Ramblings

Culture and Climate Change

 November 30, 2007

Scientists and environmentalists are telling us that climate change will dramatically change the world we live in within the next 50 years. While it is a global problem, it is predicted that not all humans will be affected by climate change equally. Much depends on where you live and those in dry areas, or close to rising seas, will likely feel the brunt of the effects. more >

Trading our Names in for Candy

 March 3, 2007

Two two-ton pickups are racing across the dessert and the cabs are completely filled with water and inside are men in astronaut suites and they have this wild glazed look on their faces as they accelerate a bit faster than you thought they could go because they were already going pretty fast and you just assumed that this was the maximum speed for a pickup whose cab was filled with water. more >

The Middle East

 February 8, 2006

This was recorded after watching some documentary about the Middle East. Was it Control Room? The one about Al Jazeera? It very well may have been. more >

Boston Harbor Islands

 August 18, 2004

We took a leisurely pace getting over to the islands one fine Friday morning on a long weekend. Our ferry pulled up to Lovells Island, where we would be camping, at around 2:30 in the afternoon and just ahead of a menacing black storm cloud. more >

Traveling with a Guide Book

 February 14, 2004

Let’s go back to the beginning. Before traveling most people, myself included, purchase a guidebook. We spend hours poring over the book before we leave, and then we keep this book close at hand throughout the duration of our trip. While it is nice to have a somewhat reliable, in-your-language, guidebook nearby, this handy tome can become addictive. more >

How will Shanghai react to a bicycle ban?

 January 8, 2004

Shanghai is home to 19 million people and is the largest city in the largest country in the world. It was recently announced that the government in Shanghai will ban bicycles on all major roads in an effort to alleviate traffic. more >

China is Poisoning its Youth

 December 13, 2003

In late November, university students in Xi’an, China set off two days of rioting over a skit performed by some overseas students from Japan. The Japanese students danced and wore lingerie that was sure to disturb the strict Chinese morals. Seeing this story in the news made me think of the university students I had taught when my wife and I lived in Xian only a few months ago. While there, I became convinced that the communist government was directly responsible for the students intolerant views of the world, and that it would eventually be the governments undoing. more >

Dear Mr. Bush

 October 28, 2003

These are a selection of letters written by students at an english school in Xi’an, China. These letters are addressed to President George Bush. Some of them were written by students who know little more about Mr. Bush than that he is the President of the United States, while others make strong connections between him and the recent war in Iraq (which, incidently was covered in a much more neutral manner than the previous war, but largely focused on Iraqi civilian casualties). It should be noted that former president Clinton earned enormous goodwill by actually visiting a large part of China and perhaps Mr. Bush might want to think about doing the same. more >

Shigatse to Kathmandu, Nepal

 October 12, 2003

In Shigatse, we rented a jeep through the hotel where we were staying, and after an hour of negotiating with the driver about who would pay for what if anything went wrong, we agreed to set off in the morning. We went through the monastry village of Sakya on our way to Everest Base Camp. more >

Northern U Province, Tibet

 September 30, 2003

We just got back from our 6 day trip through the northern part of U Province in Tibet. This is the same province that Lhasa is found in and consequently does not require a permit to visit, unlike the rest of Tibet. more >

Lhasa, Tibet

 September 22, 2003

Tibet has been wonderful. It’s so refreshing after Yunnan, it’s just totally different. It was raining with big ominous clouds when we came in, but it’s been sunny ever since. The sun is so bright and intense here. Seeing all the locals wearing odd and assorted sun hats makes me feel a lot better about actually using mine. more >

Zhongdian, Yunnan Province, China

 September 20, 2003

We left Lijiang, in Yunnan, on the 17th and knew we were on our way to the Tibetan world as three tough looking men with felt hats, colorful wool jackets and knives sat down in front of us. One of the men, the one with the purple hat, ate 2 big potatoes as we pulled out of town. more >