The Joy of Business Trips

Started by springrite, May 20, 2010, 01:45:59 AM

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Florestan

Quote from: secondwind on May 20, 2010, 07:05:52 PM
I'm a little confused.  If she's not your bodyguard, what exactly is her official function?
My guess would be she's kind of a secret police agent, taking care that nothing Springrite says or does during his lectures is against party's ideology --- and reporting everything as well.  ;D
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

False_Dmitry

Do you really feel Xin'jiang is so very dangerous as to need a bodyguard?

I've travelled in that area independently (Urumqi, Turfan, Dunhuang, the Mogao Caves, etc) and didn't feel uncomfortable at any time.   It's true that there was rioting in Urumqi a year ago, but that has subsided..  the same can be said of Nepal or Thailand, but people still take trips there. 

An interpreter and/or driver is very useful though, and I hired assistance where I thought I needed it - it's a false economy to try to manage without in many cases.  You won't get far in the grape-growing area near Turfan without a local driver, and getting to some of the more remote monasteries is out of the question...  the road conditions demand a skilled driver.

AFAIK the PRC doesn't attempt to prevent solo travel in the area, but it does discourage solo travel from Xin'jiang through into Tibet - allegedly because of poor road conditions and banditry in the area (which I can easily believe).  Of course they also try to prevent travel in Tibet (by the use of the "Tibet Travel Permit") without booking a tour, but this can be stepped around reasonably easily with a little Googling and the purchase of a token "tour programme" for just 2-3 days...   you'd have needed somewhere to stay in Lhasa anyhow.  After that there are lots of independent guesthouses and smaller hotels in Lhasa and beyond, and local Tibetan guides - in most of the monasteries you can arrange for a monk to take you round, for a donation that goes to the monastery's work (rather than being sent to Beijing).   Before one gets too worked-up about the way the PRC controls monasteries (of which I am no fan nonetheless) etc, one needs to bear in mind the monstrous ravages of madmen like Aurel Stein :(
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"Of all the NOISES known to Man, OPERA is the most expensive" - Moliere

False_Dmitry

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"Of all the NOISES known to Man, OPERA is the most expensive" - Moliere

springrite

Just arrived back in Beijing at 5am after all night waiting at the airport for my flight to take off during thunderstorms. I will take a short nap and take my thing to give my all day lecture in Beijing, then to the airport from Beijing to Xinjiang. I hope I don't go through another night without sleep as forecast is for hailstorm, strong wind and thunderstorm in Beijing tonight. I am spent already.

Also time to add a few more CDs. I listened to 10 of them at the airport and on the plane.

Desert Music, Orpheus, Shostakovich 11, Crumb's Night Angel, Scharwenka Piano Concerti, Schubert D960, etc. to be added.
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

springrite

Quote from: secondwind on May 20, 2010, 07:05:52 PM
I'm a little confused.  If she's not your bodyguard, what exactly is her official function?

I was just given her cell phone number. She is an ethnic Uygur. So she will be the ideal guide, as well as protection in that sense. The dangerous part of the trip will be an all-night 11 hour bus trip, on a route that has had several terror attacks, including attacks on the bus, in the past year.
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

secondwind

Quote from: springrite on May 22, 2010, 01:30:17 PM
I was just given her cell phone number. She is an ethnic Uygur. So she will be the ideal guide, as well as protection in that sense. The dangerous part of the trip will be an all-night 11 hour bus trip, on a route that has had several terror attacks, including attacks on the bus, in the past year.
Well, if she can be your language and culture interpreter, I guess it makes sense, although given the recent history of terrorist attacks in the region, you might still wish she were skilled in small arms use and hand-to-hand combat!  I hope she doesn't make any improper advances, and it occurs to me that she is hoping the same thing about you!  Maybe if you show her a couple of pictures of Kimi and Vanessa, she'll get the message that you're not interested in any extramarital dalliances.

I hadn't realized that Xinjiang was experiencing terrorist attacks.  I am sorry to learn of it.  Is it from a radical Islamic group like Al Qaeda?

At any rate, I hope your trip is successful, safe, and (how should I put this?) uneventful.

karlhenning


WI Dan

Quote from: secondwind on May 22, 2010, 01:55:43 PM
Well, if she can be your language and culture interpreter, I guess it makes sense, although given the recent history of terrorist attacks in the region, you might still wish she were skilled in small arms use and hand-to-hand combat!

Oh, yeah ....



Now we're talkin'!
   

WI Dan

Quote from: False_Dmitry on May 21, 2010, 05:11:00 AM
Hmmm, some other aspects of travel in China are distinctly questionable...
QuoteAfter watching the beasts in their cages, diners at the zoo's restaurant can gnaw on the webbed toes of a hippopotamus, chew a kangaroo tail, nibble a deer's penis or slurp down a bowl of ant soup.
Soup!  I'll have the soup!!

springrite

Good to be back!

I just got back from my trip to Xinjiang. It was an exhausting but also very exciting trip.

First of all, the transportation. I spent what seemed like half the time on buses. One trip was 22 hours on the bus. It took so long because melting snow from a late but quick summer arrival after the snowest winter in 100 years caused heavy flooding that washed out some roads. We had to go offroad so many times. My head hit everything including the ceiling of the bus. But the bus managed to not tip over once.

Secondly, the security was good. Aliya was a very good helper. When we were in places where safety might be an issue, she always walked slightly behind me (since most attacks come from behind, I was told). I did not feel unsafe at all, except for one time, but that was OK.

I gave 5 lectures and did some counseling as well, some of the issues are things that they could not have received help otherwise. For instance, a highschool girl who found out she's a lesbian and the parents tried to pressure her into having a boyfriend. She had an unsuccessful suicide attempt. But after the counseling, parents hugged her and she was all smiles. In all, about 1000 people attended the lectures or workshops, or counseling sessions. About half of the people were Han Chinese. The others included Ugyurs, Khazaks, Tajiks, etc. I did not have a single problem. I am physically and mentally exhausted now. But I am very happy because I did good work in a place that needed it.

I went to Urumqi, Karamay, Ermin, Yili, Changji and Xinyuan.

On a side note, Kimi had a cold and infection and had treatment for 5 days when I was away. Vanessa did not tell me about it so I wouldn't worry and can concentrate on my work. I just saw Kimi and she is just fine now. She was so happy to see me and sang and dances for over an hour. Now I need some sleep!
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

secondwind

Sounds like a very worthwhile trip!  Glad to hear you are home safe and sound.

Opus106

Welcome back! Good to know that your trip was safe and with success.
Regards,
Navneeth

springrite

Quote from: Dan on May 22, 2010, 09:52:10 PM
Oh, yeah ....



Now we're talkin'!
   

Well, Aliya holds nothing more than a smile. I will post a photo of her a few days later.
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

greg

Quote from: springrite on May 29, 2010, 08:24:59 AM
Good to be back!

I just got back from my trip to Xinjiang. It was an exhausting but also very exciting trip.
Glad you're okay.

The lesbian girl thing made me laugh, even though I probably shouldn't...

springrite

Quote from: Greg on May 29, 2010, 11:21:29 AM

The lesbian girl thing made me laugh, even though I probably shouldn't...

Good thing I didn't tell you about the gay guy who proposed...
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

knight66

Your business trips are not a bit like mine.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

springrite

Quote from: knight on May 31, 2010, 01:06:28 PM
Your business trips are not a bit like mine.

Mike

Well, most of my trip are simple lectures and speaking engagements minus the counseling and danger. Rather tame affairs.
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

knight66

I think it is enough to have to put up with rowdy kids in a train for five hours. Last week I travelled the full length of England on a very busy train surrounded by kids and noise to the point I heard someone on a business call say that it was such pandemonium that he could not continue the call.

I asked that the sound be turned off from the games machine of the child opposite me. The father said a long drawn out "Well", then...."if I do that he will scream, a lot." I replied that two more hours of the din and he could listen to me scream a lot. The guy next to me chimed in with support saying it was doing his head in and he could not concentrate on his work.

The father reluctantly and with a lot of dark muttering for my benefit about, "There's always one." took the toy away altogether. I could then see what was the real reason for the reluctance. Daddy then had to expend time and energy occupying his seven year old. There was no screaming from either side of the table.

Tame really in comparison with China and propositions.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

WI Dan




Quote from: springrite on May 29, 2010, 09:09:15 AM
Well, Aliya holds nothing more than a smile. I will post a photo of her a few days later.
Smile-Fu! 

I thought that was just an urban legend.

greg

Quote from: springrite on May 31, 2010, 12:46:34 PM
Good thing I didn't tell you about the gay guy who proposed...
Ugh... now you just left me curious. Is it also kinda tragically funny?