Drake Librarian in China

I was told by someone that this is an "abandoned" blog, and I want to assure anyone who stumbles upon it that that is NOT the case! It's not abandoned, just resting... more text and pics to come...

Welcome to my China Librarian blog!

This is just a short introductory piece, to let everyone know I haven't forgotten about updating this page in the future! Also, I've added links (at the far right) to the Drake International program, as well as Drake professor Darcie Vandegrift's blog on visiting and teaching in Nanjing. I've also added a flickr page, with lots of pics from Tibet.

Most "recent" uploaded picture: Me at the Jokhang.

This is the beginning of what I'm calling a "retro-blog" (did I just invent that term?) on my recent (June 1-June 17 2006) visit to China. While there, I visited Librarians (and made many wonderful new friends!) at Southwest University of Political Science and Law in Chongqing; and travelled to Beijing and Chengdu, as well as satisfied a lifelong dream to visit Lhasa (that's me next to my gnarly rented mountain bike in front of the Potala.)

I will post new changes in this space: Most recent changes (can it really be 2 wks. since I updated this last? Tempis fugit!) (28 Aug):

1. Many new pics! Enjoy!
   

June 1-2: Des Moines to Chicago to Beijing; Tinkers to Evans to Chance?

To the right is the view from my hotel room, south towards the Beijing Railway Station.

June 3: Beijing; First day at T-square (and yes, it WAS that hazy!)

June 4: Beijing - Chongqing

The "old campus" of Southwest University in Chongqing.

June 5: Day 5: Chongqing

My hosts took me to the rock carvings done by Buddhists near the town of Dazu; they are hundreds of years old, carved into the stone flanking a river.

Ancient town: The gates to the River. Part of my morning activities.

The river may be the Yangzi, or it may be the Jialingjiang River; the city sits at the confluence of these two rivers, and is the takeoff point for the Yangzi. Once the ThreeRivers Gorge Dam is completed, sea-going vessels will be able to sail all the way to Chongqing, some 1000 km (600+ mi.) inland.

My audience for the afternoon presentation on "Building Digital Libraries."

June 7: Day 7: Chongqing

Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing. Amazing place; these are some of the dozens of ethnic minorities who live in China, including Mongolian, Tibetan, and Naxi.

June 8: Chongqing

Mmmm... dinner..

June 9: Chongqing: Near Southwest University; the day's produce arrives!

June 10: Chongqing to Chengdu

Streetlife on a "typical" rainy day in Chongqing.

The view out my hotel window; the Potala looms, the clouds gloom.

June 11 goes here: Chengdu - Lhasa

Me on the roof of the Jokhang, and in front of the main temple, the center of devotion for many Tibetans.

Standing in front of the Summer Palace (Norbulingka) where the Dalai Lama lived in his last 3 years in Tibet, and, sadly, is unlikely to return to again.

Flying west, over the the Western Himalayas. Amazed this pic turned out so well, through the plane window at 35000 ft!

Light snack, pre-flight, with Juliya, Steve Sandie; (Tina took the picture!) (note the proficiency with Chopsticks!)

I'm an uncle again! This is Montana Sue Barrick Gilbert, who was born on Sunday the 9th of July. She is my dad's thirteenth grandchild (13 is not inauspicious in China, by the way!)

["Commenters" are asking for MORE PICTURES, but please keep in mind that, of course, I took many more pictures at the Beginning of the trip than near the End, so, it's only natural that the "End" (which you are reading now!) has fewer pics than the "Beginning" (which is yet to come!) In short, hang in there!]

On your right, the Meridian Gate to the "Forbidden City" (or "Palace Museum" as it's officially deemed these days) in Beijing, my goal for my final full day in China.

The day begins with breakfast-in-hotel, then a visit to the Tourism Office, where I learn what I'd expected.. that it's too late to get a trip to the "Great Wall" today. So, no Great Wall for this traveller, on this trip. Oh, well, it was just Mao who said that "You aren't a man until you've climbed the Great Wall," and it's been a long time (as in, never?) since I worried much about his definitions of humanity.

So, just as on my first day in Beijing, I set off in a westerly direction for Tianmen, and am soon sweating profusely. Now, however, I am much better prepared, in one sense: I am ready with my "Wo bu yao" (pronounced "Woe boo yow," or thereabouts) whenever a street-seller approaches me. Some of the same people, I am convinced, are trying to sell me the same things, but "w.b.y." cuts them off much more efficiently than my first trip, when they would follow me for a block. In fact, a real highlight: the street-seller who is trying to sell me a watch (what? My Timex isn't obvious enough?) and who obviously speaks fairly good English, comes up short after I say it, and says, "Wo bu yao? Wow!" (I'm not making this up!)

Again, once I reach the south side of T. Square, I walk on the east side of it, not on the square, but across the street (which fronts aforementioned shops and TCM facility)



{More to come....}