In Shanghai, The Bund riverfront city-scape viewing strip was definately a highlight worth mentioning. An elevated walkway more than 1km long lines the west side of the Huangpu river, with a row of colonial era buildings - grand neoclassical 1930s architecture lining the road beside it to the west, while across the river the towering and multicoloured skyscrapers lined up and reaching over 300m high are presented along with massive flashing neon advertising boards of various global 500 companies. Meanwhile numerous cruise ships of huge size and strange shapes (pirate ships, dragons, turtles etc.), lit up appropriately, drift around the river carrying passengers on dinner cruises and event receptions, complementing the view.
And the China International Travel Mart that i visited was revealing as to the scale of the Tourism industry here in China, and its massive future potential. By the time i arrived with a friend on the last day, it appeared as if a bomb had struck the exhibition halls. Papers lying eveywhere, abandoned stalls- clearly this place had been hit by a brochure hungry mob, abandoned by the staff when their promotional materials ran out and the leftovers raided by subsequent vistors. I joined the stragglers to collect and few brochures from the highly decorated Chinese provincial displays before checking out the offerings of the dozens of International stalls at the exhibition. The US was very prominent (only one given 'official partner' status), while Taiwan was making big efforts to benefit from recent warming relations with the mainland, with vibrantly dressed dancers entertaining the crowds, a proud-looking dancer even approached me and gave me a shirt-pin while saying 'welcome to Taiwan'. The Aussie stall wasnt particularly impressive, and i thought lacked a clearly conveyed, unique product (contrasting to NZ's stall next door which proudly displayed its unique Maori heritage) that would be likely to draw Chinese away from the usual suspect destinations of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore. While there, i still had a chance to chat with some officials from the Sichuan tourism board and learn more about the industry. Next year 47 million Chinese tourists are expected to travel overseas, and that number is growing by almost 20% a year. And Chinese are not known as stingy travellers. They like to do such things in style and comfort. So you can imagine the frenzy for a piece of the action. But the number of international tourists from china is nothing compared to the swarms of domestic tourists that tour China itself. Naturally the locals wish to sample the wondrous delights of the middle kingdom before thinking to venture further abroad.
Also, i wanted to mention another reason for my affection towards Shanghai. Its a place where it seems women are regarded as unashamedly equal to men. Many local women reinforced this to me, and it was clear in the way the girls carried themselves and dressed- their confidence and education clear enough to the observer. This complemented the sense of openess in the city- a place where women are valued and respected to me seems to imply an air of welcoming and hospitality, tolerance, rational order and peaceful behaviour. Unfortunately this progressive atmosphere has not yet reached rural China, and certainly not in the isolated part of a western province where i live.
Also in Shanghai- Perhaps last blog i didn't quite catch the meaning behind the bar robbery.... It really got me fired up, ready for battle, my heart was thumping for hours. It was good though, coz it burnt some of the lingering naivety out of me. I realised that the old principle i often follow 'be friendly to people and they will be friendly to you' has its limits- especially as a young foreigner fresh to a new big city....and then again, in China clearly friendliness is not as important as in Australia. For example, there's no specific word for friendly in Chinese- the translation commonly used 'you hao' literally means 'have good' - a much vaguer meaning that doesnt imply a kind of behaviour. While the word for friend 'pengyou' literally means 'has money'. Too bad for poor yet noble folk! And they're more flexible on what is viewed as right and wrong. (more on this cultural stuff, with evidence, in next blog) But thats not to mention the kind lady who toiled with me for ages helping me try to contact my friend to let them know i'd arrived in Shanghai. Or, could it have been that she was a prostitute anticipating some kind of job... ahh the endless mysteries of an unfamiliar land!
One of the recurring issues facing any long-term visitor to China is what attitude to take towards the country, people and culture. It comes up everyday in chats with fellow travellers and expats, and the typical attitude that seems to be taken is one of abuse and condescencion- criticising everything from the food and toilets to the dirtyness, smoking habits, ignorance of the people and arrogance of Chinese men. Often such complaints are one of the first things travellers say to each other on meeting. It's like we do this somewhow to comfort each other in the strange surroundings. Or perhaps we say it to balance out the oft-expressed innate pride that Chinese have in their country. The Queen of England's husband, Prince Phillip, is known to have made his unadulterated racism on the subject public, by saying that he was concerned that British students going to study in China would come back with 'slitty eyes'. So this is the background elitist racism that we are up against. But what is the source of this resentment? I try to take a middle path on this. China obviously has a long history and epic cultural achievements, but its worldview and value system also differ greatly from The West. Meanwhile, In the context of the modern, developed world, i'd say it still has a long way to go and retains many of the dark seeds of authoritarianism and repression in its society and culture. Its hard to underestimate the unhealed scars left by the tragic events of the 'great leap forward' and cultural revolution, coupled with stories of ancient Imperial excess, these illustrate the madness of allowing one man to control the destiny of a country. But China's contribution to world affairs is potentially great, so let's keep an open mind, shall we....
More (hopefully revealing) cultural notes next time!
PEACE
cal
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Journey to the East/Shanghai streetscum
Hello comrades
greetings and well-wishes
time for another message addressed to Mr & Ms cyberspace
At this time, i am in Hangzhou, just west of Shanghai. Famous for its beautiful west lake, China worships this city as a tourist mecca and cultural icon. And i must admit the lake itself is quite stunning. The history of Hangzhou goes back a long way too. A visit to a couple of local museums convinced me well of that. Home to serene kingdoms while the rest of China was in chaos between dynasties, it has been a centre of Buddhism, art and calligraphy since pre-christian times. Unfortunately some of the ancient buddhist stele carvings were destroyed during the cultural revolution (the taliban needed an example!), but tall stupas- old and rebuilt, still circle the lake here and there and add to the sense of serenity created by the intermingling of water, earth, greenery and humanity. Long causeways have been built across the lake to create many large and small lakes joined together under bridges, and dredged material piled up to create islands that dotting the water body. Nowadays Hangzhou prides itself on being a 'healthy-living city'- apparently up to date with world standards- big projects have been undertaken to clean up the lake, lots of green spaces, and local govt has launched a bicycle vending system on almost every corner to imitate european cities. Perhaps thats why they're hosting a world mayoral congress for healthy cities next month.
A few days ago i was in Shanghai, having spent a leisurely 5 days to tour the town, visit some friends and catch a big tourism exhibition going on in the city. Some dramas on my 2nd night in town made things very memorable. In the centre of Shanghai is Remin Gongcheng- people's square- but unfortunately- apart from being the domain of 'the people' its also home to a variety of smooth-talking shikesters. I sensed this as soon as i got off the subway and was almost immeadiately approach by some over-friendly characters suggesting i go this way or the other. No thanks! on the 500m walk accross the sqaure to the Shanghai museum, there must have been 3 or 4 other groups who attempted to lead me wayside. Now i am a friendly fella, like to think the best of people, give them a chance to tell their story, but these guys often make an artform of using others trust and milking their goodwill for all its worth. Some just want you to visit a shop, others see 'their' artwork or they'll try to take you to an expensive show. But later i had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting a couple of much more sinister shikesters.
After spending a good 4 hours in the Shanghai museum- a wonderful collection of ancient bronzes, ceramics, sculpture, calligraphy, jadework and other materials- all with English captions (and its free!), i started heading off towards the famous riverfront Bund city-viewing strip via the busy neon-lit shopping mall st Nanjing rd. As i entered the street, two beaming young girls said hello and followed me, saying they wished to practice their English. Though being a little suspicious of their intentions, i saw no harm in some innocent chat with these young ladies. Their smiles perhaps made me see them too favorably, and when they suggested we stop for a drink i was, in retrospect, too agreeable. Though i stuck to my guns at the first place we went- up an old lift to a 7th floor restaurant- and checked the menu, saw high prices and the lack of an advertised view so insisted to their suprise that we leave- i wanted to go to the Bund. But when they gently asked for us to stop for a drink to warm up at one more quiet place i checked the menu and ordered a slightly pricey ($6aud) pot of tea. When other drinks and snacks came out i said i didnt want them and sent them back. But these girls ordered a couple more whiskeys and when i often protested they kept insisting they would pay.
How much could a whiskey cost?
At about 7.30pm i thought it was time to go - so they sent the bill- $600 AUD!!!
I couldnt believe my eyes! The smiling assassins across the table maintained their innocent posture, while i took the matter up with staff, four guys playing cards abruptly finished their game to approach me threateningly. I couldnt leave until the bill was paid. I asked for a blanket to sleep here. Another guy put a lock on the door. I studied the bill with a menu. An obscure back page in the menu listed the girls whiskeys @ 400CNY a glass!? their wallets were empty. I'd been scammed. I breathed in meditation to consider my options. Meanwhile the vulture-like staff were circling at my back, grunting and scoffing at each other. After a few minutes the 'kind and generous' manager offered to accept only 1000CNY on top of the 400 we already offered. I waited longer until he offered i pay 600 more, then moved over to the bar to negotiate. After taking some photos of the bar and staff (while they scattered fearfully) i agreed to pay 500 CNY if they unlocked the door. I told the girls to come with me, and then on the street i let them know what i thought of their utterly ruthless, cold, heartless, inhumane activities.
I went straight to the police, avoiding a local station where ones of the thieves tried to gesture me towards and called from a restaurant up the road. But these cops, when they came, were from the same local station, refused to go back to the bar with me and also refused to tell me their name and rank. I showed them photos of the culprits but they only smiled blankly. I made my point to them clearly before walking on, tempted to go back for a fight, but deciding against it.
Later walking the street, approached by many such ladies i realised the scale of this kind of business going on here.
Maybe they have a shikester university set-up there- amateurs learn the trade around museum in daytime and if they pass the cut graduate to the big buck business round Nanjing road after sunset. In any case, i get the feeling that organised crime is still well-entrenched in the Shanghai scene. And the local cops are no match for them.
Moral of the story: Shanghai travellers beware!
Apart from this experience, Shanghai was enjoyable. Whether it be enjoying the views over high rises of Lujiazui from my friends 80th floor hotel room, sampling cultural sights at Jade Buddha and Jing an temples, or admiring the classic architecture and parks of the french concession area, i had fun wandering around by foot and subway, meeting up with a few old friends along the way. Shanghai is clearly a flourishing city of wealth, with openess and more of an international flavour than Beijing. 2010 Expo will be a great time to visit. Locals are gearing up for this as their event to rival the beijing games and many new building projects (e.g. subways) planned completed by then.
After zipping back from Hangzhou on the 'harmony' train at over 170km, I went out to dinner with a nice young lady i met in Hangzhou for some chinese practice, before catching an early flight to Chengdu the next morning.
Now im back in Jiuzhaigou, having spent the day on an epic 10.5 hour bus journey from Chengdu- through 3500m high mountain passes and some of the areas worst affected by the may 12 earthquake. For an 100km stretch of the road there were landslides everywhere -entire hillsides in places, much temporary housing and rebuilding going on, large tracts of the road had fallen away- leaving only one lane- and collpased bridges stood as reminder of the power of the earth when it tremors. Though outward signs of destroyed buildings had largely been cleared up, it was obvious that many of these dozens of villages were rebuilding almost from stratch. No wonder the Sichuan government has allocated 3 trillion yuan (about 700 billion AUD) for reconstruction and recovery projects. This was huge.
Back at the park, i have reports to write and future projects to think about. Im also expected to put a performance of Australian culture for other staff at the parks 30th birthday celebration in a couple of weeks... What the %^&*!
PEACE OUT
cal
greetings and well-wishes
time for another message addressed to Mr & Ms cyberspace
At this time, i am in Hangzhou, just west of Shanghai. Famous for its beautiful west lake, China worships this city as a tourist mecca and cultural icon. And i must admit the lake itself is quite stunning. The history of Hangzhou goes back a long way too. A visit to a couple of local museums convinced me well of that. Home to serene kingdoms while the rest of China was in chaos between dynasties, it has been a centre of Buddhism, art and calligraphy since pre-christian times. Unfortunately some of the ancient buddhist stele carvings were destroyed during the cultural revolution (the taliban needed an example!), but tall stupas- old and rebuilt, still circle the lake here and there and add to the sense of serenity created by the intermingling of water, earth, greenery and humanity. Long causeways have been built across the lake to create many large and small lakes joined together under bridges, and dredged material piled up to create islands that dotting the water body. Nowadays Hangzhou prides itself on being a 'healthy-living city'- apparently up to date with world standards- big projects have been undertaken to clean up the lake, lots of green spaces, and local govt has launched a bicycle vending system on almost every corner to imitate european cities. Perhaps thats why they're hosting a world mayoral congress for healthy cities next month.
A few days ago i was in Shanghai, having spent a leisurely 5 days to tour the town, visit some friends and catch a big tourism exhibition going on in the city. Some dramas on my 2nd night in town made things very memorable. In the centre of Shanghai is Remin Gongcheng- people's square- but unfortunately- apart from being the domain of 'the people' its also home to a variety of smooth-talking shikesters. I sensed this as soon as i got off the subway and was almost immeadiately approach by some over-friendly characters suggesting i go this way or the other. No thanks! on the 500m walk accross the sqaure to the Shanghai museum, there must have been 3 or 4 other groups who attempted to lead me wayside. Now i am a friendly fella, like to think the best of people, give them a chance to tell their story, but these guys often make an artform of using others trust and milking their goodwill for all its worth. Some just want you to visit a shop, others see 'their' artwork or they'll try to take you to an expensive show. But later i had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting a couple of much more sinister shikesters.
After spending a good 4 hours in the Shanghai museum- a wonderful collection of ancient bronzes, ceramics, sculpture, calligraphy, jadework and other materials- all with English captions (and its free!), i started heading off towards the famous riverfront Bund city-viewing strip via the busy neon-lit shopping mall st Nanjing rd. As i entered the street, two beaming young girls said hello and followed me, saying they wished to practice their English. Though being a little suspicious of their intentions, i saw no harm in some innocent chat with these young ladies. Their smiles perhaps made me see them too favorably, and when they suggested we stop for a drink i was, in retrospect, too agreeable. Though i stuck to my guns at the first place we went- up an old lift to a 7th floor restaurant- and checked the menu, saw high prices and the lack of an advertised view so insisted to their suprise that we leave- i wanted to go to the Bund. But when they gently asked for us to stop for a drink to warm up at one more quiet place i checked the menu and ordered a slightly pricey ($6aud) pot of tea. When other drinks and snacks came out i said i didnt want them and sent them back. But these girls ordered a couple more whiskeys and when i often protested they kept insisting they would pay.
How much could a whiskey cost?
At about 7.30pm i thought it was time to go - so they sent the bill- $600 AUD!!!
I couldnt believe my eyes! The smiling assassins across the table maintained their innocent posture, while i took the matter up with staff, four guys playing cards abruptly finished their game to approach me threateningly. I couldnt leave until the bill was paid. I asked for a blanket to sleep here. Another guy put a lock on the door. I studied the bill with a menu. An obscure back page in the menu listed the girls whiskeys @ 400CNY a glass!? their wallets were empty. I'd been scammed. I breathed in meditation to consider my options. Meanwhile the vulture-like staff were circling at my back, grunting and scoffing at each other. After a few minutes the 'kind and generous' manager offered to accept only 1000CNY on top of the 400 we already offered. I waited longer until he offered i pay 600 more, then moved over to the bar to negotiate. After taking some photos of the bar and staff (while they scattered fearfully) i agreed to pay 500 CNY if they unlocked the door. I told the girls to come with me, and then on the street i let them know what i thought of their utterly ruthless, cold, heartless, inhumane activities.
I went straight to the police, avoiding a local station where ones of the thieves tried to gesture me towards and called from a restaurant up the road. But these cops, when they came, were from the same local station, refused to go back to the bar with me and also refused to tell me their name and rank. I showed them photos of the culprits but they only smiled blankly. I made my point to them clearly before walking on, tempted to go back for a fight, but deciding against it.
Later walking the street, approached by many such ladies i realised the scale of this kind of business going on here.
Maybe they have a shikester university set-up there- amateurs learn the trade around museum in daytime and if they pass the cut graduate to the big buck business round Nanjing road after sunset. In any case, i get the feeling that organised crime is still well-entrenched in the Shanghai scene. And the local cops are no match for them.
Moral of the story: Shanghai travellers beware!
Apart from this experience, Shanghai was enjoyable. Whether it be enjoying the views over high rises of Lujiazui from my friends 80th floor hotel room, sampling cultural sights at Jade Buddha and Jing an temples, or admiring the classic architecture and parks of the french concession area, i had fun wandering around by foot and subway, meeting up with a few old friends along the way. Shanghai is clearly a flourishing city of wealth, with openess and more of an international flavour than Beijing. 2010 Expo will be a great time to visit. Locals are gearing up for this as their event to rival the beijing games and many new building projects (e.g. subways) planned completed by then.
After zipping back from Hangzhou on the 'harmony' train at over 170km, I went out to dinner with a nice young lady i met in Hangzhou for some chinese practice, before catching an early flight to Chengdu the next morning.
Now im back in Jiuzhaigou, having spent the day on an epic 10.5 hour bus journey from Chengdu- through 3500m high mountain passes and some of the areas worst affected by the may 12 earthquake. For an 100km stretch of the road there were landslides everywhere -entire hillsides in places, much temporary housing and rebuilding going on, large tracts of the road had fallen away- leaving only one lane- and collpased bridges stood as reminder of the power of the earth when it tremors. Though outward signs of destroyed buildings had largely been cleared up, it was obvious that many of these dozens of villages were rebuilding almost from stratch. No wonder the Sichuan government has allocated 3 trillion yuan (about 700 billion AUD) for reconstruction and recovery projects. This was huge.
Back at the park, i have reports to write and future projects to think about. Im also expected to put a performance of Australian culture for other staff at the parks 30th birthday celebration in a couple of weeks... What the %^&*!
PEACE OUT
cal
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Life as work... but it aint so bad!
so whats goin on at the moment?
My last entry was such a rush, just tryin to catch up with all travels and events.
So now i've pretty much settled down, maybe i can paint a more elaborate, more captivating picture. subtleties and absurd intricacies not aside....
Yes my life is my work. My apartment is 100m from my office. I use my same laptop at home in evenings and during day in office. I eat most meals in the staff canteen and talk about the same ecotourism topics with my chinese office colleagues during day as with my expat mates in evening. i study the same chinese language books at home and work. In my free time i go to walk and explore in the park. some days i skip office and go to walk in the park, as its also part of the job.
My counterpart is named Jack. Its appropriate coz he's like a jack-in-the-box. Talks loudly and interrupts randomly but his heart is clearly in the right place. gotta giv him credit as he helps me alot and he occasionally lets a word in. For me, i wanna make friends with all the staff. But experienced expats here tell me thats just not the way it is done. they say that is sellin myself short- instead u gotta ignore the non-decisions makers and court the park directors as a way of increasing one's own authority and establishing ones own hgh-ranking persona. Apparently this is part of Chinese culture- act superior and treat anyone below you with contempt in order to get ahead. And coz we foreign staff are outside the usual staff hierachy u see, theres much more flexibility in our position. So i could be chums with the director and head of all the parks $millions new 'ecotourism' projects or just some fella helpin out in the science department. Umm, sounds complicated for a egalitarian aussie like me. not sure if im ready for all these decisions or could conciously be so harsh to anyone. Better get settled in first. I know im smart, but maybe its more comfortable to be a high-potential moderate achiever than to test the limits and really challenge oneself. Hmm
Yeah the hierachy here is very important. Local staff and expats alike keep reinforcing this point to me. e.g. Vice-directors follow the director like puppy dogs and lower level staff look for ways to maneouver themselves for promotion. No-one pushes the limits, innovates or works too hard coz that is a way to make enemies- people may resent u and feel threatened. sound kinda backward? its for real. My science department has spent 5 years and large budgets working on a ecotourism project and achieved almost perfectly zilch. Few reports repeating the same useless flora and fauna survey data. In my meetings with the science director he seems nervous to sound like he knows what he's talking about. And he tries to slow me down in my work planning likely coz the contrast with the past years achievements may put him under the directors microscope. My job is supposed to bridge the divide between science and marketing departments. Both know nothing about each other. But ecotourism projects need involves both to be involved intimately, otherwise you'll have the 'eco' without the tourism or the tourism with the 'eco'.
I also have other choices. Do i wanna launch a business with my expat colleagues or instead focus on capacity building of local staff through training? Would my training have any long term affect? i might even be stepping on communist party toes- as to me ecotourism is almost an ideology in itself.
But surely the future is bright? the 'new china' calls for environmental conservation and education, and this park is one of the most well-known in China. A market of thousands per day is at our doorstep waiting to be sold on the ecotourism concept. Our park director is dynamic and has big plans and grand visions of making this place and surounding valleys, world renowned as a eco-village haven for $$ rich ecotourists looking for a slice of clean and luxurious nature, high-tech in harmony with raw earth. This means they are also very receptive to outside help. They want to draw-upon global expertise - so if one acts like they know what they are talking about they can be highly valued by management.
And hey did i mention this is WESTERN China? big difference here guys. Out here, they're still waiting for the fruits of China's much publicised economic success and organisational innovation. So maybe thats why they still treat officials like emperors out here- never mind socialist equality! Apparently this western under-development is to be addressed by the central governments massive 'Great Western Development Project' in this forgotten half of china.
And meanwhile, though they may call this Sichuan, to me its more like Tibet. Another complicating factor. The local Tibetans here speak their own language, have their own food and customs, different from mainstream Lhasa culture, these people are known as Ando Tibetans, then there are Kangba, Jiarong Tibetans... the list goes on- with different cultures depending on their geograpihcal location and livelihood. The locals here they have benefited much finanically from tourism, but many Han (apart from the tourist influx) have moved in and the Tibetans use their money to send their kids to school in Chengdu and if they come back, they have no interest in the Tibetan language and ways of the elders. So why dont they build a decent school nearby? And what of the cultural preservation aspect of ecotourism? this could be a real challenge...
And hey, did i mention a visit to the Conficius temple in Beijing? it was quite a place. apart from the spectacular architecture there was a museum of the great wall, long explanations and dramatisations of the functioning of the imperial college (which this place once was) for aspiring officials as well as a museum of confucius detailing his life and teachings, and their supposed applicability in the modern world. Wow, there sure are some national self-righteous, triumphalistic confucius-loving scholars in China! take this for example- it was claimed unequivocally in this museum exhibition that the European enlightenment of the 17th-18th centuries was inspired by confucianism and promoted confucian values. Apparently voltaire was the inspiration behind it all and a raging sinophile himself. Not sure i can buy that. Some less grandiose claims perhaps? ahh well, this is China after all. Being overly self-concious, they are over-compensating their national ego after a few centuries under european dominion.
Apart from all this, i've been spending my days wandering in the park with the goal of walking all the trails before the cold of winter sets in. I've enjoyed the fantastic views (see my album on facebook) of autumn coloured forests, flourescent lakes, limestone pools and waterfalls, in spectacular and bizarre formations, you will have to come and see what i mean! The paths have been mercifully quiet- apart from the effect of the terrible may earthquake which has more than halved tourist numbers, almost all the local tourists just ride the bus from site to site and take photos, bypassing the trails through the forest- now thats not what i'd call 'ecotourism'! Neither are the overflowing rubbish bins and lack of interpretive signage- this is the kinda stuff i'll work on with colleagues. Along with much else- it seems there are many and varying tasks i could be doing from contacting travel agents to investigating local culture with elders- but overall i guess i need to balance the business considerations with the 'ecotourism ethics' so that things will work well. I really want to talk with the director- he's the one who makes the decisions- but a hard man to get a hold of, and my chinese is still pretty shabby too...
Alright there much more i could talk about... think i'll save it for nexttime
glad to receive your email at: callum_mcqueen@yahoo.com.au
good luck and all the best until next time!!!
Cheers from cal
:) :) :)
My last entry was such a rush, just tryin to catch up with all travels and events.
So now i've pretty much settled down, maybe i can paint a more elaborate, more captivating picture. subtleties and absurd intricacies not aside....
Yes my life is my work. My apartment is 100m from my office. I use my same laptop at home in evenings and during day in office. I eat most meals in the staff canteen and talk about the same ecotourism topics with my chinese office colleagues during day as with my expat mates in evening. i study the same chinese language books at home and work. In my free time i go to walk and explore in the park. some days i skip office and go to walk in the park, as its also part of the job.
My counterpart is named Jack. Its appropriate coz he's like a jack-in-the-box. Talks loudly and interrupts randomly but his heart is clearly in the right place. gotta giv him credit as he helps me alot and he occasionally lets a word in. For me, i wanna make friends with all the staff. But experienced expats here tell me thats just not the way it is done. they say that is sellin myself short- instead u gotta ignore the non-decisions makers and court the park directors as a way of increasing one's own authority and establishing ones own hgh-ranking persona. Apparently this is part of Chinese culture- act superior and treat anyone below you with contempt in order to get ahead. And coz we foreign staff are outside the usual staff hierachy u see, theres much more flexibility in our position. So i could be chums with the director and head of all the parks $millions new 'ecotourism' projects or just some fella helpin out in the science department. Umm, sounds complicated for a egalitarian aussie like me. not sure if im ready for all these decisions or could conciously be so harsh to anyone. Better get settled in first. I know im smart, but maybe its more comfortable to be a high-potential moderate achiever than to test the limits and really challenge oneself. Hmm
Yeah the hierachy here is very important. Local staff and expats alike keep reinforcing this point to me. e.g. Vice-directors follow the director like puppy dogs and lower level staff look for ways to maneouver themselves for promotion. No-one pushes the limits, innovates or works too hard coz that is a way to make enemies- people may resent u and feel threatened. sound kinda backward? its for real. My science department has spent 5 years and large budgets working on a ecotourism project and achieved almost perfectly zilch. Few reports repeating the same useless flora and fauna survey data. In my meetings with the science director he seems nervous to sound like he knows what he's talking about. And he tries to slow me down in my work planning likely coz the contrast with the past years achievements may put him under the directors microscope. My job is supposed to bridge the divide between science and marketing departments. Both know nothing about each other. But ecotourism projects need involves both to be involved intimately, otherwise you'll have the 'eco' without the tourism or the tourism with the 'eco'.
I also have other choices. Do i wanna launch a business with my expat colleagues or instead focus on capacity building of local staff through training? Would my training have any long term affect? i might even be stepping on communist party toes- as to me ecotourism is almost an ideology in itself.
But surely the future is bright? the 'new china' calls for environmental conservation and education, and this park is one of the most well-known in China. A market of thousands per day is at our doorstep waiting to be sold on the ecotourism concept. Our park director is dynamic and has big plans and grand visions of making this place and surounding valleys, world renowned as a eco-village haven for $$ rich ecotourists looking for a slice of clean and luxurious nature, high-tech in harmony with raw earth. This means they are also very receptive to outside help. They want to draw-upon global expertise - so if one acts like they know what they are talking about they can be highly valued by management.
And hey did i mention this is WESTERN China? big difference here guys. Out here, they're still waiting for the fruits of China's much publicised economic success and organisational innovation. So maybe thats why they still treat officials like emperors out here- never mind socialist equality! Apparently this western under-development is to be addressed by the central governments massive 'Great Western Development Project' in this forgotten half of china.
And meanwhile, though they may call this Sichuan, to me its more like Tibet. Another complicating factor. The local Tibetans here speak their own language, have their own food and customs, different from mainstream Lhasa culture, these people are known as Ando Tibetans, then there are Kangba, Jiarong Tibetans... the list goes on- with different cultures depending on their geograpihcal location and livelihood. The locals here they have benefited much finanically from tourism, but many Han (apart from the tourist influx) have moved in and the Tibetans use their money to send their kids to school in Chengdu and if they come back, they have no interest in the Tibetan language and ways of the elders. So why dont they build a decent school nearby? And what of the cultural preservation aspect of ecotourism? this could be a real challenge...
And hey, did i mention a visit to the Conficius temple in Beijing? it was quite a place. apart from the spectacular architecture there was a museum of the great wall, long explanations and dramatisations of the functioning of the imperial college (which this place once was) for aspiring officials as well as a museum of confucius detailing his life and teachings, and their supposed applicability in the modern world. Wow, there sure are some national self-righteous, triumphalistic confucius-loving scholars in China! take this for example- it was claimed unequivocally in this museum exhibition that the European enlightenment of the 17th-18th centuries was inspired by confucianism and promoted confucian values. Apparently voltaire was the inspiration behind it all and a raging sinophile himself. Not sure i can buy that. Some less grandiose claims perhaps? ahh well, this is China after all. Being overly self-concious, they are over-compensating their national ego after a few centuries under european dominion.
Apart from all this, i've been spending my days wandering in the park with the goal of walking all the trails before the cold of winter sets in. I've enjoyed the fantastic views (see my album on facebook) of autumn coloured forests, flourescent lakes, limestone pools and waterfalls, in spectacular and bizarre formations, you will have to come and see what i mean! The paths have been mercifully quiet- apart from the effect of the terrible may earthquake which has more than halved tourist numbers, almost all the local tourists just ride the bus from site to site and take photos, bypassing the trails through the forest- now thats not what i'd call 'ecotourism'! Neither are the overflowing rubbish bins and lack of interpretive signage- this is the kinda stuff i'll work on with colleagues. Along with much else- it seems there are many and varying tasks i could be doing from contacting travel agents to investigating local culture with elders- but overall i guess i need to balance the business considerations with the 'ecotourism ethics' so that things will work well. I really want to talk with the director- he's the one who makes the decisions- but a hard man to get a hold of, and my chinese is still pretty shabby too...
Alright there much more i could talk about... think i'll save it for nexttime
glad to receive your email at: callum_mcqueen@yahoo.com.au
good luck and all the best until next time!!!
Cheers from cal
:) :) :)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
My new home in the mountains
Here in the park, it is wonderful. Mountains, multicoloured forests, rainbow aqua lakes, wildlife, rivers and waterfalls. The array of contrasting, colours, textures and forms in the natural environment is quite breathtaking. Trees grow out of limestone covered florescent moss clumps midstream, while 300m wide water curtains fall then and suddenly become a 3m wide torrent. Lakes that seem as tropical lagoons supplanted to the edge of the Tibetan plateau dot the valleys, clear as crystal, underwater trees clearly visible through the sparkling, fluorescent depths. The irreplicable grandness of nature itself is perceived clearly when in this earthy paradise. Drama aside, it's quite amazing.
So far I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the conservation efforts undertaken by authorities at the park and also by the economic benefits that have clearly flowed to the Tibetan minority locals. The environment seems pristine and the locals happy with their more modern new homes, but a few glimpses of submerged rubbish, the profusion of mobile phone towers and the obvious transformation of the lifestyles of local people in the park shows that unresolved issues remain. Financial benefits aside- what of the effect on cultural wealth of the locals? Why is their no school nearby so that local Tibetans must send their children to the big city where they forget their language and adopt the ways of the Han mainstream? Maybe this is convenient for the state, but what of beauty in diversity?
My work may well focus more on developing areas of the park not yet open to many tourists, and on other valleys outside the park where potential for eco-tourism is great and local culture has not been degraded. In just the first few days we have met many local people, community leaders tourism workers and park staff. Its great to chat with them to get a sense of place, community and life conditions. We’ve watched two cultural shows- the 2nd a spectacular opera- a dazzling combination of colour, light, elaborate background and costumes, stories, dancing and song that conveyed a proud sense of the Tibetan people and their beliefs. In recent days we’ve met with 3 different village committees, visited the county seat to critique an exhibition, reviewed the visitor centre and visited 3 valleys earmarked for eco-tourism development (my job). I’ve met a lot of staff, played pleasantries with the directors, given out a few gifts and drunk plenty of toasts in the Chinese fashion.
Before I came here, my journey in China began in a conference centre in the suburbs of sprawling Beijing. Everywhere it seemed there were massive traffic clogged roads, high rises buildings and smog. Making the journey by subway and buses to the city centre, Tiananmen square, Jiangshan park, Wangfujing shopping district and the summer palace was more than worth it for the world-matching monuments, and provided that sense of place and orientation that I missed out in the suburbs. The summer palace and forbidden city was a reminder of imperial glory, while flashy wangfujing shopping street was a demonstration of China new-found wealth and neon-lights capitalism. At the summer palace, every info sign reminded visitors how each building was burnt down by the Anglo-French forces in 1860, a sign of the ‘grievance’ nationalism promoted by various Chinese leaders (especially Mao), mainly for political purposes. Our accom building was close to the Olympic site though, just a few bus stops up the ring road so I snuck up there one day in the lunch break between our training sessions and wandered around the imposing structures- the ‘birds nest’ with its webbed-spokes like appearance, the ‘ice cube’ spectacularly lit up at night and gymnastics dome. Many Chinese tourists getting their belated dose of Olympic fervour. Also sampled the nightlife scene in Beijing. Didnt know what to expect in the capital of communist china where 'liberty' is hardly the motto of the town. In Nanluguoxiang district met up with other AYADs and expats at a rooftop bar between two ancient Drum and Bell towers, then took a walk down the bar district where tradtional hutong architecture met backpacker nighlife haunt in a east-west juxtaposition. Cool atmosphere. Later, in the expat realm of sanlitou, the character-less neon lights, dancing girls and commerical feel was hardly charming. It left me heading home wondering if it was the usual life for most diplomats in China (being right in the embassy zone), to often spend an average half-weeks wages of a local worker on each drink in these seedy bars.
Chengdu, my next stop, was another energetic city, famous for spicy food (and women- known as ‘la meizi’- spice girls), tea-drinking culture, and more recently as the capital of the province hit by the devastating may earthquake. Situated in the centre of a large natural basin, mountains in the distance on all sides, it is the agricultural and industrial centre of Western China with a long and proud history to rival even that of the capital Beijing. Unfortunately, the basin geography also makes for cloudy, humid weather (only 28% of days with any sunshine) and while I was visiting there was no exception. There for 4-days, I had a lot of shopping to do and time for some sightseeing too. This time, my hotel was right in the centre of town, all I need to do was look out my window to see the milling crowds of thousands of fashionable youngsters strolling through the ‘chun xi lu’ shopping mall, fast food, jewellery and expensive clothing stores all around. OK, so phaps on my volunteers budget this was not the place for me to shop!. First, after some extensive negotiation, I bought a bicycle for 800 CNY, got extra fitted, seat raised, boxed (for flight) and starting happily pedalling my way through around and across the streets and suburbs of Chengdu. Being without a decent map, it was a bit hit and miss at times but getting lost is of course half the fun and this is how I got to know the town. Visiting parks and temples, a university, department stores, old alleys and the city square with its big Mao-statue, eventually found a shoe store that had my size way out in the suburbs at a busy shopping district where the ‘real’ locals shopped and prices where much cheaper. Its cold up at the park, so I collected lots of warm gear and piled them on my bike rack and set off again. Wenshu temple was a highlight of Chengdu, majestic and serene profound messages on the walls and beautiful architecture to admire, I found my first few moments of real peace since arriving in China while sitting in a garden-lake pagoda while the soaking rain kept crowds away.
Taking the 40-min flight up to Jiuzhai-Huanglong airport, I managed to smuggle my bicycle aboard along with piles of luggage without paying fees, and was presented with towering peaks of jagged, bare brown stone, backed by endless waves of mountains and ridges disappearing off into the distance. I had reached the edge of the roof of the world, the path to the Tibetan plateau and landed above 3000m in a yak-farmed brown valley rimmed by peaks. Since then, the mountains have been the maiden forever at my side, and the local Tibetan people with their warmth are the mystery into which I am slowing delving. The air is clean and crisp and the water clear. Yes, this is a paradise.
See you soon!
:)
So far I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the conservation efforts undertaken by authorities at the park and also by the economic benefits that have clearly flowed to the Tibetan minority locals. The environment seems pristine and the locals happy with their more modern new homes, but a few glimpses of submerged rubbish, the profusion of mobile phone towers and the obvious transformation of the lifestyles of local people in the park shows that unresolved issues remain. Financial benefits aside- what of the effect on cultural wealth of the locals? Why is their no school nearby so that local Tibetans must send their children to the big city where they forget their language and adopt the ways of the Han mainstream? Maybe this is convenient for the state, but what of beauty in diversity?
My work may well focus more on developing areas of the park not yet open to many tourists, and on other valleys outside the park where potential for eco-tourism is great and local culture has not been degraded. In just the first few days we have met many local people, community leaders tourism workers and park staff. Its great to chat with them to get a sense of place, community and life conditions. We’ve watched two cultural shows- the 2nd a spectacular opera- a dazzling combination of colour, light, elaborate background and costumes, stories, dancing and song that conveyed a proud sense of the Tibetan people and their beliefs. In recent days we’ve met with 3 different village committees, visited the county seat to critique an exhibition, reviewed the visitor centre and visited 3 valleys earmarked for eco-tourism development (my job). I’ve met a lot of staff, played pleasantries with the directors, given out a few gifts and drunk plenty of toasts in the Chinese fashion.
Before I came here, my journey in China began in a conference centre in the suburbs of sprawling Beijing. Everywhere it seemed there were massive traffic clogged roads, high rises buildings and smog. Making the journey by subway and buses to the city centre, Tiananmen square, Jiangshan park, Wangfujing shopping district and the summer palace was more than worth it for the world-matching monuments, and provided that sense of place and orientation that I missed out in the suburbs. The summer palace and forbidden city was a reminder of imperial glory, while flashy wangfujing shopping street was a demonstration of China new-found wealth and neon-lights capitalism. At the summer palace, every info sign reminded visitors how each building was burnt down by the Anglo-French forces in 1860, a sign of the ‘grievance’ nationalism promoted by various Chinese leaders (especially Mao), mainly for political purposes. Our accom building was close to the Olympic site though, just a few bus stops up the ring road so I snuck up there one day in the lunch break between our training sessions and wandered around the imposing structures- the ‘birds nest’ with its webbed-spokes like appearance, the ‘ice cube’ spectacularly lit up at night and gymnastics dome. Many Chinese tourists getting their belated dose of Olympic fervour. Also sampled the nightlife scene in Beijing. Didnt know what to expect in the capital of communist china where 'liberty' is hardly the motto of the town. In Nanluguoxiang district met up with other AYADs and expats at a rooftop bar between two ancient Drum and Bell towers, then took a walk down the bar district where tradtional hutong architecture met backpacker nighlife haunt in a east-west juxtaposition. Cool atmosphere. Later, in the expat realm of sanlitou, the character-less neon lights, dancing girls and commerical feel was hardly charming. It left me heading home wondering if it was the usual life for most diplomats in China (being right in the embassy zone), to often spend an average half-weeks wages of a local worker on each drink in these seedy bars.
Chengdu, my next stop, was another energetic city, famous for spicy food (and women- known as ‘la meizi’- spice girls), tea-drinking culture, and more recently as the capital of the province hit by the devastating may earthquake. Situated in the centre of a large natural basin, mountains in the distance on all sides, it is the agricultural and industrial centre of Western China with a long and proud history to rival even that of the capital Beijing. Unfortunately, the basin geography also makes for cloudy, humid weather (only 28% of days with any sunshine) and while I was visiting there was no exception. There for 4-days, I had a lot of shopping to do and time for some sightseeing too. This time, my hotel was right in the centre of town, all I need to do was look out my window to see the milling crowds of thousands of fashionable youngsters strolling through the ‘chun xi lu’ shopping mall, fast food, jewellery and expensive clothing stores all around. OK, so phaps on my volunteers budget this was not the place for me to shop!. First, after some extensive negotiation, I bought a bicycle for 800 CNY, got extra fitted, seat raised, boxed (for flight) and starting happily pedalling my way through around and across the streets and suburbs of Chengdu. Being without a decent map, it was a bit hit and miss at times but getting lost is of course half the fun and this is how I got to know the town. Visiting parks and temples, a university, department stores, old alleys and the city square with its big Mao-statue, eventually found a shoe store that had my size way out in the suburbs at a busy shopping district where the ‘real’ locals shopped and prices where much cheaper. Its cold up at the park, so I collected lots of warm gear and piled them on my bike rack and set off again. Wenshu temple was a highlight of Chengdu, majestic and serene profound messages on the walls and beautiful architecture to admire, I found my first few moments of real peace since arriving in China while sitting in a garden-lake pagoda while the soaking rain kept crowds away.
Taking the 40-min flight up to Jiuzhai-Huanglong airport, I managed to smuggle my bicycle aboard along with piles of luggage without paying fees, and was presented with towering peaks of jagged, bare brown stone, backed by endless waves of mountains and ridges disappearing off into the distance. I had reached the edge of the roof of the world, the path to the Tibetan plateau and landed above 3000m in a yak-farmed brown valley rimmed by peaks. Since then, the mountains have been the maiden forever at my side, and the local Tibetan people with their warmth are the mystery into which I am slowing delving. The air is clean and crisp and the water clear. Yes, this is a paradise.
See you soon!
:)
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