Boeing Bluebills Voyagers - Trout Lodge 2003

		All sources of entertainment --books, music, theater, teahouses, etc., were banned. (During this period, the Chinese begat 200 million children -- copulation being the only pleasure thing the government didn't control.) Smoking was a habit which is surviving, but under attack. Today's young people have food, energy and enthusiasm. and they are putting pressure on their parents to give up cigarettes. In fact, the government is in on the act. In Xi'an, they have declared one street a non-smoking avenue. Tickets are handed out to smokers if they are caught. Scarce Housing In Hong Kong, in spite of concrete canyons of dwellings piercing heavenward in every direction, housing is scarce and expensive. Families can't qualify for subsidized housing unless the family unit includes at least three people. We visited a couple in their 300 square foot apartment, which was being shared with two grown sons and a grandmother. The eldest son had just been married, and the newlyweds spent the nights with one or the other of their parents, sharing the same bunk built for one. Young couples rent hotel rooms by the hour to get their privacy. (Left) Citizens practice their ballroom dance steps to boom box tunes.
Bertha, our Hong Kong guide, says she and her husband will retire in mainland China. There are no government pensions in her profession, and they will have to live on their savings. The cost of living is too high to stay in Hong Kong, and on the mainland they can enjoy an apartment that is three times the size. The relaxation of the border between Hong Kong and the mainland is a good sign for the future -- although the immigration processes for each crossover consumes several hours.

		Both western and Chinese medicine is accepted in China and the medical schools work together to combine the best of both in treating patients. But herbal medicine ranks supreme with the common folk. We visited an intriguing herbal market where the insects and animal parts on display were…..well, never mind. In every city, you have your choice of several McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken shops. This western food appeals especially to the children. Shrewd marketing by the chains include toys in the happy meals. (Left) At the herb market, we marvel at the power of Chinese medicine, considering the ingredients we see artfully displayed
We had wonderful Chinese food, and we know that ordinary citizens never ate meals such as we were served, except perhaps at their wedding banquets. One day our guides, afraid we were tiring of the menus, decided to give us a treat and took us to a Chinese restaurant where the chefs attempted to cook western style. We appreciated the restaurant's obvious efforts but told our guides we'd stick to Chinese, if it was ok with them. It had been ghastly food - we took bets on whether we were eating chicken or pork. And what was that strange spice ... ?
		But Chinese beer is good and cheap, and in spite of drinking it at both lunch and dinner, we never felt tipsy. And none of us gained any weight, as far as I could tell. Once I was able to find Baby Ruth candy bars and I bought four. I should have bought more because I never was able to satisfy this primal longing again. They have Dove bars and M&Ms, but no one has told them about Baby Ruths. It was an arduous trip, with many miles traveled on bumpy, uneven sidewalks, paths and stairways. We had walking sticks and thick soled shoes. In Lhasa, the street in front of our hotel was completely torn up two blocks each way. It looked like WWII with wires, shards of concrete, deep ravines and piles of dirt to navigate. I fell down. The hardest part of the trip had to be getting through the throngs of vendors at every turn. Especially in Tibet, you must not look interested in the wares being offered or you could get yourself in trouble because the hassling can get physical. Nevertheless, our companions left much of their personal worth in China, and the economy is in better shape for our having been there. (Left) Our bus driver took us to many wonderful restaurants and dined at his own table. He teased us with his descriptions of the local food he was savoring.

*About Tibet* Westerners are still a rare sight in this beautiful, barren, landlocked country. I'm sure we were the first that many of the natives had ever seen. Supplies and foods that cannot be grown locally in this harsh climate come by primitive truck over rough roads from neighbors like Pakistan. There is no railroad, but one is now being built. Living conditions are improving with an influx of resources from China. Thirty percent of the population is nomadic, and these children don't go to school. They are gorgeous people, with dark flashing eyes, high cheekbones and white teeth, smiling shyly at us in welcome. Their everyday clothes are costumes of color, beads and dangly jewelry.
		We experienced shopping opportunities in China every day, many hard to resist (Left). Tibetans are deeply religious -- the demands of their faith are rigorous and they believe in reincarnation. We walked through the most holy temple in Tibet jostled by hordes of worshippers queuing up to visit the golden Buddha in the inner sanctum, the darkness pierced by fumes of incense and lamps fueled by yak butter. Then we climbed above the valley to marvel at the crystal clean air from the embankments of the Dalai Lama's famed palace, some 12,300 feet above sea level. We stood at many golden tombs of past Dalai Lamas while the guide described their lives.

		The history of Tibet is another dramatic story that has yet to be played out on the world stage. Their spiritual leader is in exile. China assumes that this country belongs to them. An uneasy truce simmers under the surface, according to world reports. But at the local level, life goes placidly on. The Tibetans tend to their meager livings, prostrating themselves at their temples, loving their children and smiling at strangers. (Left) In Tibet, Nomad children line up for portraits as their parents prepare to visit the temple. Nomads are expected to visit the temple at least once in their lifetime.

		Who can resist the incongruities recorded in this picture?

I guess in a nutshell, that is why this trip has had such an emotional impact on me. My level of concern about China has increased dramatically. I read all reports that come my way and measure the contents against what I remember of my trip. Although I understand that managing the dynamic rise of China will be one of the world's toughest challenges in the coming years, another thought takes precedent:

No matter on what level of life we humans find ourselves through trick of fate or karma, we make do. We work for our food, we yearn for better lives, we care for our babies, we acknowledge our humanity and our spirituality in the ways of our traditions, and we smile at strangers. -- Nancy Wright
Author's Note -- Many of the facts contained herein came from Jung Chang's "Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China." This fascinating book is not available in China at this time but I found it in a Hong Kong bookstore. It is a worldwide bestseller and, winner of the NCR Book Award and the British Book of the Year Award. Chang and her husband are now writing a biography about Mao, due to be published in 2004.
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