Pensacola Beach

Big waves today on Pensacola Beach as Hurricane Gustav churns through
the Gulf of Mexico. Pensacola is slammed with evacuees, as are all
cities outbound of Louisiana.

The skies are dark, but the dramatic clouds and big surf make for a
beautiful landscape from my perspective just outside the danger zone.
I hope all my Louisiana friends have arrived somewhere safe.

Pensacola

We crawled through the night in evacuation traffic, eastbound on I-10
to Pensacola Florida. It only took 11 hours from Baton Rouge, but we
were rewarded with a gorgeous sunrise on Pensacola Beach. This is
Gustav's leading edge, swirling northwest as it bears down on the gulf
coast.

The Demo

About a week and a half ago I was in Yangshou China watching the
cormorant fisherman. It already seems like a world away, but the image
is fresh in my imagination. I'm certain I'll be visiting this scene
often.

We loaded up and turned east out of Baton Rouge. We made it to Slidell
Louisiana before parking on the interstate in a sea of New Orleans
evacuees. Here we sit in a downpour, inching our way eastward. I wish
I was in Yangshou again now, but I'd settle for Pensacola or anywhere
out of the crowd and out of Gustav's path.

Awesome workshop

Baton Rouge turned out to be a high-intensity workshop. We squeezed
three days of painting into two long ones and everybody decided to
evacuate. Gustav held out for the weekend, but seems determined to
come this way eventually. It made this group paint furiously with
nervous and fun energy. Some real talent in this bunch.

Love my job!

Teaching is such hard work, but so gratifying! I always get best
students! This is about half of my Baton Rouge workshop. The other
half is either painting or boarding up windows! Me, I'm happy to keep
doing what we've been doing!

What the locals are saying

Gas ran out in New Orleans yesterday. They are expecting more today
though. Baton Rouge gas prices have risen significantly since we
arrived. The crush of traffic has gridlocked the streets and we are
told that escape may already be impossible.

Contraflow of interstate traffic may begin today, making both sides of
the highway outbound only. I'd rather stay here than ride a hurricane
out sitting in a traffic jam.

I'm staying focused on a great workshop and a demo painting I have to
finish today. I'll leave it up to those in the know as to when it's
time to go. I'm not worried.

Marla has all her ducks in a row. She says not to worry, "everything
is taken care of".

Ducks in a row

Baton Rouge must be the place to be! Traffic from all parts of
southern Louisiana has poured into town, making driving almost
impossible. Gustav is a category 3 hurricane now and still taking aim
at new Orleans.

Many of my workshop folks want to go extra time today and bug out
tomorrow to get their ducks in a row. The ones from out of town are
eager to turn tail and run. Everyone seems to be heading north. Maybe
we should too!

Coffee Call!

Vanilla Hazelnut coffee was my choice this morning! I chose wisely!
The beignets were better than "Nawlins" famous Cafe du Monde. Once
upon a time I lived a few blocks from Jackson Square in New Orleans. I
walked there every morning for chickory coffee and beignets. Coffee
Call brought back the best parts of those memories!

Hurricane Gustav seems to be cowering over Jamaica, unsure of it's
course. My workshop will be done before he gets anywhere near. The
traffic in Baton Rouge is already increasing as evacuations from New
Orleans pick up. Y'all come have a beignet!

Call me anytime!

With jetlag still lingering, Baton Rouge's legendary Coffee Call is a
welcome beacon of light in the early morning. It's only a block from
our workshop, so we'll be making frequent visits!

Juban's restaurant

Juban's restaurant in Baton Rouge is exactly what you'd hope for in a
five-star Cajun place. The "Black & Craw" was extremely rich, but very
tasty. I'll be walking a few extra miles for this indulgence.

Happy Camper!

Coleman's Barbecue!

Exit 280 on I-55, just south of Memphis in Hernando Mississippi you
will find Coleman's barbecue, a throwback to my childhood. The jumbo
plate comes with slaw and beans, more slaw on the sandwich! Yum! Yum!

We make this stop every time we drive I-55. Don't come this way often
enough!

The best cure for Jetlag

I-55 in southeast Missouri is a tough drive. Not much change in the
view and long stretches of no services. Not a whole lot to keep me
awake!

The scenery is great if you get off the interstate, but that's not in
the cards on this leg of our tour. Have to keep pushing south through
Memphis and into Mississippi.

Faith, timing and good Karma

As hurricane Gustav pushes north into the gulf, we're heading south to
Baton Rouge. Hopefully my good karma will help keep Gustav away from
Louisiana! I've got a workshop full of friends and an event to benefit
the Keys to Austism, none of whom I intend to disappoint.

It is the 2nd anniversary of hurricane Katrina this weekend, but my
workshop concludes at 3:00 on Sunday and Gustav isn't scheduled for
landfall until Monday. Just a little added excitement to make the
workshop more fun!.

We left home early this morning, still pretty jetlagged from China! A
couple of hours east to St Louis, then a right turn on I-55. That
should take us most of the way. A ritual stop on this trip is
Coleman's Barbecue in Senatobia. Can't wait!

From the East to the West

Home is the best!

This was the longest August 20th I've ever experienced! At 5am Hong
Kong time I loaded up for the airport. I saw Tokyo's airport, Chicago
and St Louis too, and all in the same day.

I am glad to be home in my own bed for a night!

Next week: Baton Rouge!

Hong Kong High

Flying out of Hong Kong I am feeling overjoyed at the collection of
memories I have acquired and the thought of seeing my family again. My
heart is soaring enough to lift this gigantic plane into the sky.

I'm flying on a Japan Airlines 747 to Tokyo. It is a double-decker
with 10 seats across. Big plane! I hope I am on another one of these
from Tokyo to Chicago. It is very comfortable!

6 hours to Tokyo. Great time for a nap!

Wonderful China

Thank you China for showing me some of your amazing places! I wish I
could stay longer, but other places are calling me. My reservoirs of
inspiration are full to overflowing and I must return home to paint
some of ideas you have given me!

Thank you to China's watercolor artists and the watercolor societies
and sponsors that provided me this great opportunity! I can hardly
wait to come back and do more!

Thank you to all the great new friends I made, who helped me get
about, and made me feel welcome and safe! I look forward to any
opportunity to meet again!

Traveling is never easy, but always so rewarding. It is the only way
to truly understand other peoples and places. I have been blessed for
this experience and am heading home a richer man for having made this
journey.

My only regret is that I could not bring my family along with me. I've
felt a hollow space inside without them.
Seeing beautiful things without my best friend makes them tougher to
fully appreciate. Next time I won't be coming alone. There is too much
beauty here to experience by myself.

With this grand adventure stirring in my head and a loving family
waiting for me at home, I truly am a lucky man!

Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple

This very cool Taoist temple is a piece of paradise amongst the
skyscrapers of Hong Kong. It is frequented by businessmen and
travelers seeking their future or to avoid illness. I am very thankful
to be avoiding illness. I already know that my future holds good things!

The gardens were beautiful. My favorite part is this lake which must
be paradise for a million water turtles! I think I'll visit the wet
market and save a few hundred more by bringing them here!

Back to the Bayou!

I have another 24 hours in Hong Kong but I'm already dreaming of my
next adventure to Baton Rouge. I'll have enough time at home to do
laundry before heading south to spend time with some good friends and
some new ones at my watercolor workshop in Louisiana. I plan to demo a
painting of a scene from Yangshou with the beautiful karst mountains
and a cormorant fisherman on the Li River. Lots of atmosphere! Somehow
it reminds me a bit of Cajun country! (Just substitute Live Oak trees
and Spanish Moss for the mountains!)

I'm already hungry for crawfish, gumbo and etouffe! Yum! Stay tuned
for updates from that adventure.

Hong Kong at night!

I came too far up the hill to see this view. I figured I might as well
stay awhile. It was worth the wait. A still photo just does not do it
justice. Many of the skyscrapers have giant neon displays that flash
and twinkle in choreographed displays. Somehow they all seem to be
working together!
It looks a bit like NYC, but it has a charm unlike anywhere else.

Now I have to hike down the mountain in the dark!

Dusk

The neon lights started to flicker on as the sun dipped below the
horizon

It got better!

Patience is everything! Late afternoon sun hit Kowloon while Hong Kong
slipped into the shadows of Victoria Peak.

Hong Kong!

This is the best view I could find of Hong Kong, from the top of
Victoria Peak. Hong Kong Island is in the foreground, Kowloon across
the bay.
The temperature was 15 degrees cooler up here with a nice breeze. I
decided to sit awhile.

Paranoia

Having trekked through the rice paddies and floated the Li and Yulong
Rivers, eaten some odd stuff and been in contact with a billion
strangers, when I felt a bit ill I freaked out and thought maybe I had
gotten Dengue Fever or Avian Flu or some exotic death sentence. I
emailed my doc at home and she suggested I visit a Hong Kong hospital.

I came to St Theresa's and saw Dr Ha Ping Yiu, who is hel ping me! He
says I overdid it with all of the heat and adventuring and had a mild
flu, nothing to worry about! Thank God!

I knew St Theresa's was the right place when I saw the Starbucks in
the lobby!

The visit was interesting, and a big relief, but a bit scary as
everyone here but me is wearing a surgical mask! Got to get outa here
before somebody gives me something to really be concerned about!

One of these things is not like the others

Pick out the ugly one!

Beautiful Bills

The designs in Hong Kong dollars are artistic and intelligent. Some of
them look far to pretty to spend! The Chinese Yuan has some nice
artwork too. I especially like the 20 Yuan note with the Cormorant
fisherman in Yangshou on the back.

American money by contrast is some of the ugliest in the world. While
no longer monochromatic, the latest use of color in American money is
arbitrary and clumsy. I understand the need for anti-counterfeiting
measures, but does that mean style must be sacrificed?

I've personally learned this lesson with the hard-headed US mint,
which makes our ugly coins. I guess when a government gets too
powerful it no longer has to invest in style. Maybe in some small part
this is why the US dollar is becoming worth less and less around the
world.

I'll happily support the Hong Kong economy a bit by taking a few
beautiful examples out of circulation to bring home.

The Neon Jungle

I've never seen more neon than in Hong Kong. Even Las Vegas has
nothing on this place in terms of that colorful electric glow. It's
tough to truly appreciate it as you get pushed by the crowd as soon as
you step onto the sidewalk. Rolex has some of the bigger signs on
Nathan Road, and ironically there are hundreds of hucksters whispering
"copy watch?" at you constantly, right in front of the Rolex store! If
you are looking for a knockoff watch or purse this is the place. For
me, I'm satisfied to look at the pretty lights.

Victoria Harbor

How nice for one of these cool junks to zip by as I'm admiring the
lights over Victoria Harbor! This is from the Kowloon side, facing
Hong Kong. The view goes on for miles, but there is only so much you
can capture in a single frame. It's all breathtaking and busy. I
haven't found any of the quiet places yet. This sure is a shock to the
system after spending yesterday in the Ping An village!

Back to the city

I arrived in Hong Kong in the late afternoon. It is a huge, bustling
metropolis not unlike New York. Lots of signs in English. Reverting
back to Chinese ownership hasn't changed it much I guess. All of the
amenities of an American city are here, including 110 power! My hotel
has 50 wireless options, but none will let me on. Two steps out the
front door and I can log on to HSBC bank's wireless very easily.

So far I've only explored a few blocks, but I must be staying on Hong
Kong's equivalent of Fifth Ave in NY. The finest of everything is
available within a few blocks.

I am so happy to be settled for a few days. Constant movement with
luggage wears me out. I'm ready to jettison clothes and gear just to
make it easier.

Much exploation yet to be done here!

Redundacy

Crossing from China to Hong Kong, (which is part of China), requires
three checkpoints in which you unload all of your luggage, wait in
line, fill out a form to leave or enter, xray your stuff, clear your
passport and visa and reload your luggage. You do this three times in
five miles! It seems pretty ridiculous and takes a couple of hours.
What a super waste of time!

I'm happy to be through that gauntlet now and can focus on exploring
Hong Kong.

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China/hong kong!)

Another sad departure

I hate to leave the Ping An village so soon, but it just isn't my time
to spend eternity in heaven. I must race down the mountain and catch a
flight to Shenzen and find a way to Hong Kong.

My brief time here was peaceful, but one heck of a workout! Stairs
everywhere!

The long haired people

In one small minority village the women never cut their hair. They
take great pride in uncoiling it all for me. Some have as much as 10'
of hair! I can't imagine how much work it must be to keep it groomed.
I'd be afraid it would strangle me in my sleep!

Dinner

I was told to pick out a chicken for dinner. Somehow I just couldn't.
As hungry as I am for real food, I wasn't willing to watch the chicken
be killed. This one is starting to look tasty though. I may have to
reconsider!

Always the rainy season

When you live in the clouds, it is never dry. I was hoping the sun
might peek through, but instead I got the "atmoshperic look". The
constant rain makes this place a gardener's paradise and they take
full advantage if it, growing things in every square foot.

The wireless connection I've tapped into must be a gift from heaven as
it only occurs in my room and nowhere else in the village. They swear
there is no wireless here!

The royal treatment

For anyone adventurous enough to make it all the way to the top, a
very festive looking greeting party awaits.

However, it's more of a workout than most people can handle. The air
is very thin at this altitude and the climb is a good three hours! I
thought I would die before I made it. My legs were shaking all the way
down!

This must be what heaven looks like!

The irony of wireless

I am in perhaps one of the more remote places on earth, staying in the
Ping An village, population maybe 200 and I detect a hint of wireless
in my room! I haven't had that luxury in any of the major cities!

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

How lucky am I?

This is the view from my room at the Ping An village. I am above the
clouds on perhaps the road to heaven!

Approaching the Ping An village

After a treacherous drive into the clouds I arrived at the gate to the
Ping An village. Immediately I was swarmed with locals wanting to
carry my packs.

Always happy to support the local economy, I readily agreed. They have
the task to the two tiniest women in town though. This turned out to
be a remarkably good decision on my part as we climbed another 20,000
steps up to my quarters. The one pack weighs 50 pounds, the other
about 30. The smallest woman took the biggest pack with a smile and
never got winded.

Guilin

I swung through Guilin on my way to the rice terraces. Guilin has some
cool sights, but is a big busy city and lacks the incredible charm of
Yangshou.

Leaving Yangshou

This place was a wonderful find. Lots of fun and plentiful wireless. I
hate to move on, but there is more adventure to be had and some neat
stuff yet to be seen.

This morning I am making the trek up into the mountains to the most
remote of my destinations, the Ping An Village near Lonji and the
fabulous rice terraces. I've seen amazing pictures of this place and
have to go check it out for myself. It's another scorching summer day,
and it's only 7 am. Staying hydrated has become somewhat of an hourly
event.

I probably will have no wireless for the next 48 hours, but will
update when I get back to civilization.

The star of the show

This little guy was the leader of his group and brought in the most
fish. He's quite handsome too and he knows it. He wasn't camera shy at
all and even perched on my arm. I think he was hoping I'd sing to him
again.

The fishing operation

This cormorant fisherman had five birds working for him. They are
attached by cords and he hauls them up when they catch a fish. The
process of taking the fish from the birds seems a little rough,
especially if they have already swallowed it. It's fascinating to
watch though.

Cormorant fisherman

Watching these little guys work is incredible! The cormorants lead the
boat, catching fish and the fisherman collects their catch. What an
ingenuous way to fish! The cormorants don't seem to mind doing all the
work. They know they are stars!

Exploring the countryside

I'm out of the city and mobs of people and checking out what the area
has to offer. This cool bridge is 800 years old! It was built more
than 500 years before America became a country! Now that's good
craftsmanship.

Gone local

The sun is blistering and the locals all wear these cool hats. Maybe
one will help me too! I doubt I'll blend in any better, but the
Chinese seem to apprecaiate my attempts at their language and culture.

A view from the bridge

There just aren't any bad views in Yangshou!

Another scorcher today

The forecast in Yangshou for today is "severe clear", and it is hot! I
decided to try my luck at the bamboo rafting on the Yulong river. It
was peaceful and picturesque, and maybe fractionally cooler. The
dramatic scenery was worth the sunburn.

Wow!

This photo cannot begin to sum up the performance I saw tonight. The
same director who created the Olympic opening ceremony has an even
more astounding production on the river at night in Yangshou!

Bamboo rafting

The bamboo grows fast and is useful for all sorts of things from food
to building materials. My favorite is the rafts they make with it. I
stumbled across this river today that was filled with people rafting.
At 105 degrees, everyone was in or on the water.

Natural Garden

What an idyllic place to garden! I think my farmer friend was in the
process of fertilizing the rice with his "tiller". Love the subtle
reflection of the mountains in the water!

Friendly farmers

My boundless curiosity has taken me to some places that haven't seen a
westerner. The farmers seem as curious about me as I am of them. They
are always happy to sit and attempt communication.

This gentleman asked if I was a high-ranking officer! I told him I was
only an artist and somehow he knew that was better. He wanted to know
about my family and how old I was.

Chinese food

What do they call Chinese food in China?..........well, Food!

Actually the Chinese word for food sounds a lot like "shoe".

Some of the things I have eaten tasted like I imagine a shoe would,
but some has been awesome.

The Guilin area is the breadbasket of China. They grow everything in
abundance here and are quite creative in how they do it. However, they
could learn a thing or two from my Grandfather about growing tomatoes!
They've got nothing like his world class tomatoes. They're gardens may
be prettier though. I don't think Grandad ever had a water buffalo to
till his garden.

Getting up close and personal

The fishermen on the Li river have trained Cormorants to fish for
them. I just had to see this up close, so I hitched a ride with this
kindly old man. He asked me to sing to his birds for luck in fishing.
Apparently "you are my sunshine" works for cormorants too!

No beer, no happy

That's just what my shirt says. How could anyone be unhappy in a place
like this?! I ran out of dry clothes and this was the first thing I
could find.
Who needs beer? Well, ok, the beer is probably safer than the water to
drink. For some reason people keep offering me beer today! I need a
shirt that says "no wireless, no happy"! Thank goodness we aren't
having that problem currently!

I went out on the Li river this morning before sunrise and watched the
cormorant fisherman. Yangshou just hit my top ten list of magical
places. This is all that I had hoped for more! This aftenoon I plan to
hike up one of those mountains.

It has been interesting handing the iPhone off to locals and
instructing them on how to shoot a picture for me. Some have heard of
the iPhone, but others think it is some kind of magic trick!

Meant to be here!

I must have been summoned to this place. Something about it has been
calling me for a long time.

Professor Ping Long

My first contact in China was Ping Long, vice president of the
Shanghai Watercolor Society. We had a language barrier, but worked
hard to overcome it. I greatly appreciate his patience and effort to
make me feel welcome. He is an outstanding artist and a great man.

More of my new friends!

Tai Keik Hock on the left is a gallery/museum owner In Malaysia. He
says he doesn't paint, but he seems to be the glue that brings all of
us together.

Next is Low Puay Hua from Singapore. I liked him at first sight. His
work blows me away and it is riveting to hear him speak. A first class
adventurer!

Far right is Goh Beng Kwan, maybe the nicest man I have ever been
introduced to. He did a lot of translating for me and helped me
understand why I was in this group.

While I really look forward to the rest of my journey, I am already
regretting having left this party. I look forward to when I can be in
the company of these incredible men again.

Watercolor Masters

This is Ismail Kadir from Malaysia, one if the best watercolorists in
the world and one of my new great friends. We were immediately drawn
to each other through our work and personalities. I hated to leave
without spending more time with him.

Yangshou!

Who Knew?

Yangshou is a very out-of-the-way international hotspot. Many ex-pats
and palefaces in the crowd here. Lots of bars with wireless too!

The scenery is probably the most dramatically beautiful on earth. The
two hour drive from the airport in Guilin was jaw-dropping. So far I
have only had time to check in to my hotel and send my clothes off. It
is so hot that I have to change clothes 2-3 times a day.

West Street is like Las Vegas and Los Isley spaceport combined. There
are people from everywhere here. Can't wait to see more!

I already miss my new friends from Lu Mountain though!

Sad to Leave Lu Mountain

I had no idea beforehand what events would await me in Lu Mountain, nor did I expect to make so many great new friends. Had I known I would have made arrangements to be here much longer. I must return next year.

My speech was a big hit, and they made me feel like a rock star. The crowd was an arena filled with chanting and cheering young artists, and they wanted more. They would not let me off stage! In the end they begged me to sing to them! Not much of a vocal performer, I gave them my best rendition of "you are my sunshine". I got a little emotional when 5000 artists started chanting "we love you!". I am very, very sad to leave this wonderful event, but there are other wonders to discover yet, and I will try to soak as much of it in as I can before I return home. One week to go!

I have a suitcase full of dirty laundry to deal with as soon as I hit Guilin. May be tough to have done with as much as I have planned there.

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

No Wireless in Lu Mountain

Sorry for the barrage of updates, but there was no wireless in Lu Mountain and they have been backing up on my phone til I got to the airport in Nanchang. Hopefully they will send finally! Where I'm headed next may not have wireless either.

This is the main drag in Lu Mountain. Nice, beautiful pace of life.

On to Guilin!

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

All Artists

This is just a small portion of the artists filing out of an assembly at Lu Mountain. I was originally told there were to be 2000 of them, but there have been so many more pouring in. I estimate closer to 5k artists have swarmed this beautiful place.

I speak again tonight, then have to leave tomorrow. I wish I could stay for another two weeks and paint with them more. This is an amazing event! I have been invited to return next year and hope that I can!

I may have to rethink my schedule for 2009 to take advantage of all of these new opportunities.

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

Artists Everywhere

Thousands of artists and art students have ascended Lu Mountain and are sketching and painting all over the place. The scenery is gorgeous, but in my opinion, the artists are the focal point. I hope we can have a watercolor event of this magnitude in the US someday!

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

No way

When eggs are served green and black, no thank you Sam I am. They
disappeared quickly without me, thank goodness. Not an epicurian
adventure I
I am up for. I am in a crowd of people that eats some strange stuff,
but much of it I am not willing to risk!

Depth of field

The iPhone camera has a unique feature in that it focuses
simultaneously at all depths. In layman's terms, that means everything
is in focus, whether it us near or far.

This particular function is awesome for remembering the person who's
business card you've just accepted.

I will continue this practice when I get home and eliminate that stack
of business cards I remember nothing about.

This may be the best use of the iPhone cam yet!

2000? More like 20,000!

The opening ceremony was in a huge exhibit hall/ arena, filled with
thousands of screaming and cheering Chinese artists. Ok, they aren't
screaming in this pic.

A few of the other superstars

BIG!

Wow! I expected nothing like this! Apparently watercolor has an
Olympic style venue and maybe I'm not the local favorite, but
definitely the most sought after now. Since I was introduced I have
been mobbed for autographs and photos. I mean really mobbed, like no
escape, hundreds of pens and cameras in my face, everyone wanting
their picture with the sweaty American. While it is a bit cooler up
here on the mountaintop, I am always in a crowd and it has to be 95
anyway.

This is what it is all about

Tonight was one of the most incredible evenings! I was introduced and
immediately befriended by the best, most talented watercolorists on
this side of the earth. It may take me a while to get all the names
straight, but I will never forget these gentlemen. We shared our
artwork and stories for hours after dinner. I have made some new
friends that will be a great pleasure to spend every second with.

Forget the great scenery. These men are brothers I never knew I had.
Communication was not a problem as we all speak the common language of
watercolor.

Already I have been invited to Malaysia for a museum exhibition and to
Bali as a special guest at the Asian Watercolor Festival. I had no
idea that my humble trade was so broadly practiced and respected
worldwide.

And I also found out that my speech is tomorrow morning. The Malysians
speak English, which makes me feel a lot better about being in this
crowd and helps me understand why I'm here. I am the only artist here
from the Western world and I was feeling a little left out without
translation. Thank goodness I get some sleep before I have to perform.
This is a very serious group of master artists. At 40, I am still the
youngster of my peers. Nice to be the youngest one in the room again.
Doesn't happen that often anymore.

A great end to a hard travel day. Tomorrow ought to be a blast!

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

Lu Mountain

Wow! It is really spectacular here. Aspen has nothing on this place.
The drive up was dizzying, but worth the nausea. Lu Mountain is
bustling with 2000 artists, sketching and painting all over the place.
I already know my time here is too brief.

I'm still very confused as to what my role is, but something happens
at 6:00, and I think that means I'm on stage, so I've dressed up and
am polishing my speech. Obviously no translator so far, and I am
definitely the only paleface here. The kids look at me like I'm the
abominable snowman, and many make faces at me. My "ni hao" seems to
still break the ice.

Not a lot cooler here, but more pleasant. I can't wait to explore
more. So far I've found no wireless, but I've only barely ventured
out. Hopefully I'll make a connection soon.

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

Traveling with new friends

I am traveling with five watercolorists today, but none speak English
much, so it is an interesting ride. After the flight landed in
Nanchang we procured a minivan and are driving two hours to Jiujang,
then up to Lu Mountain. The minivan has been alive with conversation
the whole way, but none of it in English. It feels a little odd being
part of this group but excluded from conversation. I am a stranger in
a strange land and am constantly made aware of minority status. My
hosts are good people and we have a common language in watercolor.
Can't wait for a translator!

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

All the tea in China

Never knew how much that meant. Apparently it is a lot! There are tea
markets everywhere and much of life here revolves around it. It is
served in shot glass sized cups, and they keep coming until you are
ready to burst!

It is difficult not to be over-caffeinated all the time, and very
difficult to say no! I'm learning! Nothing like being caught in
traffic after an hour long tea party!

The variety of teas is astounding, as well as the different packaging.
Some of it comes in bags, but there are also tea wheels, some in
spheres that resemble a cannon ball and some comes shaped like a bowl.
I never knew tea could be so creative. Probably a result of all that
caffeine!.

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

Leaving Shanghai

Four days wasn't enough time to see everything in Shanghai, but I gave
it my best shot. I will definitely have to return someday soon. I
would imagine that within a year the skyline will be significantly
different. There is so much new construction going on and new
skyscrapers are everywhere.

The chaos of the city is great for about 4 days for me. Much more
would be like overcharging a battery. I need some slow paced days to
balance it all out. Somehow I doubt there will be many of those on
this adventure. If the rest of China is as busy as Shanghai I'll be
worn out in two weeks. If the rest of China is as inspirational, I'll
be full for a lifetime.

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

Making friends

Kids are curious about the only paleface on the train and generally
stare until I acknowledge them with a smile or a quick shot with my
camera. Many of them are studying English but never met anyone who
spoke it! It's a lot easier to make a breakthrough with them than most
adults. This cute little fellow was blown away when I dropped a
perfect "nice to meet you" in Chinese in him. I've practiced that one
a lot.
Phonetically it is " gin-dow-neen-hung gow shin". The timing skips a
beat between the last three syllables. Wins friends every time. They
expect me to know a lot more after that though and I have to confess
pretty quickly that I don't. I think most folks are pleased that I'm
making any attempt.

Tiger Tower

Once I made it past the throngs of hucksters, vendors and tour guides,
I found this place to be remarkably serene. There were hundreds of
paintable places in this park. Waterfalls, neat bridges, bamboo
forests, fragrant tea bushes, and beautifully designed bonsai trees
were everywhere. The climb up to the tower is a workout, but with
beautiful surprises all the way. Tiger Tower is closed to climbing,
but with it's distinctive lean, I don't think you'd want to. There was
plenty to keep me entertained on the ground.

I heard a lot of "hello" today, but I don't recall hearing any other
English all day. My "ni hao" response always gets a smile. My entire
Mandarin vocabulary is up to about 15 words now. It's a tough language
to learn!

The rest of Suzhou did not compare to Tiger Tower park. Suzhou is a
"small city", but I'll bet the population is in the millions. It was
chaotic with some charm. The streets were filled with bicycles,
motorcycles and cool little bicycle taxis. Not many cars at all.

Suzhou, the Venice of Asia

Hopped a train for Suzhou this morning to check out the why they call
it the "Venice of Asia". Venice it isn't. There are a bunch of canals,
but that is the only common thread. They did have a leaning tower, but
that would actually compare to Pisa, not Venice. I visited the North
Tower, pictured here, and Tiger Tower, pics to follow in a later post.
I also went to the bird, fish and flower market. Indescribably not
what we are used to. Peta's obviously not made an impact here.

Gan Bei!

First contact with the wonderful folks from the Shanghai Watercolor
Society.

Tonight I had dinner with Professor Ping Long, vice president of the
Shanghai Watercolor Society, and three charming interpreters. From the
left is LunLun, mr Pauljackson, Sissi Zhou, professor Ping Long and
LunLun's mother.

Obviously communication is tricky, but we are all handling it in
stride. My Chinese vocabulary is up to about 30 words and a few simple
phrases. I have not even begun to recognize the alphabet. LunLun is a
high school student who has studied English more than I ever did.

Turns out we aren't going to Lu Mountain until Monday, so I have an
extra day to explore. Tomorrow I will hop on a train for Suzhou,
otherwise known as the "Venice of the East". It is a canal town, with
lots of traditional Chinese archtecture. It ought to be fabulous if I
can find my way there!

On Monday I have to meet the traveling group from the Shanghai
Watercolor Society at a different airport and we'll be flying to Lu
Mountain. Hope I can find that airport!

Navigation isn't very easy, and none of the cab drivers speaks
English. Some of the street signs have an English translation, but not
always accurate.
It's a good thing having a great sense of direction. I can already
navigate the heart of Shanghai with ease. The outskirts are massive
and I haven't even wandered out that far. I managed 20 miles of
walking around downtown in two days.

Can't wait to see what adventures tomorrow holds!

Olfactory assault

Shanghai now tops my list of cities with scents. There is an amazing
variety of smells eminating from the streets, from the sickly sweet
smell of deisel to the most aromatic cuisine..

For those with a heightened olfactory palate, walking around Shanghai
can be overwhelming, but is an adventure that will grow on you.

There have been a few smells I had to distance myself from quickly, or
risk losing my lunch. I have also been lured into a few dives that
seemed to be cooking something amazing. While I am not the most
adventurous epicurian, I have tried a few new things. I had a mushroom
yesterday I had to eject. Must be an acquired taste. The crab dish I
ordered quickly made up for the funky fungus.
Some dishes smell great, but don't look as inviting. Not even going to
try the "street meat", no matter how good it smells.

I don't find the air pollution much worse than other major cities, but
I'm not counting particulates, just an observation. There are a small
percentage of people wearing masks, so it probably is worse than it
seems.

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

Pets in China

Exotic animals are everywhere in Shanghai. Lots of little street
corner vendors sell birds, turtles and singing crickets. I've seen a
few dogs and cats too, just not by the bucketful. The singing crickets
are cute/noisy, but they hardly compare to the cicadas, whose sound
drown out the traffic noise and make the city sound/feel even hotter.
it's 105 today.

Olympic opening ceremonies

Wow! The army of lighted drums was cool! I want one of those! I
expected the fireworks to be spectacular and was not disappointed.
Made my hair stand straight up. The whole city was lit up.

I didn't understand a whole lot because almost all of it was in
Chinese, but the visuals were spectacular. I loved the firefly people,
( or whatever they were). The kids in native costumes were cute. The
little girl that sang as the flag was brought in was adorable even if
I had no idea what she was saying.

The giant scroll was genius! The charcoal dancers painting the scroll
gave a phenomenal performance. Both visual and performing artists!
I'll be they were filthy when they went home! I'm still trying to
figure out how they did all of the art projection from underneath.

The army of paintbrush people looked a little like Lhasa apsos up
close. I was waiting for them to dip the brush in some paint, but they
had other plans. The box people making undulating patterns looked like
a lot of fun. How do you tell your friends you were a dancing box at
the Olympics?

The puppet show was too small to see, but I loved the floating stage
they were carried in on. The giant paddles were a surprise in their
choreography. Simply stunning!

The piano player was a little lame in a Neil Diamondesque silver
jacket and sappy music,

The glow-in-the-dark army looked like a cross between an alien and a
light bulb. Loved the dove. Then they stood on each others shoulders
to replicate the Birdsnest stadium!

That cute little girl came flying in on a giant kite string! She must
be the luckiest kid in China.

All of the projection stuff was awesome! The waterfall around the top
of the stadium reminded a lot of the new waterfalls in NY. The cranes
and the whale were my favorites though.

The coloring kids with the thai chi army was an odd but captivating
contrast. So many people to choreograph! Was anyone in Bejing not
involved in some way?

The astronauts were an interesting twist. I loved the big earth/
lantern stage with people running around on it, seeming to defy gravity!

The giant kids-face umbrellas were a little disturbing.

Some of the athletes costumes were tragic. What country was that in
zebra stripes? Really hard to look cool in a green tux. Several
countries sported the ketchup and mustard look.. They sure didn't seem
to mind though! I know they were hot! You had to love the line of "
Bejing Go-Go Cheerleaders" welcoming them into the stadium! Why do I
always feel sorry for the countries with only a few athletes?

Very impressive visuals and choreography overall. Colorful and
brilliant. The costumes stages and props were all breathtaking. They
really made it all about art! China can be very proud of this awesome
event.

Bring on the games!

I hope you saw it at home!

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

Old Town market

To get to the Yuyuan Gardens I went through the Old Town market.
Distinctive ancient Chinese architecture makes this area incredibly
picturesque. The crowds were lighter today. Most everyone is at a
wedding or watching the Olympic opening ceremony. 22,000 Chinese
couples got married today. Apparently 8 is a lucky number. Triple
lucky today!

Top of the Pearl

Shanghai is massive. From the top of the Oriental Pearl TV tower,
tallest in Asia, you can see the city unending for 360 degrees. This
is a view of The Bund from above.

Money

The exchange rate for the US dollar in China is pretty good
considering how bad it trades in Europe. Currently 6.8 Yuan equals 1
US dollar.

I have been warned about counterfeit bills in China, but haven't
experienced that yet. It does appear as if the back of the 20 Yuan
note was looslely influenced by the Missouri State Quarter. It's a
dead knock-off of a watercolor of Guilin China that I was given just
last week! ;)

The Pearl at night

The Pearl at night makes a great skyline!

Nanjing walking road

This is where Shanghai gathers at night. All of them! I was offered
fake Rolex, Prada, etc. It reminded me a lot of NY!

The Pearl

First day in Shanghai. I ride the incredible MagLev train from Pudong
Airport into the city at 431 kilometers per hour. Really fast!

I checked in to my hotel and went walking. Nanjing walking road was my
first visit. Basically it is Shanghai's version of Times Square. Lots
of neon and tons of people. Not very many foreigners at all! A nice
couple from DC took my photo at the Pearl. (That's their shadows you
see)

I walked from 3:00-11:30. I saw allnof Nanjing Road, the Bund and a
lot of cool areas of the city.

Shanghai at night

It's hot! And crowded! And awesome!
Haven't slept in 48 hrs, but I figured I would just stay up and get my
clock on China time...13 hours ahead.

Thank God they have Starbucks!

Touchdown Shanghai

Over the long commute I managed to write most of the speech I am to
give later this week at the International Watercolor Masters
Invitational. I also did a little painting on the plane, but got no
sleep. Oh well! I'll sleep when I get home.

Now to find the MagLev.

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

The North Pole

What a long flight! 22 hours and still going. We're over the North
Pole now.
It appears a bit watery.

From Omaha to Shanghai

This trip began last week in Bellevue Nebraska, a suburb of Omaha. I
was teaching a "found still-life" watercolor workshop with some great
people from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Colorado. I'll miss the
company, but not the 103 degree heat!

Just two more stops and I'll be in Shanghai. Omaha, population
432,000, will seem like a picnic once I arrive in Shanghai, population
20 million! I can't wait to meet them all.

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

Solio

This is the Solio universal "hybrid" charger. It absorbs solar energy,
or can be charged from a USB port.

Hopefully it will keep my iPhone going strong for the next two weeks.

Made in China

As I packed, I couldn't help but notice how many things in my suitcase
have a "made in China" label. I'm thinking next time I'll just fly
over with nothing and go shopping when I get there!

It seems kind of silly to drag it all back and forth.

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)

Power in transit

My poor iPhone battery won't last the entire flight to Shanghai,
especially if I watch movies and write notes for 22 hours. I'm not
wild about plugging it in to foreign outlets, even with international
adapters, so I'm traveling green with two Solio solar chargers.
Hopefully the sun will appear through the smog, but I can also charge
the Solio from a USB port. Each one will give me an extra full charge
for my iPhone. I'm hoping this will solve my iPhone power issue for
the entire trip. I'm not as worried about recharging camera batteries.

Paul

China!

Blast off for China at 5 am Wednesday 8/6/08!

cheers,

Paul