Luang Praban: Kids

maybe the streets are super safe here.
maybe they are too poor to attend school.
maybe there are no schools.
maybe they have to help make money for their family.
maybe they have no parents.

whatever is the case in Luang Praban, i see kids on the streets throughout the whole day.
and their eyes,
carry a strength and sense of responsibility, rarely possessed by kids in developed countries.
and when you smile, they smile back.
not in a "i am a kid and i have to be cute and smile back at you," but just a simple, genuine smile.

i understand that child labor and the high percentage of uneducated children is an issue for a lot of the countries we are visiting.
but while they may be forced into work, the kids here don't appear to be sad or resentful about the fact that they work.  they already seem more responsible than most students i met (including myself) when i was set free to go to college at the age of 17.  some even maxed out their parents' credit cards, partying and buying stuff that they don't even need.
in terms of appreciation for work, money, and time, these kids are way more mature than i am.


here are some episodes with kids in Luang Praban.

Ear Ring
while walking through the Hmong Night Market, i take my bag off of my shoulders and the strap gets caught on one of my ear rings.  the ear ring falls off, i hear a "clink," and am left with the small backing stuck to the back of my ear lobe (from all the sweating i did).  i search around for 5 minutes or so, but it's lost in the crowd of consumers, asphalt, and colorful sheets.
i give up, continue my shopping, and come across a dark stairway behind a vendor.  since i have time until my dad finishes his Lao massage, i decide to see where the stairs take me.  short trip, maybe about 23 steps, i reach a calm, open area with benches and a nice view of the market from above.

 

i notice a temple to the side of me, head over to take a look when i hear "SIR!  sir?" from behind.

although too dark to see their faces, four girls who seem to be about 7-9 years-old are waving and signal me to come closer.  i approach them, one of the girls puts out her hand and opens it to reveal my lost ear ring.  "how the?  what? "  i still can't see their faces, but say "THANK YOUUUUU!!!!" they giggle a bit and run off back to work.

it had been close to 15 minutes since i left the spot where i dropped my ear ring.  to this day, i don't know how the girls found me at the top of the stairs, alone in the dark.

i'm usually good about taking pictures of people that i come across, but i was in too much awe to snap one this time...

To Learn

(the following conversation is in Japanese)

kids hanging out at the market: "are you Japanese?"

dad: "yes"

kids: "can you spare 15 minutes of your time so we can practice?"

dad: "sure"

the next 15 minutes is spent talking about where we're from, our family, home, and culture, while the kids jot down new words that they encounter.

they tell us they come here every night to find "teachers" (i.e. tourists) to brush up on their foreign languages.

 

i saw them again the next day, talking to some Korean tourists.

who needs schools, teachers, and books when you have the hunger and strength to act upon your will to learn?  if only i possessed 1/8 of their will back when i was a kid...

on my last night in Luang Praban, i gave them a postcard of San Francisco with my e-mail address.  i know it's difficult, but hope they make it some day.

Smile (with a bit of embarrassment)

we see a girl carrying a heavy bag and a stool.  probably setting up shop for the night market, on her first trip from wherever she stores her products.  the way she carried the bag, the way she looked into the streets to find a good location, all resembled that of a hard working adult.  it was a bit intimidating to know that someone so young can seem and act so responsibly.  i manage to sneak up beside her and snap this:

  

the next night, i see the same girl working at the market, manning her own little shop.  i quickly pull out my camera and show her the photo i took the day before.

"is this you??"

embarrassed smile, nod.

ai, so cute.  she is a kid after all. 

we'd been looking for bibs for all the recent babies being born, and i decide to buy from her.

 

some more photos of kids...

picking up plumeria for ornaments

our elephant guide

picking up recyclables

girl with biggest smile at the market

closing shop and going back home

Day 21, 22, 23: Luang Praban

as explained in many guide books, Luang Praban is a magical city.  it's a peninsula city caught between two rivers (one being the Mekong river), the surrounding nature quite serene, and every few blocks there are beautiful temples with orange-robed monks residing in them.  there's no wonder why the whole city is a world heritage site. 

more impressive to me than the physical beauty of this place though, is the feeling of the people.  they are warm, soft, and they like to smile.  it's so nice to have smiles get returned right back at you.

we met a Japanese national who had traveled all throughout Asia, and he mentioned that the Laotian people were "nice."  it got me thinking for a bit, what is it that shapes the general characteristic and sensibility of a city (or a whole country) to be identified as "nice"?  of course there will be individuals that don't fit the stereotype, but on the average, i too think that there's a common feel for a country,  state, city, or village.  Japanese people seem quiet, reserved, and a bit robotic at times.  Chinese people seem aggressive, full of force and hungry to live.  sorry for stereotyping, but the differences felt in each region are undeniable.  religion?  history?  political climate?  economic status?  tourism?  food?  nature?  weather?  TV?  celebrities and pop-culture?  family values?  the list is endless and i can imagine the affects of each of these influences on people, while these influences also being affected by the people who receive them.

i can't pinpoint the single aspect of life that has the greatest affect on a human being, but throughout this trip, i've learned that people will do almost anything to survive.  i'm fortunate that i've never had to worry (just yet) if there'd be enough food on the table for me and my family for the next day, but if i were ever to be in such situation, i can see myself losing all values taught to me by my parents, school, and could see myself possibly breaking the law.

the people in Luang Praban are making a good amount of money off of tourists, but they aren't pushy and the prices aren't outrageous.  many shops and restaurants have prices listed on every product (for those that don't know, this isn't always common).  i can trust the people here, and be at peace with my position in their lives.  if i decide not to buy a piece of cloth at the Hmong Market, the shopkeeper doesn't push any further, I say "thank you for your time," she says "thank you for looking," we smile at each other and go about minding our next business.  there's no way to tell how these folks are doing financially, but they seem to be at a nice place.

here are some unedited pics from Luang Praban:

first Tuc-Tuc!

Dad on bicycle

Boss monk watching over as he smokes.

sandwich lady

kids fighting at the Hmong Market

Buffet for 10,000 Kip ($1.25)

river in front of our hotel

Day 20-21: Into Laos

departure from a not-so-crazy station in Kunming, but on a ridiculously packed sleeper-bus with with a half-half mix of local Chinese and tourists (4 Japanese, 2 American, 3 Chinese) all the way to Luang Praban (Laos).  seems like the bus is used by poor tourists (like us!) and locals who seem to be exporting/importing goods between China and Laos.  hence, any space available (aisles and beds included) filled with huge bags of different shapes and colors.
people get picked up and dropped off along the way, most likely extra cash for the driver, and they'd be people waiting at random stops to pick up or drop off packages.  although probably all under the table, i think it's a nice, economical system.

stops at rest areas are always confusing.  it takes a while to determine how much time we have to take care of our business, bathrooms are often hard to find (and dirty), and i always need a bit of courage to try and order the food served there.  beer at these stops are always kept at room temperature (warm) and i don't like it...doesn't stop me from buying though.

money exchange dude who has a son studying in Japan.  exchanged Yuan -> Kip through my bus window.

at the Chinese-Laotian border, the bus drops us off and manages it's way through heavy traffic as we line up to show our passport to the Chinese immigration officers.  once safely through, the bus picks us up to drive 500 meters and there, we fill paperwork to receive our visa and stamps on the Laotian side.

the difference in the two immigration facilities is quite ridiculous.  the Chinese office is clean, air-conditioned, and automated, while the Laotian office, a small wooden shack with windows.
apparently China is like a bigger brother to Laos.  logging in Laos is a huge problem and many of it's resources are being sucked up by China.  after passing through Chinese immigration, i look back to see this:

seems to me like a "big brother" trying to tower over those entering from Laos, while on the other side of this monster, is just another dirty Chinese town.

after a few minutes of riding in Laos, the scenery changes 180 degrees.  there are villages every 5 minutes with people living in raised wooden homes constructed on ledges.

although i don't know what the exact living conditions are here, i like and am fond of what i see.
toddlers in front of homes, picking on their dogs, naked kids playing in the river, young teens forming gangs, older teens walking together as couples, dads packing scooters to deliver products to the village next door, moms cooking while scolding their toddler for squeezing the poor dog's tail, and grandparents chilling in the shade, overlooking everything, satisfied that they've accomplished the important role of continuing their race.

smog is everywhere though, coming from the burning of land after deforestation.  there's a constant stinging smell of smoke all throughout our trip in Laos.  the roads are not kept well and some parts still unpaved.  here, my pen becomes a drawing tool for a seismograph.  calculating from intensity of the scribbles on my journal, i'd say this bus ride is an average 5.8M on the Richter scale.

bus stop prior to getting into Luang Praban.  reminds me of Senegal.

the most ghetto rest area during this trip - bushes.  was cleaner and less smellier than the other bathrooms.

Day 20: by name

we decide to send back some gifts and unneeded clothing back home to California.

i ask my dad to include a letter for mom, and catch a glimpse of him writing on a sheet ripped out of his journal.

it's titled: "To Takako..."

i've never heard him call my mom by her name.  and i'm sure he never writes to her cuz they've spent the last 30+ years living together every single day.

the trip has been worth it already.

Days 18, 19: Kunming

more of a transit city for us than a destination, we head towards Kunming, a metropolis within the Yunnan Province.  before getting there, we must pass through a train hub called Guangzhou, 2-hours of a train ride from Hong Kong.

Guangzhou station must've been the most chaotic and confusing station that i've ever been to...
first of all, we pass through immigration upon getting off, and dad gets caught at the health quarantine.  i wait for 15 minutes on the other side of the immigrations counter, worried that we're not going to make it through.
but they just asks questions about his cough/fever and all is good, he comes out with a smile.

we get to the main departing station, and for the next hour and a half or so, my mind is filled with chaos, questions, and confusion...most of which i still don't understand.

the station building is a huge, mean looking block of windows, steel, cement.  but there's thousands of people outside just sitting, sleeping, playing card games, eating, and hanging out.  surely they can all fit inside the building, so what's the wait?  we have our tickets, so i make a decision that we are allowed inside...and finally find a crowd of people, sorta forming a line.  not knowing what the line is for, dad and i line up.  takes forever since so many people just keep cutting in front of us, but we make it through, they check our tickets and get inside.  i was right.
inside, everything is written in Chinese.  although we can both read some Chinese characters, it takes us 10 minutes to figure out which direction we should be headed towards.  we make a guess and walk through big rooms, courtyards, dark alleys, stairs, (why?) and get to a waiting area that holds about 700 people.  the numbers on the signs match the numbers on our ticket, so we decide to wait there standing (all seats were taken).  i make a trip to the bathroom, and experience some interesting things.

• "No Smoking" signs are everywhere but everyone is smoking in and around the bathrooms.
• Cup-O-Noodles is the choice of food during travel for everyone here.  the food stands sell many variations of them, and in every corner, there's a hot water dispenser.  every way you look, someone is hurriedly eating out of paper bowls, and the trash bins are filled with colorful ramen labels.

 trash from cup-o-noodles must be a huge problem, i've seen it sold in huge quantities in Korea too.  but imagining how it has impacted the lives of many people and what they eat when there are no kitchens and restaurant facilities, being able to eat a savory, hot cup-of-noodles must be a life saver for many people here.  might possibly be the biggest invention coming out of Japan.
more confusion occurs at the Guangzhou station, but i think you get the point.  we do get to our train just fine, and arrive in Kunming 25 hours later.

not much time left at this cafe to write about Kunming, so here are some pics :)

people dancing on a street corner.

don't know exactly what it says, but a girl studying in late on the streets, asking for support.

people carry so much luggage on board.  i'm assuming it's for business.

Day 14, 15, 16, 17: Hong Kong

thanks greatly to Carrie Carter, who currently resides in Hong Kong, my father and i had the opportunity to feel "useful," for once during this trip by sharing our knowledge about taiko-playing and taiko-making.

19 hours total of taiko instruction (group and private) and one performance.  having to teach private lessons was an eye opener for me.  the last i remember doing such work was back in 2005(?).  i was quite worried prior to arriving in Hong Kong about the lessons, these days it seems like the more i study and practice, the less i really know about what is right.  do i have enough substance within myself to take money from someone in exchange?  i realized though that i had actually grown a bit within the past few years. although my mind is still filled with tons of questions about technique/mindset, there's some things that i definitely have to offer.  i also realized that teaching is not just about how equipped you are, but also about how thoughtful you can be about your students, their needs, and what you believe to be good for their future.  it's such a complicated and scary challenge to face, having to process all these things in an instant is quite tricky, but i like having to be on my toes.

packing and lugging drums and stands for workshops.

during a lunch break, a friend of the members of O-Daiko happened to be at the same restaurant and decided on a whim that he wanted an hour of taiko lessons too.  wow.  i said "heck," and he left learning all of Renshu Daiko within an hour.  what a wonderful attitude to have.  i can't spell his name but it sounds like Faatsai.

 

second time teaching O-Daiko was such a pleasure, although i probably overloaded their brain with too much info.  performing Hachijo in Hong Kong was quite surreal, i failed in playing fue, and my Matsuri solo was crap.

pre-performance

Ban's Gig Drums' kids were wonderful again, and sharing Hachijo Daiko was such a pleasure.  i can't wait to show the Hachijo Islanders pics from kids in Hong Kong learning their style.

Ban's Gig Drums

great times in Hong Kong, but unfortunately dad gets sick after a solo run to the Nepal Consulate for visa processing.  for the next few days, he spends most of his time in bed, unable to eat nor see much of Hong Kong.  we decide to stay for an extra day to make sure he is strong enough to withstand the 20+ hours of transportation to our next destination - Kunming.

here are some other pics from Hong Kong:

smoking grandma

grandpa at the sports center

hand on a pole on subway.

Mui Wo sunrise

lastly, thank you Manman for letting us stay with you.
thank you Carrie for being the awesomest taiko manager, for keeping me sane throughout the crazy train and bus rides in China, playing shitauchi for me, and for being such a thoughtful friend to me, my father, and many others.

Carrie playing shitauchi

Day 11, 12, 13: China and Shanghai

backtrack blog...

due to some setbacks and a deadline to reach Hong Kong by March 24, we had to zip through the northern part of China by overnight bus and train.  the only things i can say about mainland China are landscapes seen and impressions felt through dirty windows.

overnight sleeper bus

dad sleeping

dinner stop.  where we had to scarf down dinner in 10 minutes.

China is huge.  and the people quite aggressive (at the stations at least).

the suburbs, there seems to be a lot of them, are a bit desolate.
yet big, brick, block buildings (BBBB) are always in construction...while the huge BBBB next door over still has empty and dirtied store spaces in them.  there's something sad about this situation, and maybe it's just me, but i sense a sort of longing or hope that the town will eventually flourish.

not the best example

the countryside though, seems a bit more natural.  natural not just in the sense that there's more green, but also in the fact that the amount/style of buildings, homes, vehicles, roads, and people seem to make more sense.  less BBBB's but homes/huts made of wood and cement with roofs shaped to fit the weather.  during daylight, men/women, old/young are farming, still using water buffaloes to plow their land, lugging crop in two baskets hung over their shoulders by a pole, and when it comes evening, you see them hanging out with family on their porches.

a quick 12-hour stop in Shanghai where we got tricked into getting an expensive taxi which took us to a train station far far away...when the actual station we needed to be at was right in front of where the bus had landed.  major chaos in getting to the correct (and original) departing station, not enough cash on hand upon purchasing the ticket, catching Reiko and Eri Masunaga at the airport for a quick "hello," getting "shampooed" at a local salon, walking down Yoen, and catching the direct train to Hong Kong at 6pm.  people really love to hang their clothes on trees and balconies here.

how the heck?

chair salesman (and woman)

school trip

line to get through the gate.  we had to learn the hard way, how to not let others cut in.

it was dad's decision not to travel by air, and as much as possible to use the cheapest transportation available.
our first bus ride was 17 hours, followed by a train ride - 20 hours.  it's quite boring at first, especially after the lights turn out and there's nothing you can really do other than to talk to yourself.  you get used to it though, and i realized i hadn't had the time (nor put in the effort) to hear my own voice for a long long time...was it in college?  i don't know.  but the time was quite valuable.
also, travelling by land puts you on the same ground as the landscape and people.  this seems to make everything more real.  the hours spent on the long long rides allow me feel the vastness of the land rather than seeing it on a map.  it may seem like a waste of time to not really doing anything, sometimes i get restless, but it's been worth it so far.
as we head south, dad notices something that i didn't even care to look at.
"the flowers are blooming."  and he was right.
as we traveled further south, it seemed like we were fast-forwarding time and hurrying ourselves into Spring. maybe human's have already invented the time machine :)

hard-sleeper (left is dad, right is old man)

and speaking of dad, we shared our hard-bed room on the train with a man and his parents.  the aggressiveness of the people in China is scary to me at times, but it's full of life force.  and i see strongly that they place so much importance on family and continuity of life.  it was so nice to see the man taking care of his 80+ year-old father who slept in the bed next to my dad's.