SXSW 09: My Twitter Experiment

I'm headed to Texas for the second time in 2 months. Not sure if I like this trend, but at least it's Austin this time! #sxsw 11:11 PM Mar 17th

That was my first “tweet” related to Austin’s massive, annual music fest and conference, South by Southwest—otherwise known as “SXSW” or “Southby” by music industry types who want to seem cooler than you. I headed to Texas’s dusty capital with my husband, Seth, and his record label, Negative Progression, and as I was there for nothin’ but a good time, I decided to use the opportunity to practice up on my Twitter skills.

I've hesitated in the past is in part because I'm not sure anyone cares to read a minute-by-minute playbook of my life and, besides, what ever happened to a good, old fashioned air of mystery? But in Austin, where upwards of 2,000 bands were playing in the space of 5 days and lots of people wanted to know what was going on there, I thought it was a good time to share.

And I wasn’t alone. Billboard Magazine noted that, “Twitter was far and away the preferred method for reporting from SXSW, providing readers with a steady stream of reports on long lines, good BBQ, and bands to watch.”

So here's my SXSW story, told in selected Behind-the-Tweets.

Heading to 1st night of shows. Only at #sxsw can u go from M. Ward to Circle Jerks within an hour! 8:39 PM Mar 18th

The best thing about a place where literally thousands of bands gather is the diversity of music you can see in one day, and since my own musical history is all over the map, it works out well for me. I loved that we were going to see formative punk rock band the Circle Jerks (who, incidentally, still rock after almost 30 years) and HR from Bad Brains (who, incidentally, is still a nutjob but great showman after almost 30 years) in the same night that we would see much-discussed folky singer-songwriter M.Ward of the much-discussed band with actress Zooey Deschanel, She & Him.

(Keith Morris of The Circle Jerks and his impressive dreadlocks)

Ok, I finally get the hype...the Decemberists are killing it at #sxsw! 1:40 AM Mar 19th

We caught this much-hyped Oregon band at the NPR showcase outside of Stubb's BBQ. Friends have been trying to push them on me for years, but I hadn't really loved the recordings that I'd heard. Nothing makes me happier, though, than when a live performance converts me to fandom, and this one really did the trick. Heck, any band that has wildly varying influences and incorporates robots and full-band drum routines into their stage show is allright by me. Seth and I were both blown away.

(The Decemberists' rocking drum routine)

SXSW=Post punk frat party 12:58 PM Mar 19th

This observation was made when it was only 1 PM and the main drag was already clogged by Pretty Young Things drunk on cheap beer, but instead of white baseball caps and Uggs they sported tattoos and, as my girl Dee from MTV so aptly put it, “Flannel for DAYS.”

(The spandex and flannel-clad kids enjoying Death Metal pizza)

At documentary "say my name" about female mc's and sexism in hip hop. Not a single male in audience. Proving the point. #sxsw 1:20 PM Mar 19th

Did I mention that SXSW is also a film festival? It’s actually my dream fest; I would LOVE to have a film premiere there. Although the main film part is over by the time the music fest rolls into town, there were still some movies playing and I was lucky enough to catch Say My Name.

Some dudes did show up, eventually, but it was definitely striking to walk into a large theatre for a film about female empowerment through music and see that only women seemed to be interested in the concept. Compare this to the wide distribution of a film like Notorious about male rapper, Biggie Smalls, and the importance of a movie like Say My Name, which highlights the work of some of rap’s hottest female MC’s, becomes more apparent.

From classics like Sparky Dee and MC Lyte to contemporary artists like Jean Grae and some of the grime girls from London, this film covers a wide spectrum of often challenging topics and does what many music docs fail to do—it captures the energy and spirit of the music that it portrays in the filmmaking itself.

Waited 30 mins in line to see 5 mins each of Great Lakes and the Hard Lessons at Found party. Love me some Davy Rothbart though! #sxsw 5:17 PM Mar 19th

It's amazing how much time at SXSW is spent standing...in line, between sets, during performances. My feet were practically ablaze by Saturday night.

The payoff, of course, is seeing great bands. Another big plus is catching up with friends at the parties thrown by their various affiliations. In this case, it was Davy Rothbart, the plaid-clad man behind the excellent Found Magazine. I found him rocking out to one of his favorite bands from his home state of Michigan, the appropriately named Great Lakes.

After a slew of text messages, we also managed to catch up with Josh Rosenfeld of Barsuk Records (one of the world’s finest indie labels IMHO) at his showcase with Merge Records, and inadvertently saw a set there of a band we really liked: Telekinesis. Apparently, Josh is now managing this jangly, singer-songwriter pop outfit.

I know both Davy and Josh from my Jewish media conspiracy cult, Reboot.

At house show watching great Texas bands like old timey rock News on the March from Houston. #sxsw 6:29 PM Mar 19th

Just in case there aren't enough shows going on among the dozens of concurrent performances each hour, the locals (or, at least, the hipster, 20-something locals) like to join in the fun and throw a bunch of parties during SXSW week. Some, apparently, won't even let folks with Southby badges in the door (Love it!)

(Seth and Papermoons entering Casa de Gallo, where a sign out back read: Free BBQ If You Get Me High.)

We were lucky enough to catch such a show at Casa de Gallo, where some excellent Houston and Austin bands played. A highlight was the set by our lovely hosts and friends, Papermoons. (Danny from Papermoons used to play in a former Negative Progression band, Little Compass.) The singer, Matt, has a beautiful voice and Danny’s drumming is so on point, it’s sick. If you are a fan of the Shins or Iron & Wine, I definitely recommend checking Papermoons out on their current East Coast tour. They were so good, in fact, that they kind of ruined our evening, as the “official” SXSW bands that we saw later (especially the aptly named Sleepercar—former At the Drive In and Sparta) just didn’t live up to the expectations set at the little house show.

Dying of embarrassment due to all hipsters looking alike. Just ran up to, hugged and kissed someone who I didn't know by accident. 1:21 PM Mar 20th

SCENE: Girl sits alone at large table in crowded restaurant, awaiting guests. Noticing an old friend passing by on street, she jumps up from table and bursts out of glass doors to greet him.

GIRL: Hi!! (Throws arms around old friend and kisses him on the cheek.)

OLD FRIEND: Do I know you?

GIRL: Glenn?

ACTUALLY NOT OLD FRIEND: No, sorry.

GIRL: Oh, um, nice to meet you?

Girl returns to restautant as other diners stare. Ducking head to hide bright red cheeks, girl Twitters about experience.

Went to Village Voice party at #sxsw. Amazed newspapers can sponsor anything anymore. 6:15 PM Mar 20th

Seriously, right? Thank goodness they managed to pull it off though, because despite lack of free booze, they did give out swag bags with essential items like a beer koozie and condoms, and more importantly, some great bands played. We finally got to see M. Ward after giving up on the unbearable lines outside his Wednesday night show, and we caught a couple songs of the Crystal Antlers, too.

The highlight for me was Cursive. They are one of my favorite bands and I had yet to see them live. The band played with an extra member who turned out to be my favorite, as he managed to play trumpet and shake a maraca at the same time. I love me a dexterous man.

On the Twitter front, I think I made my first Twitterbuddy, @billyjensen (aka writer and Village Voice Director of New Media, Bill Jensen), by attending this show. I’m one of those people who has their Facebook page all private and never understood my white girlfriend who dated guys she met in the “Ebony and Ivory” chatroom and shit, but I can’t say I’m not flattered that well-educated strangers want to follow my random musings on Twitter.

"if you don't want a girlfriend, then take yo toothbrush out my house!"--Amanda Diva at #sxsw 7:15 PM Mar 20th

Amanda Diva went to drama school with my brother-in-law, and the theatrics were right up front in her performance. Aside from the fact that it was a pleasure to mix up all the white-guy-rock with some R & B flava, I also appreciated seeing an artist who didn’t take herself so damned seriously. She made jokes about people mixing her up with Alicia Keys, did goofy dances around the stage, whipped out some stunna shades for a rousing rendition of her song “NEON”…and still sounded great. Go, girl.

(The Dramatic Diva Herself)

A Skylit Drive= band with hair that Brett Michaels would die for. #sxsw10:04 PM Mar 20th

Case in point:

DEVO!!! What a way to cap off the night at #sxsw. 2:35 AM Mar 21st

Sure, SXSW is one of the best possible places to learn about and catch performances from some of the hottest up-and-coming or most blogged-about indie bands, but it’s also a great opportunity to see some well-known, mainstream bands that you probably wouldn’t otherwise pay for.

Devo was definitely my guilty pleasure of the week, if anything for the whack-a-doo fans wearing those crazy, red, plastic hats from the “Whip It” video. The 80’s electropop band did a very clever thing. Rather than having the audience focus on their faces and the fact that dang, these guys are getting old, they were silhouetted by an enormous video screen, projecting all sorts of bizarre imagery to enhance the show. Good times.

(DEVO backed by digital go-go girls)

Annoyed by long lines at #sxsw AP party. Now chillin on patio with free booze at lovely JDub party. Thanks @bizmonides! 4:51 PM Mar 21st

The fact that I was ten years older than everyone else waiting to get into the Alternative Press party really started to show when I could no longer endure standing in the unmoving monster of a line that didn’t seem to bother the able-bodied youngsters at all. I’m sorry, people, but after three long days and nights of music and mayhem, my dogs were barkin’ way too loud to wait around for your crappy screamo bands.

Thank goodness for the JDub Records party, hosted by my ever-classy pal, Aaron Bisman and his world music crew. I think JDub is one of the most interesting labels out there. Let’s face it, most indie labels are run by the Chosen People (at least every one I’ve mentioned in this blog so far), but JDub is actually, unabashedly, a Jewish record label.

Put on the map for introducing the world to Hasidic rapper, Matisyahu, JDub now has on their roster several very diverse bands that I happen to love—from gypsy punks Golem to Yiddish tent-revival bluesmen The Sway Machinery. I discovered a new one at their wonderfully relaxing party in the backyard of Copa: DeLeon. This energetic band (whose drummer kicked off the set from up in a tree) are self-proclaimed "15th Century Spanish Indie Rock." Ya don't see that every day!

(DeLeon drummer, opening their set)

Tinted Windows at #sxsw: 1 part Hanson, 1 part Smashing Pumpkins, 1 part Cheap Trick?? This is gonna be good. 11:16 PM Mar 21st

Really, I mean, how could we not? Thanks to a tip from my friend John Norris of MTV News fame, I knew that this gig was the not-to-be-missed freakshow of the moment, and it did not disappoint. Fronted by pretty-boy-trying-to-look-older-but-instead-looking-like-a-lesbian-with-facial-hair Taylor Hanson with Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, who could be his grandfather, creepily leering over his shoulder, this performance was even weirder than I expected. Especially because they sound like freakin’ Huey Lewis and the News! What???

Thank Jeebus that James Iha still totally rules.

P.S. Seth thought they were great. I’m not sure what to make of that.
P.S.S. Sorry to say that no pictures were allowed at the show. But one is burned into my brain forever.

Today: world music > pop punk > indie rock > emo > party jamz > huey lewis rock > lez folk > soul. Only @sxsw. 1:39 AM Mar 22nd

This, my friends, is why SXSW rules. Match the correct band that we saw on Sunday with the correct genre from the above Tweet and you win a personalized @reply from me. ☺

Shwayze
Solange
DeLeon
Graham Coxon
Indigo Girls
You Me at Six
Anberlin
Tinted Windows

Have to admit, I really enjoyed being part of #sxsw conversation thru Twitter. Still can't decide if I want to go full time tho...about 8 hours ago from web

I have to say, I did not expect to enjoy the Twittering experience quite so much, but there was definitely something neat about participating in a collective conversation with a bunch of strangers-who-could-be-friends. Remains to be seen whether it will win me over for the long haul, but for now: tweet tweet.

P.S. Want to hear some of these great bands? Or even some terrible but much-discussed ones? There is a downloadable stream of one song from EVERY official SXSW band here,

The Power of Words

We are in an era of faster, more, and I do try to keep up. I shoot digital video; I take zillions of digital photos and post them on Flickr and Facebook and then Tweet about it. I live in a big, noisy, wild city and I love it. But...despite all the visual and audio stimulation constantly streaming in and out of my brain, I will always put great stock in the good, old fashioned WORD.

I was therefore very moved by this passage from "Spirit of '76*," part of a slate of poems written by John Updike as he approached the end of his life:

Be with me, words, a little longer; you
have given me my quitclaim in the sun,
sealed shut my adolescent wounds, made light
of grownup troubles, turned to my advantage
what in most lives would be pure deficit,
and formed, of those I loved, more solid ghosts.

R.I.P., Mr. Updike.

(*Spirit of '76 is part of Endpoint, published in Mar 16, 2009 issue of The New Yorker Magazine.)

12.21.08: Hong Kong

This incredible journey has been a lot of work...schlepping, hiking, freezing, defecating in holes in the ground, sleeping in train cars while being stared down by Chinese men or on rat-infested boats. Well, today, we were unexpectedly rewarded with a one-day-beach-resort vacation.

We boarded the top-level of a double decker bus on Hong Kong Island and went up, up, over the mountains until suddenly, the high-rises were behind us and we were on what seemed to be a tropical isle. Yes, south Hong Kong is the Honolulu to north Hong Kong's San Francisco and Kowloon's New York City. Hopping off at the completely inappropriately named Repulse Bay, we spent a couple hours lounging on the beautiful crescent of a beach, something I never thought I'd get to do on this trip. It was unseasonably warm, and although the winter clothing and heavy black boots that I brought for the rest of the trip wasn't exactly working for me, I wasn't complaining at all about the 80-degree weather. It felt WONDERFUL.

(Romantic Stanley...Two words that don't normally fit together)

From there, we went on to an area called Stanley, whose restaurant-lined seaside promenade was reminiscent of Monaco or any other high-end, European resort town. We sat outside and ordered an absolute luxury...pizza! I know, we could have held out a few more days for the real deal in NY, but honestly, after Chinese food for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past three weeks, I'll be just fine if I don't see another noodle 'til next Christmas. This trip definitely made me realize how spoiled by variety we are at home.

As the sun set over the harbor, we hopped back onto the bus and headed into downtown Hong Kong. Just about when we reached the bus depot, something caught the corner of my eye, but no...it couldn't be. Could it? We jumped off early to investigate and yes! It was! An enormous menorah was erected in Hong Kong's Central Square for the first night of Chanukah, and several hundred Jews were hanging out, preparing to light it. If I thought a day at the beach was unexpected, this one really took my by surprise. Jews in China. Who knew?

(Chabad of Hong Kong Wishes You a Bright Happy Chanukah!)

Tomorrow will be our last day in this complex country, and despite the aforementioned less-than-comfortable conditions, this trip has been fascinating from the start. In just over three weeks, we covered thousands of miles and many different types of terrain, from city to jungle to mountain to beach. We experienced culinary adventures, physical challenges, breathtaking views, hilarious cultural misunderstandings, and even made some friends along the way. It truly was the trip of a lifetime.

(One of my favorites of an amazing trip...the view from Mt. Emei's summit)

12.20.08: Hong Kong

Today we walked...and walked...and walked...and got a pretty good feel for Kowloon and the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Our adventure began with the route between our hotel and the Kowloon Harbor. The area around the harbor (Tsim Tsa Shui) is one of the most touristed in Hing Kong, with its high end shopping malls, expansive view of Hong Kong Island's glittering skyline, and Hollywood-esque star walk, featuring hand prints of Hong Kong's most famous movie stars (and a sweet Bruce Lee statue!)

At some of the upmarket shops, like Dolce & Gabbana, shoppers were actually lined up outside behind velvet ropes, awaiting their turns to spend hard-earned Hong Kong dollars. Oh yeah, it's the last Saturday before Christmas. It makes sense that Christmas shopping is happening here in Hong Kong, with so many expats and the vestiges of British rule. However, we were surprised that, even in the smallest cities we visited, Christmas lights twinkled and English carols pumped over the loudspeakers. We were hoping that this would be one December of our lives unbeseiged by tinsel, but no such luck. The interesting part is that, outside of Hong Kong, there isn't even a pretense of Christmas being a religious holiday. Ammy basically explained it to us as a "shopping holiday" celebrated among young Chinese who are pushing for Westernization.

(The man, the myth, the statue...and Hong Kong Island from Kowloon's harbor)

Anyway, our destination at Kowloon's harbor was the Star Ferry, a short but scenic trip that would take us across to Hong Kong Island. Upon arrival, we walked through a series of overpasses above wide city avenues until we reached the Central-Mid-Level escalators, apparently the longest electric people-movers in the world. If Kowloon is like New York, northern Hong Kong Island is similar to San Francisco, with its dramatic hills and prominent green areas. And San Francisco could definitely benefit from some escalators like these, that ascend story after story of steep, mid-city inclines.

We stepped off the escalator in trendy SoHo (sound familiar?) for lunch at an organic joint called "Life," that could easily find a home in SF's Potrero Hill. This charged us up for the afternoon's excursion--walking back down to Central Hong Kong (The escalators only go up) and jumping onto the historic, high-speed (and highly vertical) tram to the top of Victoria Peak. From this vantage point, we got an awesome bird's eye view of skyscraper-filled downtown Hong Kong and beyond, across the harbor o our home-base of Kowloon and also a glimpse of the lush, green, south side of the island and some of the surrounding isles, like Lantau Island, home of Hong Kong's Disneyland.

(One view from Victoria Peak)

Rather than take the tram, we walked down Victoria Peak along the winding, wooded path that twists down its sides. This was a long but peaceful trip, and we passed other tourists, joggers, and ladies walking full-outfitted poodles wearing ridiculous little poodle sneakers. We continued our way back down to the ferry terminal, and when I say down I really mean it...our walk was strictly vertical for about two hours. We passed through shopping areas, enormously tall apartment complexes, and a lively neighborhood jam-packed with bars and nightclubs before getting back onto the ferry.

Hong Kong Island's skyline was even more impressive at night, with its myriad lights reflecting into the water. Back on the other side, we met up with the other folks from our Intrepid group who were still in town, to watch Hong Kong Island's fame nightly light show from across the harbor. It was actually pretty lame--a series of laser beams shooting out from different buildings, and coming off a little like bad special effects from the original version of Dr. Who--but it was cool that the group voluntarily got together for one last hurrah. Totally sacked from hours of city-trekking, we left the group to sleep it off in anticipation of another adventure-filled day.

12.19.08: Hong Kong/ Kowloon

We arrived in Hong Kong this afternoon. Even though the islands are officially part of China again (and not the UK), we still had to go through customs. This involved filling out departure cards, leaving China, walking 300 meters, filling out arrival cards, and entering Hong Kong. They do love the red tape in these parts!

We are staying in Kowloon, which is across the harbor from Hong Kong Island but still part of HK, kind of like a Manhattan-Brooklyn situation. Speaking of home-sweet-home, Hong Kong so far is very different from the other Chinese cities we've seen, yet very similar to New York's Chinatown...on steroids. We learned that most Chinese who emigrate stateside are actually Cantonese, rather than from mainland China, which helps explain our familiarity with this scene.

(Kowloon at night)

My first impression of Kowloon is all action, all the time--packed with people, shops, and neon lights, lights, lights 24/7. It is a little bit of a shock to the system after mellow Yangshuo.

Our first night in Kowloon was our final night with Ammy and our Intrepid group. We had an adventuresome "last supper" smack in the middle of the bustling Temple Street Night Market. The food was nothing special, but the ambiance was priceless. We sat outside; our table was literally in the street. Diners on the street side of our long table had to scoot their chairs in when big buses drove by. We were surrounded by stalls with vendors hawking their cheap wares, like men's underwear by "Gioven Kelvin," aka Calvin Klein, and the cacophony of shoppers bargaining for those goods filled our ears. After dinner, perusing of those stalls and warm hugs goodbye from our now former travel companions closed out the night.

(Dinner at the Temple Street Night Market)

Tomorrow, off to explore Hong Kong Island!

12.18.08: Yangshuo

Our full day in lovely Yangshuo was one of the best of the trip. We started out with a 15-or-so-mile bike ride through the countryside. Once out of town, the views of the massive, rocky karsts was uninterrupted by buildings. We rode past streams, tiny villages, rice paddies, cows, chickens, bulls, mandarin orange trees, and beautiful views on all sides.

(Along the bike route)

We stopped for lunch at a village farmhouse, where our meal was made of the freshest possible ingredients, as they were grown or raised right there. One of the dishes was a dumpling where the wrapper was like a tiny omelets, and the hens who laid those eggs were clucking around by our feet as we ate. Lunch also included a local specialty, beer fish, which was a whole fish marinated in beer, tomatoes, and onions.

We rode for another few hours after lunch. The trip became somewhat terrifying when we hit some really rocky dirt paths on our fixed gear city bikes--definitely not designed for such terrain. Among our group of 12, we had four spills resulting in small amounts of blood loss. Miraculously, I was not one of them, probably because I rode at the back of the pack at approximately .002 miles per hour.

As wiped out as I was when we rode back into town, I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to become part of that gorgeous landscape and absorb it with all of my senses--smelling the river-tinged air, hearing the cattle moo, saying hello to the women shelling peanuts roadside--rather than just viewing it from a tour bus window.

(Illuminations performers in canoes on the Yi River)

In the evening, Seth and I attended a show called something like "Illuminations" that we were a bit skeptical about because the way it had been described to us sounded very heavy on the cheese factor, enough so that the rest of our group decided to skip it. However, I read that it was created by the director of the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. That epic brought a new level of artistry to the classic kung fu film, and so my interest was definitely piqued. Fortunately, our investment in curiosity paid off in spades.

The show was nothing short of spectacular. The entire cast included SIX HUNDRED performers, who sang in Mandarin, telling a famous Chinese tale pf unrequited love. The "stage" and seats were outside, and most of the performances occurred directly on the water of the Li River. The night was pitch black, concealing the mechanics of the process, and highly choreographed colored lights were used heavily, so it literally looked like these people were walking, gliding, and dancing on top of the water, and every so often, a beam would dramatically illuminate one of the karst peaks behind the set.

At one point, about 100 single-person canoes rowed out onto the water in ten straight rows, and suddenly the rowers lifted ribbons of bright red fabric out of the water and moved them up and down in succession, so it looked like waves of brilliant red were ripping through the night sky. There were several such dramatic, visual stunts, which are really hard to describe, but suffice it to say that the show was a one-of-a-kind theatrical feat and if you ever find yourself in Guanxi Province, I highly recommend it!

(Yangshuo Farmer's Market)

We spent the next day lazily wandering around Yangshuo, killing time before our final overnight train to Hong Kong. The highlight of this excursion was the football-field-sized farmer's market in the center of town that was positively bursting with colors and activity. Some sights were tough to take. For instance, they really do use every part of the pig, so individual tails and testicles were readily available. And I'll spare you the stomach-churning details, but let's just say that the whole "They eat dogs in China" thing is not just a rumor.

That being said, the farmer's market also featured stall after stall of squatting farmers with exquisitely wrinkled faces selling the most incredible produce you've ever seen: carrots the size of cucumbers, cucumbers the size of eggplants, freshly made tofu, foot-long cinnamon sticks that you couldn't fit a child's hand around, Chinese broccoli with little yellow flowers at the top, chili peppers galore and a zillion varieties of mushrooms!

We also enjoyed souvenir shopping along the touristy, bar-and-restaurant-lined West Street and in junk stalls along the Li River. All in all, our time in Yangshuo was a real pleasure and now we're off to our final destination in China!

12.17.08: YANGSHUO

Our trip is quickly being redeemed in the friendly and colorful town of Yangshuo. We arrived before sunrise from our overnight train ride and cleaned up a bit, and then sauntered out for a morning look around. It's a small, pretty town with Westerners aplenty (There are several English language schools here) so it was easy to feel comfortable walking down its stone-paved streets.

And then we looked up. Wow. The entire town is surrounded by these incredible geological formations called karsts, which are apparently limestone remainders of a prehistoric, volcanic era. Each one looks like its own mini-mountain, about 30-50 stories high, streaked with black and tan and topped with trees. This region has the largest collection of such features in the world. Ammy told us there are about 1,000 in the area, so wherever you look these impressive mounds are rising up in the background. It is really cool!

(Morning at the Li River)

We walked to the Li River at the edge of town, where the rock formations go on as far as the eye can see. It was a pretty romantic scene--the river and karsts; old women sitting under tall, fluffy bamboo grasses, eating oranges and playing cards; young women doing laundry in the river; bamboo rafts floating by, taking children to school. Thankfully, it was a far way removed from our nasty boat ride a couple of days earlier.

Our group met us for a small orientation and lunch (at Minnie Mao's Cafe--ugh! The puns!). We sat outside in the sun. It was the first time we could expose some skin to the rays this trip, and it was fabulous. Warm, comfortable, and well-fed, we were ready to enjoy a couple of days in Yangshuo.

12.15.08: Yangtze/Yishan

We spent much of the next day on another, smaller boat, exploring China's Three Gorges. I suppose they were beautiful--one of them is depicted on the ten-yuan note--but honestly, my head and the sky were both so foggy that nothing much registered with me.

the second night on the boat wasn't as bad as the first, with the help of earplugs, Tylenol PM, and extra blankets. Our meal was tolerable, too, thanks to our local guide, Harry, requesting more vegetables and less "meat" on our behalves. Harry, by the way, is one of the craziest characters we've met so far, sort of like a Chinese leprechaun with dyed red hair, who responds with a hyena's laugh and "sank you very much" to just about every inquiry.

Before bed, our group tried to make the most of being on the boat with beer, wine, mah jongg lessons (surrounded by a crowd of curious Chinese passengers) and having Ammy read our palms and fortune cards. Looks like Seth and I are in for a happy, life-long marriage. Good stuff!

We gratefully disembarked on the third day, and moved on to the ultimate destination of our river journey, the Three Gorges Dam Project. This ambitious undertaking is the largest dam int he world, built over the last ten years or so and meant to supply about 10% of China's power through hydroelectricity. I wasn't particularly interested in the first place, to be honest, but the civic engineers on our trip (there are two) were sorely disappointed, as we were given very limited access to the project and could only view it from a distance. Nor surprisingly, our local guide was unable or unwilling to answer any of their more controversial questions, like what happens to all the toxic waste and garbage in the river once the dam causes it to stop producing oxygen and become stagnant.

(Thank goodness for our Intrepid group: Oliver, Korina, Joan, Clare, Ross, Li, David, me, Seth, Sarah, Ruth and Amy)

We stayed the night in Yichang, which was apparently a small country town until about five years ago, when a dam-related development boom began. Now, there are plenty of wide streets, modern buildings, and construction sites everywhere you turn. We ate a delicious group dinner (exotic mushroom soup, marinated beef strips, crunchy lotus root, spicy tofu, chicken with greens, pumpkin with dates...) which almost made up for the rank slop served on the boat.

I will mention that one of the high points of our last few less-than-stellar days has been spending time with our group. We are really lucky because everyone is pretty friendly and caring and can roll with the punches. Joan, our buddy from the Great Wall, has sort of taken on the role of group Mum, due partly to the fact that her own kids are the same age as half of the young'ns on this trip. She also, however, has a biting wit that, spoken in her thick Scottish brogue, can crack up the whole group at tenser moments. The English Clare, a teacher-cum hotel manager-cum civic engineer is as sweet as sugar with sparkly blue eyes. She seems to laugh at the same Chines absurdities that I do, so that's been fun. Ross and Amy, also Brits and recently graduated art and fashion students, respectively, are quieter but absolutely hilarious, especially when Ross gets going with his faux-American frat boy impressions. They are at the beginning of a six-month trip all around Asia and India. Ruth, our sole Austrian, breaks the stereotypes of a stern and serious German-speaker with her sunshine smile and great attitude. The other five--David, Li, Sarah and Oliver from Australia and Corina from New Zealand are great, too.

We are now on a five-hour bus ride to an overnight train to Yangshuo, entering the third portion of our trip. The first ten days were amazing but the last few I could have lived without. I hope that the final part tops them all.