May 2007

The Tian'an Men, or "Gate of Heavenly Peace", is the entrance to the Forbidden City where the Chinese Emperors lived for hundreds of years. Chairman Mao proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China on this spot, October 1, 1949. This is the geographic and cultural center of Beijing, China - established in the year 1421.

After a thirteen and a half hour flight from Washington to Beijing, I arrived dazed and wide eyed three days ago. Below is a view of the frozen landscape near the North Pole. For those interested in geography, one flies north to get to China, not East...

Although I am on a study tour with my Executive MBA class from the George Washington University and am comfortably ensconced in a kind of tourist cocoon, at times I am overwealmed by the intensity and scale of this place. I am here to learn how to do business in China - a subject I will explore in more detail in subsequent postings, but for now, I will share some of the amazing images I have captured so far...

This city was established long before Columbus sailed for the new world, and some of the sacred and political buildings in Beijing were raised before the signing of the Declaration of Independence in America. In stark contrast, because of years of dramatic export driven economic growth and the approach of the 2008 Olympic Games, parts of Beijing are intensely modern and new construction is everywhere you look.

A view of the Ministry of Commerce from my hotel room:

A traffic jam between a bicycle-trailer and a mini-van...

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Last night, my friend Bo and I took a walk from our hotel over to Tiananmen Square. Below is a view of the Monument to the People's Heroes - decorated with images of China's revolutionary history. The two in the foreground were having a little lover's quarrel...She was upset, he was trying to convince her of something (not sure what, they were speaking Mandarin Chinese)

A view of Mao's Mausoeum - where his body is kept on view - with a statue of iconic revolutionary themes:

The Forbidden City is guarded not only by the Chairman's visage, but also by more traditional Chinese Lions.

They Olympics are only 436 days away - a counter mounted on the Chinese National Museum on the Square:

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During one of our business visits yesterday we stopped near the new CCTV Headquarters Building that is in progress. The building, comissioned by the Chinese Government and designed by the dutch architect Rem Koolhaas (who also designed the Seattle Public Library), will be ready for the 2008 Summer Olympics:

Here is an Koolhaas' rendering of what it will look like when completed. Note the dramatic cantalevered portion that connects the two sloping towers - how would you like to have an office in there!

A view in a neighborhood context:

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Directly below my 16th floor hotel room is the Wangfujing Daijie - one of Beijing's most famous shopping streets. The main street has a McDonald's, Hugo Boss, and an Addidas store, but just a few blocks down an alley is the Night Market:

A bit touristy, but fascinating and chaotic enough for those seeking some adventure. You can buy souvenirs and also get dinner. I hear you can get roasted scorpions on a stick here, but I couldn't find any...

A sit down place:

Lots of tourists - most of them Chinese:

If I am able to find the Scorpions on subsequent visits I will be sure to get a photo and let you know how they taste...

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Finally, in a nearby hotel lobby I came across this collection of statues that represent the Chinese Astrological Calendar - Animals - anyone know what year they were born? Monkey, Pig, Snake?

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A view of Mount Yale (elevation 14,196) from Buena Vista, Colorado where my brother Eric and his family live.

(file photo)

Colorado rocky mountain high...
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply...
Rocky mountain high, Colorado... (everybody now...)
- John Denver

I finished my western tour of the United States in Colorado where my whole family has collected over the years. My Mother spends six months out of the year in Boulder, My sister and her family live in Boulder, and my Brother and his family live in Buena Vista high in the mountains. I spend a few weeks every year in Colorado - both summer and winter - and love playing in the mountains and spending time with family.

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I arrived just in time to attend my nephew John-Wesley's 7th birthday party. He chose to have it at a local pool/water park-type place this year:

John and friends:

John starts tearing into the birthday booty:

Catherine seems more interested in her soy milk...

Joy or sadness?

The Shrek birthday Cake...

Now thats what I'm talkin' about! Birthday parties are about CAKE CONSUMPTION!

Plenty of options at the pool:

Cake consumed, presents opened - time to hit the water! (John and Jacob)

John clings to the side of the "rushing river" part of the pool:

Nephews John and Jacob beached...

Lots of fun to be had!

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A trip to Coors Field to see a Colorado Rockies game was on the agenda for the next day - John gets a free ride:

The Carter-Gibbs at Coors Field - Paul, Amy, Jacob and John:

The bullpens in center field at Coors - appropriately landscaped...

Jacob in center field - glove at the ready! (he learned well from my story about getting nailed by a line drive earlier in the week...)

Amy and John enjoy some pink ballpark goodness...

Bryan, Jacob and John from our seats in the club section...

The game went 12 innings and a thunderstorm blew through to make it interesting, but the Rockies could not pull it out against the Royals. Oh well, it was still an excellent day at the park!

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The next day I drove about three hours up into the mountains to see my Brother Eric, his wife Diane, and my nieces Taylor and Hayden. They live in a small town called Buena Vista (elevation 8,000 feet) tucked between the collegiate peaks (Mount Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Oxford - all over 14,000 feet) and the Arkansas River.

Eric is a doctor in the small town and has delived most of the babies since he arrived. When you walk down the street with him he can point out all the children he has helped enter the world... Diane is on the City Council and serves as Mayor-pro-tem. Taylor and Hayden, well, they are little girls so they are VERY busy too!

First stop, the river. Just a few miles outside of town is one of the best river rafting spots in the United States. Eric is also the Medical Director for one of the largest local rafting companies - Noah's Ark - take a look at their web site and plan your visit today! http://www.noahsark.com/

The guys at Noah's took great care of us. There were no other trips scheduled that afternoon, so they set one up special for us. It was a rare treat to have the river to ourselves!

Taylor and Eric enjoy a little sun on the river. The water was COLD - 42 degrees - and we did not stay very dry...

Yours truly rafting the Brown's Canyon section with my niece Taylor, brother Eric, Matt, and a our guide... HIGH WATER this time of year...

(Courtesy Noah's Ark)

The "After" photo...we survived!

Eric and Diane grilled steaks and asparagus for dinner - followed by Diane's homemade mint chip ice cream. Here is the Buena Vista contingent of the Gibb family...

Hayden and Taylor - the belles of Buena Vista!

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Well, now it is back to DC for a few days...Next stop, Beijing...

Once I knew the City very well, spent my attic days there, while others were being a lost generation in Paris, I fledged in San Francisco, climbed its hills. slept in its parks, worked on its docks, marched and shouted in its revolts~ It had been good to me in the days of my poverty and it did not resent my temporary solvency.
- John Steinbeck

When I graduated from Pitzer College in May of 1991, I loaded up my car and moved to San Francisco. I didn't have a job, and was not quite sure what I was going to do with my liberal arts degree, but a friend's parents had an empty house in Presido Heights where we could crash in until we found a place. For the next five years I lived in this wonderful city - a terrific place to be a poor slacker in the pre-dot-com era. I made lattes, decorated cakes, worked as the assistant to the Organist at Grace Cathedral, and temped in law firms. Mostly I rode my bike around town, hung out in cafes, read left-wing literature and went to rock clubs. Ah, those were the days...

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This is Cole Valley, one of the neighborhoods where I lived. Tucked between Golden Gate Park and Haight-Ashbury, it is a nice quiet corner of the city. My apartment was on the hillside on the right. You can just see the Golden Gate Bridge through the fog in the distance...

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In May I went back to San Francisco, visited some of my old haunts, ate VERY well, then headed south to Mountain View in the heart of Silicon Valley to stay with some friends and meet their boys. I also caught an Oakland A's baseball game while I was in town. It was a lovely visit!

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My friend Kateri drove down from Sacramento to pick me up at the airport and spend my first day in the city with me. Thanks Kateri!

She is just hanging on in the photo above - the wind was really blowing!

Kateri was one of my students nine years ago when I taught High-School in Pleasanton, California. I was her AP Government teacher, and we have been friends ever since. She now works for an insurance company near Sacramento. Apparently all the liberal propaganda I tried to fill her head with didn't work...

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Soon after arriving, we headed for one of my favorite spots - Peasant Pies in the Noe Valley neighborhood between the Castro and the Mission. I used to go here all the time when I lived in the city, and I was thrilled to see that they are still thriving. I was also touched that Ali remembered me after so many years. Here is Ali showing off today's specials:

Ali and his partner Gerard make peasant pies - savory treats that originated in the South of France as a quick fisherman's meal. Kateri and I sampled the modern San Francisco versions - Curried Potato Yam, Zucchini Mushroom and Cheese, Chicken Potato, and a Beef and Vegi. If you are in San Francisco, pay Ali a visit - or, find their product in Bay Area Whole Foods Stores. Website here: http://www.peasantpies.com/index.html

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After a sustaining meal of at Peasant Pies, we headed for Ocean Beach at the edge of Golden Gate Park.

The coldest winter I ever saw was the summer I spent in San Francisco.
- Mark Twain

The fog was in, the wind was blowing, and it was COLD. I loved it! (Kateri was less enthusiastic...)

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After a frigid walk on the beach and an afternoon hanging out in my favorite funky cafe in the Outer Richmond neighborhood, we made our way to the Marina District. Some of you might remember the vivid images of crushed and burning houses after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake - as you can see, the neighborhood has recovered well since that terrible day.

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San Francisco is one of the best places to eat in the world, and since we were there for only one day, I wanted to have a memorable dinner. We were able to get a reservation at one of the city's best - The Plumpjack Cafe in the Marina - and were not disappointed. http://www.plumpjack.com/cafe_main.html

Amuse Bouche anyone?

Our meal was sublime - we shared:

First

Veal Sweetbread Dumplings
Snails & Spring Onion, Lettuce Sauce with Flavors of Spring Garlic & Licorice

Canneloni of Big Eye Tuna
Raw Conch & Radish, Mortared Shiso with Sesame & White Soy

Second

Pacific Halibut
Octopus & Ramps with Artichoke Puree, Preserved Meyer Lemon

Poached Liberty White Pekin Duck Breast
Braised Leg & Cracked Green Almond with Seascape Strawberries, Foie Gras au Lait

Third

Pistaccio and Olive Oil Ganache
Green Apple Sorbet and Beet emulsion

The food and my dining companion alone were worth the flight west...

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We headed south to the Silicon Valley and stayed with my friends Dave and Bettina in Mountain View. When we woke up, Kateri and I breakfasted with little Hanik Weckerman Mohr.

Since food seems to be a theme on this trip, after a morning of playing with Hanik, we went to lunch at the University Avenue Cafe in Palo Alto. From the left - Dave, Bettina, little Jens (their younger son) Kateri and yours truly:

Jens is two and pretty darn cute...

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I got tickets to a Major League Baseball game in each city I was going to visit this spring, so the next day Dave and I headed across the bay to Oakland - home of the A's. McAfee Coluseum might not be as charming as many parks, but it is the place I went to my first baseball game ever as a little kid growing up in the suburbs to the east.

We had great seats, right on the third base line between the A's dugout and the bullpen, to see the mighty, mighty Oakland Athletics face the lowly Kansas City Royals...

McAfee is a little odd in that the bullpens are right on the field in foul territory. Good for the those of us who like to watch relievers warm up, but it must be distracting for the players...Lefty Joe Kennedy gets ready...

Our seats were in the part of the park where foul balls are pretty common, so I brought my glove just in case...I have see plenty of line drives go into the stands in our section on TV, so I was ready... I know, I know, those of you who are real baseball fans are thinking that only 12 year old kids bring their gloves to the ball park, but hey, I wanted to try and catch one!

I had my glove on all game and was ready for my big break after every single pitch. No luck. Then in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs I saw a cute little kid a few rows over that was all decked out in A's gear - too perfect of a photo op to miss:

Now isn't he adorable?

So, I go back to my seat, start to put my camera away, and crack! I look up and a smoking line drive is coming right at me! I realize that I put my glove on the seat next to me, then I realize that the ball is tracking right at my head! I had two choices:

1) try and catch the liner with my bare hand - high probability of breakage

or

2) duck!

I chose #2 and was just able to get my head down in time. The ball nailed me in the shoulder and bounced up behind us. Some other guy got the souvenir and I got a nice bruise on my left delt for my trouble. It could have been worse - if I had looked up a second later I would have gotten it right in the forehead... that damn kid...AND the A's lost to the Royals...Oh well, you can't win em all...

Next stop, Boulder, Colorado...

"I wanted to move to Seattle, sell my ass, and be a punk rocker, but I was too afraid."
-Kurt Cobain

Every part of all this soil is sacred to my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove has been hollowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. The very dust you now stand on responds more willingly to their footsteps than to yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch.
-Chief Seattle

"I grew up in Seattle, but I always knew I wanted to leave."
-David Guterson

I lived in California for more than half of my life, but until this week I had yet to get up the coast to Seattle, Washington. What a terrific city! I can hardly believe it took me so long to get to the upper-left-hand corner of the country... Known for rainy weather, grunge music and Microsoft, Seattle is a large city with a rich history. The air smells like pine trees and the sea, the coffee is strong, and there is interesting art and architecture everywhere - my kind of place....

A college friend - Viv Hutchison - has lived here for years and is one of Seattle's biggest fans. She was a terrific host and was pretty dedicated to making sure I saw and enjoyed some of the best her city and the region had to offer. Viv works for the USGS (United States Geological Survey) and was kind enough to not only give up her weekend to entertain me, but also took Monday off to show me around.

Here is a nice photo of Viv at the Pike Place Public Market:

The first morning after I arrived, Viv and I met up with some of her hiking buddies and we headed out into the Cascade Mountains just west of the city. Because it is early in the season and most of the trails on the western side of the Cascades are still snowed in, we drove two hours over to the Eastern side where the snowfall totals are lower (and the trails are passable earlier in the season).

Our goal was to hike the 4th of July Pass trail in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness near Leavenworth, Washington. I know that Viv was trying to make sure I experienced a challenging hike with pretty views, but she almost killed all of us. The hike was seven miles up with a vertical elevation gain of 5,000 feet. Yep, we started at 2,000 and hiked straight up to the top at 7,000 feet. It took us five hours to get up there and everone didn't make it to the summit.... Thanks Viv! Actually, I had a great time, but my legs were totally spent by the time we staggered into the parking lot at the trailhead at 7pm that night.

Below, Viv and I rest about 3/4 up:

The country is beautiful up there:

There was a big fire up here a few years ago and there were large groves of burned trees - pretty dramatic.

About half way up, I take a few moments to enjoy the view!

The next day was Mother's Day, and what better way to celebrate than to watch the Yankees lose a baseball game (pink bats and all). Ok, it was nice to see the Mariners win too...

Safeco field is right downtown near the railroad tracks and has one of my favorite features - a retractable roof - useful in such a rainy place...

Good views of the city skyline from the upper-deck. Here is a shot of Viv and I. Our seats were down by the Yankee dugout.

Jorge Posada, one pitch away from striking out as A-Rod and Jeter look on. There was a great deal of choking going on that day, and the Mariners won 2-1.

Viv and I met up with her friends Rebecca and Carrie at a local Vietnamese place called the Tamarind Tree - delicious! (Order the spring rolls with fresh herbs to start)
http://www.tamarindtreerestaurant.com/

We got an early start on Monday as Viv had a lot to show me. Lake Union is one of the smaller lakes around Seattle - it is connected to the Puget Sound through a ship channel.

There is this old abandoned gas works on the lake surrounded by a park.

Everywhere I looked in Seattle there were sea-planes - either taking off, landing or crusing off toward the islands north and west of the city.

Taking off from Lake Union:

Landing past the gasworks:

Either there is a ton of public art in Seattle or Viv just decided to expose me to a lot of it - either way, here is a Calder stabile on the Puget Sound with the Olympic Mountains in the background:

The sculpture park also had some less known pieces, but dramatic in their own way:

For reasons of decency, I photographed this particular sculpture from the back. For the record, this bronze gentleman is anatomically correct from the front.

The famous Pikes Place Public Market in downtown Seattle, where one can buy fish, flowers, vegetables and get a coffee at the very first Starbucks...

Right out of the sea:

Huge and fresh Dungeness Crab:

This is one of the most interesting pieces of public art I have seen in a long time. Located in Magnuson Park on the shore of Lake Washington, the Plowshares Project is a number of tail fins from de-comissioned nuclear submarines planted in the ground along the lake. At the base of each fin is the name of the vessel it came from, and the name of a protected Orca Whale currently crusing the sound (since the sub fins resemble a pod of Orcas...)

Lake Washington in the background:

another view:

With spring blooms in the foreground:

There are a number of important buildings around town. The Seattle Public Library's main building in the city center was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. This exterior photo speaks for itself:

The reading rooms are bright and airy.

The stacks are tucked here and there on various levels:

...and there is a ten story atrium with symetrical and asymetrical lines:

Just across town, in the much funkier Fremont neighborhood, at the end of Troll Lane...

This piece of public art lurks below the 99 Freeway bridge over the shipping channel between Lake Washington and the Puget Sound. Note the VW under his Troll paw...

Also in Fremont is a statue of V. I. Lenin - it seems that he is endorsing the Taco Del Mar in this photo.... Apparently a local resident came across this statue in Slovakia soon after the Wall fell in 1989 - he was able to purchase it for a a thousand bucks...

In another installment of "You never know who you are going to run into..." - I had the opportunity to hear Jhumpa Lahiri speak on my last night in Seattle. The Seattle Public Library has a series called "Seattle Reads" where they invite prominent authors to town for readings and special events.

Many of you might be familiar with her most recent book, "The Namesake", which has been made into a film. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 2000 for "The Interpreter of Maladies" - a collection of short stories. I have really enjoyed her writing and I found her talk very interesting. She is bright, articulate and breathtakingly beautiful.

The moderator asked her a number of questions about her work in general, but she shied away from any attempt to categorize her writing as a reflection of the "immigrant experience", or representative of Bengali families in general. She made it very clear that her work is the result of her own experience and that of her relatives, but fundamentally, "The Namesake" is a just a story about a boy who grows up with a funny name....

After an early morning flight, I bid Seattle goodbye and headed for San Francisco...

The Wisconsin State Capitol on Farmer's Market Day

"In Utopia, where every man has a right to everything, they all know that if care is taken to keep the public stores full, no private man can want anything; for among them there is no unequal distribution, so that no man is poor, none in necessity; and though no man has anything, yet they are all rich; for what can make a man so rich as to lead a serene and cheerful life, free from anxieties."

- From "Utopia" by Sir Thomas More, 1515 AD

Although many throughout history have used the word "Utopia" in the pejorative sense to describe a place than does not exist and can never exist, in all sincerity, I dare say Madison, Wisconsin comes close to fullfilling the idea's promise.

This town is lovely...Located on an isthmus between two lakes (Menona and Mendota) the Capital of Wisconsin and the home of the University of Wisconsin is an intellectually vibrant and diverse place.

In Madison, children say hello to you on the street, people ride their bikes everywhere, the city is filled with little independent cafes, and there is a huge Farmer's Market surrounding the State Capitol on Saturdays...all this in the heart of "America's Dairyland". Sure the average high temperature in January is 27 degrees, but it sure is nice in May, so plan your visit accordingly!

The Madison skyline from lake Monona. It is hard to see in this photo, but the white building on the left is Monona Terrace (the city's convention center on the lake) designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Now, my intention in visiting Madison was not to seek out a modern day Utopia, but rather to meet the 20 month old twin boys of my dear friends Gary and Mary Margaret. Gary and I trained as teachers together in San Francisco years ago, and when Gary and Mary Margaret were starting a family, they considered a number of places to settle. Madison won out - I can see why.

During my visit I also had a chance to hang out with their 8 year old son Camden, meet some of their friends and enjoy some of the things that Madison has to offer.

Here is Camden in front of his house - resplendant in his tye-dye shirt:

Soon after I arrived, me, Mary Margaret and her twins headed off for a day at the zoo. Madison has a nice little public zoo with the usual big ticket animals and a few little ones.

The twins, Ben and Riley at the zoo

This bear looks hungry - there were many children behind me marveling at the beast - I suspect they looked delicious....

I always thought Flamingos were pink, but this group can be characterized more as a "salmon" color don't you think? "Salmon Flamingos" - it doesn't quite have the same ring...

The boys wanted to ride the Merry-go-round (so did I) - here is a nice shot of Mary Margaret and little Riley:

Ben and I on an adjacent horse:

Here is a nice shot of Ben at the playground - very proud of his sliding skills:

That night, Mary Margaret and Gary got a baby sitter and we went out to a terrific meal at a Japanese place near the Capitol called Muramoto. The food was terrific - when you go, make sure you order the Daikon Salad...
http://www.muramoto.biz/restaurant.html

Below are my friends Anna, Mary Margaret and Maria Christina - the most beautiful women in all of Madison, Wisconsin!

Gary took a sick day on Thursday so we could spend some time together. He does look a little pale...

The Olbrich Botanical Gardens, right on Lake Menona, has the only true Thai Sala Pavillion in the continental United States. It was designed and built in Thailand and transported piece by piece to Wisconsin. It is hand-made without nails or screws, and is covered with real gold leaf - it cost $2 million to produce and install.

Detail:

In addition to various gardens, at Olbrich they have an indoor conservatory with tropical plants:

A bees-eye view:

One never knows who else will be visiting Madison - on Friday it was his Holiness, the Dali Lama. He gave a lecture in the Kohl Center (where they play basketball apparently) to a sold out crowd of 12,000. The place was full of monks in saffron robes, hippies, and just plain regular folks who came to hear the world leader talk about happiness...

(Since photography was prohibited at the event, the photo above is stock lifted from a story in the local paper)

The Deer Park Buddhist Center, just 10 miles south of Madison, planned a week of events around the Dali Lama's visit. Center website below:
http://www.deerparkcenter.org/NewFiles/facilities.html

The lecture, titled "Compassion: The Source of Happiness", was very interesting. He also took questions and commented quite forcefully on China's occupation of Tibet.

The most interesting things I learned from the Dali Lama that day:

1) He is a vegetarian most of the time, but not all the time
2) He gets up at 4am every day to pray and meditate, but also because, as a monk, he is not allowed dinner and he gets hungry - breakfast is one of his favorite parts of the day
3) Practicing compassion for others through empathy for their plight and a forgiveness of their transgressions is a way one can achieve happiness... Cool.

Saturday is Farmer's Market day in Madison, and the square around the State Capitol Building is full of stalls selling the bounty of the countryside. All of Madison seemed to be out that day...

A family portrait:

Fresh and local:

One can get just about anything at the Farmer's Market - locally made cheese curds, baked goods, organic vegetables, flowers, honey, fresh fish, and of course, Ostrich eggs, jerkey and stew bones...

One of my favorite things on the planet are wild mushrooms. A few days before, my friend Anna showed me where to hunt for Morels, but it was a few days too early for them so we went home empty handed. There were vendors at the market that had better luck...

Saute in a little butter then serve with a veal chop and grilled asparagus - HEAVEN.

I asked the honey man how many times he had been stung by his bees - he said not as many times as people had taken his picture... (maybe it is the hat?)

Camden gets a good look at the hive...

After the market, we stopped by the Madison Performing Arts Center where a local Samba group was performing. The lead-singers are Kristen and Barry - they had good Wisconsin accents, so I don't think they were from Brazil...

Good Japanese food, a very respectable zoo, cute kids, the Dali Lama, Wisconsin style-samba, good friends and Ostrich Jerkey - see what I mean about Utopia?

Say "bye, bye" Riley

...bye, bye Madison...

Next stop - Seattle, Washington and the Cascade Mountains...