A Year in Asia
A fisherman demonstrates the dying art of using cormorant birds to catch fish on the Li River. The 1,000 year old tradition dates back to 960 A.D. and is scarcely used anymore except by a select few fishermen. The fishermen send the cormorants into the water to catch fish and bring them back into the boat. To ensure the birds do not swallow all of the fish, a snare string is attached to the bird’s neck, stopping the cormorant from eating the larger fish. The cormorant is trained to return to the boat and spit the larger fish out for the fisherman. To keep the birds happy, the fishermen reward their birds with feeding them the smaller fish that were caught.
The first mention of Tai Chi dates back to the Book of Changes in the Zhou Dynasty (1100 BC). Its principles are based in Taoism; which focus on the natural balance of all things and the need for spiritual living within nature.
It incorporates “yin” and “yang” which are opposing forces within the body and “qi,”which is one’s life force and energy. Tai chi exercises are equally balanced between yin and yang which makes the exercise so effective for psychological and physical well being.
In a UCLA study of participants with tension headaches (which I also get), it was concluded to significantly reduce the number of headaches as well as the severity of the pain.
In a Portland study of elderly participants in a community center, it was concluded that the individuals who practiced tai chi showed significant improvement in all measures of functional balance, physical performance, and a reduced fear of falling.
These cute little Hani girls were helping their mom sell hard boiled eggs on the street. The small one ran up and opened her palm, proudly displaying the egg in her hand. I bought two for a good morning snack and made this picture.
A Chinese family with a young woman, her parents and uncle sat down at the table beside me. I quickly learned the young woman spoke some English and I used my broken Chinese for conversation. Ironically, she was a teacher like me and was also 30. She taught in a fishing village a thousand miles away in Eastern China. She radiated a quiet, confident glow that I knew I wanted to photograph. After a meal of spicy pork, bamboo chutes, and roasted potatoes, she posed in the doorway and I made this photo. As she and her family left, she told me “hou hui you qi” which means maybe we will meet again in the future.
If you ever get the chance to do a homestay, I highly recommend it. When we trekked through the Laos countryside, we came upon many things that made me appreciate the little things more. I caught this young man on the way to his morning routine with his brand new toothbrush. Once a week, a Lao man would come from the big city to deliver necessities to the village. Some of the more popular items appeared to be toiletries, batteries and toys for the children. Many people just didn’t have the transportation to go to the city when they wanted unless they hiked 6+ hours through rugged land.
She was the only girl running around with 8 boys; all of them running, playing and getting filthy. They all took turns wrestling and she beat the hell out of anyone who tried to mess with her. No doubt about it, she is a firecracker. Her fearlessness and confidence was a thing of beauty.
The temple was built in the 14th century but it’s unknown how or when the Buddha head became entangled within the tree roots. Most likely, it was caused by the 1767 Burmese invasion of Ayutthaya where the city and temples were reduced to ruins; with many Buddha images and faces being vandalized by the attackers. A theory suggests when the temple was left abandoned, the tree grew and became entwined with the Buddha head.
It wasn’t until the 1950’s that the Dept. of Fine Art of Thailand began restoration work in Ayutthaya; updating and making the park beautiful once again.
A woman and her friend take in the Team Lab exhibit in Shenzhen, China.
The award winning art exhibit is an interactive experience; seeking to explore the relationships between nature and mankind in the digital age.
The tradition of becoming a geisha is becoming a lost art but the culture in Kyoto is stronger than anywhere in the world. Yet, there are only about 200 geishas remaining in the city; a sharp contrast to the 19th century where 2,000 geishas practices. There is some hope though. According to some city officials, the number may eventually rise again due to a regained interest because of movies and television.
The origin of the Japanese Geisha traces back 1500 years and is considered to be a great honor. Geisha training used to begin at four years old but it has since evolved to starting in their early teenage years.
Geisha literally translates to “artist” and their primary duty is to be an entertainer at parties or events; trained with a wide variety of traditional skills. They dance, play Japanese games and classical music, and sometimes are expected to master poetry and calligraphy. They are highly sought after and are well paid; with a 2 hour event costing around $2000 USD. Considering their kimono dress alone may cost in upwards of $5,000, the price seems reasonable. I walked around the famous Gion Corner of Kyoto with the hope to see one. I wasn’t the only one as the hordes of tourists flocked to the neighborhood too. I paced up and down one street and turned my head. When I looked back, I was surprised by a beautiful geisha stealthily rushing her way in front of me. She walked faster than anyone I had ever seen and quickly disappeared into a house. I managed to snap a couple quick photos and this was the only one that was halfway decent.
I wish I would’ve had another chance to go back and shoot again but that’s alright. The experience of seeing a gorgeous geisha in real life was thrilling.
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