I think we're narrowing down our itinerary for China - Shanghai, Suzhou, Xi'an and Beijing. Not sure how long we'll spend in each place yet, or even what order we'll do things in, but now I've got somewhere to direct my research.
Found what looks to be a good (if basic and slightly commerical) online China guide, and so far the city guides look really helpful. I've bookmarked them for later perusal when I'm not so swamped at work.
I feel like I need to start from scratch in terms of my whole approach to this trip - I'm having trouble relying on previous travel experiences, because everything is telling me I'll be in a state of culture shock like never before. I was home sick this week for a day and a half, and spent a few hours reading Lonely Planet's history of China. I just couldn't keep focused (perhaps because of the excessive amount of mucous between my ears). I need to try again - I think I'll have a better appreciation for what to research. Hubby got the GlobeTrekker Beijing city guide from the library, so we'll watch that soon, and that'll help, too.
Ooh, just found something on Lonely Planet's site about Chinese festivals - I was hoping that there would be something going on while we were there, but it looks like we won't be so lucky. Unless, of course, we stay long enough for Confucius' birthday! (Except, upon further inspection, it appears that the PRC celebrates his death on October 1, while Taiwan celebrates his birth on September 28. Looks like we'll miss it after all.)
Okay, back to work - for now. China research will have to wait. Again.
31 March 2005
30 March 2005
It Takes Two
Funny (completely non-travel-related) story... I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid in 1999, and have been on some combination of medication for it ever since. Hubby just recently switched doctors and had a complete physical, including bloodwork, and they called him back in because they thought he, too, was showing signs of an underactive thyroid. (As a cyclist, he was joking that he'd love to get some synthroid, maybe it'd help his racing!) He went back to the doctor today, and they said the second test showed an overactive thyroid! He gave blood again today, and we'll see what happens next. So, hey - between the two of us, we're almost one normal person.
28 March 2005
Energy Boost
I need an energy boost big-time today... Hubby gave me his cold as an Easter gift. (Gee, thanks.) My throat is so sore that orange juice actually stings... Lovely. Hope this goes away quickly.
But really, the energy boost I'm referring to is that Hubby & I watched a GlobeTrekker DVD on two regions of China over the weekend with one of his co-workers & her husband (who will also be doing some sight-seeing in China). We started to get really excited about our trip. One of the programs went from Shanghai to Suzhou and Xi'an, which are three places I'd really like to see. We need to borrow the Beijing program from the library, since that's the other place we're planning to go. It was great to see these places in living color, as opposed to still pictures - they seem so much more real & alive to me now.
One thing I find really interesting is that I've always thought of the modern Chinese government as very oppressive against any form of religion, and yet it appears (according to the programs) that there are religious elements in much of Chinese life. For example, Shanghai's patron god is the god of money - and I assume other cities have gods as well. There's also a large Muslim community in Xi'an (over 35 million people!); and I'd never have previously associated the Muslim religion with China. I'm sure this just shows how little I know about the East, so I'm using this whole trip as a way to broaden my horizons - both in terms of passport stamps and personal knowledge!
But really, the energy boost I'm referring to is that Hubby & I watched a GlobeTrekker DVD on two regions of China over the weekend with one of his co-workers & her husband (who will also be doing some sight-seeing in China). We started to get really excited about our trip. One of the programs went from Shanghai to Suzhou and Xi'an, which are three places I'd really like to see. We need to borrow the Beijing program from the library, since that's the other place we're planning to go. It was great to see these places in living color, as opposed to still pictures - they seem so much more real & alive to me now.
One thing I find really interesting is that I've always thought of the modern Chinese government as very oppressive against any form of religion, and yet it appears (according to the programs) that there are religious elements in much of Chinese life. For example, Shanghai's patron god is the god of money - and I assume other cities have gods as well. There's also a large Muslim community in Xi'an (over 35 million people!); and I'd never have previously associated the Muslim religion with China. I'm sure this just shows how little I know about the East, so I'm using this whole trip as a way to broaden my horizons - both in terms of passport stamps and personal knowledge!
25 March 2005
Closer to Home
I watched a PBS special on Ansel Adams last night, and was reminded how often we overlook the travel destinations that are closer to home in favor of those further afield. "I'll get to it later," we say (or at least I do), and then we never do. Adams' love of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevadas was really wonderful to see. I love where I live, and yet I don't love it in that same rhapsodic way Adams seemed to love his chosen spot. It made me think I ought to try a few vacations in the U.S. in the near future. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever seen Yosemite...
Oh, and of course the photography element of it made me want to run outside and take pictures (or, as Adams said, "make pictures") - of anything. I've signed up for a month-long class in manual photography through the local community college, so hopefully I'll learn a thing or two!
Oh, and of course the photography element of it made me want to run outside and take pictures (or, as Adams said, "make pictures") - of anything. I've signed up for a month-long class in manual photography through the local community college, so hopefully I'll learn a thing or two!
22 March 2005
At the Risk
I certainly don't want to offend anyone, but Hubby sent this to me today and I'm sharing it here. The sense of hypocrisy is just too much to take. And while this isn't about travel, per se, it is about the way people see each other in this world, and whether we reach out to help other human beings or not. So, consider these two items - the first is a brief status report on Darfur, and the second is an editorial from today's New York Times. What is this administration thinking?
CONGO: WORST CRISIS NOW Eastern Congo is suffering the world's worst current human crisis, with a death toll outstripping that in the Darfur region of Sudan, the top relief official of the United Nations, Jan Egeland, said in Geneva, adding, "It is beyond belief that the world is not paying more attention." With thousands dying each month, he said the toll amounted to "one tsunami every six months, year in and year out, for the last six years." He said the problems arose because of the complexity and variety of the fighting groups there, which include regular soldiers, militias and criminal groups. (Reuters)
March 22, 2005
New York Times Editorial
A Blow to the Rule of Law
If you are in a "persistent vegetative state" and there is a dispute about whether to keep you alive, your case will probably go no further than state court - unless you are Terri Schiavo. President Bush signed legislation yesterday giving Ms. Schiavo's parents a personal right to sue in federal court. The new law tramples on the principle that this is "a nation of laws, not of men," and it guts the power of the states. When the commotion over this one tragic woman is over, Congress and the president will have done real damage to the founders' careful plan for American democracy.
Ms. Schiavo's case presents heart-wrenching human issues, and difficult legal ones. But the Florida courts, after careful deliberation, ruled that she would not want to be kept alive by artificial means in her current state, and ordered her feeding tube removed. Ms. Schiavo's parents, who wanted the tube to remain, hoped to get the Florida Legislature to intervene, but it did not do so.
That should have settled the matter. But supporters of Ms. Schiavo's parents, particularly members of the religious right, leaned heavily on Congress and the White House to step in. They did so yesterday with the new law, which gives "any parent of Theresa Marie Schiavo" standing to sue in federal court to keep her alive.
This narrow focus is offensive. The founders believed in a nation in which, as Justice Robert Jackson once wrote, we would "submit ourselves to rulers only if under rules." There is no place in such a system for a special law creating rights for only one family. The White House insists that the law will not be a precedent. But that means that the right to bring such claims in federal court is reserved for people with enough political pull to get a law passed that names them in the text.
The Bush administration and the current Congressional leadership like to wax eloquent about states' rights. But they dropped those principles in their rush to stampede over the Florida courts and Legislature. The new law doesn't miss a chance to trample on the state's autonomy and dignity. There are a variety of technical legal doctrines the federal courts use to show deference to state courts, like "abstention" and "exhaustion of remedies." The new law decrees that in Ms. Schiavo's case, these well-established doctrines simply will not apply.
Republicans have traditionally championed respect for the delicate balance the founders created. But in the Schiavo case, and in the battle to stop the Democratic filibusters of judicial nominations, President Bush and his Congressional allies have begun to enunciate a new principle: the rules of government are worth respecting only if they produce the result we want. It may be a formula for short-term political success, but it is no way to preserve and protect a great republic.
CONGO: WORST CRISIS NOW Eastern Congo is suffering the world's worst current human crisis, with a death toll outstripping that in the Darfur region of Sudan, the top relief official of the United Nations, Jan Egeland, said in Geneva, adding, "It is beyond belief that the world is not paying more attention." With thousands dying each month, he said the toll amounted to "one tsunami every six months, year in and year out, for the last six years." He said the problems arose because of the complexity and variety of the fighting groups there, which include regular soldiers, militias and criminal groups. (Reuters)
March 22, 2005
New York Times Editorial
A Blow to the Rule of Law
If you are in a "persistent vegetative state" and there is a dispute about whether to keep you alive, your case will probably go no further than state court - unless you are Terri Schiavo. President Bush signed legislation yesterday giving Ms. Schiavo's parents a personal right to sue in federal court. The new law tramples on the principle that this is "a nation of laws, not of men," and it guts the power of the states. When the commotion over this one tragic woman is over, Congress and the president will have done real damage to the founders' careful plan for American democracy.
Ms. Schiavo's case presents heart-wrenching human issues, and difficult legal ones. But the Florida courts, after careful deliberation, ruled that she would not want to be kept alive by artificial means in her current state, and ordered her feeding tube removed. Ms. Schiavo's parents, who wanted the tube to remain, hoped to get the Florida Legislature to intervene, but it did not do so.
That should have settled the matter. But supporters of Ms. Schiavo's parents, particularly members of the religious right, leaned heavily on Congress and the White House to step in. They did so yesterday with the new law, which gives "any parent of Theresa Marie Schiavo" standing to sue in federal court to keep her alive.
This narrow focus is offensive. The founders believed in a nation in which, as Justice Robert Jackson once wrote, we would "submit ourselves to rulers only if under rules." There is no place in such a system for a special law creating rights for only one family. The White House insists that the law will not be a precedent. But that means that the right to bring such claims in federal court is reserved for people with enough political pull to get a law passed that names them in the text.
The Bush administration and the current Congressional leadership like to wax eloquent about states' rights. But they dropped those principles in their rush to stampede over the Florida courts and Legislature. The new law doesn't miss a chance to trample on the state's autonomy and dignity. There are a variety of technical legal doctrines the federal courts use to show deference to state courts, like "abstention" and "exhaustion of remedies." The new law decrees that in Ms. Schiavo's case, these well-established doctrines simply will not apply.
Republicans have traditionally championed respect for the delicate balance the founders created. But in the Schiavo case, and in the battle to stop the Democratic filibusters of judicial nominations, President Bush and his Congressional allies have begun to enunciate a new principle: the rules of government are worth respecting only if they produce the result we want. It may be a formula for short-term political success, but it is no way to preserve and protect a great republic.
Tummy Troubles
I've been doing some reading for the China trip, and I'm getting a little nervous. I'm not exactly a sickly person in general, but I've never been the picture of health. I've got a thyroid disorder, a cruddy immune system (that's a technical term), and a history of intestinal problems. Thus far, I've had the privilege of traveling to countries where drinking the water isn't an issue, so it's not come up for me in the past. So the other day as I was reading my Lonely Planet guide, I was struck by the italicized phrase that said something like, "above all, do not drink the water." Yipes! And both here and in the book, there is an alarmingly long list of immunizations to get before you go, and precautions to take. Double yipes!
I posted a question about whether I should really be concerned to my favorite new travel message board Boots N'All, and got some good responses. So, while it should obviously be a concern, I think I shouldn't freak myself out too much about it. I do need to go to the doctor and ask what she'd recommend, given my health history, and I'll take it from there. Since we'll be sticking to the cities, I'm sure I'll at least always have access to bottled water, so I should be fine.
Oh, and of course Lonely Planet also says that more travelers get stomach distress from the food, not the water. (According to my National Geographic guidebook, the reason the fruits & veggies have to be very thoroughly washed before consumption is that human manure is used in agriculture. I'm not sure why that should be so much more disgusting to me than cow manure, but somehow it is.) One report says that spicy food doesn't mean safer food, another says just the opposite. One response on Boots N'All says to eat at street food vendors with long lines because that'll mean high turnover (so that food doesn't sit for ages at the wrong temperature), another says the street vendors are more likely to be where people get sick. Egads, who knew this could be so complicated?
Bottom line - for an 8-10 day trip, while it's unlikely I'll get raging sick, it's also really important to me that I be careful about my health. On such a short trip, it'd really suck to have 1/3 of it ruined by being hunched over a toilet. And on second thought, they might not even be toilets like I think of toilets... Hmmm... Brings on a whole new reason for me to stay healthy.
I posted a question about whether I should really be concerned to my favorite new travel message board Boots N'All, and got some good responses. So, while it should obviously be a concern, I think I shouldn't freak myself out too much about it. I do need to go to the doctor and ask what she'd recommend, given my health history, and I'll take it from there. Since we'll be sticking to the cities, I'm sure I'll at least always have access to bottled water, so I should be fine.
Oh, and of course Lonely Planet also says that more travelers get stomach distress from the food, not the water. (According to my National Geographic guidebook, the reason the fruits & veggies have to be very thoroughly washed before consumption is that human manure is used in agriculture. I'm not sure why that should be so much more disgusting to me than cow manure, but somehow it is.) One report says that spicy food doesn't mean safer food, another says just the opposite. One response on Boots N'All says to eat at street food vendors with long lines because that'll mean high turnover (so that food doesn't sit for ages at the wrong temperature), another says the street vendors are more likely to be where people get sick. Egads, who knew this could be so complicated?
Bottom line - for an 8-10 day trip, while it's unlikely I'll get raging sick, it's also really important to me that I be careful about my health. On such a short trip, it'd really suck to have 1/3 of it ruined by being hunched over a toilet. And on second thought, they might not even be toilets like I think of toilets... Hmmm... Brings on a whole new reason for me to stay healthy.
17 March 2005
Researcher for Hire
I love doing travel research - it's the next best thing to actually traveling as far as I'm concerned. And since I'm not always the one who's going to be traveling, I've told my friends & family that I'd be happy to help them plan any trips they're taking. Only a few people have taken me up on the offer so far, including my boss (I planned his 2002 trip to Italy with his kids).
I just got an email from a friend whose sister will be in France in the fall, and she thought I might have some tips to pass along. I'm happy to help... And who knows? I might find a place I've never been and which I must visit the next time I'm there. Hmmm... Maybe this kind-hearted offer of mine is really a selfish act in a not-so-subtle disguise...
I just got an email from a friend whose sister will be in France in the fall, and she thought I might have some tips to pass along. I'm happy to help... And who knows? I might find a place I've never been and which I must visit the next time I'm there. Hmmm... Maybe this kind-hearted offer of mine is really a selfish act in a not-so-subtle disguise...
16 March 2005
Now What?
Okay, so I've signed up and started this blog, and now I'm not sure what I have to say. At least not yet. I've got some trips coming up this year, though, and obviously some research to do before I go.
Hubby & I will be taking a little beach trip to our lovely Oregon coast in late April for our anniversary, then we'll be in NYC for a few days in early May for my Aunt's 60th birthday. The big trip, however, will be in September when Hubby's company's sales meeting is in Shanghai. I'm going to be meeting him there when it's done and we'll have 8-10 days in China. I know, it's not much time in a huge country, but since this will be my first trip to Asia I'm treating it like a taste test... I expect to return someday for the full meal deal.
Anyway, at this point we'll be in Shanghai for a day or a day and a half, and will spend 3-4 days in Beijing. We're still trying to figure out where the rest of the trip will be - we're looking at Xi'an (to see the terra cotta soldiers) and Suzhou (Portland's sister city), but there's still plenty of time and plenty of research to be done!
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