2016 in Review

We will welcome a new year in a week’s time. I started 2016 in Quelimane, Mozambique where I waited for a month and a half for my new passport and visa to continue my journey in Southern and East Africa. I had originally planned to go on a couple more safaris in Tanzania and Kenya after visiting the Indian Ocean Coastline in early 2016. I had to deviate from my plans due to a lack of time and money. Perhaps I saw all I needed to see in terms of wildlife in Africa the year before. The three weeks in Ethiopia at the end of my trip rounded out my African visit with a strong cultural and historical component.

The Visit of Queen Sheba to Jersusalem

Before the journey, I researched the possibility of volunteering for a month or so. I could not find any meaningful project for duration less than three months to take part in. Well, because of the robbery that happened in December 2015, I stayed in less number of cities for a longer period each time in the latter part of my African visit. I was able to savor everyday life in each place, chatted more, and at times helped the locals with whatever resources that I could garner. Consequently, I contributed to improve other people’s lives in a more meaningful manner.

A village outside Quelimane, Mozambique

Despite the lack of funds and communication means, I was able to resume my African visit with some modifications in February. I experienced Africa in ways that other visitors could not even imagine. The challenges and adversities also linked me to my Creator closer than ever. I had no access to my Canadian bank accounts since they were frozen after the robbery was reported. My brother would wire funds to me via Western Union periodically. My spending might have constraints but I was liberated from my mindset and worries. Divine Providence took over. All I had to do is to surrender to God’s plan, and went along with whatever I normally would not agree.

I returned to Vancouver in early April. It did not take long for me to sort out my banking affairs. I repaid my family the money that they lent me as soon as I could. Then I gave away more things, and moved my stuff to the smallest locker in the storage facility.  Hopefully when I leave Vancouver in 2018, I would not need to rent a locker anymore. I am getting closer to the ultimate goal of owning no more than two suitcases of clothes and a few boxes of personal belongings.

There is a severe shortage of rental units in Vancouver; however, I was able to find a furnished basement suite in a well-kept house in East Vancouver. Since there is cable in the house, I watched a lot of Chinese programs on TV. My Chinese language skills have improved a great deal as a result. I also tried out a lot of healthy fusion recipes. The Catholic Church is a 15-minute walk away. In addition to the obligatory Sunday mass, I participated in bible study on Wednesday evenings. My daily routine also includes a 30 – 60 minute walk.

There were many first times for me this year. Because I did not have to be my mother’s caregiver, I had a lot of spare time on my hands. I participated in many research studies and volunteered at community events in the summer. I no longer had to do things for other people. I visited places in Metro Vancouver that I had not visited before. It had been a long time since I read a book at leisure. Well, I read four non-fictional books this summer. Ah, I now know what being retired is all about.

Ships to Shore Festival in Steveston

My general health is good except for the eczema problem that seems to linger on. Maybe I have been away for too long and became allergic to the moist climate of Vancouver. I am not too worried about this skin problem because I will be embarking on another epic journey along the routes of the Silk Road in about three months’ time. I am grateful for all the wonderful gifts that God has bestowed upon me this year.

Sex, Drugs & Video Games

What do sex, drugs and video games have in common? All three activities are highly addictive. In modern societies, people do not have to devote most of their time for survival. We have become lazy, bored and obsessed with these activities more than ever. Pornography is an 8 billion USD industry in the U.S. in 2012 according to Time Magazine. The UN estimates global illicit drug industry to be 400 billion USD per year in 1998. The U.S. gaming industry is roughly 20.5 billion USD in 2014 according to Wikipedia. Unfortunately, I could not locate figures for Canada.

On December 12th, 2016, the federal government passed Bill C37 which emphasized a strategy of harm reduction for the hard-core drug addicts. It is now legally easier to set up more safe, supervised injection sites (a.k.a. consumption sites). There is also a great push to decriminalize and even legalize marijuana at all three levels of government in Canada. Increasing amounts of resources are deployed to rescue the Opioid overdosed addicts, so much so that the City of Vancouver proposed to raise property tax to fund more consumption sites and wider distribution of Naloxone kits. Fentanyl overdose deaths are at a crisis level in Vancouver.

The pornography issue is just as worrisome in Canada. I was brought up to think that men and women could be platonic friends; men and women could connect at intellectual or emotional level. Not any more. Back in the pre-internet age, when men had sexual urges, they would read dirty magazines or find themselves prostitutes to satisfy their need. Today sex addicts prey on children, place obscene pictures/videos on social media or have cyber sex with other online users. I was informed by a long-time male friend that Canadian men usually do not want to marry their sex partners. They are also too cheap to pay for sex and/or are worried about getting sexually transmitted diseases from hookers. Women are treated as no more than sex objects.

Children are not the only ones that would spend all their waking moments playing video games. Pokemon Go was a big hit for a short time in the city, and managed to get some people to go outside. Otherwise, video games normally render the players inactive and anti-social. The most obvious side- effect of continuous video game playing is neck strain. The other effects include accidents caused by lack of attention, absenteeism, lack of reality perception, overloading of senses resulting in psychological problems, etc. A more far reaching effect is the production of "Zombie" generation who is deficient in human characteristics.

A few decades ago, we were taught to pursue material things, and work hard to forget the hurt and pain inherent in a competitive society. Many of us cannot find purpose in our lives, and use these vices to fill our empty lives. I think if we can figure out what we like to do, we can substitute these three addictive activities with less harmful hobbies. For example, women can knit sweaters, and men can make furniture for the poor in lieu of sex, drugs and video games. Better still, we should maintain a balance of body, mind & spirit by getting to know ourselves really well.

God Bless America.

The American people are going to elect their 45th president in two days. The fate of the country and the world for a large part will be affected by the results of this election. My prayers are with the people of the United States of America.

According to the 2014 report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), nine nations - the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea - possess approximately 16,300 nuclear weapons in total. Russia and the United States have reduced their inventories but still account for more than 93% of all operational nuclear warheads. As an "insurance" measure, the "Norwegian Nobel Committee decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 was to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." I am apprehensive that awarding a Nobel Peace Prize to another American president in less than ten years would cause worldwide unrest, if not, a nuclear war started by a smaller nation.

I grew up believing that only the morally upright individuals with extraordinarily abilities should govern the countries. According to Confucius,  the power by which men are ruled, comes from moral example (the whole art of government consists in the art of being honest).
1. The patterns of prestige are used in the service of governance of the country.
2. Government is good if it can maintain
a. economic sufficiency,
b. military sufficiency, and
c. confidence of the people.

It is indeed very difficult to choose between a hypocrite and a morally bankrupt person. Neither of these two candidates has actually presented new policies or reform plans. I do not know the American political system well enough to determine how their respective political parties or Congress could influence the decisions of the future president. I am however aware of the strong influence of the lobbyists and the presidential veto power.

A few doomsday prophecies foretell that Mr. Obama would be the last American president. This prediction might become reality because large corporations and/or interest groups could now become the policy maker behind the scene. The rich becomes extremely rich, the poor extremely poor and nothing in between. The president will be no more than a figure head wielding a lot of military power. Can the voters be assured that corruption would be kept to a minimum at the White House?

My simple prayer is that God Bless America during this critical time and the upcoming four years. May our American neighbors have the strength and conscience to deal with the challenges to come. I am certain that true leaders with impeccable integrity would surface from a population of 320 million by 2020.

An Interesting Question

About ten days ago, I attended a training session for Emergency Preparedness in Vancouver. Before the session commenced, the trainer asked us to take turns to introduce ourselves to the group of about 25 attendees. Other than the regular questions such as name, occupation, neighborhood, etc, the trainer also wrote on the slide "something interesting about yourself (in 2-3 lines)" for the self introduction.

The next day I asked a friend the same question. She responded by stating her assumptions that she would not want to reveal to strangers something too personal about herself. She gave a narrative like this, "I like to travel. The last place that I travel to is Morocco." As it turned out, I had a similar introduction and half of the group described their travels in their introduction. The rest of the introductions were so typical that I forgot what they were.

Out of the two dozen introductions at the training session, I could only remember distinctively a couple of introductions. A lady sitting at the back corner chimed out, "I have five dogs at home, and my dogs would eat before I do in the event of food shortage after a major disaster." The other introduction was a sales pitch from a realtor. Even though I was not in the market for buying or selling a home, his introduction stood out.

I reflected on the question and concluded that I do indeed dwell in a generally conservative and conforming society. Most people would not dare to reveal what they are truly passionate about. Are we getting more secretive in spite of the fact that we have entered the age of "Protected Human Rights"? Or it is an effect of the prevalent "I don't care" attitude? I believe it is a combination of several factors. It seems to me that the anti-war protesters and tree-hugging environmentalist must have all retired or passed away.

In many ways, it is not as fun to live in a modern society where people are indifferent about many things. Years ago, I would make friends with the people sitting next to me in a plane on long flights. These days passengers would put on the earphones once they settle in their assigned seats, and avoid conversations as much as possible. Prior to the internet age, when you had a problem, you would ask other people for suggestions and/or advice.  Now Google is everybody's best friend. Be it a relationship problem or a DIY issue, all you have to do is ask your best friend.

No wonder when the trainer asked for something interesting about the attendees, only one person in a group of 25 people could come up with an original, passionate and unique answer.

8 Days in Belize

Even though I only spent eight days in Belize in November 2014, I experienced a wide range of cultures there. The Garifuna culture, being the predominant one, has the greatest influence on mainstream Belizean art, music, language and food. Stewed chicken and rice & beans was all I wanted to eat there. I tried to learn to speak Creole but it was not as easy as it might sound. However, I was able to somewhat dance the Garifuna way, as I was informed by other tourists. LOL

It was unfortunate that it poured half of the time during my Belizean visit. My original plan of spending 4 days each in Caye Caulker, San Ignacio, Hopkins and Placencia was cut short mainly because of the rainy weather. I was unable to visit Caracol and the ATM cave on the western frontier. These two sites are particularly unique and I had to skip both because of the safety hazards involved after days of torrential downpour. I wish someday to return to Belize and visit these two places.

The Split, Caye Caulker

I am very grateful to be able to visit Cahal Peche and Xunantunich. Cahal Peche dates as far back as 1000 B.C. and it is the site of a wealthy Mayan family residence. Xunantunich is a sacred site where the Mayan gods were worshipped. It is famous for the well-preserved carvings on top of the tallest pyramid on site.

Main Plaza of Cahal Peche

My last meal in Belize was actually Shrimp Chow Mein in a Chinese eatery in Punta Gorda before taking a boat to Livingston, Guatemala. For a small country, Belize surely has a lot of Chinese immigrants. They usually own grocery stores and restaurants. From the music they listened to and the videos they watched, I gathered that they have come from both Mainland China and Taiwan. My wish is for these Chinese-Belizeans to totally merge into mainstream Belizean society like the transplanted Guatemalans and Salvadorians have.

Sunrise on the Caribbean, Hopkins

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Trans-Siberian Journey 2011

Exactly five years ago to this day, I embarked on an epic journey. One would think that a Trans-Siberian journey should be somewhat uneventful. To many, myself included, Russia and Mongolia are rather mysterious before this adventure. Well, I can tell you one thing; Russians and Mongolians are no stranger than the Westerners. The Chinese are a different story though.

My journey started with a “$49 CAD” group tour in Shanghai and areas surrounding the Yangtze River. It had been twelve years since I last traveled with a group. China International Travel Services (CITS) used to have a rule of “one landmark, one designated shop”. This special group executed a “one landmark to three designated shops” itinerary. I was lured into joining what is commonly known in the Chinese community a "shopping tour" because of the attractive nominal price.

On one hand, the guides would tell their overseas Chinese guests with Canadian passports that China has become incredibly wealthy and its people are enjoying better benefits than ever. In the same breath, they would pressure us to make significant purchase at the sponsors’ retail shops before the coaches would leave for the next place of visit. I enjoyed the sights very much and learned a great deal of Chinese history from one local guide. I wish, however, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang tourism authorities would adopt a more up-front marketing method in the future. Overseas Chinese in general have been very supportive of China and its people for decades before the economic boom.

After the group tour, I flew into Moscow from Shanghai. My initial impression of Moscow was that Russians are English phobic. My first time in Lenningrad train station in Moscow was indeed very memorable. I had to spend 3.5 hours there just to purchase an overnight train ticket to St. Petersburg and to store my luggage. Russia has to be one of the few countries in the world where workers, who deal with foreigners on a daily basis, don’t have to learn English. As a result, the rate that I was picking up Russian words was unprecedented.

Even though St. Petersburg is very pretty, it is even more difficult to find people who would want to speak English. People would naturally back up or start to run when they hear the question, ``Do you speak English?`` Some locals actually thought that I was a Russian ethnic minority. They looked rather disgusted. As I was later informed by an English-speaking Siberian, there are pockets in big cities in Russia where the ethnic groups would lead lives as if they were still living in Central Asia.

As I got further and further into the heart of Siberia, Russians got friendlier and more fluent in English. By the time that I left Ulan-Ude, I found out that Russians are actually very hospitable and have a good sense of humour. It was already too late. My visa would expire Oct 10th and I had already visited five Russian cities.

Even though the border guards were stern looking, I was treated very well by the Mongolian Immigration officials. I managed to get a 10-day transit visa on arrival at the land border. The officer told me that I had used up his last visa sticker and I should buy a lottery ticket when I get to China. I know I have achieved this task not because of my good looks since I was blowing my nose and coughing the whole time.

I could spend 2.5 days in Mongolia so all my sightseeing was done within the capital, Ulaan Bataar. The temperature was around 14 degrees during the day as compared to 5 degrees in Ulan-Ude. The face of the all-time Mongolian celebrity, Genghis Khan is on all everything. Well, I have to agree with the Mongolian on this. The Mongols rule two ancient civilizations much bigger than their land and wealthier, namely China and India. Written Mongolian is somewhat Russian looking. Again, I blended in quite well by uttering a few Russian words. A bank teller even spoke to me in Mongolian until I stared at him with puzzling eyes. Mongolian women are gentle people whereas Mongolian men could be quite chauvinistic. Thanks to the chauvinistic Mongolian men in my train compartment, I was forced to get a lot of beauty sleep on my way to the Mongolian-Chinese border at Zamid Uud.

Because I have visited Beijing several times before, I opted to end my Trans-Siberian journey in Taiyuan, Shanxi. I like Pingyao very much; it is an ancient walled city south of Taiyuan. To my surprise, I ended up spending almost a whole day in Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan. I particularly enjoyed the creative ways that the Museum presents the artefacts. The Wang Family Grand Courtyard and Yuncang Grottoes would be on the agenda of my next visit to Shanxi.

I have spent my last 3 days in Xiamen visiting my brother and his family. My 4-year niece is a 3D photocopy of me. While visiting Tulou, I did my final mad dash of souvenir shopping and raising the local GDP by a few percentage points. You see, Fujian province is also famous for its teas and handcrafted candies.

All in all, this journey had been one of great diversity in scope, climate, cultures, languages, food and religions.

Angkor Wat, Dawn to Dusk

 I visited Angkor Wat in March 2005. I took a bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Even though my host advised me to book a taxi the night before my visit to the complex, I opted not to. At 4:30 am the following morning, I walked out to the main road and waved down a tuk-tuk. After bargaining a price for a full day exclusive service, I hopped on the tuk-tuk and got outside the main gate. A few minutes later, I witnessed a photo-perfect sunrise.

It was a very hot day and my driver would have to constantly urge me to visit the sites. The architecture had a strong Hindu temple feel although Buddha statues are everywhere in the complex. Archaeologists from Scandinavian countries were restoring the structures.The biggest difference between an Angkor Wat Buddha head and a "regular" Buddha head is the gentle smile on the Cambodian one as characterized by the sculptured towers of the Bayon.

Another feature that had me awe-struck is the bas-relief walls telling the stories of the battles between the Hindu Gods. The complex warrants a multiple-day visit not just because of its immense size but also the artistic value of the structures. Seldom would visitors find fine detailing even on the exterior walls. I have reasons to believe that the artisans of these structures came from India. Only in Khajuraho and Hampi, India had I witnessed such elaborate embellishments on exterior walls of temples.

My driver took me to a village on the perimeter for lunch. As I sat down with a plate of deep fried fish and rice at a tree-shaded table, a group of elementary school-age children approached me. I asked them why they were not in school. They replied that they already had classes in the morning. Some tried to sell me postcards and souvenirs. But for the most part, they just wanted to practise their English. To my surprise, these kids were very knowledgeable about capital cities all over the world. All the American coins in my pant pockets parted with me at the end of my lunch.

The signature shots of tree roots penetrating into temples of Ta Prohm are on all the promotional materials for Angkor Wat. That part of the complex is a magnificent display of the force of nature. Yet whatever remained standing was so preciously intact. My day ended with watching the sunset with a lot of noisy tourists on top of a temple at Phnom Bakheng. The next morning I took a fast boat back to Phnom Penh.