Ira Carterman's blog

Beijing madness

2007-01-23T16:44:52-08:00

Daily life for the average person here seems very rushed, kind of like it is for working people in the US (they call it USA or America) but there is a little more imperativeness to it. We have people begging in the US but here you wonder if some of these people will make it through the winter. We have homeless shelters and food banks. Here I don't know of anything like that, it's more of a fend for yourself attitude. This attitude is aggressive but without the confrontative nature we Americans add to it. I've seen some good things here that we can learn to adopt like bumps in the sidewalks so blind people can get around easier but the attitude as a whole of everyone for themselves I think needs to take on a little more of a look out for your neighbor behavior as well.

The people of Tibet

2007-01-17T15:27:32-08:00

I find the people of Tibet very interesting. We have visited two cities, one with a mixed ethnicity and one mostly if not all Tibetan. The people of the rural city (Tagong) lead harsh lives by out standards. They use coal or wood for heat in there homes without venting the fumes to the outside. They only heat one or two rooms and the rest of the house is pretty much at the outside temperature. These are a tough and hearty people who don't complain and just take on their live mostly cheerfully. Their clothing is sometimes drab and sometimes very colorful with the reds, yellows and more that we have become accustomed to seeing with Tibetan people. The mixed city (Kangding) has a rich Tibetan culture with shops, resturants, and people everywhere. I didn't see how the mixed city people lived but I witnessed Tibetan performers singing and dancing. The voices and dress of these people was stunning and amazing. There performances are something we all should experience as it is something one will never forget. I hope somehow through travel, the internet, or perhaps tibetan communities in our country all of us can experience these people.

Chengdu and Tibetan Arts and Culture

2007-01-12T16:23:35-08:00

My view of the world changes daily. Last nite we had Chengdu native did a puppet show and a shadow show for us. This is becoming a lost art due to the internet and televison. Seeing how people here in Chengdu have entertained themselves for centuries if not thousands of years brings me closer to these people. We had some Tibetan youth (14-16) in attendance also for this show. Afterwords they went forward and sang and danced for us. It was truly amazing to see the open and friendy way they showed how they entertain each other as they live their nomadic lives. I feel like I'm in a time warp seeing and being a part of things I never would have imagined just a year ago! Every day here is similarly amazing but this one was special.
We have see musical and acting performed here by students. Some of their activities are similar to what we expect in the US like acting classes but some are not like music classes. Musical instrument here are different and they were beautiful and beautifully played.
My view of the world has changed showing me that it is truly a small world. It is also an interesting one worthy of much exploration. It is very exciting and this trip and class are far from over. I expect we will see and do many more things to write about and I look forward to it.