Skills, or lack thereof

One of the curious skills that I've never learned to acquire is how to enter a car without getting either myself, or my car interior, wet when it is raining outside. Certainly, I can open the back door and drop my stuff inside without getting it wet, but for me to get into the car without either my umbrella getting my car interior all wet, or me getting into the car wet... I think it's a skill beyond my means. If anyone has any suggestions or lesson plans, I'd greatly appreciate it.

India IV

Besides the filth and the poverty and the utter contrast between rich and poor in this country, I saw something else that was really sad by the side of the road.... out by Mathurpa lay three black bears and several monkeys chained up. The bears had nose rings and metal muzzles, which probably were burning their little noses in the heat... they all lay there completely lethargic and sad... apparently in India (as in many other countries), they kidnap these animals and beat them into submission so they can perform for money... apparently, they take these poor Himalayan bears and forest monkeys and force them to 'dance' in the dense Indian summer heat for tourists (Shame on us!!) and locals. I unfortunately didn't get an opportunity to take a picture of these poor animals.

India III

I think I haven't really been that much more specific about stuff that I've experienced here in this country yet, b/c I haven't really had enough time to process it and distill it down into a nice sound bite, or a silly story. I've travelling from the southern tip of India, up the eastern coast, and up to the north-eastern most part of the country. We are heading over to the western side this afternoon (which is why I'm trying to catch up on this blog; I'm in the Kolkata airport, waiting for a plane) and up to the Taj Mahal (because what trip to India would be complete without a trip there??), the first completely touristy thing that we've done since we've gotten here.
I have been to Mother Teresa's place here, and have visited her tomb. Also, the Sisters there gave me some amulet or something blessed by Mother which is supposed to heal stuff, or something... helpful when members of the group fall ill, I suppose... I could just wave the amulet over them until they get better... :P

Top ten sayings -revised

The Top Ten Things We've Been Saying on this Trip:
1. Daniel Wang: Boooooooo!!!!!!
2. D.W.T.... Holy cow, that was so D.W.T.... and other variations...
3. There were two Xs.... Hey! A Talking X!
4. I HATE the Ladies' line!!!!
5. Poe-tay-toe....
6. Whoa! That's a cutie-patootie!
7. Is it a squatty-potty, or a normal one? A bi-toilet??? Don't forget to roll up your pants...
8. Um... her bum's wet... Ummmm... her bum's naked... I don't think that's right...
9. We have to wait -how long- before our flight? Again? Is there cake? Wanna play hangman? Let's make monkeys!
10. Hack hack cough cough.... ewwwww... my nose is blowing black....

I've heard the angels sing...

... and I've been to a small piece of heaven on earth. I've just left the state of Mizoram, wayyyy in the north east corner of India, separated from the bulk of the country by Bangladesh, in fact. A country that can pinpoint exactly when God came to them: January 11th, 1894, by way of two Welsh missionaries that landed on one of their riverbanks that day. The 'tribal peoples' of Mizoram (which is how the Indians see them; they spent many years fighting the Indians for independence, and finally conceded to being one of their states, which has not been to their favour - being so geographically isolated, as well as previously having been a rebel state, as well as being adamantly Christian amidst a government that is technically secular, but is trying very hard to become hard-line Hindu, has led to them being somewhat neglected and oppressed in this country) were previously head-hunters and fierce warriors, and are now the most Christianized state in the world. They send the most missionaries out per capita in the world. In stark contrast to the rest of India, their streets are clean, there are no beggars, no homeless, no orphans or widows left alone. The community ensures that all are fed and cared for.
And they sing like angels. Actually, one curious fact about the Mizos is that their culture is drenched in music. There is actually a recording studio every block or so in the capital, and lots of people record their own CDs and even their own videos! They have a whole channel on TV which just plays Mizo music videos 24 hours a day which is really cool! Most of the music is written for, and about, God, and it's gorgeous.
This morning, we visted an orphanage where many Burmese babies are brought across the mountains and left at their doorstep. These 386 children sang for us. Please note: "Above all... like a rose" is not my most favorite song, but it was the first time in a long while that singing has brought me to tears. It was indeed like listening to angels. I know people have got it on videotape, and I'm sure I will end up with a DVD version, but I don't think it will end up being able to transmit it in quite the same manner...

India II

So now we've been here for a good week or so....
About Delirious?... they were apparently in Hyderabad doing a free concert, so we grabbed a tuk-tuk and rode over to the park where they were supposed to be playing. There was a very cool Hindi Christian band, and the worship team of the speaker (apparently some tour of Joyce Meyer - who I'd never heard of before- and Delirious?), but no Delirous?.... oh well, it was still a really cool time...

Daniel Wang

One of the most common sayings we've been using since we've gotten here is: "Daniel Wang: Boooooo" :) .... whenever flights get delayed, or we get all sweaty and gross, or when we think we got ripped off in the market, or just whenever we feel like it. I suppose he'd would have been one of the last people we'd talk about most while over here, but there you go.... legend in his own mind.... :)

FFT

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page....
-- St. Augustine

India

I think I will have much to say on this later. We have been here three days already, and I have many thoughts jumbled in my head.
However, briefly (this will be re-edited later): We went to a Delirious? concert here...

Sri Lanka

Again, another country that we spent a scant 24 hours-ish in. We actually spent our day driving along the southern coastline to go visit Operation Mobilization's ship that was docked at the southern end of the country. We spent several hours driving by kilometre after kilometre of tsunami devastation. It's hard to describe the sight. Certainly, knocked down buildings and such are fairly commonplace, but to watch for miles of buildings that are (still) gone, and, in their place, a few houses here, many make-shift tents and wooden shacks there, is another thing entirely. To see forests of palm trees with their branches flailing backwards, away from the shoreline, single flip-flops lying in the sand, boats in broken pieces several metres from the beach.... What I found most striking though, was the overgrowth. Morning glories have taken over much of the ground cover since then, as many people have not been able to afford to rebuild again....
Shamefully, we did make a "tour stop" to take pictures of the destruction, and I spent a whole roll on it. I don't think words or pictures are adequate though, to communicate it all....

Thailand

Well, we only spent about 24 hours in the country, and none of it in Bangkok, except to transfer flights. I don't think my posts are going to be very articulate today; I may re-edit them later when I'm a little less sleepy... However, we did go to this elephant farm in northern Thailand... it's not so much a farm as it is a bit of a circus. It's where the 'world-famous' elephant paintings come from. And, admittedly, Asian elephants are very cute. Basically, a whole freaking herd of elephants live here, entertaining tourists with their antics and their paintings, and you can ride them and admire the babies, etc. VERY CUTE. But also, very sad. Some of the younger elephants (presumably still under training) were chained around the neck and foot, I suppose, to keep them from stamping on people. It is very strange and humiliating, being entertained by slaves, and yet enjoying it... I wonder if this is how other cultures allowed themselves to enslave others... I also wonder at how much these beasts had to be subjugated when they were younger to forget that they have incredible power and beautiful potential for wildness....
PS. Didn't eat pad thai here. Will have to return.

Mr. Fruit

This may sound really strange to folks, and some of you may think I'm on drugs or something, but we've been smuggling fruit across country borders and through airports. We've successfully gotten Mr. Orange through HK, Thailand and Sri Lanka, but in a fit of hunger desperation, ate him. We've also gone through Mr. Banana, but he didn't last very long. Currently, we've got Son of Orange with us. I think we've deluded ourselves to think we're doing something vaguely illegal by smuggling produce across borders... :P

Hong Kong

I know many of you have been here before, and lots of people were even raised here, so I'm not sure what the point of my impressions would be, as I'm sure there are many who can give much more insight to the city than I. (Besides the fact that I have barely been here 24 hours, and I'm already on my way again).
But a few observations: Work starts late, and ends late. Like some nation-wide Chinese time, or something. Oddly, coming into the city at 9am, I was struck by the entire lack of pedestrian or vehicular traffic. Apparently, things don't really start getting busy around here till at least 11am, and then keep going till the wee hours of the morning....
Also, despite all the glitz and glamour here (of which there is much: how many Burberrys does a city need, anyways? Though I have been equally as guilty, dragging everyone to Shanghai Tang to shop :P ), I sense a world-weariness here. Certainly, there have been political and economic issues surrounding this area for a while, perhaps not on a 'human devastation' scale, but ??perhaps because of all the consumerism, or relative wealth??, I do sense a fatigue from that.... ??perhaps it is a vague realization of the lack of satisfaction from speed and haste, or from things?? I can't quite grasp that... I just sense that the whole city almost sighs from its weariness... or maybe I'm just blowing out of my ear, but at least, that's what I sense when I am here...
Onto Thailand, and, if I'm lucky, the best pad thai ever...

FFT II

Vampire

CBC, lytes, glucose, BUN, creatinine
INR/PTT, liver function tests,
cultures X 2,
toxicology screen,
calcium, magnesium, TSH,
cardiac enzymes,
blood gases.
Stat please on Mr. Whatsisname in stretcher 5.

After all the blood I've sucked from him
you'd think I'd have a better grip on his soul.

--Gwynedd Pickett