Madeleine Graham Blake

PHOTOGRAPHYPHOTOGRAPHY

Arrival at Harbin

by | Feb 16, 2015 | , ,

Henry wrote the address of my hotel in Chinese script, so I could get a taxi.  Meanwhile, WN, my guide booked online, had written emphatically NOT to trust the taxi drivers.  I should put my luggage in the back seat of the taxi, and not pay til I had removed my luggage and the driver had printed a receipt. I should also get the price before hand, so he would not charge too much at the end. Harbin, according to WN, is a den of iniquity. Taxi drivers will drive off, stealing luggage before you can get to the trunk to remove it.

At the Harbin train station, Henry’s mother offered to help me get a cab. So we, with her three year old in tow, headed to the taxi gate. HA!  A line to put all lines to shame. An extremely lovely woman, she stayed with me for a bit, and scoffed at WN’s concern about the cab driving off with my luggage.  ” Who would want what is in your bag, anyway,”  she queried, looking at my size. As she had Rory, with her, it seemed insane to ask her to wait with me, so, with many thanks for her help, she soon dissappeared into the nebula of Harbinites returning hone to celebrate New Years.

After at hour or so, I finally found my self at the head of the line, ready to do the cabdash. I slung open the backseat door, and threw my stuff in, and jumped in the front seat.  This unlucky driver ridiculed me to waiting passengrs.  But, hey, I couldn’t understand! The driver was basically furious with me for putting my luggage in the back seat. He could not pick up addition passengers, thereby losing money. I found this out because I called WN, so he could talk to the driver. No matter, we got to the hotel, and check in was a breeze.

The Ibis hotel is, I think, a Danish outfit. Small, but well thought out.  Still…the hard beds of China, and I was very grateful for my blow-up mattress. The staff were very helpful. Enough English was spoken, and, coupled with pantomime, we communicated quite adequately. I would recommend for the budget minded.

And on to Harbin

by | Feb 16, 2015 | ,

First let me say that the miserable little hotel near the train station redeemed itself with the breakfast that was included in the fee. It was great. There was Western fare available, but who would want that when all kinds of savory goodies were available. I opted for seaweed, which was excellent, and some veriform tofu noodles, and a tofu custard. All of these had wonderful spices and sauces. So despite the foot prints on the wall, and the oddness of the place, I’d go there again for the food!

And it was an easy roll to the train station.

There is a procedure for taking the train. First you go to the ticket office. For my train, I was instructd by the online railway booking agent to go to any gate, from 5-20. So spotting the numbered windows, I braved the lines: phenomenal crowds of people and luggage pushing toward the buiding like one giant amoeba. Heading toward window 19, I and my (ridiculous amount of) luggage made it, only to find that that was NOT the ticket office, it was the entry door. So off to the ticket office, a healthy jaunt away with more crowds doing the Chinese que.  The agent had warned that some officials will not take your confirmation.  They will tell you ” no good”, but, they said, be confident that your confirmation voucher is valid. If you should be denied, just go to another window and continue til you have success.

Fortunately I had no such problems (in either direction). I returned to the entrance and immediately after being permitted to enter, was greeted with an X-ray security check — for which I was completely unprepared. Throwing my heavy roll-on onto the conveyor belt, I then struggled to off load my back pack.  Meanwhile the carry-on with iPad and all my paper work was sliding through the X-ray machine with no one, at least not me, on the receiving end. Oh well, it was fine. I gathered it all together, and was on my way.

My next challenge was to find the correct waiting room. The Beijing Train Station is enormous. Thre are many huge waiting areas, with more waiting areas behind them. The elegantly attired railway officials were all quite helpful. Showing them my ticket, first class, they were courteous in getting me to the right places. I do beleive first class helps.

Of course I could not read my ticket, or more realistically put, I didn’t know how to read it. I would show a porter, who would point down the platform. I’d  hustle down seven cars or so, and repeat my ritual to the next porter, who would also point down the platform. I mean WAY down the platform. Had to be at least a quarter mile. I finally stepped into a car and asked if I could sit down. No no no. So I showed my ticket to the close-by passengers, and they pointed back one car.

Well what a delight. When it became clear where I was to sit, a Chinese boy clambered over his mother and took the seat next to me, thrilled that there was an American on board. So this 12 year old, Henry, became my seat mate. I gotta admit it was nice to be speaking with someone fluent in English. He had lived in Colorado, and being one of those kids who just assumes your his best friend, we chatted and played games all of the way to Harbin, and eight hour trip. He did teach me a lot about my iPhone. Although now, of course, I have forgotten.

MEETING GYI’AN

by | Feb 12, 2015 | ,

Dawa Drolma (my traveling partner)’s best friend from university works in Shangri-la, and she was thrilled to be able to meet up with her. Abby, a designated American name from school, is a charming young woman and it was a pleasure to have her helpful presence. Also a former student of Michelle’s, she spoke a fair amount of English. She and Dawa Drolma were, indeed, very close and it was quite interesting to observe the sweetness of their reunion. Abby, whose name is Dolma, is quite fashionable, and by the time we parted ways, Dawa’s wardrobe had taken on an air of glitzy chic.  They were like sisters…teenage sisters. Annoying and charming at the same time.

Dolma asked if we would like to visit her village, and I, of course, jumped at the chance. A home visit, especially staying a noght or so with a local, beats the tourist path anyday. She told me she had two sisters living with her mother, one of whom was blind. Also, that her father and mother had separated, and as a result, when her eldest sister married, her husband came to live with her in her mother’s home. Usually, a married woman goes to live with her husband’s family. In this case, because the household was lacking a male, it was considered diminished in social stature and perhaps even unstable. ???? The house was now blessed with the indomitable energy of two children, Dolma’s niece, ????, about 4, and her nephew, ????, 8?.

Of course, the significance of these details didn’t register with me. I was pleased that I had purchased some Nivea creme for myself, and as I hadn’t used any, I had a gift for this blind girl.  Shallow concern, but innocent.

We had a lovely few days exploring the Kham village of Hongpo. Situated along at the base of a sacred mountain along a few mile stretch of a beautiful tributary, walnut trees grow alongside prickly pear cactus, and the stream bubbles gently down the hillside.  The village is well situated, with a culvert-like diversion heading right past most dwellings, so water is easily accessible, altho if one lives downstream, as my friends do, then it behooves one to arrise early so as to get un polluted water. The have devised an interesting way of pputting a stick in water to create a little spout.  Then the kettle is positioned so the water goes right in and the pot does not have to be submerged.  Clever.

The ride to the village had been breathtaking, both in scenery and in terror. While the main road from ShangriLa was well maintained, even paved with cobblestones for many miles over the pass ( just think of the people laying those stones), the road to Hongpo village was a frightening affair…especially when one looked back across a traverse to see a thin shell of pavement held up by a few sticks. Never mind that the road was simply a narrow shelf zig-zagging up a sheer, rubbly drop-off.

I spent several days photographing the village and meeting Dolma’s neighbors. Oddly, there was no blind sister. Since Dolma had gone out of her way to tell me about her, there was a quiet gaping hole, but something kept me from asking about her.

Finally, the last afternoon of our stay, Dolma asked me if I would like to meet Gyi’an. “Of course,” I said. And I was truly looking forward to the introduction. We, Dolma, Dawa Drolma, and I went out behind the house, past the pig sty to the animals cribs, and a pathetic, thin person emerged, wearing a hat with a very long duck bill. The sight was disturbing and confusing. Then Dolma explained she lived there. Still confused, I caught a glimpse of her face and didn’t believe what I saw. It was a very brief glance, and I imagined that I had been mistaken. But I had not. One of Gyi’an’s eyes protruded out of the socket, a shiny translucent mass about the size of a golf ball. Her other eye was a goopy glob of total blindness. Otherwise a beautiful eighteen year old, Gyi’an was a freak. And one in agony. The bulging eye caused searing pain unless she was perfectly still.

Dolma’s mom asked me to photograph the blind girl, and thinking she wanted to include Gyi’an in the family album, as it were, I worked with the waning light of the last day we were there, positioning her cap just so to make a very nice picture camouflaging her deformity. When I showed it to ________ , Dolma’s mom, she emphatically indicated “no.” She wanted me to photograph Gyi’an’s blind eyes and show the photos to western doctors to see if they could help.

This was quite remarkable, as tradition has it that Western doctors should never be consulted. Had Giy’an had seen an ophthalmologist when she was four, her glaucoma could have been successfully treated. But, for whatever reason,  __________ had changed her mind. It was now that Gyi’an’s mom was ready to look outward, for she asked me to bring Gyi’an’s plight to the attention of the western world.

Heading to Shangri-La

by | Jan 19, 2015 | ,

On my second trip to Asia, Michelle arranged to have me travel with a young student of hers, Dawa Drolma. Extremely intelligent, she was, of course, equally provincial. From a small village in Qinghai Province, she graduated from Qinghai Normal University* in Xining, a very large city in the far west of China, but she had no travel experience. She did, however, speak English very well.  It was a tough job for her in many ways.  The Chinese spoken in the regions where we spent much of our time was difficult for her to understand, so communication was exhausting. As her main task was to function as translator, it must have been quite frustrating.  Also, we encountered some strange happenings that could only befall illiterate strangers…us!  But those stories will come later in the story.

Yunnan Province is rich with the remnants of many indigenous cultures.  In China, there are 55 ethnic groups co-residing with the predominant Han Chinese, and 25 of these can be found in Yunnan. Wanting to see  cultural diversity, the trip was planned accordingly, dipping south west into the lowland rice and tea regions, where the Yi, Naxi, Bai, and Mosuo societies can be found*.  Bordering Vietnam, Laos, and Burma, this canyon-filled landscape is verdant and lush, with the vast diversification of natural species gracing a habitat that has plenty of water and sun.  But in the northwest, Yunnan borders the Tibetan Autonomous Region, the place most of us call Tibet. It is this part of China where we find the Diqin Plateau and mountains soaring to the heavens.  Kawagebo Peak ascends a mighty 22,110 ft (6,740 m).

On my itinerary of “must sees” was a town called Shangri-La, basking at an altitude of well over 10,000 ft. It is supposedly the paradise James Hilton referred to in his 1933 novel, Lost Horizon, but I was attracted to it because of its historical Tibetan town.  As it turns out, Dawa Drolma’s very best friend from college lives there. Visiting Dolma turned out to be life changing

 

read more…

Three weeks to go.

by | Jan 19, 2015 | ,

Departure time is drawing near. I think that I have most of my thing in order now. The list is realistic, albeit, a bit long. Which can be interpreted to mean: I have more than I was hoping to take. The big space taker is, of course, my bed. But I feel safe, and that is good. The little mattress is insulated, and full length which is an improvement over the 3/4 version from my last trip. My new Nemo sleeping bag is “so far, so good”. It is made for side sleepers, and I am trusting it will be more comfortable for me than the semi-mummy, which freaked me out! Claustrophobia. Not good.

I will be putting the suitcase in the belly of the plane, which is always a risk. But, I just couldn’t fit my bed AND spare boots in my carry on. Winter make a difference, even though I will be wearing my snow boots and carrying my coat. Not having everything with me means packing my little back pack differently. I need to rearrange a few things to accommodate a possible delay in the arrival of my big bag. Hmm. Long undies and an extra shirt, all medications, and of course, hat gloves and cameras.

Speaking of which, I think I will bring the two little guys: the lumix wide angle and the Fuji stereo cameras. If I have room, I’ll add the Canon with the 200. It is so hard to travel light!

I bought some Chlorella/Spirulina, which should help out with the possible lack of greens, and I have some turkey jerky for nibbles. I suspect it may be difficult for me to eat out on my own. My dietary restrictions will undoubtedly create a challenge or two, not to mention the language barrier. (I could make myself nervous and cancel the trip if I think much about this!!!)

The things that I am missing are the gifts. Kid stuff I have, but the important presents for the adults I don’t.  What to bring?

the iPad

by | Jan 8, 2015 | ,

So, I think I am finally near the end of the shopping spree.  Just the sleeping bag stuff left to get.  I’ll make a list before I go, and then it will be fun to see what I actually needed as compared to what I thought I needed.

At this moment very moment, I am futzing with the final toy — an iPad. This is a big deal. A lot of consideration went into the decision to get this thing, with serious thoughts about going over to the enemy.  There is a PC pad that is really a computer…and the benefit is that I could download my photos to it, play a dvd etc.  Still, I am a Mac person, and the workings are familiar.  So the iPad it is.

I will need to figure out a few things, like redo and undo. (Where is my command z?) And how do I move the cursor using the keyboard?  But this is trivial. That I can maintain my writing while on the trip is key. I will be alone a lot, and in a place where no one speaks English; it is important for me to have a “job”. Writing it will be.

Hmm. I think I will put a few of the DVDs I did for the western folklife center on the iPad.  Then I can show my friends OUR traditional herding culture! Fun

 

 

 

The big question

by | Dec 24, 2014 | , ,

There are many reasons why I am going to China in February, the majority of which I have yet to discover. Perhaps by the end of the journey, I will have a better understanding of WHY I am going, but right now I don’t. I only know that I am.

This question comes up with most people who learn of my adventure, and I don’t really know what to say. The trip is a big undertaking and in some ways quite unreasonable. I am sixty six, I have broken bones in both feet, and I speak not a word of Tibetan. My command of the mandarin language is limited to saying “I do not speak Mandarin very well” and “hello.” And, to boot, whilst I will be visiting people whom I have met, I am traveling by myself!

One friend suggested it was the extreme nature of the trip that makes it appealing. Although I have found myself in trying circumstances in my travels, I don’t actively search them out. Plus, more and more, I like things to be easy and comfortable. Another pal questioned whether it was a deeper exploration of Buddhism or maybe a sociological study. Partially. My husband said matter-of-factly “you are going to visit your friends.” While this is true, there are unquestionably more comfortable times of the year to do so.

Certainly, attending Losar, the high Tibetan holiday celebrated over a 16 day period starting February 19, is an important part of this journey. I want to be with my friends at this time when they are deep in their Tibetan world, free to be who they are — engrossed in pageantry of their beliefs. And, it will be extraordinary to experience Tibetan Buddhism in full swing. I expect it to be wild. Giant brass horns (akin to diggerydos), drums, and chanting, strange costumes and exotic dancing. So, yes, there is an interest, but I don’t think it is what drives me.

Curiosity, that old friend, has an important role (but, of course!). How do these Tibetan friends of mine live in the winter? What do they do with themselves. In summer their daily tasks are nonstop. Simply getting water is a chore. The eldest son’s wife in one family I will visit again was always up before dawn, walking to the pasture miles up the road to milk the yaks, then returning to prepare breakfast for everyone. Then back to the pasture. This is life. The butter needs churning; the cheese must be made; dung, yak and sheep, must be gathered for fuel; wool must be gotten, combed, and spun to yarn; homespun wool is sewn into sacks to carry the barley which will be ground into tsampa. On and on. But in winter it is cold…VERY COLD. In one home I visited on my second trip, I saw only a tiny wood burning stove, exhaust pipe not even rising to the ceiling, let alone through it. The stove was used for cooking, at least in the summer. But, nothing I saw could heat the great room in which the stove was pitifully central. How do they live in the cold? I will see. For this house is one where I will stay for six days.

________________________________

12/24/14. Tonight I celebrated Merry Festivas Eve sharing a crab dinner with dear friends Sharon and Helen. When the conversation got around to my pending trip, new ideas merged into consciousness relating to the “why.” One is that I need to be out of my comfort zone to feel like I am alive. This is true, within certain parameters, albeit I am not certain sub-freezing temperatures are within those parameters. And the other, which resonates deeply, is that of trust. I am compelled–nay, closer to obsessed–by the desire to take this journey, and, because the passion is there, I can simply trust that it the right path.

I like this last one. 🙂

 

SHOPPING like a fool!!!

by | Dec 15, 2014 | ,

Shopping is not something I do well, nor do I particularly like it.  But I am so scared of the cold, that I am turning into a researcher and online shopper. Altho’, I am still waiting to see if the rain/snow pants I ordered have been lost in cyberspace!

Importantly, I finally found some boots that won’t be too heavy but I think will do the job! I have had good luck with Vasque, so hopefully they’ll fit!  Most of the contenders were three plus pounds.  Weigh too heavy!  These are one and a half.

Screen Shot 2014-12-15 at 9.02.36 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh. I also got myself a BUFF, the Spanish Merino wool tube that all the cool backpacker types use to wear in a number of ways..as a hat, as a scarf, as a balaclava….  I tried it last night as a sleeping cap (the temperatures dropped way below freezing,) and it stayed on and did the job!  Very cool…mine is red.

This is my Buff!!!!!

This is my Buff!!!!!

would that I looked like the model in it. Instead I look a bit like a Russian grandma..

Would that I looked like the model in it. Instead I look a bit like a Russian grandma…which, I guess I am, partially!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I have some Merino wool long undies…a zip top and a pair of leggings by Bergen of Norway…They are a beautiful deep lavender, and have interesting construction. BTW, I did NOT get them, nor my buff, online.  Nope, I went to The Ledge, right here in Klamath Falls.  Felt good.

 

 

Health

by | Dec 8, 2014 | ,

Well, I have had some wonderful advice from my friend Bob Williams:

1. Start eating food similar to what I will be eating in China at least a few weeks before hand, so my gut isn’t having to deal with a whole new experience.  Hmm.  Boiled mutton????

(Ha Ha!  A couple of nights ago, I dug into our freezer and found two small bottom round roasts from Prather Ranch…extra lean, to be certain.  So I got out my recipes and found one that I had scrawled across the top RAVE REVIEWS.  It is a slow cooker recipe, and I do know that here at altitude, I often have to ad an hour or more.  So I piled in the ingredients, and let the cooker work it’s magic.  After 6 hours on “low”, I checked the meat, which should be done “when the meat crumbles into strings with the prodding of a fork.”  Well, not yet; it was still hard.  So, I let it go for a few more hours.  Same story.  Hard, like a brick.  So I turned the cooker off, and went to bed.  In the morning I turned it on again, this time to “high”.  Five hours later, it was still hard!  OMG  It is like the mutton I had last time I was in China!!!  Providence, I am certain. My chance to eat like I probably will in Tibet!  And I have a recipe!!!

Gotta say, it was so hard, one could build a house out of it!  Even Tupper couldn’t eat it. But I salvaged the damn things by slicing (sorta) them into dog sized bites…and guess who thinks all that work was just for them?)

2. If possible, start adjusting sleep habits to China time.

3. Do NOT drink alcohol or caffeine on the plane.  It dehydrates the body, and the recycled air is already doing that.  DRINK DRINK DRINK water.

4. Boost the immune system.

____________________________________

I am totally preoccupied at the moment with the physical nature (read “cold”) of this trip.  My mind is on clothing and bedding. But Bob brings up some very good points.  Preparation really must be taken seriously, and it must include me getting in the best physical shape I can be in so as to ward off the adverse conditions of airplane travel, altitude, change of diet etc.

After I deal with the clothing list, it will be time to consider things like medications.  I have learned, from my world traveler friend, Merrill, there are some high altitude pills, and some emergency respiratory ailment pills…and of course tummy trouble pills.  I think it is time to make an appointment with my doctor.  While pills are just about my least favorite thing to consume, I have yet to go to China and NOT get respiratory problems…once very serious.  I’d rather have them and not need them, that is for certain.

Stay tuned.

 

Clothing and more

by | Dec 8, 2014 | ,

Well, I am still working on getting the correct clothing, and keeping my luggage manageable. Gotta say shopping online is tedious, and so touch and go.  Have had to send so much back because I got the wrong size FOR THAT PARTICULAR SHOP.  It is definitely not standardized.

Now I am looking at woolen trousers.  Seems like the right thing, with a rain/windproof pant to wear as needed.  Pendelton may be the place to look!

So, what I have are my fabulous coat, silk long johns, cashmere sweater, fleece, turtle necks, mittens, woolen hat, undies, silk sock liners.

Plan to get woolen long johns, boots, those little hunters’ heater dealies, sleeping bag.  I have been advised by my pal, Mr. Williams, that it might be better to use regular boots sized to accommodate thick woolen socks over silk liners.  Better for walking than the sorrel type boot with the felt.

I probably should think about goggle style sun glasses, too.  What else? what else?