sort of impact on the people I cross paths with; leaving my footprints in the lives of others. But right now I can only stay for a little while. I can’t make a home anywhere, or in anyone’s heart for that matter. I’ve chosen this path for myself, and I have to see it through so I can understand why I feel compelled to move, why I can’t settle, why this restlessness is pushing me off the map. People often ask me whether I miss home. No, I don’t miss places. I miss you. Even if I haven’t left yet, it will happen at some point. The only way I can avoid getting lonely is to carry you in my heart. This isn’t emotional baggage, because thinking of you helps set me free. And yet, I’m tired of goodbyes. Even a “see-you-later” is wearing on the soul. Because “later,” it seems, is always an understatement.
Sometimes, life is difficult.
誠心会に再（飲）会 – Drinking again with my Karate circle
Monday, April 19th, 2010 in: News, Travel
I’ve often said that in the amazing experience of studying abroad there were two things that stood out; homestay and group activities. Group activities sounds a little vague because I belonged to a few different groups, but my main extracurricular was in 誠心会， a Wado-ryu Karate circle.
The previous night being an unanticipated オール （all-night) jaunt to 2-chome, I woke up with a splitting headache and acute photosensitivity; I was unable to remove my sunglasses even indoors. I’m not s huge fan of hangovers so I’m glad I rarely get them. I had to find my way to Maria’s apartment in Ebisu, which meant I had to do a lot of walking with this hangover, carrying all of my belongings on my back. it was super fun! (more…)
Shinjuku ２丁目， Castro District of Tokyo
Sunday, April 18th, 2010 in: News, Travel
I had an action-packed Friday that can’t be summed up in bullet points. Also, I believe 2-chome is a bit of a special topic that deserves a bit of explanation…
Shinjuku 2-chome is a small section of Tokyo to the southeast of the train station, and is one of the few places where people are comfortable being openly gay. Every year, there are several gay exchange students, and for the most part, they have to learn for themselves what it means to be gay in Japan. When we rewrote the student experience report, Billy put some good information into a special section on the subject, but we decided not to be too specific about things so as to avoid living the students’ lives for them. We just wanted to give them basic guidelines, but it was up to them how their year would go.
This year, it seems there are four gay students, and they’re having a hard time adjusting to Japan. Mark in particular is having trouble with the ambiguity of Japanese guys, misinterpreting signals etc. He wants to go to 2-chome, but doesn’t feel comfortable organizing an expedition or going on his own. So of course, he deferred to me, the straight guy who has only been there once. Oh well, I’m generally game for whatever, so I agreed to show him around.
I shot out an e-mail to Billy and Reed to ask about their experiences, 2-chome and the LGBT group on campus (GLOW). They responded quickly with a wealth of tips and information. “Culturally, Japan has a very deep closet,” Billy warned,”Your friends are very unlikely to feel comfortable being “out” away from 2chome or GLOW… Your friends can expect to be invisible in the larger culture because queer stuff just isn’t talked about. Most people would never imagine they could be gay because it’s so invisible. They’re American–how can they be gay?” (more…)
Highlights from my last week in Tokyo
Sunday, April 18th, 2010 in: News, Travel
There’s so much I could write about but if I say it all we’ll never get to current events, so I’ll summarize! Here are some of the highlights from my last week in Tokyo:
- Staying at Kaoru’s house and getting to hang out with her family and Ewok… I mean miniature Yorkie, Yume.
- Hanging out with Okabe-kun, riding the longest escalator in Japan and eating way too much at Ramen Jiro in Ikebukuro. Sticking my REWIND card on the wall at Ramen Jiro.
Kanamara Matsuri – Penis Festival
Saturday, April 17th, 2010 in: News, Travel
When I wrote about the Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Man Festival), I mentioned there were other “weird festivals” in Japan. I didn’t really have an intention to visit any of the other ones, but when I went to hanami, my friends were talking about going to the penis festival the following day. Since it was literally just a few stations away from the yo-yo event I was going to visit, how could I resist?
Straight from Wikipedia:
The Kanamara Matsuri is centered around a local penis-venerating shrine once popular among prostitutes who wished to pray for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. It is said that there are divine protections also in business prosperity and the clan’s prosperity, easy delivery, marriage, and married couple harmony. There is also a legend of a sharp-toothed demon that hid inside the vagina of a young girl and castrated two young men on their wedding nights (vagina dentata). As a result, the young girl sought help with a blacksmith, who fashioned an iron phallus to break the demon’s teeth, leading to the enshrinement of the item.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1fH2YrMHWw (more…)
Hanami
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 in: News, Travel
Hanami is one of those Japanese traditions that help define a season. If you ask anyone here what activity they most strongly associate with Spring, it’s hanami. For some, this is the tradition of getting together with friends and family to celebrate the changing season under a pale pink canopy. For others, it’s the season for parking a carpet of tarps under the cherry trees so your club or company sempai can come the following day and get drunk under the blooming cherry trees. For most, it’s the season for getting drunk in the park under a pale pink canopy. (more…)
