YUNNAN PROVINCE -- Journal by Stacey Irvin
3-15-00 -- FROM AN E-MAIL HOME TO FRIENDS
Today we walked all over sunny Kunming in Yunnan Province! Kunming is very metropolitan... all of the Chinese were wearing suits and John and I looked like we just came out of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”! We're in a fancy government hotel that has little microphones hanging under some of the wall mounted light fixtures! hmmm...
The threats against Taiwan and China's hopes for WTO aren't having any effect on our travels. When we stay in fancy hotels in larger cities, though, we do hear lots about these issues on CNN Asia. I'm also trying to stay abreast of the nuclear/Kashmir/India situation in Pakistan...hopefully that won't become a travel problem when I reach that leg of the trip!
Well guys, I'm a little tired and hungry at the moment, so sorry if this message has been scattered! I miss the USA and will be happy to be home again... but for now my adventure has only just begun!!
3-19-00Today we arrived in Dali from Kunming and set out for a fishing village on an Island in Lake Urhai. We ended up on the wrong boat in a tourist-trap temple and managed to escaped down a road that led us to a priceless experience. We saw a boat and family on shore down a hill, so we went to get a closer look. We ended up helping (at least trying to help) bring in their net and spent the rest of the day with them until we got to ride back to their village in their boat and have dinner at their house - eating the days catch! It was moving, exhilarating, frustrating, uplifting, humorous and genuine.
I did what I love to do and what (in the last few years) I’ve made a priority in my life --> I try to live on both sides of the camera. I jumped in that boat to talk to the two young daughters and take a few photos, but I also jumped in to see if I could take part in the fishing experience. When the mother started bringing the net I decided to give it a try and see if I could help (or, as it turned out, provide comic relief)! The work was very hard --> they are such strong people!! And initially the catch was very disappointing to me: only one big fish (the other one got away) and a bucket of smaller ones. I learned later that the thousands of tiny white translucent fish mixed up in the seaweed were actually the most prized part of the catch. These “silver fish” are a popular delicacy in other parts of China and Japan. This family works tremendously hard every single day - their lives depend on it.
I bet they hadn’t expected to catch two great big unusual American fish today! I live for these experiences. This is what my life must be. How can I take these experiences and help people? Right now, all I can tell is that I’m the luckiest person I know.
