Equal Wings

Ajeet February 28th, 2009

After a particularly cold January, an anti-cyclonic high pressure system was positioning itself over eastern China as we were planning this trip. Warm sunshine, blue skies, clockwork connections, clean accomodations, breath-taking views…. apart from a few minor setbacks, this was easily one of our most pleasant trips so far! Huang Shan, the Yellow Mountain is said to be China’s most beautiful. Famous for its spectacular granite formations and seas of mysterious heavenly fog, it has inspired generations of chinese oil painters and poets. One can visit this mountain during the 4 seasons and come back with 4 very different experiences, alternating between snowscapes, fall scenes and spectral mists.

Geology: Huangshan Mountain, with a maximum altitude of 1864m, has a complex geological history. The formation of the peaks dates back to the Jurassic Period of the Mesozoic Era as a result of crustal movements and subsequent uplift. During the late Mesozoic Era and the early Cenozoic Era, a large amount of granite magma erupted through fissures due to further crustal movements, which became the main body of the Mountain after cooling down.  (Source)

Getting there: From Shanghai, there are direct trains as well as buses. The 12-hour overnight train via Nanjing is a popular choice, while the comfortable bus ride from Shanghai South Bus Station takes 6 hours. As the train tickets had run out, we took option 3: Fast D-train to Hanghzhou, followed by a 4-hr bus to Huangshan.

Route: Our plan was to ascend via the shorter Eastern steps, spend a night up there, and descend via the Western Cable Car. But mother nature had other plans, as you will discover later…

Before you conclude that this trip was a walk in the park, remember formidable mother nature? On the day of our descent to the cable car station, she still gave us beautiful blue skies and warm sunshine.. and just for fun, she added some winds -- strong gusting winds!

Have a look: 

The winds were so strong that the Western Cable Car service was suspended for the rest of the day, and we had to walk all the way down… Ouch! It was tough going, with the wind changing its mind every few seconds. At times, we and our fellow climbers just had to crouch down low on the narrow steps for minutes, holding on to dear life. It’d be comical, if it was not so scary! The winds mellowed as we got lower down the mountain, and after a quick snack for lunch we got on our direct bus back to Shanghai.

Although we missed out on the spectral mists due to the dry high pressure weather, it was already more than what we’d expected. Truly, spectaculare!

• China , Travel
• Comments(1)

Ping February 2nd, 2009

Happy Year of the Ox!

We celebrated the Chinese New Year in Shanghai this year as we did last year. Unlike last year, where we had a snowstorm, the winter has been rather mild this time. What I’ve always enjoyed about celebrating the Lunar New Year here is the spectacular displays of fireworks. The climax is at midnight when all you see outside the windows are splashes of colours blooming like flowers in the midnight sky. I am definitely going to miss this when we leave.

Without looking at these fireworks and firecrackers, the sounds they make are so similar to those of gunshots and explosions. I had this thought just a few days ago: these sounds that bring so much excitement and joy to people here have an opposite effect on people living in war torn countries.They feel fear and sadness instead. It’s moments like this that I am thankful for the peace we have and wish the world has more of it.

Having never had the chance to set off fireworks in Singapore, we bought ourselves some. On one of the nights, we went down to an open area and set off two fireworks. I did not manage to muster enough courage to light them up so ajeet did. I just stood aside and enjoyed the scene.

Below are the videos I took at midnight on New Year’s eve and of us setting off the fireworks.

• China , General
• Comments(3)

Ajeet January 12th, 2009

map of gansu

Ok, here comes the much delayed part 2 of our Qinghai Gansu trip. Here’s a recap: We did this trip in late August trying to retrace a part of the ancient Silk Route through Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, and a bit of Qinghai. Our route included famous cities such as Xi’an, Lanzhou, Dun Huang and Xining. Part 1 of this travelogue saw us on top of the Lan Shan Mountain overlooking the city of Lanzhou on the banks of the Huang He (Yellow River).

Lanzhou to Dunhuang

Long queues of travelers were snaking up to the entrance of Lanzhou train station, thanks to the ramped up security checks due to the Olympics and the militant activities in this region. After half an hour of jostling, we made it in to the waiting room, for the overnight train to the desert oasis of Dunhuang. It sure was crowded, and we were probably very lucky to have gotten our sleeper tickets the night before.

As our train made its way westward into the setting sun, we caught fleeting glimpses of tiny settlements, corn fields and gushing rivers carrying the red silt that made up most of the soil here. A dinner cart came along and we bought a simple meal. Shortly afterwards, it began to drizzle and then pour.

We awoke the next morning to a dazzling red sunrise, the reddest I’d seen at least! Few shrubs survived the vast expanse of sand that lay on both sides of the track. Dun Huang (meaning Blazing Beacon) – Lonely Planet guide best describes it: “ After traveling for hours, the monotonous desert landscape gives way to lush, green cultivated fields with mountainous rolling sand dunes as a backdrop.”  The new train station was an impressive stone structure, and about 30mins from town by bus.

We decided to hop on a mini-bus and head straight to the main attraction of Dunhuang – the Mogao Caves. Said to be one of the greatest repositories of Buddhist Art in the world, the Caves were the last stop on the desert where wealthy merchants and caravans offered prayers before the arduous journey to the West. Almost 500 in number, these caves were carved into the side of a canyon wall stretching 1.7km. Thousands of murals & paintings line the walls inside, the ‘paint’ mainly derived out of expensive minerals imported from Central Asia – Malachite(green), Cinnabar(red) and Lapis Lazuli(blue). Earliest caves dated to AD366, and others were added along as the Wei, Zhou, Sui and Tang dynasties successively ruled the area. To preserve the precious paintings, cameras were not allowed and we had to follow a guide as he showed us around 10 selected caves. As we stood in the dark hollow of the caves and followed the beam of our guide’s torchlight on the walls, we were transported into worlds long gone, but which really did exist. Quite an experience, that. If you do visit, do also spare some time for the newly built Dunhuang Research Centre, opposite the caves.

On the mini-bus again, we reached town and checked into a hotel. In the evening, we got on a local bus and headed for the MingSha Shan (Singing Sands Mountain), where the Oasis ended and the desert began. And yes, as with any tourist attraction in China, you can expect to pay a hefty entrance fee! The winds had picked up and we needed masks to protect ourselves from the blowing sand. After half an hour of trudging through the sand, we reached the crescent moon lake at the base of the enormous sand dunes. Even though wooden footholds were planted into the slope of the dune to help people get to the top, it was tough climbing. The view at the top was worth it though, with more dunes meandering as far as the eye could see. After a few minutes braving the wind and sand in it, we chose the expeditious route down and raced to the bottom on a terrifying wooden sled! The capsize rate was 70% that day, but both of us just about made it… phew! Our legs too shaky from the experience, the only way back was a camel ride to the entrance.

By nightfall we were back in town and in the middle of the night market. Local artists and peddlers sold some amazing pieces, and we just had to buy some. Some delicious street food wrapped up an eventful day for us in Dun Huang, and we made our way back to the hotel.

Dunhuang to Jiayuguan

Post-lunch the next day, we got on a train back to the east. Six hours later, we’d arrived in Jiayuguan, a fortress town on the Silk Route, at the mouth of the Hexi corridor. A smallish town, it’s home to a Ming dynasty fort and a few sections of the Great Wall. It was supposed to be the last civilized stronghold of imperial China guarding against the barbarians of Central Asia and the deserts. We got on a local bus the next day and were one of very few visitors at the fort. It offered spectacular views of the snow capped Qilian Shan range against a brilliant blue sky. The Great Wall museum adjoining the fort is definitely worth visiting. After hanging around a local market for a few hours, we headed into town for dinner and the train ride back to Lanzhou.

Lanzhou again

After what had turned out to be the most uncomfortable journey of the trip (sitting tickets on a packed overnight train for 9 hours), we were back in Lanzhou, at our favorite hotel, for some well earned sleep. In the evening we made our way to the South Bus Station to try and buy some tickets to the Tibetan monastery town of Xiahe famous for the Labrang Monastery. To our surprise, the ticket lady refused to sell us any and told us off. Subsequently, a friendlier staff at the station explained that it was a temporary directive from the central government, barring all foreign visitors to this Tibetan town in light of the ongoing unrest in Lhasa.

Lanzhou to Xining

After a pleasant evening along the banks of the HuangHe, we set off the next day on a bus ride to Xining, the capital of Qinghai province. Perched on the edge of the Tibetan plateau, Xining is the only large city in Qinghai. A surprisingly modern-looking and clean city, it’s a stark contrast with the rest of the mostly nomadic towns and villages in the province.

Next day, we booked a local tour to the iconic Qinghai lake (Blue Sea Lake), a huge saline lake 100km to the west of Xining. Located 10,500 feet above sea level, the mini-bus had to climb through some breathtaking valleys and grasslands to get there. If the journey was breathtaking, the beauty of the lake would leave you gasping… and its not coz of the altitude! Ok, maybe I am getting carried away a bit…  Serene and untouched, one felt humbled by this huge expanse of blue. It is no wonder they named the province after this lake! If you looked at a map of this province, it is said to resemble a rabbit, with Qinghai lake being the eye of the rabbit. The tour also included other interesting sites such as the Riyue Shan (Sun Moon pass), Jade factory, dried Yak meat market and some grassland and desert views. It was a whole day trip, and definitely worth the price.

From Xining, we ventured out again the next day to the small Tibetan town of Tongren (Repkong in Tibetan), a mid-sized monastery town. It is home to small monasteries and temples, and we spent a night here. Apart from an interesting conversation with a Tibetan tour guide-turned-aspiring monk, and a walk around the local market, it was an uneventful stay. The journey there and back was more interesting than the place itself!

The last day in Xining involved a short trek up Beishan Si (North Mountain Temple), a 1700-year-old cliff-face temple. In the evening, we treated ourselves to a delicious hotpot dinner. At the crack of dawn the next morning, we were onboard a Hainan airlines flight winging our way home back to Shanghai.

It was a memorable trip. Lots of traveling by buses and trains really helped us to sample the diverse ways of life in north western China. For the next travelogue, we will probably change the presentation style and have more pictures and fewer words. It’s probably faster that way, and easier on the keyboard!

Useful Links:
Silk Route – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_road
International Dunhuang Project – http://idp.bl.uk/
Dunhuang Art – http://www.silk-road.com/dunhuang/dhcaves.html
Jiayuguan Fort – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiayuguan_(pass)
Qinghai Lake – http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/html/en/19Scenery475.html

• China , Travel
• Comments(1)

Ping January 4th, 2009

In the last two weeks of December 2008, Ajeet and I spent some time in Singapore and India visiting our families. We spent two nights in Singapore first before we left for India. On the night we arrived in Singapore, we had a family dinner followed by a game of ‘Taboo’. The sisters were against the husbands and it was great fun! The sisters won the game eventually-I guess we have the advantage of having some common knowledge in our growing years that helped to make some guesswork easier.

We left for Chennai 2 days later and took a pleasant overnight train to the little town of Chipurupalli. We shared the train cabin with a very friendly Indian family who had lived in Kenya for fours years. After about 16 hours on the train, we finally reached our destination and were warmly welcomed by my parents-in -law.

Since we visited India only once a year, my mother-in-law made sure that we were well-fed. Every meal was a feast of curries, rice and Indian sweets! So by the end of one week in India, both of us definitely gained some weight. Ajeet’s brother, Ashok and his family joined us for 2 nights and it was nice being amused by our niece of 1 year and 4 months. Her comical imitations of her parents and grandparents just made everyone laugh. Apart from catching up on each other’s lives and visiting family friends, we made a few trips to the nearest town to buy some things and also visited a reservoir. On some evenings, we would take short walks around the neighbourhood before heading home for a sumptuous dinner. Time passed quickly and before we knew it, it was time to board the train back to Chennai to catch our flight back to Singapore.

After a week of enjoying Indian food, we were ready to enjoy Chinese food in Singapore. Before taking our return flight to Shanghai, my mum, ajeet and I had lunch at Changi Airport. We had ‘Chicken Rice’,'Fish Slice Soup’, ‘Char Kway Teow’ and ‘Cheng Teng’. It was definitely a satisfying meal. 

We returned to Shanghai on the 30th of December in time to bid goodbye to 2008 and welcome the New Year. On New Year’s Eve, We had a yummy Cantonese dinner with one of Ajeet’s colleague and his family, followed by a quiet count down for Ajeet and me.

We are happy to be back in Shanghai-our home for the past 1 year and 7 months. Although the weather  here is much colder than what we had experienced in Singapore and India, we are cherishing these winter memories before we head back to Singpore in April this year.

• Family , Travel
• Comments(1)

Ping November 18th, 2008

We’re almost approaching the end of our stay in Shanghai and I guess it is a  good time to reflect on the 1 and a half years so far. Ajeet has been working with Great Wall Airlines and I have been taking on part-time teaching positions. I can still remember how challenging it was to find a job. There were many available from tuition agencies, schools and companies. However, getting one wasn’t so easy. Most employers only wanted teachers holding American, Canadian, Australian or British passports. I managed to get an offer to teach at Yew Hwa International Education School for 3 weeks during their summer vacation programme. It is a private school which prepares its students for the Cambridge International Education System. Having taught in a government school in Singapore, it was definitely an eye opener stepping into an international school. Most students came from well-to-do families. They were very confident and outspoken too (at times too direct for my comfort level). Most of the students were either Chinese, Taiwanese or Korean. Though I taught there for only 3 weeks, it was an enriching experience. I had to teach a subject called ‘English for Science’. Basically I was teaching Science and getting them to familiarize with the terms in English. As I prepared each lesson, I was also learning new things.

After this teaching stint, I was hunting for another job again. Soon, I  was an English enrichment teacher at the Singapore International School. For one academic year 07-08, I taught Grade 1 and Grade 5 students  English every Saturday morning. I had students from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and China. Though the diversity sometimes proved to be a challenge in lesson preparation, it made lessons interesting with the different experiences and views they shared. Here is a picture I took of some of my Grade 1 students on the last lesson. The rest couldn’t wait to run out of the class and begin their summer holidays!

 Below is a picture of my Grade 5 students consisting mainly of Chinese and Taiwanese. Although they were not too eager to do grammar or writing exercises, they were certainly excited to play word games.

 The small class size and the big spacious classrooms in both the schools I taught here were great. Students could move freely during certain activities without bumping into each other or furniture. Also, the small numbers in each class made it easier  for me to manage the class and give more attention to those students who needed it.

I did not continue teaching at the Singapore International School anymore after one year as we wanted to use the remaining time to travel around China. Instead, I started giving tuition at home and have been doing that since. This has given us a lot more flexibility in planning our trips.

Apart from teaching, I did some volunteer work with Hands on Shanghai- a volunteer organization that plans and organizes charity events and programmes.  My duty was to monitor enrichment programmes in a migrant school. The migrant school I went to was pretty basic. It had a small compound with about 7 to 8 classrooms and each classroom was packed with 45 to 60 students. Tables and chairs were old and sometimes broken. Despite the humble setting of the school, students were always full of energy, cheerful and keen to learn.

I was also involved with the English Corner Programme at the Jian Qiao Private School for  a year. Together with some friends, we conducted English oral lessons for the chinese students there. Through these activities, we found new friends whom we meet up with occasionally.

Many colleagues of Ajeet’s and their familes live in the same compound as us. We get together sometimes for dinners or a game of badminton. It’s nice having a small community here. In between work and meeting up with friends, we try to travel around China. I must say that apart from the occasional food scares, it has been enjoyable living here. We have a few more months here before returning home. Time will pass very quickly but I’m sure we will make the most out of it! =)

Links:
Hands On Shanghai: http://www.handsonshanghai.com/

• China , General
• Comments(2)