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Yogshi
Lovely photo! These dogs are called Yogshis. I wanted to get one whilst in Nepal but no-one would part with them... And whilst I didn't like yak milk I DID like yak's milk cheese! Good luck with further travels.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp Adventure
Date: 6th July 2010
si sois tontos...
si no te preocupas de la mochila y tus pertenencias, no eches la culpa a los demas. si sois tontos los yankies, que culpa tenemos los que os tenemos que soportar vuestras imbecilidades. en Donostia - San Sebastian, la gran mayoria de robos las hacen los " moros ". aprende para otra vez.
From Blog: A Most Soul Satisfying Day! Afternoon, Evening, Morning...
si sois tontos...
si no te preocupas de la mochila y tus pertenencias, no eches la culpa a los demas. si sois tontos los yankies, que culpa tenemos los que os tenemos que soportar vuestras imbecilidades. en Donostia - San Sebastian, la gran mayoria de robos las hacen los " moros ". aprende para otra vez.
From Blog: A Most Soul Satisfying Day! Afternoon, Evening, Morning...
Date: 6th April 2010
likewise impression
I visited China, Tibet and Nepal last year and like you, was dismayed at the changes the Chinese government have enforced on the Tibetan culture. I recently watched a TV program of Tibet in the 1950-1980's which depicted the manner in which China obtained the occupation in the defenceless peace-loving country. As I entered Llasa I could not believe I was even in Tibet as it was just like entering another Westernized city with its usual big buildings, car dealerships of Ford, Chrysler etc. As far as the military not carrying firearms, one day while walking down the main street three huge tanks came lumbering past equiped with three of the largest cannons I have ever seen. One blast from those babies would have completely demolished a whole three story building. The police may not have firearms but the Chinese Military in Tibet appear to be very well armed and at the ready. I enjoyed your blog.
From Blog: Potala Palace, Summer Palace, Walking in circles...
likewise impression
I visited China, Tibet and Nepal last year and like you, was dismayed at the changes the Chinese government have enforced on the Tibetan culture. I recently watched a TV program of Tibet in the 1950-1980's which depicted the manner in which China obtained the occupation in the defenceless peace-loving country. As I entered Llasa I could not believe I was even in Tibet as it was just like entering another Westernized city with its usual big buildings, car dealerships of Ford, Chrysler etc. As far as the military not carrying firearms, one day while walking down the main street three huge tanks came lumbering past equiped with three of the largest cannons I have ever seen. One blast from those babies would have completely demolished a whole three story building. The police may not have firearms but the Chinese Military in Tibet appear to be very well armed and at the ready. I enjoyed your blog.
From Blog: Potala Palace, Summer Palace, Walking in circles...
Date: 5th February 2010
Hey, Robin!
Wow, I'm sorry it took so long to respond - I haven't been on this blog since we left China!..I wasn't happy at all with our tour company and complained to the Tibet Travel Bureau, the company itself, and even wrote a scathing critique on www.tripadvisor.com so I can't recommend one...sorry! There are many things to watch out for because it's like the wild west out there in Tibet...compare prices and do your best to make sure they will provide what they say they will provide...the hotel, what you will be seeing, and especially the vehicles you are supposed to be traveling in...all of these were switched up at the last minute and during our trip and we ended up being miserable most of the time we traveled... Good luck though - Tibet itself is absolutely amazing!!
From Blog: Sparkling skies, labored breaths...
Hey, Robin!
Wow, I'm sorry it took so long to respond - I haven't been on this blog since we left China!..I wasn't happy at all with our tour company and complained to the Tibet Travel Bureau, the company itself, and even wrote a scathing critique on www.tripadvisor.com so I can't recommend one...sorry! There are many things to watch out for because it's like the wild west out there in Tibet...compare prices and do your best to make sure they will provide what they say they will provide...the hotel, what you will be seeing, and especially the vehicles you are supposed to be traveling in...all of these were switched up at the last minute and during our trip and we ended up being miserable most of the time we traveled... Good luck though - Tibet itself is absolutely amazing!!
From Blog: Sparkling skies, labored breaths...
Date: 28th December 2009
tour company?
We are looking at a trip to Tibet in 2010--can you tell me what tour agency you used? Were you generally happy with the service and the price? thanks, robin
From Blog: Sparkling skies, labored breaths...
tour company?
We are looking at a trip to Tibet in 2010--can you tell me what tour agency you used? Were you generally happy with the service and the price? thanks, robin
From Blog: Sparkling skies, labored breaths...
Date: 7th December 2009
schedule
Hey, email me your schedule coming back. I'm off work starting Wednesday until the 11th of Jan. I'll meet you at the airport.
From Blog: Last minute photos before we say goodbye...
schedule
Hey, email me your schedule coming back. I'm off work starting Wednesday until the 11th of Jan. I'll meet you at the airport.
From Blog: Last minute photos before we say goodbye...
Date: 5th December 2009
Family trip
You are welcome to come to Denver!! I would love to see you and meet Jennifer. :)
From Blog: Schooldaze are here again...
Family trip
You are welcome to come to Denver!! I would love to see you and meet Jennifer. :)
From Blog: Schooldaze are here again...
Date: 1st December 2009
YEAH!!
Very nice Sean, you guys seem to having the time of your lives over there. Once in a lifetime I'd say. Good for you!! Hope to see you soon when you get back to the US! Haj
From Blog: Our Year is Almost Over in...
YEAH!!
Very nice Sean, you guys seem to having the time of your lives over there. Once in a lifetime I'd say. Good for you!! Hope to see you soon when you get back to the US! Haj
From Blog: Our Year is Almost Over in...
Date: 13th November 2009
Yo bone daddy!
I just wanted to say that the family road trip is a wonderful idea! You should deffinatley come allll the way up to Vermont and visit me!
From Blog: Schooldaze are here again...
Yo bone daddy!
I just wanted to say that the family road trip is a wonderful idea! You should deffinatley come allll the way up to Vermont and visit me!
From Blog: Schooldaze are here again...
Date: 5th November 2009
The Bodies are everywhere!
Hey, Dad...yea, I went to that amazing exhibit when it was down in Tampa at the MOSI space and science center. Breathtaking stuff, at first they couldn't show it because of the protests, seems most of the bodies came from China, peasants probably, nobody knew for sure, but it eventually was opened to the public and it was so much more than amazing..it's not just the human bodies, they have a whole room of real hearts, cells, stuff that most of us only see in textbooks...I went with a physician I was dating at the time and that made it even more astounding..if you can go - GO!!
From Blog: First KFC and McDonalds - now Disney World!
The Bodies are everywhere!
Hey, Dad...yea, I went to that amazing exhibit when it was down in Tampa at the MOSI space and science center. Breathtaking stuff, at first they couldn't show it because of the protests, seems most of the bodies came from China, peasants probably, nobody knew for sure, but it eventually was opened to the public and it was so much more than amazing..it's not just the human bodies, they have a whole room of real hearts, cells, stuff that most of us only see in textbooks...I went with a physician I was dating at the time and that made it even more astounding..if you can go - GO!!
From Blog: First KFC and McDonalds - now Disney World!
Date: 4th November 2009
the truth
tick tick tick tick the countdown is ticking away......we'll be glad to get you back safe and sound. If life gets boring again in 2010 you'll be allowed to carry your passports around in your pocket back here too. Thought of you the other day when I saw that the exhibit on "The Human Body" was being shown at the High Museum here in Atlanta. I never knew that real people had their skin cut off. Then they were soaked in epoxy and bent to dry in different poses to show the muscles and tendons as they appear when they are used. Quite an exhibition. I didn't go but I heard it was a true wonder. Any idea where the original people came from, the ones whose bodies were used in the exihibit?
From Blog: First KFC and McDonalds - now Disney World!
the truth
tick tick tick tick the countdown is ticking away......we'll be glad to get you back safe and sound. If life gets boring again in 2010 you'll be allowed to carry your passports around in your pocket back here too. Thought of you the other day when I saw that the exhibit on "The Human Body" was being shown at the High Museum here in Atlanta. I never knew that real people had their skin cut off. Then they were soaked in epoxy and bent to dry in different poses to show the muscles and tendons as they appear when they are used. Quite an exhibition. I didn't go but I heard it was a true wonder. Any idea where the original people came from, the ones whose bodies were used in the exihibit?
From Blog: First KFC and McDonalds - now Disney World!
Date: 23rd September 2009
Something we have in common
You Said: .".. celebrating the next one (birthday) in a strange land with no clue as to where I would be living, where I would be working, what my days would be like." Sounds like a summary of my life!!! Love ya son, Your Pater Familias
From Blog: Schooldaze are here again...
Something we have in common
You Said: .".. celebrating the next one (birthday) in a strange land with no clue as to where I would be living, where I would be working, what my days would be like." Sounds like a summary of my life!!! Love ya son, Your Pater Familias
From Blog: Schooldaze are here again...
Date: 22nd September 2009
To Ken Wang, from GypsyKing
Yes, my thoughts and feelings about Tibet have changed drastically since I visited and saw for myself what is happening there. I thought long and hard about writing a manifesto about how I feel about Tibet today. However, there is no upside to writing about the Tibet situation, only downsides, and it's simply not prudent for me to publish these while I am living and working in a communist country known for daily abuses of human rights. While I am a visitor here I want to be an ambassador from the U.S., foster friendly relations and experience as much of Chinese culture as I can, regardless of my feelings towards the political landscape. After talking with you on several occasions I am confident I am considerably more well-informed than you are in every aspect of our short acquaintance and to put it gently - I don't suffer fools lightly. There are many travelers out there who enjoy instigating discourse in the selfish attempt to appear intellectual and well-traveled, well-read, etc. and these folks love to sit around and argue just for the sake of something to do. If you have read my other posts you would realize I am not one of these folks. That's why I have blocked your communications on Skype and am not interested in your emails teaching me all about your view of USA as it supports your nugatory arguments...I'm just not listening anymore. Enjoy Bali! Peace.
From Blog: The Big "T"...
To Ken Wang, from GypsyKing
Yes, my thoughts and feelings about Tibet have changed drastically since I visited and saw for myself what is happening there. I thought long and hard about writing a manifesto about how I feel about Tibet today. However, there is no upside to writing about the Tibet situation, only downsides, and it's simply not prudent for me to publish these while I am living and working in a communist country known for daily abuses of human rights. While I am a visitor here I want to be an ambassador from the U.S., foster friendly relations and experience as much of Chinese culture as I can, regardless of my feelings towards the political landscape. After talking with you on several occasions I am confident I am considerably more well-informed than you are in every aspect of our short acquaintance and to put it gently - I don't suffer fools lightly. There are many travelers out there who enjoy instigating discourse in the selfish attempt to appear intellectual and well-traveled, well-read, etc. and these folks love to sit around and argue just for the sake of something to do. If you have read my other posts you would realize I am not one of these folks. That's why I have blocked your communications on Skype and am not interested in your emails teaching me all about your view of USA as it supports your nugatory arguments...I'm just not listening anymore. Enjoy Bali! Peace.
From Blog: The Big "T"...
Date: 22nd September 2009
what has changed ?
Sean, I just stumbled on this earlier blog piece..I note your ideas have actually changed since....after you visited Tibet... why ? I also note that many blog responses were pointing you to the facts... hope you are better informed now. One thing I do know about is that tourism has NOT destroyed the Balinese way of life ... That is the reason we spend so much time there to experience Balinese culture. PS I not you have blocked the birthday greetings I sent u a few days ago on skype
From Blog: The Big "T"...
what has changed ?
Sean, I just stumbled on this earlier blog piece..I note your ideas have actually changed since....after you visited Tibet... why ? I also note that many blog responses were pointing you to the facts... hope you are better informed now. One thing I do know about is that tourism has NOT destroyed the Balinese way of life ... That is the reason we spend so much time there to experience Balinese culture. PS I not you have blocked the birthday greetings I sent u a few days ago on skype
From Blog: The Big "T"...
Date: 19th September 2009
To Becky, from GypsyKing
Thanks for reading my blog, Becky. I did not understand the situation before I went to Tibet and didn't realize that much of my money was going to Chinese oppression, for example the tour company I used, Access Tibet Travel, is a Chinese-run company so I was putting money in their pocket. Now I realize the financial situation but I would still do the same thing again. However, there is no way to go to Tibet and see for yourself what is happening w/out some, or most, of your travel money going to the Chinese government. I felt it was more important to see Tibet and her people myself than to let the Chinese government continue oppressing and killing Tibetan culture by fostering the belief that it would be better for all tourists to "stay away!"...that is exactly what they want and I refused to accommodate. Everyone has to make their own decision though, personally, I am forever changed by going to Tibet and I believe you would be too... Peace.
From Blog: Saying Goodbye to Tibet
To Becky, from GypsyKing
Thanks for reading my blog, Becky. I did not understand the situation before I went to Tibet and didn't realize that much of my money was going to Chinese oppression, for example the tour company I used, Access Tibet Travel, is a Chinese-run company so I was putting money in their pocket. Now I realize the financial situation but I would still do the same thing again. However, there is no way to go to Tibet and see for yourself what is happening w/out some, or most, of your travel money going to the Chinese government. I felt it was more important to see Tibet and her people myself than to let the Chinese government continue oppressing and killing Tibetan culture by fostering the belief that it would be better for all tourists to "stay away!"...that is exactly what they want and I refused to accommodate. Everyone has to make their own decision though, personally, I am forever changed by going to Tibet and I believe you would be too... Peace.
From Blog: Saying Goodbye to Tibet
Date: 16th September 2009
Thank you for sharing
I have been planning to go to Tibet next march and I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog. I feel a bit hesitant to travel to a country that is undergoing cultural death, and I feel guilty to participate in the tourist rush that is only fuelling the fire. At the same time, I feel its important to see it before its gone. Thanks for sharing your experience.
From Blog: Saying Goodbye to Tibet
Thank you for sharing
I have been planning to go to Tibet next march and I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog. I feel a bit hesitant to travel to a country that is undergoing cultural death, and I feel guilty to participate in the tourist rush that is only fuelling the fire. At the same time, I feel its important to see it before its gone. Thanks for sharing your experience.
From Blog: Saying Goodbye to Tibet
Date: 7th September 2009
To Comment #1, from GypsyKingAdventures
I did my research on the history of Tibet and here is what I found. Historically, Tibetan dynasties often conflicted with Chinese dynasties (and of course you and your countrymen take the opposite side of this argument). The Tibetan Yarlung dynasty (ruled during 6th - 9th centuries) conquered the Chinese T'ang dynasty (7th - 10th centuries) - you read that right, they conquered the T'ang dynasy, for most of the 8th century. No indigenous Chinese dynasty ever conquered Tibet, although the Mongols and the Manchu Empires pulled in both China and Tibet under their imperial hegemony. The Brits invaded Tibet and forced a trade treaty on her, but they also did the same thing with China. The big point here is NONE of these three empires made any attempt to homogenize China and Tibet into a single national entity, or to even colonize Tibet with Mongolian, Manchu, British, or surrogate subject Chinese settlers. And another point - except for a few border regions in the Far East, there was almost NO CHINESE POPULATION in high plateau Tibet until the People's Republic of China (PRC) invasion between 1949 and 1951 - that's when your government began invading, occupying, and colonizing Tibet. Your country invaded Tibet immediately after the communist victory over the Chinese Nationalists (who fled to Taiwan), they imposed a treaty of "liberation" on the Tibetans (what they really wanted was more power and more money and suppress any culture that was different), the Chinese militarily occupied Tibet's territory, and divided that territory into twelve administrative units. Now, we can argue these facts all day because you, like your entire country prefers to do, will just ignore how you got there and what you are doing in Tibet today. My real question is, China is so big and so powerful - why do you feel the need to eradicate the entire culture of Tibet? Why is your country so afraid of the Dalai Lama and a population consisting of monks and farmers? Surely such a big and powerful country can figure out how to "make lives better for Tibetans" (that was China's reason for invading Tibet after all) without killing them, killing their language and arts, killing their spirituality, and killing their way of life? Why can't your country do this without using guns, spies, and violence? Those are the questions that your government does not, and simply can not answer. The truth is Tibetans ARE different, they do not follow China's strict Buddhist forms, they don't worship the mainland and instead look to H.H. Dalai Lama, and big and powerful China sees this as a threat. And like a petulant child with a big stick, China marches in and crushes a weak, spiritual country until it quickly gets on it's knees for survival. And today China is mining Tibet's natural resources, using their spiritual temples as tourist attractions, developing Lhasa and surrounding cities into thriving industrial zones to continue China's only real motivation - to make as much money as possible. Because the more money you have the more powerful you feel and you can continue ignoring the world's pleas to stop abusing human rights.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
To Comment #1, from GypsyKingAdventures
I did my research on the history of Tibet and here is what I found. Historically, Tibetan dynasties often conflicted with Chinese dynasties (and of course you and your countrymen take the opposite side of this argument). The Tibetan Yarlung dynasty (ruled during 6th - 9th centuries) conquered the Chinese T'ang dynasty (7th - 10th centuries) - you read that right, they conquered the T'ang dynasy, for most of the 8th century. No indigenous Chinese dynasty ever conquered Tibet, although the Mongols and the Manchu Empires pulled in both China and Tibet under their imperial hegemony. The Brits invaded Tibet and forced a trade treaty on her, but they also did the same thing with China. The big point here is NONE of these three empires made any attempt to homogenize China and Tibet into a single national entity, or to even colonize Tibet with Mongolian, Manchu, British, or surrogate subject Chinese settlers. And another point - except for a few border regions in the Far East, there was almost NO CHINESE POPULATION in high plateau Tibet until the People's Republic of China (PRC) invasion between 1949 and 1951 - that's when your government began invading, occupying, and colonizing Tibet. Your country invaded Tibet immediately after the communist victory over the Chinese Nationalists (who fled to Taiwan), they imposed a treaty of "liberation" on the Tibetans (what they really wanted was more power and more money and suppress any culture that was different), the Chinese militarily occupied Tibet's territory, and divided that territory into twelve administrative units. Now, we can argue these facts all day because you, like your entire country prefers to do, will just ignore how you got there and what you are doing in Tibet today. My real question is, China is so big and so powerful - why do you feel the need to eradicate the entire culture of Tibet? Why is your country so afraid of the Dalai Lama and a population consisting of monks and farmers? Surely such a big and powerful country can figure out how to "make lives better for Tibetans" (that was China's reason for invading Tibet after all) without killing them, killing their language and arts, killing their spirituality, and killing their way of life? Why can't your country do this without using guns, spies, and violence? Those are the questions that your government does not, and simply can not answer. The truth is Tibetans ARE different, they do not follow China's strict Buddhist forms, they don't worship the mainland and instead look to H.H. Dalai Lama, and big and powerful China sees this as a threat. And like a petulant child with a big stick, China marches in and crushes a weak, spiritual country until it quickly gets on it's knees for survival. And today China is mining Tibet's natural resources, using their spiritual temples as tourist attractions, developing Lhasa and surrounding cities into thriving industrial zones to continue China's only real motivation - to make as much money as possible. Because the more money you have the more powerful you feel and you can continue ignoring the world's pleas to stop abusing human rights.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
Date: 6th September 2009
You want to argue about Tibet history. OK. Please wiki "Qing dyansty" "Republic of China(ROC)" "People's Repulic of China(PRC)", or Please google image"Qing dyansty" "Republic of China" "People's Repulic of China" which indicates Tibet was/is an independent country? Which country recognized/recognizes Tibet as an independent country. China never said Tibet was part of China because the Tibetan King married with a Tang princess or because of Genghis Khan. But Tibet was part of China since Yuan Dynasty(the grandson of Genghis Khan found Yuan Dynasty). PS. there are about 6m mongolian people in China(some live in Tibet and Qinghai), while leass than 3m in Mongolia. The tomb of Genghis Khan is in China. Yuan Dynasty is not equal to Genghis Khan's empire. You know HongKong and Macau have their own special systems, but no one can deny they are part of China now. You mentioned Tibetan language and arts are no longer taught in schools. Could you provide the name of the School? Just one school! By the way, I know the American history you told me. Thanks.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
You want to argue about Tibet history. OK. Please wiki "Qing dyansty" "Republic of China(ROC)" "People's Repulic of China(PRC)", or Please google image"Qing dyansty" "Republic of China" "People's Repulic of China" which indicates Tibet was/is an independent country? Which country recognized/recognizes Tibet as an independent country. China never said Tibet was part of China because the Tibetan King married with a Tang princess or because of Genghis Khan. But Tibet was part of China since Yuan Dynasty(the grandson of Genghis Khan found Yuan Dynasty). PS. there are about 6m mongolian people in China(some live in Tibet and Qinghai), while leass than 3m in Mongolia. The tomb of Genghis Khan is in China. Yuan Dynasty is not equal to Genghis Khan's empire. You know HongKong and Macau have their own special systems, but no one can deny they are part of China now. You mentioned Tibetan language and arts are no longer taught in schools. Could you provide the name of the School? Just one school! By the way, I know the American history you told me. Thanks.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
Date: 6th September 2009
To Comment #2, from GypsyKingAdventures
I'm not sure you understand what you are saying, but I will refresh your memory of American history. From the beginning, the American colonists were used to doing things their own way and yes, although we came from Great Britain, she was far, far away and that's the way we liked it. When problems arose, we fixed those problems ourselves rather than waiting for Britain to tell us what to do and we, like the Tibetan people, are willing to pay dearly for this autonomy. When Britain decided American's should pay a large part of the money Britain owed to its banks and other countries they levied huge taxes on the American's and we got pissed off - and unlike the Tibetans, we were not peaceful Buddhists by nature and instead we formed militias and fought back with a vengeance. Dozens of battles later, it looked like Britain was going to win as they were highly skilled and they were winning almost every battle in sight. However, we won a key battle, Saratoga, and France took notice and agreed to help us fight the British by supplying money and troops. The Brits continued to try to conquer us but we kept fighting and as French ships sailed into Yorktown harbor our American army advanced. Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington and the Brits left America, the Treaty of Paris was signed and America had won our war of independence. My point is, at one time we were considered part of England but eventually we wanted our autonomy and independence and considered ourselves American EXCEPT in the eyes of Britain. And just as you can ask any Tibetan, if you had the courage to go anywhere near Tibet which I doubt you do, he will also say he is only part of China in eyes of the Chinese.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
To Comment #2, from GypsyKingAdventures
I'm not sure you understand what you are saying, but I will refresh your memory of American history. From the beginning, the American colonists were used to doing things their own way and yes, although we came from Great Britain, she was far, far away and that's the way we liked it. When problems arose, we fixed those problems ourselves rather than waiting for Britain to tell us what to do and we, like the Tibetan people, are willing to pay dearly for this autonomy. When Britain decided American's should pay a large part of the money Britain owed to its banks and other countries they levied huge taxes on the American's and we got pissed off - and unlike the Tibetans, we were not peaceful Buddhists by nature and instead we formed militias and fought back with a vengeance. Dozens of battles later, it looked like Britain was going to win as they were highly skilled and they were winning almost every battle in sight. However, we won a key battle, Saratoga, and France took notice and agreed to help us fight the British by supplying money and troops. The Brits continued to try to conquer us but we kept fighting and as French ships sailed into Yorktown harbor our American army advanced. Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington and the Brits left America, the Treaty of Paris was signed and America had won our war of independence. My point is, at one time we were considered part of England but eventually we wanted our autonomy and independence and considered ourselves American EXCEPT in the eyes of Britain. And just as you can ask any Tibetan, if you had the courage to go anywhere near Tibet which I doubt you do, he will also say he is only part of China in eyes of the Chinese.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
Date: 6th September 2009
To Comment #2, from GypsyKingAdventures
What needs to be new in this argument? - the facts speak loud and clear. The saddest part of the problem is the "kind" Chinese who do not believe reality - the rest of the world and especially Westerners know what you are doing. What evidence do you need to believe what the whole world knows and only your government does not accept, and therefore by default your people do not accept either? You're right though; there is no argument that Tibet was/is part of China because it never was but you have invaded their country with force and so now it is. How powerful you are conquering a small peaceful country of monks and farmers! Perhaps you and your countrymen are still angry and raging about not stopping your insane hero Mao's Cultural Revolution and only now need to vent your hatred anywhere you can - and if your enemy is weak and spiritual and can not fight then you can feel that much better - you are crushing them unfettered and unresisted. Do you really believe your country invaded, conquered, and is now strangling Tibet in order to improve their lives? What would Confucius say about this atrocity? If you do not believe the monks in Tibet are peaceful I plead with you to turn off your television and the internet and go there yourself and spend a few days in what is left of their homeland. Then look in your heart and make up your own mind - you will be changed.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
To Comment #2, from GypsyKingAdventures
What needs to be new in this argument? - the facts speak loud and clear. The saddest part of the problem is the "kind" Chinese who do not believe reality - the rest of the world and especially Westerners know what you are doing. What evidence do you need to believe what the whole world knows and only your government does not accept, and therefore by default your people do not accept either? You're right though; there is no argument that Tibet was/is part of China because it never was but you have invaded their country with force and so now it is. How powerful you are conquering a small peaceful country of monks and farmers! Perhaps you and your countrymen are still angry and raging about not stopping your insane hero Mao's Cultural Revolution and only now need to vent your hatred anywhere you can - and if your enemy is weak and spiritual and can not fight then you can feel that much better - you are crushing them unfettered and unresisted. Do you really believe your country invaded, conquered, and is now strangling Tibet in order to improve their lives? What would Confucius say about this atrocity? If you do not believe the monks in Tibet are peaceful I plead with you to turn off your television and the internet and go there yourself and spend a few days in what is left of their homeland. Then look in your heart and make up your own mind - you will be changed.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
Date: 6th September 2009
Using this reasoning, America should belong to England right now. ---------------------------------- History is interesting. If England had defeated USA in 1770s, USA was part of England. Before 1770s, USA was truly part of England.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
Using this reasoning, America should belong to England right now. ---------------------------------- History is interesting. If England had defeated USA in 1770s, USA was part of England. Before 1770s, USA was truly part of England.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
Date: 6th September 2009
Your argument is nothing new---copied from "Tibetan government" in exile or “free tibet movement”. I saw too much in their website. Only the "kind westerners" believe that. But they can not provide any evidence. Whether Tibet was/is part of China, it's not necessary to argue about that. I just want to say Chinese are not just Han people. Have you ever seen the mosque in Tibet? Some "PEAeaceful " monks wanted to fire it.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
Your argument is nothing new---copied from "Tibetan government" in exile or “free tibet movement”. I saw too much in their website. Only the "kind westerners" believe that. But they can not provide any evidence. Whether Tibet was/is part of China, it's not necessary to argue about that. I just want to say Chinese are not just Han people. Have you ever seen the mosque in Tibet? Some "PEAeaceful " monks wanted to fire it.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
Date: 6th September 2009
To Comment #1, from GypsyKingAdventure
Your argument that USA provides a bad example has nothing to do with what is happening in Tibet and certainly does not mean that what I am saying is not occurring in Tibet. Instead of attacking the person you need to attack the facts. Here are some for you: The Chinese assert that Tibet has always been part of China and this is not true. Tibet was not part of China at any time, in any way. China invaded Tibet and says that Tibet should be part of China because a Tibetan Emperor had once married a Chinese princess. Later on, the Chinese said that Tibet was part of China because of Genghis Khan, talking about when the Mongols came to Tibet and subdued it. Although Genghis Khan and the Mongols controlled Tibet - they never incorporated Tibet into China. Using this reasoning, America should belong to England right now. Chinese and Tibetans are completely different people, as different as the Uighurs are from Han. Tibetan culture, religion, way of life, habits, even their way of eating is different than Chinese. And the Chinese hate these differences because as a culture you detest anybody who behaves differently because they are viewed as a threat. This is referred to as splitism and it is the primary reason China invaded and is still in Tibet. And of course the language is also different; Tibetans have a spoken and written language that comes from Indian script Sanskrit. Before the invasion, Tibet has it's own theocratic government led by H.H. Dalai Lama. They had a National Assembly and their own army. They also had their own currency, gold and silver coins, and they also had paper money, their own postal system and their own stamps. Before the invasion, Tibet has nothing to do with China and did not threaten China in any way - there only 'crime' was being different, the irony is they were also peaceful, fundamentally spiritual people who choose the peaceful way and not the violent way. Since the Chinese invasion over 1 million, of the 6 million Tibetans, have been murdered - 17% of the population. In the Amdo region alone, there are less than 5,000 people of the Golok tribe of the 100,000 who lived there before the invasion. Over 6,000 monasteries is now reduced to less than 10% of this number and the monastic population is now completely controlled by the Chinese government. Tibetan language and arts are no longer taught in schools and monks have been replaced with Chinese spy's to both entertain the tourists as well as report on any uprisings. Lhasa has only 1/3 of the Tibetan region left and that is quickly dissolving, being swallowed up by a voracious Chinese appetite for money and power. The Tibetan population are almost all displaced as Chinese fill up all new jobs and soon Lhasa will be all Chinese - there is now only 1 Tibetan for every 6 Chinese in this capital city. I live here in China and have been to Tibet and have done some research and can see with my own eyes what is happening there. These are only my personal opinions, and I say what the Chinese are really doing in Tibet is a genocide against the Tibetan people and their culture. DR Congo, Sudan, Chechnya, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda, Burundi, Darfur...as defined by the 1948 Convention, genocide consists of acts committed with the intent to physically destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group resulting in widespread crimes against humanity or systematic attacks against civilians... Peace.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
To Comment #1, from GypsyKingAdventure
Your argument that USA provides a bad example has nothing to do with what is happening in Tibet and certainly does not mean that what I am saying is not occurring in Tibet. Instead of attacking the person you need to attack the facts. Here are some for you: The Chinese assert that Tibet has always been part of China and this is not true. Tibet was not part of China at any time, in any way. China invaded Tibet and says that Tibet should be part of China because a Tibetan Emperor had once married a Chinese princess. Later on, the Chinese said that Tibet was part of China because of Genghis Khan, talking about when the Mongols came to Tibet and subdued it. Although Genghis Khan and the Mongols controlled Tibet - they never incorporated Tibet into China. Using this reasoning, America should belong to England right now. Chinese and Tibetans are completely different people, as different as the Uighurs are from Han. Tibetan culture, religion, way of life, habits, even their way of eating is different than Chinese. And the Chinese hate these differences because as a culture you detest anybody who behaves differently because they are viewed as a threat. This is referred to as splitism and it is the primary reason China invaded and is still in Tibet. And of course the language is also different; Tibetans have a spoken and written language that comes from Indian script Sanskrit. Before the invasion, Tibet has it's own theocratic government led by H.H. Dalai Lama. They had a National Assembly and their own army. They also had their own currency, gold and silver coins, and they also had paper money, their own postal system and their own stamps. Before the invasion, Tibet has nothing to do with China and did not threaten China in any way - there only 'crime' was being different, the irony is they were also peaceful, fundamentally spiritual people who choose the peaceful way and not the violent way. Since the Chinese invasion over 1 million, of the 6 million Tibetans, have been murdered - 17% of the population. In the Amdo region alone, there are less than 5,000 people of the Golok tribe of the 100,000 who lived there before the invasion. Over 6,000 monasteries is now reduced to less than 10% of this number and the monastic population is now completely controlled by the Chinese government. Tibetan language and arts are no longer taught in schools and monks have been replaced with Chinese spy's to both entertain the tourists as well as report on any uprisings. Lhasa has only 1/3 of the Tibetan region left and that is quickly dissolving, being swallowed up by a voracious Chinese appetite for money and power. The Tibetan population are almost all displaced as Chinese fill up all new jobs and soon Lhasa will be all Chinese - there is now only 1 Tibetan for every 6 Chinese in this capital city. I live here in China and have been to Tibet and have done some research and can see with my own eyes what is happening there. These are only my personal opinions, and I say what the Chinese are really doing in Tibet is a genocide against the Tibetan people and their culture. DR Congo, Sudan, Chechnya, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda, Burundi, Darfur...as defined by the 1948 Convention, genocide consists of acts committed with the intent to physically destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group resulting in widespread crimes against humanity or systematic attacks against civilians... Peace.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
Date: 5th September 2009
What type of people usually are the manual workers in USA? What type of people usually are the low-income people in USA? What type of people usually have a large percentage in jails in USA? Are Hawaiians still the majority in Hawaii? Is the NATIVE Indian culture still alive? Is the official language of Alaska the Native Alaskan Language? How many people are dying during the bombing of USA in Iraq and Afghan? How many Iraq people have died since Iraq War? Which country provide weapons and money to Israel to kill the Palestinian people and overthrow their houses and occupy their land? Which Country keep Israel from being condemned in UN? Please THINK ABOUT THIS. Should China use reservation to keep Tibetan people just like the Indian reservations in USA? Absolutely not. USA shows us a bad example. Why the eastern minorities have lived peacefully with Han Chinese for thousands of years? Tibetan people should interact with other Chinese people and develop their culture and show their culture to China and the world. I am happy there are a lot of Tibetan singers/artists who are famous in China. I donot mean every aspect is good. But some bad things happened and are happening in whole China. Not just in Tibet. So you should not think that just aims at Tibetan culture. Now China is participating in the globalization and Chinese are eager to learn foreign languages and some Chinese like the KFC, McD, Starbucks. There are more and more Christians in China. There are not China's traditions. Should China forbid these? Learn form others and develop ourselves. This is the key to survive in the era of globalization. So does Tibet and Tibetan people. I have deep confidence in China and Tibet.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
What type of people usually are the manual workers in USA? What type of people usually are the low-income people in USA? What type of people usually have a large percentage in jails in USA? Are Hawaiians still the majority in Hawaii? Is the NATIVE Indian culture still alive? Is the official language of Alaska the Native Alaskan Language? How many people are dying during the bombing of USA in Iraq and Afghan? How many Iraq people have died since Iraq War? Which country provide weapons and money to Israel to kill the Palestinian people and overthrow their houses and occupy their land? Which Country keep Israel from being condemned in UN? Please THINK ABOUT THIS. Should China use reservation to keep Tibetan people just like the Indian reservations in USA? Absolutely not. USA shows us a bad example. Why the eastern minorities have lived peacefully with Han Chinese for thousands of years? Tibetan people should interact with other Chinese people and develop their culture and show their culture to China and the world. I am happy there are a lot of Tibetan singers/artists who are famous in China. I donot mean every aspect is good. But some bad things happened and are happening in whole China. Not just in Tibet. So you should not think that just aims at Tibetan culture. Now China is participating in the globalization and Chinese are eager to learn foreign languages and some Chinese like the KFC, McD, Starbucks. There are more and more Christians in China. There are not China's traditions. Should China forbid these? Learn form others and develop ourselves. This is the key to survive in the era of globalization. So does Tibet and Tibetan people. I have deep confidence in China and Tibet.
From Blog: Mt. Everest Base Camp, Day 3
Marina
non-member comment
Huangshan is not Huashan!
Loved your blog and photos on Huangshan. My first time on Huangshan was 23 years ago and I´ll be returning in October this year for another 3 days on the mountain. In 1987 we took a cablecar up but I remember the endless stairs down - after 3 hours descent I couldn´t walk properly on level ground for the first couple of minutes - it felt like I was doing the frog kick when swimming breaststroke. The Chinese were unfazed by the steep steps and amazingly even had their young kids with them. The link to the Western route that you refer to above is HUASHAN, not Huangshan and is, as described, extremely dangerous if no safety equipment is used. The route is the equivalent of the more extreme Via Ferratas we have in the Alps, which no one in their right mind would do without all the necessary equipment. Huangshan is not at all as deadly as Huashan but just as exhilarating and photogenic. Thanks for sharing your photos!
From Blog: Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain) Part II