China July 2009 - Silk Market/Friendship Market

The Silk Market/Friendship market is multiple floors of jampacked tourista madness with all the knock-off labels anyone could wish for.... Bargaining is a must in all the markets, so, with some tips from Bail, Maddie blossomed into quite the Bargainista - turning the initial price for one silk robe into half the price for two! The sellers were still smiling at the end of the transaction, though, so everyone was happy.

China July 2009 - Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen is quite expansive and looks toward the walls of the Forbidden City. We seemed to have twice timed it perfectly to miss the museum, so just had to appreciate the scope and sculptures. Chinese tourists consider us a 'site' as well, and often asked to be photographed with us freaks - lots of smiling and laughter all the way around.

Tiananmen, like much of Beijing, is a broad expanse of unshaded concrete. Although there was no direct sun, many residents carry umbrellas for a bit of shade, and, despite the heat, couture was overall fairly formal with most of the women sporting skirts and dresses, and rarely uncovered shoulders. Tanktops and spaghetti straps - of which we glimpsed maybe 5 during our entire stay - were the clear sign of a foreigner.

Interesting note: when I later tried to show the kids some of the historical images & import of Tiananmen, it was completely unavailable to us from online within China. Molly later filled us in that all public & sharing sites (Wikipedia, Facebook, Blogger, etc) are heavily monitored and/or unavailable within China - unless you have the ability to hack&pirate.

China July 2009 - Great Wall

Incredible. Redonkeylous. Brought to you since the 5th century for some 5500 miles! We went to the Mutianyu section, just under an hour outside Beijing at the wise recommendation of Bailey's cousin, Molly, who was a Beijing resident with her husband Dan, and daughter, Anne. We took the cable car up - as did the 17th living Buddha of Tibet, Megeba, in 1999, according the the sign in the car.
The wall barely shows her age in this section - punctuated with towers with gracious cool stone shade, and occasionally, rooftop lookouts. The buildings rated 4 creatures worth of import. Be grateful for the lack of smell-a-vision, as the steamheat brought to its height, the centuries of secondary use as 'relief' stations....

China July 2009 - Forbidden City

We made the steamy walk from our hotel to the Forbidden City - along the way meeting a friendly young student who was the first of many to compliment Bailey for being a 'lucky father' with two children, one of each! The young man was an artist who, with his friends, was working toward affording a student exchange in NYC. We stopped in their studio, and Finn selected a traditional watercolor of a tiger which was then customized with his name in Chinese characters.
The Forbidden City itself was originally a Ming Dynasty imperial palace - naturally, quite impressive. It's aligned almost perfectly to the compass points and is said to 999 rooms, as nine is considered a lucky number. I didn't verify this information - that's why realtors have that little disclaimer at the bottom of each listing.... There are little figures along the roofline corner ridges of many of the buildings in China which represent the importance of the building - the more figures, the more important. There is only one building in China which is allowed the rank of 10 - The Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City.
Although from its moniker, it's obvious that the Forbidden City hasn't always opened its doors to everyone - leaving more to the power of imagination (even today, Ba Sing Se, from Avatar, is based on the city.) When "The Last Emperor" was allowed shot in the 'City back in the '80s, it was a truly landmark occasion.

China July 2009 - Beijing Panjiayuan Marketplace

I'm a sucker for markets - they're like a condensed physical tour of the cultural classified section - fun to explore, and telling of perspectives on all sides. Panjiayuan, sometimes nicknamed 'the Dirt Market', at the Third Ring Road of Beijing is no exception. It was easy to utilize Bailey as our landmark, as he stood about a foot taller than the crowds. There were so many fabulous & unusual items, the concept of choosing any one to purchase was, for me, overwhelming. The boys, of course, came away with weaponry. There was a stall filled with outrageous fabrics, but as it was the first day, I hesitated to purchase just yet, although I should've known better, not abiding by the snag-it-when-you-see-it-or-forever-hold-your-peace motto. (Cindy K: at least we can share the photo!) The foray was a feast for the senses....

China July 2009

More from Bailey: Shanghai looking backward along the Yangtse to Chiang Kham....

China July 2009

There was a bit in the middle, there, where we visited Beijing, (formerly known as Princ, no, Peking) China. Bailey went ahead with Trinity College as part of a project. He went to Chongquing, boated down along the Yangtze, and went to Shanghai before the kids & I met up with him in Beijing.

14. November Chiang Kham, Ricoh Foundation

Ricoh is a growing tennis foundation supported by a fair-wage sweater design production. Corinne heads up All Things Sweater at the foundation, and she gives us a tour of the sweater stronghold. The majority of the knitting actually happens in the huts and fields around the village. There are cooperative teams overseen by district managers who have the order list. Individual knitters take a “sweater kit” with specs and measured yarn quantities organized into a little blue bag. When the knitters have time, they work on their project, meeting the deadline at their own schedule. Currently, in fact, nearly all available knitters are helping to bring in the rice harvest. Tradition demands an all-hands-on-deck attitude, with all families and all farmers helping to bring in all fields. Much of the work is still done by hand, but some groups of farmers chip in to rent a harvester machine, which, of course, cuts work into a fraction. The machine is manned and run 24 hours to get the full value of the rental. Grains of rice from the fields have been known to find their way into a finished sweater like a highland pearl, and the lines are named Rice and Ricoh in that honor. A symbolic silver rice-shaped bead is stitched to each final product.

Just before we left Australia, Corinne sent a note offering a custom sweater for both Mieke and me. I just had time to make a selection from all the gorgeous choices on their website before we left for Thailand. Today, after our tour of the facilities, Corinne presents me with a beautiful hand knit sweater in the design and colors I’d chosen just a week before and thousands of miles away. I’m overwhelmed.

Bailey, Finn & I hop in a van with Rick and a few of the knitting team to scout out locations for shooting in the coming days. We wind through the village, passing an architectural assortment of colonial stucco farmhouses, plantation-style wood cottages with some chalet fliar, a few brick retro modern ranches and, mostly, clustered huts on stilts - some with satellite dishes, many with dogs and chickens frolicking under the houses in the long afternoon shadows. The village stops abruptly and the rice paddies begin. As we follow the ridge of red clay road, the setting sun lights the fields and scattered ricebarns with a rosegold hue, and we do our best to capture the waning magic moments on film.

At the end of a little road, we stop the car at a farm (and potential shoot location.) Stepping into the twilight, we are bathed in the comforting, delicious smell of sweet, sun-warmed, ripe rice. It could be the best scented sunset ever.

13 November to Chiang Kham, Ricoh Foundation

The kids manage to squeak in a final round of tennis with Leslie, and we have one last fabulous light lunch - my choice is a gorgeous light, “do-it-yourself” Thai tortillas - thaitillas? and pack it up, saying goodbye to the friendly folks at the Four Seasons. Our next stop will be the Ricoh Foundation - a growing non-profit tennis operation founded by Americans Rick & Corinne Fowler. The Fowlers have sent their friend, Pritcha, the van driver, to fetch us. Pritcha is a very slight, older Thai gentleman who sports a well-worn U.S. Army camo jacket, miles of wood bead necklace, well-engraved smile lines and a disproportionately large presence of calm.

We stop at another wat on the way out of town. This time, a quiet village wat where monks & workers are picking up from Loi Krathong festivities, and preparing a symbolic funeral pyre. Pritcha says the pyre is for all the villagers who can’t travel to Bangkok for the beloved Princess’ funeral festivities. (An entire park in Bangkok was converted to a wat-like altar honoring her life.) Villages all acrossThailand will be simultaneously honoring her life in festivities next week.


The 6+ hour winding drive into the mountains is well-utilized for alternately gaping at thick jungle, rice paddies & stray civilization and catching up on well-needed sleep. As darkness falls in the village of Chiang Kham, we pull into an unassuming little road toward the rice paddies. We are met with a candle-lit wonderland of gardens, pools, two porch-wrapped homes and the welcoming smiles of our hosts, Rick & Corinne and Victor. We sit down in the outdoor dining room for a fabulous dinner overlooking the rice fields and distant twinkling village lights.

12 November Loi Krathong Festival

Bailey & Mieke are in Chiang Mai shooting all day, while the kids & I try to take it slow...! Finn sneaks in an afternoon tennis lesson with the Four Seasons Pro, Leslie - “It was soooo much fun, mom!” (Leslie even manages to convince me to get onto the court, barefoot & skirt-clad, to join in a few exercises with the kids in a later lesson - no mean feat, as those who know me will attest!)

We’re saving up for a spectacular sunset, and the main event that evening: the Loi Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai. Held at the 12th (?) full moon of the year, the Loi Krathong festival, as I understand it, is one of hope, thanks and light. The delicate krathong - handcrafted in homes and markets - are gently floated down the River Ping to honor & thank the Goddess of the River for the water from which all life stems. The lanterns - some apparently up to 12’ in diameter with comet-like candle pots - are loosed into the sky by the thousands - each carrying with it the hopes & wishes of the senders. Magical.

Having been cautioned against being in the thick of city streets - “It can get a little crazy with the firecrackers!” - we watch from a riverfront open-air restaurant. (Everything’s open-air here!) The cantankerouscrazyraucous company of today’s fixer, and American and his rocknrolla buddy still can’t dampen the atmosphere. Finn and I step out to the street to pick up two little krathongs. Back “inside” the restaurant, we all tiptoe onto a little bamboo dock to light the incense, candles and sparklers of the little craft and loose them onto the river.

The music, fireworks, lanterns and krathong never cease throughout our 3 hour dinner. The festivities will go on well into the wee hours.

11. November Chiang Mai - Some Language Lessons and Wat Doi Su Tep

Bailey & Mieke do some shooting in the morning, then Nym joins us at around noon We all pile into the van for, firstly, a foiled attempt at shooting at a local Elephant Farm - crowded with police as the banner stated: The People of the Kingdom of Thailand Warmly Welcome Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of the Royal Kingdom. So cameras = no dice.

We then head into Chiang Mai to see local craft - from traditional to contemporary - in the galleries of a growing art district. There is more fantastic high-end weaving, painting, furniture and wood sculpture - including some figures playing the folk instruments we saw last night. There is a “tuk-tuk” - a groovy little 3-wheeled taxi - with some awesomely familiar propoganda parked outside of a gallery....

Nym and John, the driver, are kind enough to clarify some basic Thai lingo for us along the way:
Sawaddee-kah - A hello/goodbe greeting like aloha, said by a woman/girl.
Sawaddee-k(r)up - greeting when said by a man/boy
K(r)ab kun-kah - Thank you, when said by a woman/girl
K(r)ab kun-k(r)up - Thank you, said by the masculine
SooAY - beautiful
With “sooay” and manymany other words, the speaker has to be careful not to pronounce the word in such a way that it actually becomes a total insultingly rude remark... Thai is a tonal language, similar to Chinese. The rising, falling, dipping, etc tones can completely change the meaning of a word. For instance, the sentence “Mai Mai Mai Mai Mai” would be “Wet Wood Doesn’t Burn” with the proper tones!
Far and away my favorite vocabulary words, however, are the simple “yes” and “no.” In Thailand, there is literally no word for “no.” There is “yes” - “chai”, and “not yes” - “mai chai”. It’s the perfect summation of a very positive culture.

Then on to catch “magic hour” at Wat Doi Su Tep. The word “wat” itself means “temple” and “doi,” “mountain.” So it is the “Temple at Mount’ SuTep” Despite rampant tourism, it is a place of overwhelming peace and beauty. The kids & I wander the temple - marveling at the sagas of art and sculptures. Bailey & Mieke shoot, then find time to enjoy the wat for itself. As the sun drops, we ring bells and gongs and look out over the city of Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai evening