Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This is part 1 of an eleven-part series covering a trip to China that began in Austin, Texas. Haiku, Photos and layout by Jonathan Machen, except where noted. Haiku Times Volume 3, issue 51 March 31-April 5, 2003 Austin, Texas pg.1 sugar hackberry texas bluebonnet red bird with black mask texas savannah and german architecture converge in austin winecup and philox false aloe and nipple cactus texas persimmon heavy set boyfriends giggle with girlfriends not quite half their size overwhelming scent of her perfumed hand lotion flying to austin on empty concourse even piped-in native music brings tears to my eyes Three days before I leave for China, I try and get my house into order, a task all the more difficult because I manage two houses. I make phone calls that I do not want to make, blood and adrenalin rise, choking my throat, but I stick to my guns. I lead others through the procedures, tell them how to write the lease, plan the calendar. Through the window I watch two people negotiate the fallout of their relationship, while inside two little girls scribble underwater ocean secenes on flimsy pieces of newsprint. Prospective new renters come and nail down one Sunday a month until September. Kids fight with foam swords and leave the Big Room smelling like sweat. Like a cork under pressure, not knowing what to do, I drive on in shock and disbelief. The highway resumes it's relentless pace and I will never know what happened to the woman slumped against the steering wheel, or if the ambulance came fast enough. Sadie is two now and Gabriel is eigtht months. I visit my friends in Austin for the first time since they have had children. Plants grow out of limestone rocks, families take pictures of little girls, in fields of Texas bluebonnets. Nice to see my old friend Tony with whom I used to compose music. Now, with a two-year old tugging at his guitar strings, he is distracted. His eight-month old son cries if no-one picks him up, holds on to my leg with sticky fingers while I try to draw, expresses his needs in unintelligable cries. From the internet, and with a cellphone, I try to gather information about a virus 2000 miles away, in an attempt to make the right decision. I rest uneasily in a sprawling suburb somewhere near the capital of Texas, where houses and fences and lawns look identical and the only people outside are Mexican immigrants who cut grass and lay concrete. what i took to be possibly a small bird's nest just an ephyphite obsessed by what i notice and don't notice calculating risk on my way to the airport i watch a car crash while i contemplate risk of virus in china car in front crashes after collission man dials nine one one on cell driver slumps forward Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Sadie and Dee Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin Sadie, Jonathan and Gabriel. Photo by Dee Now, in the cocoon of an airplane headed for Austin I read newspaper headlines from two seats away, and eat small crackers shaped like dolphins. I look at mountains that I have climbed, easily identifiable from 30,000 feet, their summits delineated by snow. On the way to the airport, (preoccupied with viruses I might encounter in China and whether or not I'll even go to china) the lady in the car in front of me swerves wildly, back and forth, for several long seconds, then slams into the concrete median in a flash of sparks. I pull over, dumbfounded, while a man jumps out of his car, already dialing 911. The lady slumps forward against the steering wheel.
Transcript
Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This is part 1 of an eleven-part series covering a trip to China that began in Austin, Texas.Haiku, Photos and layout by Jonathan Machen, except where noted.
sugar hackberrytexas bluebonnetred bird with black mask
texas savannahand german architectureconverge in austin
winecup and philoxfalse aloe and nipple cactustexas persimmon
heavy set boyfriendsgiggle with girlfriendsnot quite half their size
overwhelming scentof her perfumed hand lotionflying to austin
on empty concourseeven piped-in native musicbrings tears to my eyes
Three days before I leave for China,I try and get my house into order,a task all the more difficult because I manage two houses.I make phone calls that I do not want to make,blood and adrenalin rise, choking my throat, but I stick to my guns.I lead others through the procedures, tellthem how to write the lease, plan the calendar.Through the window I watch two people negotiate the fallout of theirrelationship,while inside two little girls scribble underwater ocean secenes on flimsy pieces of newsprint.Prospective new renters come and nail down one Sunday a month until September.
Kids fight with foam swords and leave the Big Room smelling like sweat.
Like a cork under pressure,not knowing what to do,I drive on in shock and disbelief.The highway resumes it's relentless paceand I will never know what happened to the woman slumpedagainst the steering wheel,or if the ambulance came fast enough.
Sadie is two nowand Gabriel is eigtht months.I visit my friends in Austin for the first timesince they have had children.Plants grow out of limestone rocks,families take pictures of little girls,in fields of Texas bluebonnets.
Nice to see my old friend Tonywith whom I used to compose music.Now, with a two-year old tuggingat his guitar strings, he is distracted.His eight-month old son cries if no-onepicks him up,holds on to my leg with sticky fingerswhile I try to draw,expresses his needs in unintelligable cries.
From the internet, and with a cellphone, I tryto gather information about a virus 2000miles away, in an attempt tomake the right decision.I rest uneasily in a sprawling suburb somewherenear the capital of Texas, where houses andfences and lawns look identical and theonly people outside are Mexicanimmigrants who cut grass and lay concrete.
what i took to bepossibly a small bird's nestjust an ephyphite
obsessedby what i noticeand don't notice
calculating riskon my way to the airporti watch a car crash
while i contemplate risk of virus in chinacar in front crashes
after collissionman dials nine one one on celldriver slumps forward
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Sadie and Dee
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin
Sadie, Jonathan and Gabriel. Photo by Dee
Now, in the cocoon of an airplane headed for Austin I read newspaper headlines from two seats away, and eat small crackers shaped like dolphins. I look at mountains that I have climbed,easily identifiable from 30,000 feet,their summits delineated by snow.
On the way to the airport,(preoccupied with viruses I might encounter in Chinaand whether or not I'll even go to china)the lady in the car in front of me swerves wildly,back and forth, for several long seconds,then slams into the concrete medianin a flash of sparks.I pull over, dumbfounded, while a man jumps out of his car,already dialing 911.The lady slumps forward against the steering wheel.
Haiku Times
tony's haiku from the lady bird johnson wildflower center:
at the healing gardenwaiting for deemock pennyroyal and mexican hat
one moment sixty three stepsclimbing the tower
sudden hummingbirdi exclaimfrom the windchimes
so many momentsperfect blendingunstoppable
sadie and iclimb the towerstep by step
dee with camerai with pen fumbling moments
ah sadie rompsthru the bluebonnetsand cactus
Before flying to China I slow down in an Austin suburb,near expansive shopping centers whose namesseem unfamiliar.
I live with a family for five days in their world,making brief forays out of the quiet house, outof the quiet manicured suburban lawns into thefrenetic mad rush of heavy vehicles and motorsand engines on streamlined white concrete slipstream passageways surrounded by gentlegrass and Texas bluebonnets.
In Austin, one can get used to highways soaringover shopping malls - when you drive from oneendof the city to the next you realize that theeight lanes have soared into a bridge and thecity's engineers have spent years and millions ofdollars to construct seamless throughways.
The red sun sinks low over Texas hillcountry.
Volume 3, issue 51 March 31-April 5, 2003 Austin, Texas pg.2transgressing the rulesi check out eleven items in the express lane
while i take a peeslinky possum stares at mein texas scrub-brush
clacking through the murksome frog out there unawareof my curious ear
spineless prickly pearwhat gave you such a nakedlook of mutation?
white water lilyand unnamed austin tortioseboth lying quite still
eight month-old babyscreams as we drive the highwaypassing car crashes
not seeming to mindthe screams of their two childrenas they watch t.v.
2 April 2003
New data from China, WHO team leaving immediately for Guangdong Chinese authorities have todayannounced updated figures for thenumber of cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) anddeaths in GuangdongProvince. Thefigures, which cover the reportingperiod of 1 March to 31 March, are361 new SARS cases and 9 deaths.
Tony and SadieLady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin
McKinney State Park, Austin
Tony and Gabriel
Haiku Times
Hey haiku groupies, I’m ensconsed in an Austin suburb with babies and manicured lawns and a strangelandmarkless sensation of nebulosity. Sort of like aholding tank. Just wanted to let people know that Ihave decided to continue on with my sinophilisticdirection and will be flying from Austin to Asia onFriday - not without a lot of stops and late-night sleepydisorientation I am sure, and hopefully without saidvirus that has been the cause of so much concern. Fromwhat I have gleaned, the risk in the areas we are goingis low; I have trip insurance, and according to thehaiku great masters' code of appropriateness, oneshould continue on to write haiku if there is any doubt.The trip leader, Pepi Kochhar from India, has a verypositive attitude about this trip.And, I think the danger is overblown, though admittedly serious. The World Health Organizationyesterday had narrowed their list of travel advisoryareas - for awhile it was all of China and now it is theprovince down by Hong Kong and a few other areas.
the enormityof los angeles, suddenly revealed
diaphanous cloudsunderlit by orange sulphurcircling spotlight
breathtaking flourescent sweep of l.a.in shimmering basin
three generationsfuss over mom in wheelchairthen kiss her goodbye
mountains of taiwanfrom thirty nine thousand feetpoke through cotton clouds
tired passengers all wearing surgical masksrest uneasily
a somber feelingpervades the hong kong airporti strap on my mask
drinking jasmine teaat four am in shanghaijet lag not worn off
Tony and Sadie
Hong Kong Airport(Letter to Haiku Group)
(Letters to/from Sara Benson)
Mckinney State Park, Austin
at Lady Bird Johnson Center, Austin
Tony's family keeps it's identity and cohesiveness closeto the chest. I search for evidence of a socialnetwork behind the fenced-off houses, cast from a similar mold, no village to gather in, just ubiquituousstore fronts one could find anywhere, the grass andlawns all clipped to perfection under guidance of someobscure property manager's office.
It seems that with my cold-accelerated heartbeat, mytask in Austin is to appreciate every moment as if it ismy last, like the drive seven miles past the wrong turnto Mckinney state park with the unsettling soundtrackof Gabriel crying, and exhaust rumbling motors passingby us. At the state park I relax by drawing for an hour and ahalf, spotting a Snowy Egret.
angry dalmation in cooped-up housesnarling as i receive badly thrown frisbee
kids are all 'me now'in austin suburboccasional dog barkingmorning dove cooing
june bugs on front doorgather thick under porch lightrush hour traffic
the ladies noticehis cute eight month-old babyinstead of me
Sars, I am still going to call you this even if it isnow the name of a life-threatening virus. Besides,I pronounce it differently. I am just about to take adrive to the Austin airport - I've been able tocheck my mail frequently here at Tony's. We wentto a beautiful state park yesterday, the haikugroup would have loved it. Suburbs are ubiquituous here. Tony and Dee's two little kidsare cute and I have been trying to get over thecold that I already have, so I feel funky, but I'mready to get over there and get on with it! Tell JessI wish her happy birthday. I will indeed carry onin the haiku tradition; feeling okay about thingsright now. lots of love, Jons
>Hi Jons,>> So glad to hear from you. You are probably onyour way to Asia as I write. It sounds like a gooddecsion to continue on your journey and I wishyou well. I love the way travel is always lifechanging, it just can't be helped. I will think ofyou on your adventures and will send good energy for delightful explorations and stronghealth. You are brave and good to carry on thehaiku tradition. Write and draw lots. I guess thatgoes without saying. Feed your adventurous spirit. I am off to yoga to calm my nervous systemafter a voracious week. Boulder is cool yet sunny.Be well my friend and I look forward to hearingfrom you. Love Sars
Tony still wears his hair in a ponytail but has stoppedworking out, looks contentedly at his new family andstudent loans and apprenticeship at a local school foracupuncture, one conveniantly squeezed in between aMexican restaurant and a hobby shop in an Austinshopping mall. He drags his six-string bass from thecloset and we listen to songs we wrote together andrecorded three years ago. Now, when we try to playthem we can't even remember the chords, so we singold Beatles songs and new songs for children.His babies smear wet fingers from runny noses, crying piteously to be held.
I spot my first man with a face mask in the Austin airport.
Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This is part 2 of an eleven-part series covering a trip to China. Haiku, Photos and layout by Jonathan Machen.
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 52 Shanghai, April 6-7, 2003 pg.1
rainy street morningbikers wear ponchos and frownstrying not to get hit
old buildings decaynew buildings tower abovewaiting to move in
Sixteen million in Shanghai,canola and rape seed fields alternatein yellow and green, plots irregular, houses roofed in red, airport smells like a lab, long concrete soviet style architecture,the custom agent reprimands me for straying out of my spot in line.
I see my name in a crowdof faces, thankful I can be whisked away - the man who picks me up is Qin Zin or 'accurate clock'.We get in a small van with a shifty-eyed driver and I notice a billboardmade entirely of flowers, welcoming me to Pudong.
Feeling safe in the hotel I venture on to busy chaotic Shanghaistreets, surprised how vulnerable and exposed I feel.
I am terrified as I stride confidentlypast swarms of people rushing to and fromtheir late afternoon activities, into theopen square in front of the Shanghai trainstation.
When I pause to look,people pause to look at me.
I follow the irregular circleof a pedestrian catwalk and decide todo a sketch. The observer, me, becomes theobserved.
drawing a large crowd,unfamiliar facesscrutinize my sketch
no-one wears a hator shades their eyes with glassesin shanghai spring sun
Shanghai
Downtown Shanghai
Shanghai
Yu Gardens, Shanghai
Shanghai
Yu Gardens, Shanghai
Off-ramps are marked with Chinesecharacters carved in rocks. Every inch of arable land is in production,contrasting to the visually pleasing but baren green grass and bluebonnets of Austin's highways.
The driver pulls on to a narrow roadwhere families putter on bicycles and police in small mini-vans swerve into oncominglanes of traffic and I see a man pedalling a bicycle with two trash cans strapped to the rear.
Haiku Times
Shanghai
Downtown Shanghai
Volume 3, issue 52 Shanghai, April 6-7, 2003 pg.2
I now feel like a cowboy with my sunhat and wonder if I wearmy dark glasses, - will they be be offended?
In the evening our small group wanders the nearby streets. magnificent facades of architecture shine under bright spotlights, casting shadows intosmall canyons of neighborhood apartment blocks.
Women iron clothes instreetside booths and we see newly planted trees in the parks, wrapped in thick rope. We think they must be cold.An older woman with a cane demands my money.
For our first evening meal asa group (the Sierra Club group that Ihave joined, that is) we are astonished,when loud music is switched on, to seea group of Russian dancers performing a five actvariety routine in day-glow nylon costumes.Unable to talk over this sudden barrage,I enjoy the cultural incongruity while sippingtomato and cabbabe soup.The two male dancers are strainedand slightly sickly, the women, hard-edged and voluptuous. They quickly pack up after their last dance and exit for their next gig.
Shanghai
I stroll out to the edge of one exceptionally busy boulevardtrying to make sense of the traffic patterns. Yes, there are lights, green and red arrows - people are sporadic, extemporaneous,quixotic in their crossing style,as are the drivers, bikers and moped-wielding inhabitants, who will disregard lights and squeeze past and inbetween pedestrians,slicing their trajectory.
People here take risks.Overbearing busses graze mopedsI get stuck in the center of an intersectionand freeze while vehicles blaze by, for at least five minutes.
From one side of Shanghai to the nexta pall of misty cloud haze,automobile exhaust, the sweat and grime of oddly shaped skyscrapers,an unstoppable engine.
Shanghai
Fortunately there are pockets of respite. Before the morning's tour I walk with Cassandra over that same treacherous intersection in to a park.
We are suddenly in the midstof morning routines:a man half-crouching and pushing at the air in front of himselfin sustained Qi Gong,ladies practicing T'ai Chi with fans and tassels.
Music from a small radio provides a tempo for a group doing a ritual dance.
Cassandra loves this old neighborhoodand I am bouyed by her boldness and appreciation of thestreet vendors, the ordinary folkswalking around, their suspiciousgazes bothering me less.
Men ride by in bicycles piled high over their heads with goods,others tear apart what look like ancient air conditioners.A few people smile at me.
Shanghai
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 52 Shanghai, April 6-7, 2003 pg.3
A funny experience, this,being led from place to place, on a rigidschedule - not enough time toworry or get too anxious about the complexities of travel. It's almost like a job,traveling with an organized group, but onewith many perks.
Maomao is our guide.He has gone ahead and arrangedthe places and times and locationsthe meals, the busses, the negotiating,on behalf of us.
Yu Gardens, Shanghai
Yu Gardens, Shanghai
Yu Gardens, Shanghai
Han Qinhu, Anhuan, Guzhou province, Qing dynasty
At the first garden we visit,that of Yu in the city center,I take picture after picture in excitementand later edit most out, except for the fewgood ones that can contribute towards thefourteen I've allotted per day.
I want to stay and sketch I could spend all day here.We are whisked away through theFrench, then German concession areas.I benefit from the running commentary by Qin Zhong.
Pepi Kochhar and Gene Goldberg, Yu Gardens, Shanghai
ancient massage chairknotted with banyan tree rootsgives relief to back
only five acresin the center of shanghaipreserved elegance
exquisite jade stoneover one-thousand years oldseventy-two holes
family massage path inspires some of our groupto take off their shoes
in old french concessionrussian influence fadingstarbucks encroaching
sycamore treesstill line old french concessionas do pricey shops
in german concessiongovernment buildings aboundbusses cut us off
Yu Gardens, Shanghai
on the zigzag bridgetourists from many countrieslook at the goldfish
Our trip leader, Pepi, wears a turban - it is comforting to know that he sticks out even more than I do.
Haiku Times
We are in a silkworm factory.I am delighted.The ladies, standing hour after hour,thread spinning mechanical bobbinsfrom small round cocoons floating in water.
The translucent delicacy of each strandis swept up onto spindleswhere a brilliant white mass slowly gathers.
I begin to suspect that our visit is scripted - we are ledinto progressive states of amazementbefore walking into the showroom.
Our small group is outnumbered by uniform-clad sales clerks who standwith arms folded behind their backs.
Shirts, bedding, clothing of all sorts,arranged for us to buy.
Across from the silkworm factoryis a monumental slab of construction,acres and acres, it seems, wrapped in greenmesh with sky-cranes towering over this manufactured megapolis.
Shang Hai Tian Hou Silk Factory, Shanghai
Yu Gardens, Shanghai
Shang Hai Tian Hou Silk Factory, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shang Hai Tian Hou Silk Factory, Shanghai
Shang Hai Tian Hou Silk Factory, ShanghaiShanghai
The parks where people gather areThe only place many can feel community;they leave their new high-rise apartments which have replaced their former sprawling shanty-towns,century-old brick bungaloes the government has decided to tear down, togive them all bathrooms and showers.
One of our group protests this notion,that they are uniformly ordered to leave.Is it so unjust, the communist government,running socialist plans amuck over all? I don't know how they feel. maybe they want their own shower.
Volume 3, issue 52 Shanghai, April 6-7, 2003 pg.4
silkworm factoryturns into slikworm showroomhoping we will buy
soaking silk cocoontransformed into slinky dressfor sexy models
bobbing in watersilky cocoon feeds spindleunraveling thread
Shanghai Museum
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 52 Shanghai, April 6-7, 2003 pg.5
chinese acrobatsputting risk in perspectivewhile we sit and fret
We eat more foodtempted by dishes that silent Chinese women place on the lazy susanrotating in the center of the table,discussing what the ingredients might really be.
We head for the Shanghai museum and have: two hoursin which to explore twenty five thousandworks of artwhich is approximately point one two five five fiveseconds per objector, what i do is start sketchingthe first beautiful Bodhisattava that i seethen a maskand some of the mythical creatures outside, and it is over.
But not until we eat once moreand watch acrobats perform in an empty auditorium.My vision of the Chinese istransformed again when I contrast thesight of the thousands of slightlyscowling masses, pacing the overpopulatedstreets, to these experts at balance, poise, and farce.
touring in shanghaiwith jet lag and a head coldat least it's not sars
Shanghai Museum
Shanghai Museum
Lokapala, AD 900-1279 Shanghai Museum
The Bund, Shanghai
Acrobats, Shanghai Center Shanghai Museum
Acrobats, Shanghai Center
Bodhisattava, Song Dynasty, AD 900-1279
lovers on the bunduntil i see a couplefighting on the bund
Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This is part 3 of an eleven-part series covering a trip to China.
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 53 Zhouzhuang and Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, April 8-9, 2003 pg.1
farmers doing wellin fields outside of suzhoutending canola
yellow canolavibrant under murky skiesubiquituous blueuniformity of truckson nanjing highway
trio of sweeperswith red hats and leafy broomscleaning the highway
maneuvering buspast small streets and bicyclesweaving and honking
chinese elders walkbehind blue shirts and stiff gazedeflecting my smile
construction workersride to work on bicycleswith metal lunch pails
tourists flock key bridgecommemorating paintingby chen yi fei
hailing from suzhoui.m. pei later designedncar in boulder
cool round marble seatsperfect for the summer heatin the house of shang
peaceful canal floatover suspect green waterour boat lady sings
land of fish and ricefifth century canalsvenice of the east
just takes a secondfor them to switch to englishand shout out, 'hallo'
Zhouzhuang
Suzhou street market
singing, ‘A wish for a safe journey,’ Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang, 900-year old World Heritage Site
dance performance in the Master of the Fishing Nets, Suzhou
Zhouzhuang
above the odortwo women repair a shirtwith sewing machine
so far this morningthree people have smiled at mestarting to keep count
Haiku Times
Old Suzhou market
Volume 3, issue 53 Zhouzhuang and Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, April 8-9, 2003 pg.2
Walking through backstreet Ming Dynastyfamily housing along greywater canals,green pungent water,open latrines for men and womendraining into public water - workmendigging in the muck to install newsewer lines - we walk past small doorways opening to cramped clustersof generational living - down the streetthere are computer shops and industrialcenters and old preserved gardens for pasthumble administrators, but here,
women struggle with sewingmachines, men carry pipes. I force a smile to old folks sittingabove the odorous water and feelintrusive, American, wealthy.
Zhouzhuang
Old Suzhou market
The Master of the Fishing Nets, Suzhou
At the market, a complex layering of sights, smells, vegetable and fish textures, bamboo shoots next to women chopping escargots, bean curdin various formations.
Singing in The Master of the Fishing Nets, Suzhou
learning the hard wayi should have asked her firstto take her picture
in crowded marketi feel like an outsidernot here to buy food
tang dynasty danceand music of silken fluteevoke where we are
culture for touristsperfecting the disciplinesfrom earlier times
back alley ming housealong stagnant green canalwoman washes pan
backstreets of suzhouwhere community bathroom opens to canal
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 53 Zhouzhuang and Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, April 8-9, 2003 pg.3
once belongingto humble administratorsnow for all to see
wanting to be shownthe factories we can't seeor are not allowed
we find internetfor only two yuan an hourinstead of fourty
all three stories highfarmers' cubical housesamidst yellow fields
Suzhou embroidery research institute In the Garden of Secluded Beauty, also a world heritage site
suzhou, new, old, industrialcoffee of original beanredracing bakery
weaving through trafficfashon model on mopedcuts off bikers
Humble Administrators's Garden, Suzhou
Zhouzhuang Entrance, Tiger Hill, Suzhou
pedicab driversporting mcdonalds logoswaits for customers
just expressionlessinstead of outright disdainthe chinese visage
stitching both sidesembroiderers take a breakevery two hours
pulling silk through silkbleary eyed state employeescopy old paintings
On Tiger Hill in SuzhouChinese tourists look at me in my cowboy-type hat,ask for photos as if i am part of the attraction, so i rub my fingerstogether as if to ask for money.
Everybody laughs, buta small Chinese girls cries when placednext to me for photos.
Haiku Times
Tiger hill, Suzhou
Tiger hill, Suzhou
Tiger Hill, Suzhou
Zhouzhuang
Tiger hill, Suzhou- burial spot of Suzhou'sfounder, reincarnated as a tiger
Zhouzhuang
Volume 3, issue 53 Zhouzhuang and Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, April 8-9, 2003 pg.4
(letter from Patrick Lynn):
Here I am at work, with Cali.You know what that means ...Patty and Tim are at the hospital.They called at 6 and droppedCali off at 7:30 or so and saidthey'd call again when there wasanything to report, nothing yet.I'll keep you posted.
I enjoyed the haiku. How bizarrethat you're over there and I'mover here.
Patrick
tiger hill toweraskew, askance, akimbooleaning towards pisa
the king of wuunable to split the stonebrought in the army
getting accustomedto people staring at meso i just stare back
Hooray! Wow! How exciting to hearthis and so quickly, too! I am still inSuzhou after a day of touring gardensand silk empbriodery places - in thelast hour, we did an intense andrewarding walk in a more run-downsection of town, with buildings fromthe Ming dynasty, families are stillliving in them - canals all smell terrible, very bad sanitation, but alively market place with lots of people and food. Anyway, it's great toget this news of Marley. Red hair isgood. Please tell patty and tim that Iam thinking of them all the way overhere in China. Thanks for keeping mein touch, if other places have internetservice as good as this I shall beable to check in regularliy.
Jon, this is Mom, using Dad's computer. Your little nephew, Marley Davis(named after Bob Marley), arrived this morning (Tues. the 8th) at 10:46!Patty and Tim got to the hospital just after 8 and he came ratherquickly. It was intense, Patty said, but blessedly short. Tim managed tosurvive just fine. The little guy has 10 fingers and 10 toes, blue eyes,more hair than Cali had--and it seems to have a touch of red. He weighsalmost 7 pounds: 6 lbs., 15 oz. Patty didn't mention how long he was.She sounded tired but happy; as she spoke, Marley was sound asleep onher lap, in his little cap, after having had a successful first nursing.Patty and Marley will stay overnight at the hospital for observation andthen may stay a night at the Bluff St. house, but then they'll return toEstes Park. Cali is with Patrick at work; they dropped her off at P & T'saround 7:30 this morning.Dad and I will come up when they're ready for us. Pat and Mike, whomI've just talked to, are on their way to Ft. Collins to look at housesthere and may stop by EP for a brief visit on their way back to meet thelatest member of the family.More soon!Love, Mom
Zhouzhuang
Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This is part 4 of an eleven-part series covering a trip to China.
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 54 Tongli and Hangzhou, China, April 10-11, 2003 pg.1
crossing three bridgesin the center of tongliensuring fortune
carp in abundanceon the toll road to tongliduck ponds overflow
only for those whocould afford to meditatethis precious garden
heavy stone doorwayprotection for the familyin anhui townhouse
cormorant holds fishuntil forced from bulging neckby fisherwoman
am i as lovelyas the rest of this garden?man takes my photo
ancestors' abodewhere women received womenand men received men
no lights, no helmetno turn signal, no warningcant find internet
little open space between neighborhoods and townsone massive suburb
just what i neededinquisitive chinese eyeswhile i am sketching
we and the other americansfill chinese ballroom
Gathering Beauty Pavillion, Tongli
Tongli
Garden of Meditation, Gathering Beauty Pavillion, Tongli
Tongli
Garden of Meditation, Gathering Beauty Pavillion, Tongli
Garden of Meditation, Gathering Beauty Pavillion, Tongli
from the autumn viewone can see the winter viewor the summer view
without reverencefor garden serenityjapanese tourists shout
park for the peoplemade when ancient buildings falldespite their protests
they put to good usea forest of scaffoldingto build a highway
red-lacquered chambersun streams through wooden latticecrabs dance on paper
Haiku Times
Santanyinyue - Three flags reflecting the Moon Island
Volume 3, issue 54 Tongli and Hangzhou, China, April 10-11, 2003 pg.2
Now a certain repetition settling inwith our small group of seven peoplefacing off around a circular tablethree times a day - my living companionsfor the next two weeks as we togetherscrutinize the myriad dishes that comebefore us in quick succession. The others are all world travelers; I am amazed at howmany different parts of the globe we haveinvestigated, lived in, photographed.
I think of patty back home with a new baby and the 1.3 billion Chinese people here
the thing i have not graspedup to this point is how big this population is.the Chinese direction is,in some way, the world's direction.
I am seeing the most densely populated and busy areas of China, to be sure. i can somehow put Malaysia and Singapore in perspectiveafter seeing the mainland.
Longjing, 'Dragon Well' tea plantation, Hangzhou
Santanyinyue, Hangzhou
Tongli
Tongli
MaoMao and Gail Goldberg, Tongli
fattening red carptourists throw chunks of white bread,watch feeding frenzy
bonsai in mirrorreflecting grey haze of lakeand tourist logjam
tour leader lectureswhile chinese police ladiesinspect nearby shop
desperate street vendorsrushing to meet me with itemsof complete garbage
wall of four seasonsconcealing wisteriabehind in purple
young teenage chinesesharing chatter and headphonesshouting at the carp
hard to distinguishwhistles of exotic birdsfrom those of vendors
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 54 Tongli and Hangzhou, China, April 10-11, 2003 pg.3
which more beautiful?song dynasty lake gardensor chinese women
plantive peacock crylike a wounded animalin cry of distress
like peacock shakingbus engine shudders and spitsattracts nearby bus
Ling Yin Temple, Hangzhou
Ling Yin Temple, Hangzhou
The real history is now, what China is moving into and towards,at this hectic pace of modernization.
I sketch fantastic buddhascarved in rock walls only by forsaking thetour with the group - so I don't see partof the temple with the largest buddha in China -but I do get to feel the closepressing attention of hundreds of inquisitive chinese tourists who want tolook over my shoulder at my drawing,
so I sketch aqualinenoses and delicately curved eyebrowsand stare past the heads of thosewho stand right in front of me to takepictures of all their friends.
Cassandra and MaoMao, Xi Hu (West) Lake, Hangzhou
Xi Hu (West) Lake and gardens, Hangzhou
Peacocks, Huagang Dong Park, Hangzhou
pen under pressurefinding inner composurewhile people look on
while i sketch buddhared-headed chinese beautypeers at my drawing
renaissance paintingsas seen through cloudy smoke hazeof chinese restaurant
Four a.m. thunderawakes me in confusionin high rise hotel
now, thunder outside.All day long, misty smoggy.The boat ride, like glass on clouds.The tour guide, a metronome of ancient Chinese facts.The dishes of food that pass before us in a steady succession :purple eggplant wedges in spicy oilbamboo shoots with pork pieceswatery spinach, watery souplachong (spicy hot sauce pepi orders)deep fried meats with vegetablespretty chinese waitresses who stand silentlybehind our table, weak beer.
Haiku Times
Longjing, 'Dragon Well' tea museum
Longjing, 'Dragon Well' tea museum
Longjing, 'Dragon Well' tea museum
Xi Hu (West) Lake, Hangzhou
Longjing, 'Dragon Well' tea museum
Precious Stone Hill, Hangzhou
Volume 3, issue 54 Tongli and Hangzhou, China, April 10-11, 2003 pg.4
man presses green teain giant electric wokhands turning brown
making bamboo fenceand practicing operaat bottom of trail
drivers maneuveraccording to the tempounique to china
unmistakable bravado sounds of operain hangzhou forest
busy web cafehard to find a free machinefor me to do mail
local internetmostly young chinese studentsplaying danger games
and smoking
hacking and spittingcity dwellers find refugeon peaceful mountain
legions of hikersout for theraputic walkmaking throat noises
fine young spring tea leafdestined for super grade Aor, next year, grade B
her limp handshakesurprising me as i crusheach of her fingers
willow trees weepingblooming peaches pink, rose,whitewhite peacocks display
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 54 Tongli and Hangzhou, China, April 10-11, 2003 pg.5
Garden of Secluded Beauty, Suzhou, worldheritage site- (near embroidery factory)
Ling Yin Temple, HangzhouHuagang Dong Park, Hangzhou
(Letters from/to David Teitler)
(Letters from/to Sanjay Rajan)
(Letter from Patty Machen)
Hi Brother!wow, e-mail is cool when you're half way across theworld! So, how is the trip?? I got your first e-mail, andmom sent me your itinerary, so I can kind of knowwhat you are up to. We've been thinking about youLOTS! Things are moving along here - I know you gotthe message about the Little Dude! I started havingcontractions early Tues. morning, and by 5:15 had gotten over my denial that it was the real thing andwoke Tim up (who was awake anyway, having hadfeelings all night that it was going to happen). We weredown at the hospital by 8:15, and he was out at 10:46!It was very intense, but he swooped out so dang fast - I only pushed 3 times (whereas with Cali I pushed forabout 1 1/2 hours...) We are all doing great - he's atotally cute little alien. Tim thinks he actually looks alotlike you, so there you go. I'm feeling really pretty good,although tired, and Cali is doing pretty well too - shewants to see him all the time and show him off to people. So, a new addition, and I can't wait for you tosee him. But in the meantime, I hope you are seeing wonderful things and liking your trip-mates and feeling good and drawing alot and having fun! Love,yer Sis
Keep it going dude....That is the onlyway. Can't put Life on hold for somevirus with an innocous name as SARS!! Apositive attitude is THE biggest factor fora cool trip. Enjoy and keep haiku-iing.May be you will write...."TRAVELS INTIME OF sars" And based on how thingsgo or don't go, I may be back inIndia/Bhutan next month. So may catchup with you somewhere in Asia. Staycool. Sanj =====> _______________>....trips take people
Thanks Sanjay, you know I will. Sars...myaffectionate name for Sara, taken anddragged through the international muck.Why might you go to Bhutan? Jon
Ni hao ma Jon, I'll assume you are receiveing messages as well. How is your Chinese? Hasthe phrase this is my refridgerator come in handy. So, is China pretty fascinating? It isinteresting to see how the other 1/5 live. Has anyone touched your arm yet to see what itfeels like to have hair on your arm?We are just pluggin along here, ready to plant our garden this weekend. Shaun is almostwalking and understanding more by the day.I said wo bu shou...Chinese for No, I don't smoke. Quite a handy phrase.Love, David
Nopi hopao mapo Dopave, I don't shopou for sure, plenty of that around here as it is. Here I amin a funky little internet cafe were practically every person is a guy for one thing and playingannoying computer games for another.Nice to hear from you and to think of Shaun almost walking - the kids here are as cute as canbe, not to mention the women, which grow on me day by day. Our guide says I can get aChinese wife if I want...hmmm...is it really that easy? We are in Hangzhou at the moment,about to fly to Kunming. Will be there tonight. We have been touring these famous garden citiesin the 'land of fish and rice' near the Shanghai area - went to Suzhou and Zhouzhuang andTongli as well. I have done some good sketches. You would not recognize China were you tocome today, people say it is almost unrecognizable from just 10 years ago. The modernization isintense, and there are so many people here! But it is fascinating and beautiful, too. We went to atea plantation yesterday and I thought of Angie. Mr Plum managed to sell our group on Supergrade A green tea, reserved only for Chinese Bureaucrats, of course. And us.Love to you and the clan, Jon
Xi Hu (West) Lake and gardens, Hangzhou
Garden of Meditation, Gathering Beauty Pavillion,Tongli
Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This is part 5 in an eleven-part series covering a trip to China. This issue covers Kunming, China.
wearing a red mao t-shirtwoman walks up overpassin downtown kunming
if you say the wordfor internet the wrong wayyou will insult him
in his blue turbanand exotic countenancehe loves the women (pepi)
Gene and Gayle from Denver: The distant antics oftheir 19-year old son have amused us as he sends various bits of internet half-truths about his whereabouts, causing them to make a bee line for theinternet cafes to try and figure out what is going on.Gene is a retired architect who worked for the ParkService. He is involved in leading Sierra Club trips aswell and will be taking a group to Nepal in the fall, aswell as leading several backpacking trips in the U.S.His main interest now appears to be traveling andwilderness adventures. Witty, slighty acerbic. Gayle is agreying, bubbly, youthful nurse from Denver, occasionally ribald with a healthy perspective aboutlife and its pitfalls. Dour sense of humor. Both very adventurous and curious.
Keith Anderson, husband to BarbaraLenssen, is a financial consultant fromSanta Fe, formerly a grocery storeexecutive. The tallest of our group, heasks insightful questions of our tourguides that reveal a deep understanding of the world and theway different cultures interact.
Seven Star Village
Seven Star Village
Keith Anderson on the way to Seven Star Village
Seven Star Village
Seven Star Village
Pepi Kochhar, our Sierra Club trip leader, isan Indian native who has settled in NewYork. After studying engineering and gettinga degree in management he decided to enterthe real estate market, and is able to conductmost of his business while on the road, usingthe internet. He wears a turban at all times - a light blue or grey wrap around his head,secured in a neat bundle with small pins. Heis short and his dark black beard shows signsof white underneath. He has a relaxed attitude and loves the chinese women.Knowing me to be single, he confides to methe ones that really affect him, and mostly Ifind that I agree.
flying to kunmingwe eat warm dry bunswhich i stuff with prepackagedmustard greens and bamboo shootsbut am unable to finish
planning his next tripforest service architectfinds a new career(gene)
emailing her sonshe tells me not to have kidsor just teenagers(gayle)
spilling hot coffeeon the flight to kunmingwrithing in small seat(keith)
We stop at a local village, onethat apparrently puts up with tourists examining their somewhat crampedand preindustrial surroundings.
The outside world does getthrough but much remains the same.
We walk on pathways of wheatto help break the seed,watch locals at work, locals sittin'.
Quxing Cun, Seven Star Village, Yunan
Quxing Cun, Seven Star Village, Yunan
Quxing Cun, Seven Star Village, Yunan
rescuing our groupfrom inept chinese waitressat crisis moment(maomao)
Maomao, our guide. Hailing from Nanjing,this man in his early 40's speaks excellent eng-lish. this Sierra Club trip is the second he hasled. His perspective in China is tremendously valuable to me, and withouthim we would be flailing completly. He iswell organized and totally helpful in helpingus manage all the small details of negotiatingthis intense place.
stealth rearing their petswalking their dog after darkchinese fear the fine
chinese street muraldone in style of old landscapescracking and peeling
families threshing wheatin center of yu villageold folks just look on
terraces outsideclose red brick walls insideopen pit latrine
banging wheat on drumsany way to separatethe staff from the chaff
Our new guide for this section(he said just call him James)flits between comprehension and uncomprehension on the snakey shakeycramped bus ride thru the outskirts of Kunming towards the famous stone forest.
recounting her tripswithout bothering to countshe has seen the world(barbara)
Barbara Lenssen is a semi-retired psychologist in her 70's who has traveled extensively. She has lived inSanta Fe for many years, has made sev-enteen trips to Africa, is a lover ofgreen chilis on toasted cheese breadand the Santa Fe Opera. She, alongwith Cassandra, shares my interest in writing haiku as a way ofinvoking a sense of our unusual surroundings.
headdress with two hornsmeans the girl is a virginor just plain horny
The sky is perpetually hazygigantic coal fired power plant restsuneasily near large lakes,people take the uneven twolane highway in every form of transportation - horses, mini-taxis, bicycles, smog-belching government looking trucks
James points out the narrow guage railway that goes from Kunming to Viet Nam - high above the highway,something the french wanted in their bidto extract the resources from this richland - "the land of spring", and transportit through to Viet Nam.
At the Stone Forest I avoid the expected tour lecture and disappear assoon as we get near the stone formations, after lunch - to draw - and Ihave so little time to do so. When will I ever be here again?
I do two drawings we head back to Kunming spending far moretime on the highway than we do at our destination
Stone Forest
Stone Forest
Stone Forest
Seven Star Village, Yunan
deforestationon the hills outside of kunmingroadside tree trunks white
ducks frolic in creekthen end up in a street stallpale yellow teardrops
men drinking teain truck cab propped up on blocksboy scurries afteryellow duck chicks
her large floppy hat and unabashed photo styleraise chinese eyebrows(cassandra)
Probably the most colorful and complex character of the group:Cassandra , in her early 50's. Lost herhusband in a plane crash six yearsago. Extensively travelled and welleducated in literature and the arts,she feels frustrated, as I do, at theshort amount of time we have to real-ly explore and investigate. She is the'princess' of the group, stating so her-self at her unflinching readiness tohave her exact desires attended to.She attracts much attention whereverwe go on account of her floppy hatswhich take up lots of real estate. she issomewhat demanding but at the sametime she can be charming and adven-turous. She is bold and unafraid to beoutspoken in the face of challengingsituations. Will take a picture of any-body.
Dude sounds like fun.... i am getting out of the "America" complacencyand heading to Bhutan...Apr 24 to May 17th. So I should be on otherside of the border. Enjoy and get over the damn cold!! ;) Sanjay
Sanjay, cold is almost gone but plane flights have been bad for my ears. Ihave a bunch more flights to go, too, but overall I now have more energythan when I first came over. Sounds like you have some good plans.Talk to you later- Jon
Jonathan Glad you have finally escaped to Asia. We are closer now, physically. Your message andHaiku help me tune in. May your travels bring deep joy. May curiosity arise and findits fulfillment.
Different VardanSilence has gone deep insideAll things SuchnessVardan feels clear to come back to Boulder by early June at the latest. Nothing is certainbut the presence in this very moment, the particle that is now. Now Now . . . The rest isinfinite possibility. infinite love Vardan
Hey Ben, good to hear that Vardan is planning on coming back early June. Though Iwouldn't be surprised if it was July...I am finding lots of opportunities for poetry andart. Thinking of you my friend, just a short ways away! Today we fly to Kunming,
Hey folks, I hope everyone is having a good saturday morning (unless youare in India like Bodhi, or it is Monday). Here it is 8:24 pm; our group flewinto Kunming today after spending a couple of days in Hangzhou. SierraClub trips are not all backpacking and campfires, let me tell you. They pretty much let the local guides call the shots, and so far that has included eating very well and me being able to focus on photos, haiku anddrawings- how great. We have a very proficient man named Mao Mao whois accompanying us until the trip ends; He is from Nanjing, himself excitedto return to these more western parts of the country. I have found myself facing (a group previously unknown to me) of the same six other people for breakfast, lunch and dinner ever since arriving here - some might say thiswould be madness - but it actually has been a lot of fun. A couple fromDenver, one from Santa Fe, Pepi from New York and Cassandra fromPortland. I am the youngest one, and up to this point, the one with theworst cold. As such we have already become a fairly tight group, given the surroundings and the adventure we are sharing. Oh my god, the guy next tome just lit up his cigarette and I am just starting this letter, crap. There arejust so many unusual aspects to this place - shaking me out of my Bouldercomplacency. And, of course a lot more pollution, very intense. Asia is justpounded with people. Well anyway, here are some more haiku from theevolving collection:
Sars,I'm still going to call you this because the pronunciation is so different. thanksfor writing back and telling me of your reality. I am thinking of all my friendsback home. Just be glad you don't have to spend your day threshing wheat byhand, like in this minority Yu village we saw today! will write again soon. lotsof love, jon
Hi Jonsers,So fun to hear from you and get a glimpse into some of your travels and
experiences. Sounds like the Sierra Club situation is good. People to connect withand some guidance to inform your travels. Sounds fun! Good to get far awayfrom Boulder and be in a whole different reality. Gives you perspective. Will loveto see photos and hear more stories. Your haiku is very cool. Thanks for theglimpses into China. Life here is very springish. Patty had her baby as I'm sureyou've heard. Congratulations on being the proud uncle of Marley. I think that'san awesome name.
Seven Star Village, Yunan
Seven Star Village, Yunan
(Letter to haiku group)
(Letter from/to Sanjay Rajan)
(Letters from/to Bodhi Vardan)
(Letters from/to Sara Benson)
Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This is part 6 in an eleven-part series covering a trip to China. This issue covers Dali, China
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 56 Dali, Yunan Province, China, April 14, 2003 pg.1
dali street marketbartering and hagglingfor silver jewlry
baskets strapped to headholding squirming piglet pairand lively rooster
cassandra shoppingleaving behind her a wakeof bai shopladies
Lu Yu, Finger Painter, Lanlinge Hotel, Dali
Dali street market
Dali street market
Cassandra being chased by Dali vendorartist in front of the Dali library
Butterfly Spring, Dali
distant snowcapped peaksrice fields, cultivated groundlanding in dali
mountains surroundingred earth and green rice terracesairport on plateau
door porter yawningearly morning in daliunder silver pearl
red tassel, red stringindicates a single girlthree years hard laborif you want to marry her
no sign of loverswho committed suicideat butterfly spring
snow flowerwind moonon their big hats
china's vice premiervisits dali, forcing usto take the back roads
married then divorcedwith a war in the middlethe cycle of life
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 56 Dali, Yunan Province, China, April 14, 2003 pg.2
towards the pagodaswe float as if in a dreamon slow moving chair
man chipping a rockbelow terraces of tombsi glide on chairlift
watermelon juicefrothy amidst flat salt cakemelon flute drones on
springtime in daliorange-seated chairlift takes ussoaring above lake
Dali street market
Dali street market
Dali street market
scuz in the gulliesindigo dye in the vatsboth looking quite blue
above lake erhibirds sing, chinese loudspeakerfliters from below
woman at Dali street market
Dali tye-dye factory
Dali street market
Haiku Times
Zhonge si
Zhonge si
Dali architecture
Zhonge si
woman at Dali street market
Zhonge si
Zhonge si
Volume 3, issue 56 Dali, Yunan Province, China, April 14, 2003 pg 3
slowly up chairliftpast ancestors' tombs and moundsspreckled with incense
taoist priest smokingin temple of supreme god,zhong he shi
hanoki cypressat the base of the chang shanjapanese import
while we eat our lunchman drinks from dragon fountainunleashing great spit
taoist deitiesscowl from secluded shelteri leave no incense
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 56 Dali, Yunan Province, China, April 14, 2003 pg. 4
Zhonge si and lake Erhi
Dali batik shop
Xizhou, Bai minority villageXizhou, Bai minority village
Xizhou, Bai minority village
(email from Patrick Lynn) I especially liked the crushing fingers handshake haiku. I don't have anything new to report on Cali because I haven't seen hersince last Tuesday when they went back to Estes. The weather here is stupendous spring, everything decided to bud or bloor or grow leaves or sprout orsend up some shoots at the same time. Thanks for letting us store that stuff in your fridge yesterday while we were defrosting ours (you might want tothink about doing the same!). Gee, those crusty bread loaf heels are going to be fine eating by the time you get back.
(email from Patrick Lynn)Geez oh man, it's busy around here. Yesindeedy, Cali is fairly excited about this MarleyMakepeace Davis character, a veritable littlepink m&m. We took her over to visit yesterdayand she was all over the little guy, pointing outhis tiny little feet and tiny little hands and suggesting about only a million times thatmaybe they should change his diaper. Pattyspent the night with the new boober in thehospital, Tim slept at Bluff, Cali with us. Caliwent to the hospital again this morning for avisit and is now over to the purple door playing with Ana. P, T, & M are headed to thebluff street house now and the lot of them willprobably head back to Estes tomorrow morning.
(from Patrick, continued) Don't let those Chinesefool you, they are an especially tricky people, asDuke from the comic book Doonesbury saidabout 20 years ago, life over there is exactly thesame as life right here in Boulder. Packit
Packit - it's supendously hot here in Dali, like inthe 90's,but that might have been partiallybecause I have a touch of fever with stomachproblems. My health has not been great on thistrip - I'm still getting over the cold, and now this.We were touring an island in the middle of thelake by Dali, looking at all sorts of strange driedfishes and herbs for male verility and buddhisttemples, and I felt like crap. In the morning wetook a chair lift ride up about 2000 feet to a Taoisttemple where I did a quick sketch - a fun trip upand back.
(From Jon to Patrick Lynn)
We have a fun guide for this section, one of the Baiminority that inhabit this area. Khubilai Khan settledhere in the 1200's and brought Islam to Buddhisim's backdoor, and there is an islamic community here, but the Baiare mostly Buddhist or are not religious. My hotel window is directly opposite this music shop that hasplayed the same CD on repeat ever since I've been here -oh my god! I'm looking forward to those crusts, yum. say hi to Tammy for me. more later, love, J
(email to my parents)Hi mum and dad, just a quick note...wearrived in Dali today, left the hotel inKunming at about 6 this morning andmade a 30 minute flight to this area. Hugelake here, some snow on the peaks highabove. We've been focusing on the Baiminority villages, and have a Bai guide.We were able to go to a busy mondaymorning market which was amazing - Ibartered for a few items and took lots ofpictures. We toured an ancient village andhave just checkedinto the hotel, and I'mabout to go out and do some sketching -very colorful and lively here, it's quitebeautiful. Internet quite slow here. hope allis well, have a good morning! Love, Jon
(from Judy Machen)Quick note...it's still Sat. a.m. 4/12, now11:06. Dad and I have just looked at almost75 photos, color, of the Stone Forest andthe Western Hills. WOW! What sightsyou're seeing! What fabulous temples, suchinteresting architecture and such color!How exciting! Mom
locking feet, leaping togetherfirst a bitter teato symbolize the strugglesat the start of life
pinching bride and groomgood way to end the weddingif you are bai
Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This is part 7 in an eleven-part series covering a trip to China This issue covers Dali, China
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 57 Dali, Yunan Province, China, April 15, 2003 pg.1
Jin Suo
Jin Suo (Golden Fishnet) village
Jin Suo here's how it unfolds, see...photo by Pepi
Jin Suo ‘good for male virility problems’
maid thwarting attemptto make timely bathroom breakbefore we rush off
dragon shrine villagebroad beans drying in the sungateway to jin suo
inbetween housesintense food cultivationinstead of green lawns
new comradriein the center of asiamy path unfolding
grandchildbursts into courtyardwith yellow windbreaker
from black coal slurryworkers press small round coalcakesaffordable heat
in her grey clothinggrandma takes grandson to schoolin blue windbreaker
down cobblestone streetinscription in arabichigh on door lintel
hoping the offeringwill purify stomach crampsin the near future
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 57 Dali, Yunan Province, China, April 15, 2003 pg.2
sleepy drone of boatgiving this group of touristsa chance to conk out
feeling good on boatbut terrible on the shoremystery illness
writing a haikunow just a gut reactionto life around me
watching cnnis like having a bad dreamin rural china
goddess of mercynext to the arhat reachingfor forgotten scroll
Jin Suo (Golden Fishnet) village
Dali Library courtyard
Jin Suo (Golden Fishnet) villageJin Suo (Golden Fishnet) village
cypress boughin secluded patiofishing nets rolled up
drying the cypressfor later use as incenseold man smokes his pipe
Haiku Times
San Ta, Dali
maoin Bai village, Xizhou
Jin Suo (Golden Fishnet) village
Jin Suo (Golden Fishnet) villageSan Ta, Dali
MaoMao
Downtown Dali
Volume 3, issue 57 Dali, Yunan Province, China, April 15, 2003 pg.3
Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This is part 8 in an eleven-part series covering a trip to China This issue covers Lijiang, China
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 58 Lijiang, Yunan Province, China, April 16-17, 2003 pg.1
grandmother and grandson in Baisha village, Lijiang
Wufeng Lou, Lijiang
old town Lijiang
old/new town Lijiang
Maomao, tea tasting, Lijiang
deyue pavillion, Lijiang
another slow truckcovered by canvas patchesbelches diesel smoke
flat-headed driverhonks before passing blue truckwe talk of culture
our group protestingabout dirty tableclothsand undercooked eggs
to get to the looyou must walk through the showroompast pricey objects
sweeping wide to pass,driver narrowly missesthree pigs in a truck
the only billboards -hand-painted signs on housesfor phone companies
deconstructing homes with only a sledgehammer,they recycle bricks
as many signsapprioximating englishas sacred temples
salesroom alert:taken to drink mountain teai know what is next
a sweet aftertasteon the heels of bitter teaoolong and rosehips
old neighborhoods goneprople move to high risersrelocation good?
naxi loves dalilovers meet only to diereligion means death
wisteria bloomschusters drooping lavendartemples with frescoes
ancient frescoes gleambuddha with diamond eyes gougedancient frescoes gleam
roots entwined loverscamelia blooms defy deathcouples take pictures
charming, obnoxiousshop owners from withinincessant 'hallo'
square-headed babycarried by squat grandmothergives me asian eye
washing pink pork gutsin community canalsurprised to hear phone
old timers creepingdown village street, stoppingnow and then to spit
dog in metal cavesnarls as five chinese touristspoke a stick at him
cipro cottonmouthafter popping two large pillswile stomach rumbles
lotus lanterns floatlike starlight down the canalunder stone bridges
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 58 Lijiang, Yunan Province, China, April 16-17, 2003 pg.4
From Patrick LynnI love "unleashes great spit". Tammy and I watched"Eat, Drink, Man, Woman" which is set in TaiPeiwhich is in your general part of the world. Lot ofpeople over there, huh? bits of dust floating in goldmorning light slanting above the bedspread. Yourrentals are coming to town tomorrow, and Marleyand company are coming down the mountain atsome point, I'll catch him up on Uncle Jonathan'sshenanigans. See does he like "unleashes great spit".From the looks of the sack of used diapers that wason the porch after his Boulder time last weekend, I'dsay that he knows all about "unleashes great shit".Packit
(to Patrick Lynn)Well, yes you are a colorful character,and that's not all about the dream. Wewere in corridors of rooms and therewere gigantic chess sets that wouldrotate like hidden doors with thingsbehind them, and there were a bunch ofpeople chasing you like monks so itreally shouldn't have been your fault,but still they accused you. hope you hada good beer, and please if there is achance for people to say anything atSteve's wedding, say i send greetingsfrom China. thanks for checking on theMarlette, I really appreciate it. love, J
Bodhi - Yeah, the Sars is worrysome, butI think I've avoided that so far. The diharrea has been pretty bad so I starteda course of antibiotics, I just don't wantto be in these areas having to find a loowhere there aren't any...am in Lijiangright now at the base of 5596 meter JadeSnow Dragon mountain. (18,480 feet).Beautiful city, the Naxi minority haveclose ties with Tibet. Tomorrow we aregetting even closer to Tibet. Thanks forthe suggestions. love, j
(From Patty Machen) Howdy from the mountains, where on Monday it was 73 degrees, yesterday it was about 33, and today the wind is howling! Ack!Freaking szchitzophrenic weather patterns! Anyway, How are you?? I got your message that you called, and I'm so sorry I missed it. We are in Estes morenow, with the baby, especially during the week. Are you over your cold? It's been great getting your e-mails, and the haiku is definitely fulfilling its' literarypurpose well - they are giving me what feels like an authentic glimpse into the moments and the world you are seeing. I'm glad the group of people feelstight. it seems like there's no better way to create bonds than to experience intense things with people. But we miss you! But we're glad you're there! Cali willbe excited about that silk dress! My sweet little man just woke up (hence I am typing this the one-finger-pecking way ). He's a good nurser, a good sleeper(woop woop!). and definitely a good pooper! yep, love those poops... Anyway, we send you lots of love and good thoughts! Love, yer Sis
Hi Sis,thanks for the note. Glad to hear things are poopy and nursey. I am almost over my cold, and like Dave says, 'phlegm is your friend'. unfortunately Ihave had the runs for a couple of days, pretty badly, so I'm now taking the antibiotics I brought. I am in Lijiang right now, a mountain town with views of16,000 foot 'snowjade mountain'. It's definitely the prettiest natural place we've visited- and there's less than a million people here! hooray! I will send alonger haiku later, just wanted to touch base. lots of love yer bro
(from Patrick) Travelling in exotic countries wouldnot be nearly as adventurous with-out the runs, so good thing you gotthat out of the way and hopefully theantibiotics will kick in and you canconcentrate on shopping for a bride.Geez oh man, those drugs must havemade you delirious -- that dream ofyours was reminiscent of one ofmine. Tell them it wasn't my fault idumped their priceless artifact intothe canal, i was run off the road by acrazy monk. And tell them, no, I amnot a colorful character. Meanwhiletonight Charlton is joining Steve andothers of us so that we can buy himhis last beer as a free man. We'll hoistone for you, too. Marlette is doingjust fine. Packit
roof ornament, Dongba Cultural Research InstituteYufeng Si Monastery, Lijiang
Dragon Spring village
Jonathan, Lijiang
Wufeng Lou, Lijiang
Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This is part 9 in an eleven-part series covering a trip to China. This issue covers Shigu,Tiger Leaping Gorge and Zhongdian, China
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 59 Shigu, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Zhongdian, Yunan Province, China,
April 18-19, 2003 pg.1
Shigu, stone drum village
Sonam, our tour guide in Zhongdian
Shigu, stone drum village
Shigu with the statue commemorating the Red Army 'scrossing of the Yangtze in the long march of April, 1936
Shigu, stone drum village
flat-headed driverhonks before passing blue truckwe talk of culture
sweating profuselywhile the driver navigatesrural interstate
our driver on cellroaring above the yangtzeprecarious cliff
somehow they manageto fix the road while lettingthe tour bus pass
strategic crossingfor mao, genghis and zu ge lingon way to tibet
there is a sayingthe cantonese eat all legsexcept table legs
open pit latrineat random chinese truck stopabove the yangtze
road construction crewdoing everything by handin orange baseball caps
traffic obstructedby spontaneous street marketspilling into street
digging in her earlady holds green umbrellaat the leaping gorge
coming face to facewith the community looin southwest china
backbreaking workseventy-five cents an hourmost wearing suit-tops
houses of mud bricksand rough timber constructionplus sattelite dish
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 59 Shigu, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Zhongdian Yunan Province,
China, April 18-19, 2003 pg.2
near Zhongdian
Shutu Lake Stupa
Tibetan house near Zhongdian
Tiger Leaping Gorge
market near Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge
while we eat breakfastblack mother sow and pigletsforage for garbage
tibetan sheltersleaking charcoal under eavesfrom suppertime fire
plowing fields with yaksslow paced, plodding and plantingpotatoes follow
cell phone transmittertowers over white stupagive buddha a call
Haiku Times
Shutu lake
traditional Tibetan house detail
Rhododendron tree, Shutu Lake
Budda sculpture in progress, village near Zhongdian
dyring racks near Zhongdian
mixing wool with clayfor a fine, slow-drying mudin sculpture workshop
raising my eyebrowsat a sign that invokes meto cherish the lawn
resting with orange mossearly spring at a chinese lakeyak meat in belly
Barbara Lenssen's Zhondian haiku
mighty yangtze calmreflections of tall mountainsfirst bend of river
tiger leaping gorgesteep steps bring rapids, close, spraykayaks not survive
satellite dishesinside houses have no plumbingthey prefer t.v.
prayer flags flutteringblue sky, white clouds, red firegreen water, yellow earth
roadwork jams trafficprecipitous, treacherousgail refuses to look
pinetrees on hillsidesterraces covered with gravescement covers dead
two buckets, a polewatering gardens by handgreen rice in paddies
rhodendron treewith moss hanging like tinselon north face of shore
two cows in a pittearing apart a cardboard boxone dead cow nearby
twenty timbers eachmud walls pounded wet and thickhouse in shangri-la
the evolutionof the traditional houseis pursued by all
Volume 3, issue 59 Shigu, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Zhongdian Yunan Province,China, April 18-19, 2003 pg.3
Haiku Timestraining the bodynot to be led by the mindtibetan teaching
pig, goat and snakethree poisions in the wheel of timeignorance, desire, jealousy
in the wheel of timedo not be a hungry ghostwith a tiny throat
seven bowls under scrollscan't remember details of the linneagejust method, wisdom
at the museumdocents follow intentlywhile pictures peel from the wall
unable to speakof tibetan historynext to chinese guide
late afternoon breezeprayer flags ripple in the windold mud walls crumble
designs of buttermade for devotional shrinemonk repeats mantras
Jietang Songlin Monastery, Zhongdian
Jietang Songlin Monastery, Zhongdian
starting out on the Path of Life, JietangSonglin Monastery, Zhongdian
Jietang Songlin Monastery, Zhongdian
Jietang Songlin Monastery, Zhongdian
Jietang Songlin Monastery, Zhongdian
Volume 3, issue 59 Shigu, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Zhongdian Yunan Province,China, April 18-19, 2003 pg.4
Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This is part 10 in an eleven-part series covering a trip to China This issue covers Kunming,Guilin and Yangshao, China
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 60, Kunming, Guilin and Yangshsao, Guangzi,
China, April 20-22, 2003 pg.1
General Fubo, GuilinDragon Gate Grotto, Kunming
Lao Tsu, Dragon Gate Grotto, Kunming
Kunming street market
coral at Kunming street market
Dragon Gate Grotto, KunmingFubo Hill, Guilin
everybody's smokeis everyone's problemsucking in blue air
polluted green lakeabove hand-chiseled walkwaythat took years to carve
stone buddhas look outat butterflies in up draftseeking cliff flowers
vacant mao peace parknext to vibrant marketturtles in tubs
chinese revillet'ai chi by the li riverold couple waltzing
realizing the rapby our insightful tour guideis largely scripted
uniformityof all these somber facesuntil the party
so fastidiousabout cleaning the streetsnear polluted lake
sitting motionlesswhile guilin early risersmove in unison
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 60, Kunming, Guilin and Yangshsao, Guangzi,
China, April 20-22, 2003 pg2
Guuilin countryside
Li River, Yangshou Li River, Yangshou
GuilinRoof ornament, Dragon Gate Grotto, Kunming
military mengetting ready to climb karstwhile we tour around
tour boats leave en masse,honking just like the highwayon broad li river
longing for julyrice shoots planted in the springjust sit in water
eighteen tour bargesjockeying for positionlike tourists on roof
woman climbs down stairswearing t-shirt that proclaimsshe climbed the great wall
british guy stands next towhat looks like his chinese wifered head and black head
tour boats, local boatsunder jagged limestone peaksphoenix tail bamboo
checkered reflectionpunctuated by small shootstransplanted by hand
bus driver looks crossas i tramp mud down the aislesfrom soggy rice field
water buffallocontent in green field of ricefarmer sleeps nearby
Haiku Times
Yangshao
Guilin
Yangshao
Yangshao
Yangshou
Guilin art museum
excitement to sketchresults in slipping on stairsnearly breaking hand
water buffalocontent in green field of ricefarmer sleeps nearby
taking a short breakfarmer naps on partitionbetween two paddies
pocket of naturepeople slapping knees, shoutingmorning in guilin
thousand buddha cavethe tang dynasty statueslook happy and fat
fifteen thousand yearsto develop stalagtiteswhich we must now name
drip of water, birdsdrowned out in the reed flute caveby stalagtourists
from floor to ceilingwork that no slave nor mastercould ever conceive
another mealaround the wheelour last group feeding
our guide, gao xue yi(tall snow perseverence)
the road to pudongwhite knuckles on door handleroad kill long extinct
limestone in the mistsurrounded by the five treasuresand six cormorants
describing the scene - "it's so much of what it is"we sigh peacefully
Volume 3, issue 60, Kunming, Guilin and Yangshsao, Guangzi,China, April 20-22, 2003 pg 3
Haiku Times
Travel in Times of Sars
Chinese web cafes:you might find one that rents attwo yuan an hour - or it could be one yuan a minutethe thirty or forty machines spread out in a featureless room in glaring light, music not only from aboom box but the predominance ofaction games - music to raise youradrenalin by - and the cigarette smokeswirling around the no smokingsigns, all provide an overstimulatingatmosphere - hard to compose a letterunder these circumstances. A lack of women creates a feeling of enhanced testosterone, the contextand mood is subjujated by intentonly- intent of overstimulation.
China: a vast land of a billion soulswhose roots, tied to the land, godeep, to the earliest recorded histories. The Han majority seeks integration of all minorities intotheir overall ideological structure.to grow up in China is to followone path for this lifetime, even ifone is able to perhaps live overseasor even change nationalities.One perspective: being chinese is unique, unflinchingly rigorous,genetically uniform, complex, other-than-western, seekingmodernization and integration into theglobal economy, while at the sametime hoping to keep the stableagricultural base it has for so long.How can they do this? How canall the people who don't have cars, get one? The traffic jams in Shanghai,the crazed willingness of bike riders andpedestrians to slowly dwaddle intotraffice without even a backwardglance - the incredible honking - well, they can probably do it. They willenlarge the roads by hand, tear downthe crumbling villages, give everyonea new apartment building.
duan guan-zhi paintingbamboo with ink and brushto show how it's done
Guilin art museumGuilin art museum
river barge, Guilin
duan guan-zhi’s painting
Pepi, Guilin art museum
duan guan-zhi painting, Guilin art museum
Elephant Hill, Guilin
Volume 3, issue 60, Kunming, Guilin and Yangshsao, Guangzi,China, April 20-22, 2003 pg 4
Haiku Times celebrates the haiku experience. This issue highlights interesting signs.
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 61, Signs and unique phrases,
China, April, 2003 pg.1
Haiku TimesVolume 3, issue 61, Signs and unique phrases,
