As I prepared to come visit China, I was especially excited to visit the Tibetan region within China. This was mainly due to my interest in Tibetan Buddhism and the way it will influence the people of Tibet. However I was not expecting a warm welcome due to the usual reserved attitude towards foreigners that I had expected from the Buddhist monks. This stereotype was blown out of the water the second we arrived in the small town Tagong. When we exited the car we were surrounded by the familiar sound of Hello.

Kia Ora!
(greetings in Maori)

Well, it only took me like 11 days and about 15 failed log in attempts but I am finally able to write a new blog. And I have a total of 9 minutes to do so...so I will keep it short. I love New Zealand!

I finally figured out how to log on. I forgot the web site address and what my username and password was. We've been in New Zealand for about 11 day and it has been a great experience. We have met with authors and librarians, seen historical sights, swam with dolphins, and explored New Zealand. The country is very beautiful and the people are suprisingly nice and talkative. I'd have to say the highlight so far has been learning. Having the experience to be in another country is undescribable.

In today's get-rich-quick culture in China, it is a delight to find someone who defies the stereotype of a popular music superstar. Yadong is known all over China as the first Tibetan pop star, and he lives here in Chengdu. I have been working on getting an appointment with him for over a year, and last night finally succeeded. Our group of 13 students and myself, accompanied by two translators, met with YaDong for three hours at his studio complex in downtown Chengdu.

From Wellington: Most evenings one of our cooking teams prepares dinner and we eat together and share our day's activities with each other. We generally meet after dinner for class to discuss our responses to our readings and official sessions with guests and tours of local sights. We've had a city tour to learn about the Wellington land and seascape, investigated the magnificent Te Papa, New Zealand's museum. Te Papa is Maori for "our place" and indeed it is a very wide ranging set of exhibits and experiences.

What I have learned in New Zealand....

TO USE STRONG SUNBLOCK!! the sun is strong here and yes i am redder then a lobster!! it hurts but i guess its all part of the fun of traveling :)

At dusk, on the Rio Aguarico, there are women sitting on stools in the water, their skirts folded up, their laundry in wet heaps beside them. They pound it with paddles, and the soap makes swirls in the brown-green water. Children splash around in their underwear, push each other in, make a joyful racket. A man and his two boys scrub down with soap, jump

I am sitting here in the hotel Bistro (where we are having class) while students are working on Kant and ethics after the Holocaust in small groups. I can hear them discussing as well Les Miserables, which we saw together in hopes of discussing the connection with enlightenment morality articulated best by Kant himself.

Well, it's our halfway point on this trip, and I am having a blast!