Hi
Here is Kevin's most recent narrative. Enjoy!
James
____________
June 25, 2009
‘Hit the Ground Running!’ I believe this best describes the last few days here for me at the GYS.
On Thursday, Sam, Xuan Yang, and I traveled by taxi to Lijiang to do an interview with an agent from a Lijiang Ecotourism agency. Our goal was to find out the prices and the type of tours the local travel agency was charging around Lashihai. This provided us some key information to help us in deciding what price range we want to set as donations for possible tours, hikes, the ecology exhibition, and overnight stays here in Lashihai.
Something worth calling out was the majority of the interview was spoken in Mandarin. Xuan Yang (Mr. Chen’s son) actually was not even in the room for the first part of it. It was just us two Caucasians. I wish I could claim all of this, but Sam (the Yale University Student) had it all under control. I asked some questions, but most of the terminology that was being spoken was unfamiliar to me.
After the interview, I asked Sam how he had reached such a fluent level of Mandarin. He explained that he had studied the language for over three years, but there is some important information to note here. First is the language department at Yale University is very strict and demanding. Second is that he attended the Beijing Normal University twice each for eight weeks through a Princeton University program. He told me that when he arrived, he had to sign a contract that he would not speak any English. If he broke that agreement, he would immediately be sent home. Third, he came on his own to China for a semester to do some personal traveling. As I totaled it all together, I realized I had a great opportunity to learn from him. Since that interview, Sam had been helping me with my tones, vocabulary, and building confidence in my own language ability. J
Another large event happened shortly afterwards. Sam, Xuan Yang, and I went to a Tibetan Tea House. We ordered Yake Butter Tea with a dish of sugar. The tea was exceptionally good and sweet, so good that I drank 5 cups of it. Once the container of tea was almost empty, Sam poured the remainder into Xuan Yang’s cup. I was curious to find that he was inspecting it. He said that he thought there might be peanuts in it. Immediately he asked the waitress who responded rather quickly. She replied, ‘有花生’- it has peanuts. I was shocked because for 15 minutes of drinking tea, I had not felt any sensation in my throat of an allergic reaction. Usually, I would notice a reaction within 5 minutes or less. Sam recommended that I still go forward with the protocol and administer myself an Epipen. I injected the Epipen into my thigh, took 50mg of Benadryl, and Prednisone. I was completely drugged on steroids. The Epipen begin working immediately; my adrenaline started rushing, and I began shaking. We stayed at the Tea House for about another 50 minutes until the epinephrine worn out.
Afterwards, the adventure continued. Sam and I went to meet Jill and Brian for dinner in the Old Town of Lijiang. We had dinner at a local Western-Styled restaurant. Jill and Brian are both foreigners in Lijiang, but are conducting research projects either through Full Bright or Peace Corps. I was very interesting to talk with them and hear about their experiences so far in those programs since I am consider a similar path after graduation. Jill concluded that she would hire a Peace Corp volunteer rather than a Full Bright Scholar because of the hands on experience and connections; however, I must take everything with a grain of salt. Through the course of the evening, the Benadryl started to hit me hard. My eyelids began to feel like boulders, extremely difficult to keep open. Before I closed my eyelids, I told them what had happened a few hours ago. They were stunned that I was having dinner with them under these circumstances.
June 26, 2009
On late Friday morning, we had a local T.V station crew come to the GYS. There were three people who came. One was the interviewer, other shot the video footage, and lastly a government official. The government official asked us some questions about which university we attended and how we got connected with the Mr. Chen at the GYS. Later, I was sitting just across the table as the film crew came in and interviewed Sam entirely in Mandarin. It was quite remarkable. Soon afterwards, Mr. Chen invited them for lunch. We headed across the street to an upscale restaurant for the area of AnShang. Most of the conversation took place between Sam and the government official. I did speak up in a few cases, but I was mostly observing and listening. I was still not adjusted to the rapid-fire pass of speaking, nor was I comfortable in front of large audiences in terms of speaking another language.
June 27, 2009
On Saturday evening, after I finished cleaning the dishes, Mr. Chen asked me to come out to the garden to check out the new bathrooms that had been installed. The conversation was one of great importance. We discussed the use of biogas tanks in rural villages and whether biogas tanks are really a worthwhile investment. Although the initial costs upfront are expensive at 5,000 RMB, they last for about 25 years. That is about 200 RMB a year. I asked Mr. Chen how much it was to build this new outhouse. His response was about 7,000 RMB, but he added that he chosen one of most expensive types. This was key because currently there are thousands of biogas tanks already installed in this area by the government, but most farmers do not use them due to it being inconvenient. For example, in some cases, the outhouse and the biogas tanks are 10s of meter away, which requires someone to shovel the feces into the biogas tank. Also, many farmers are not educated on how to use them in the first place. We also discussed about deforestation and whether biogas tanks make a difference. I told him that I would like him to drive Sam and me to some of those spots because at this point I have not come across any. He remarked that farmers don’t cut timber near the roads where it is obvious, but instead go deep into the forest to collect wood. Somehow, this became a walk across the street onto a local trail into the forest. Along the beginning part of the trail, Mr. Chen showed me a small section that had eroded due to clear-cutting. As we climbed up a little further, we also discussed the logging ban of 1998 in China. He explained to me that it is illegal, but there is still a strong demand for wood products locally. Before we headed back down, I asked for us to stop and listen to the pristine stillness and the chirps of the birds. To my surprise, not only could Mr. Chen whistle, but could also get a response from the chirping birds. For a second, it felt little like harmony been the natural setting and the China.
When we returned back to the house, he showed me a stockpile of timber and branches used for home construction and burning to cook food. It is important to note that the house I am staying at is Na xi. This is a small ethnic group in China that primarily lives in Lijiang. Almost everyone who lives near Lashihai is Na xi. Beside the point, Mr. Chen bought this house several years back. The wood that I was looking at was collected before 1998, and it was quite extensive. Now I have not been to another Lashihai house to compare today’s collection, but I think this would be a worthwhile inquiry to pursue.
June 28, 2009
In the early afternoon, Sam and I went for a hike. We were looking for trails that the GYS could use for possible use for tours to learn more about the local ecology of the area and experience some amazing views of the lake. Thanks to the discussion yesterday, I found our first trail. The trail was rather muddy due to the recent thunderstorms over the last couple of days. The trail was primarily used horseback riding so there were no logs to help ease the climb. After about 20 minutes, we reached an open spot that had benches and an amazing view of Lashihai. We thought we found something very exquisite, which was currently not be utilized by YEN (Yunnan EcoNetwork). We thought if we can get a hold of an ecology handbook that would have lists of local plants, birds, and animals, then this could be something the YEN could include in its programs. The trail actually continued higher, but a large thunderstorm was upon us and the winds were picking up. We decided next time we will take an afternoon hike to find out how far the trail leads.
An hour later, the same government official showed up at the GYS. She was not alone. She brought her husband and another family. The family was local residents of Lijiang. There was the mother as well as her oldest and youngest daughter. The oldest daughter brought her boyfriend. They both had been attending a Switzerland university. The boyfriend was Suisse and could not speak a word of Mandarin, which I found ironic. We all had tea and talked about prior travels abroad. Mr. Chen gave them a tour of the ecology exhibition hall as well as the biogas tank in the garden. Sam and I offered to take the kids on a tour of Lashihai. We decided this would be a good chance to practice what I had researched in terms of geography, climate, minorities, biodiversity, and environmental issues of Lashihai. I had to do all of this on top of my head since they do not having a working printer at the GYS. It was an interesting experience. I realized I needed to practice several more time before I could confidently recite all the information. The oldest daughter knew a lot about Lashihai and had some strong opinions about the wetland reserve nearby. I remember her distinctively saying that the protection of the environment is a very difficult and sensitive issue. I must they that the youngest daughter was wonderfully curious. As we walked along the dirt path, Sam pointed out some of the animals in English. She was a quick learner.
In the late hours of the night, Mr. Chen and I drove over to CAAC. Professor Robert Efird, a Seattle University Professor in Asian Studies and Anthropology, had just arrived in Lijang and planned to stay the night at the GYS. It was pleasure to see a familiar face in this part of the world. Surprisingly, Mr. Chen and Professor Efird were good friends and had meet several year back. When I heard that he was coming, I was stunned. What are the odds that a professor from the same university would meet you in one of the remotest parts of China? I think most people at SU know his Mandarin language skills are exceptional. Well, let me tell you, it is nothing less. He is here in China this summer studying environmental education by visiting some local villages to collect research. He told me his wife and two kids are currently in Kunming and might come to visit the GYS in late July, which would be very exciting.
Over the last couple of days, I have a had a chance to meet a wide variety of people due to Mr. Chen variety of contacts international particularly here in China and the United States. One thing is for sure here my network is growing and language skills are growing.
Monday, June 29, 2009
June 29 Lijiang First Narrative
Hi,
This is the first narrative Kevin sent desribing his travel to China starting on the 19th July.
James
_________
June 19, 2009
The journey began at 12:00 P.M at SeaTac Airport. My father had just pulled into the Hainan Terminal. My mother, sister, and Wint had all come along to wish me safe travels as well as to exchange hugs that would have to last until mid-September. I particularly remember when my father stepped out of the driver seat, and I came over to say goodbye. When I looked my father in the eyes, it was a moment of pure joy, tears of happiness, and blessings. It was a moment I will never forget. It was just as difficult to leave Mom, Alana, and Wint. I know it was for them too.
I must say that I didn’t need to travel 10,000 + miles to Lijiang in the northwest part of the Yunnan Province in order to be surrounding with native Mandarin speakers. I just had to walk to the check-in desk for Hainan Airlines and listen. It was also obvious I was the only Caucasian. My travels were underway; however, due to mechanical problems with the airplane, the flight was delayed an additional 4 hours. During the wait, I was surprised to see Alex and his mother at the gate since they’re my neighbors. It turns out they were on the same flight to Beijing. Their destination was Chengdu, but they were going to transfer flights in Beijing. Due to the delay, we both missed our flight out of Beijing. We flew out at 6 P.M.
June 20, 2009
After an 11-hour flight, we landed in Beijing at 9:00 P.M. Alex, his mother, and I got our new tickets for the following day on June 21st (China time). There were actually about a dozen people who also missed their flights from the late arrival. We took a shuttle provided by the airline to stay at a motel. The shuttle was an experience of its own. Simply there was not enough room for everyone’s luggage, but in China, they find a way to squeeze it in. In the end, I sat on two large luggage bags in the middle of the aisle.
After checking-in at the motel, I finally got to sleep around 1:00 A.M. I was told to be ready for the shuttle at 5:30 A.M since my flight from Beijing to Kunming was rescheduled at 8:30 A.M. Alex and his mother’s flight was scheduled at 7:30 A.M. I decided I wanted to join them at the airport in case any problems may arise. I didn’t want to risk being stuck in Beijing. Therefore, I got up at 4:00 A.M to get up and be ready at 5:00 A.M to take the shuttle with them.
June 21, 2009
I was happy I had joined them because as it turned out the person who wrote down the flight number and other information the night before was unreadable. Thanks to Alex’s mother, we got that settled rather quickly. In addition, our gates were adjacent to each other. My gate was A12; their gate A11. I can’t say enough with how fortunate I was to have Alex and his mother there. I can honestly say that their support and help made it possible for me to get to Kunming safely.
At the gate, I also met Weiwei and Lili who were both students of Yunnan University. They had been on the flight from SeaTac to Beijing as well. I got their emails, and informed them about my travel plans over the next three months. I let them know that I was only staying in Kunming for one night. I mentioned that I wanted to purchase a Chinese cell phone and go to the Chinese Bank for some RMB cash. When we arrived in Kunming, Lili and his family offered to drive and assist me for those two items. Afterwards, they had a taxi waiting for me. All my errands were taken care of in a matter of half an hour. His family was wonderful, and I plan to reconnect when I return to Kunming to attend the Yunnan University. Once I was in the taxi, I was off to my next destination and that was the JingWang Hotel. I must say through all of this traveling, I am primarily speaking Mandarin especially when I left Alex and his mother. It was a feeling of true independence. The hotel accommodation was a single room on the 12th floor overlooking Kunming and the surrounding mountains. The room was a simple layout. It was a complete shock to the system knowing that I was on my own. The rest of the day as a travel could guess, I crashed!
June 22, 2009
I woke up early around 6:00 A.M and took a shower. This may surprise some of you, but the shower does not have a curtain separating it from the sink or the toilet. Basically, it acts an open washroom. The hotel provided a free breakfast on the 2nd floor, which is usually the case for most hotels in China. I checked-out about 8:30 A.M and then Luo Laoshi, Mr. Chen’s wife, brought me a typewriter by bike. Little did I know that typewriter weighed 30 or more lbs. I got a taxi to the Kunming airport where I would take my last flight to Lijiang. It was extremely difficult to carry my backpack, two large luggage bags, and a box holding a typewriter. I simply walked 20 meters and then had to stop. To make matters more difficult, when I went to one of the China Easter Airline check-in desks, it closed. I was informed to go to the backside for another check-in desk. I waited there, and then found out that for my specific flight, I had to go to desk #35. I was at #15. As you can tell, it was a lot of extra walking. I should note that many of the flights in Kunming are parked out on the runway, which they had shuttles running every half an hour. The weather was pouring cats and dogs (literally). I remember talking to one traveler who couldn’t believe they would allow any flights to fly in this weather. The flight was smooth except for one part. When the flight was coming down for a landing in Lijiang, at about 1,000 ft about the ground, the pilot accelerated the engines. In a matter of minutes, we were cruising at 10,000 ft. above the ground. We did a loop and came down for another landing safely. I honestly don’t know the reason for the abrupt acceleration. I think it was weather related. Once I picked up my entire luggage including the typewriter, I waited outside the airport entrance for the next shuttle to the city of Lijiang. The airport is on the outskirt of the city. On the shuttle, I met two French travelers. One could speak fluent Mandarin. He studied the language in Taiwan for five years and currently teaches Mandarin at a French University. He was intrigued with my plans in China and was certain my language skills will improve greatly. As we were chatting, I took a glimpse of the magnificent scenery. I have uploaded the pictures so you can see for yourself. By the way, as we chatted in Mandarin, all 15 other passengers were observing us and chuckling at the same time. It must have been an unusually sight to see two foreigners speaking their native tongue.
When the shuttle arrived at CAAC, Mr. Chen Yongsong was waiting to pick me up. The Green Youth School is on the outskirts of the city (about a half an hour drive away) near the banks of Lashihai Lake. It is the largest lake in Lijiang and a protected wildlife reserve for biotic life. As we drove to the school, it was interesting to observe the trucks and tractors that appear to have been assembled in the early 20th century but also pollute large amounts of emissions because they don’t have any mufflers installed. It was like a drive back through time. Not only were there a change in vehicles but also traditional agricultural. I saw farmers carrying baskets on their backs filled with hay or harvested crops. Even with the all the polluting vehicles, the air is the freshest that I have experienced in China.
Once I arrived at the GYS, I met Sam Massie (Ma Xiao) and XuanYang (Mr. Chen’s son) in the driveway. Sam is 21 years old and a senior at Yale University. He has studied Mandarin for three years, but he is economist major. Xuan Yang is 18 year old and absolutely loves cooking. After I settled in, it was one event after another. We had dinner at a local farmers house that was celebrating his son’s graduation from Lijiang University. The girls in the picture were all of his friends plus some others. It was a hot pot feast. We played some language games with beer towards the end and then drove over to do Karaoke in Lijiang. When they say Karaoke, they do it in style with large base speakers and a HD T.V.
June 23, 2009 to present – June 25, 2009
At the point, I will give some highlights of what life is like here and some of the fun activities I have done.
One thing worth highlighting is the outhouse. The outhouse has the toilet, sink, and shower all in the same space (no curtains of course). The toilet is connected to a biogas tank that provides methane gas for cooking here at GYS as well as fertilizer for the garden. The heating for the shower comes from the solar panels on top of the outhouse. It is a very nifty design. However, I realized after taking a shower on the morning of the 23rd, I don’t need to take one every day. Most people use it every couple of days or every week.
In terms of internship here at GYS, I am partnering with Sam on how to further expand the GYS by connecting all the different programs it offers. This includes YEN sampling –planting trees around the lake, education about the local ecology, information about biogas technology, and monitoring of local farmers who own biogas.
Our Goals:
・ To expand the Green Youth School for more tours and education groups
・ Build on people’s curiosity and enjoyment of the natural beauty of Lashihai
・ Educate about the rural life of farmers around the lake
・ Establish suggested donations or travel package that would support Service Tourism
Mr. Chen has created a program called catchCH4, which would bring investor and farmer together. It was based on someone purchasing carbon credits by investing in biogas technology for a local farmer. We thought of an alternative the focus much more locally, where investors can be tourist and visitors who come here and learn and experience the pristine beauty of this place as a biodiversity hotspot. They then can make a donation that would go to education, local biogas projects, and monitoring. All of the financial contributions would help benefit the local environmental and welfare of the farmers. The theme is preservation and sustainability of Lashihai.
I will give more details on this later.
In addition, I want to give this little tidbit. Who has heard of biogas? I know I didn’t know much about it before coming to Lashihai.
I though some of you must find the below information interesting in terms of the benefits of biogas for local farmers and the environment. Below, I have created a list.
Positive impacts of financial contributions to biogas
・ Reduce deforestation
・ Reduce GHG emissions
o Mitigate Climate Change
・ Protection of local biodiversity
・ Prevents indoor air pollution
・ Supports women who would usually have to collect firewood
・ Preserves/sustains and empowers the way of life (authenticity)
・ Sludge from biogas can be used as organic compost
o Cut back on the use of chemical fertilizers
Currently the two immediate projects I am working on are listed below.
At this point for the expansion of GYS, I am researching and collecting information about the local ecology, historical history, ethnic groups, and environmental programs of Lijiang and specifically Lashihai.
I am also researching the possible effects of the upcoming decision in Copenhagen on carbon emissions will have with Mr. Chen’s catchCH4 program in the future.
That is it for now. I will have a lot more pictures in the coming days. All the best.
Kevin Osborne
This is the first narrative Kevin sent desribing his travel to China starting on the 19th July.
James
_________
June 19, 2009
The journey began at 12:00 P.M at SeaTac Airport. My father had just pulled into the Hainan Terminal. My mother, sister, and Wint had all come along to wish me safe travels as well as to exchange hugs that would have to last until mid-September. I particularly remember when my father stepped out of the driver seat, and I came over to say goodbye. When I looked my father in the eyes, it was a moment of pure joy, tears of happiness, and blessings. It was a moment I will never forget. It was just as difficult to leave Mom, Alana, and Wint. I know it was for them too.
I must say that I didn’t need to travel 10,000 + miles to Lijiang in the northwest part of the Yunnan Province in order to be surrounding with native Mandarin speakers. I just had to walk to the check-in desk for Hainan Airlines and listen. It was also obvious I was the only Caucasian. My travels were underway; however, due to mechanical problems with the airplane, the flight was delayed an additional 4 hours. During the wait, I was surprised to see Alex and his mother at the gate since they’re my neighbors. It turns out they were on the same flight to Beijing. Their destination was Chengdu, but they were going to transfer flights in Beijing. Due to the delay, we both missed our flight out of Beijing. We flew out at 6 P.M.
June 20, 2009
After an 11-hour flight, we landed in Beijing at 9:00 P.M. Alex, his mother, and I got our new tickets for the following day on June 21st (China time). There were actually about a dozen people who also missed their flights from the late arrival. We took a shuttle provided by the airline to stay at a motel. The shuttle was an experience of its own. Simply there was not enough room for everyone’s luggage, but in China, they find a way to squeeze it in. In the end, I sat on two large luggage bags in the middle of the aisle.
After checking-in at the motel, I finally got to sleep around 1:00 A.M. I was told to be ready for the shuttle at 5:30 A.M since my flight from Beijing to Kunming was rescheduled at 8:30 A.M. Alex and his mother’s flight was scheduled at 7:30 A.M. I decided I wanted to join them at the airport in case any problems may arise. I didn’t want to risk being stuck in Beijing. Therefore, I got up at 4:00 A.M to get up and be ready at 5:00 A.M to take the shuttle with them.
June 21, 2009
I was happy I had joined them because as it turned out the person who wrote down the flight number and other information the night before was unreadable. Thanks to Alex’s mother, we got that settled rather quickly. In addition, our gates were adjacent to each other. My gate was A12; their gate A11. I can’t say enough with how fortunate I was to have Alex and his mother there. I can honestly say that their support and help made it possible for me to get to Kunming safely.
At the gate, I also met Weiwei and Lili who were both students of Yunnan University. They had been on the flight from SeaTac to Beijing as well. I got their emails, and informed them about my travel plans over the next three months. I let them know that I was only staying in Kunming for one night. I mentioned that I wanted to purchase a Chinese cell phone and go to the Chinese Bank for some RMB cash. When we arrived in Kunming, Lili and his family offered to drive and assist me for those two items. Afterwards, they had a taxi waiting for me. All my errands were taken care of in a matter of half an hour. His family was wonderful, and I plan to reconnect when I return to Kunming to attend the Yunnan University. Once I was in the taxi, I was off to my next destination and that was the JingWang Hotel. I must say through all of this traveling, I am primarily speaking Mandarin especially when I left Alex and his mother. It was a feeling of true independence. The hotel accommodation was a single room on the 12th floor overlooking Kunming and the surrounding mountains. The room was a simple layout. It was a complete shock to the system knowing that I was on my own. The rest of the day as a travel could guess, I crashed!
June 22, 2009
I woke up early around 6:00 A.M and took a shower. This may surprise some of you, but the shower does not have a curtain separating it from the sink or the toilet. Basically, it acts an open washroom. The hotel provided a free breakfast on the 2nd floor, which is usually the case for most hotels in China. I checked-out about 8:30 A.M and then Luo Laoshi, Mr. Chen’s wife, brought me a typewriter by bike. Little did I know that typewriter weighed 30 or more lbs. I got a taxi to the Kunming airport where I would take my last flight to Lijiang. It was extremely difficult to carry my backpack, two large luggage bags, and a box holding a typewriter. I simply walked 20 meters and then had to stop. To make matters more difficult, when I went to one of the China Easter Airline check-in desks, it closed. I was informed to go to the backside for another check-in desk. I waited there, and then found out that for my specific flight, I had to go to desk #35. I was at #15. As you can tell, it was a lot of extra walking. I should note that many of the flights in Kunming are parked out on the runway, which they had shuttles running every half an hour. The weather was pouring cats and dogs (literally). I remember talking to one traveler who couldn’t believe they would allow any flights to fly in this weather. The flight was smooth except for one part. When the flight was coming down for a landing in Lijiang, at about 1,000 ft about the ground, the pilot accelerated the engines. In a matter of minutes, we were cruising at 10,000 ft. above the ground. We did a loop and came down for another landing safely. I honestly don’t know the reason for the abrupt acceleration. I think it was weather related. Once I picked up my entire luggage including the typewriter, I waited outside the airport entrance for the next shuttle to the city of Lijiang. The airport is on the outskirt of the city. On the shuttle, I met two French travelers. One could speak fluent Mandarin. He studied the language in Taiwan for five years and currently teaches Mandarin at a French University. He was intrigued with my plans in China and was certain my language skills will improve greatly. As we were chatting, I took a glimpse of the magnificent scenery. I have uploaded the pictures so you can see for yourself. By the way, as we chatted in Mandarin, all 15 other passengers were observing us and chuckling at the same time. It must have been an unusually sight to see two foreigners speaking their native tongue.
When the shuttle arrived at CAAC, Mr. Chen Yongsong was waiting to pick me up. The Green Youth School is on the outskirts of the city (about a half an hour drive away) near the banks of Lashihai Lake. It is the largest lake in Lijiang and a protected wildlife reserve for biotic life. As we drove to the school, it was interesting to observe the trucks and tractors that appear to have been assembled in the early 20th century but also pollute large amounts of emissions because they don’t have any mufflers installed. It was like a drive back through time. Not only were there a change in vehicles but also traditional agricultural. I saw farmers carrying baskets on their backs filled with hay or harvested crops. Even with the all the polluting vehicles, the air is the freshest that I have experienced in China.
Once I arrived at the GYS, I met Sam Massie (Ma Xiao) and XuanYang (Mr. Chen’s son) in the driveway. Sam is 21 years old and a senior at Yale University. He has studied Mandarin for three years, but he is economist major. Xuan Yang is 18 year old and absolutely loves cooking. After I settled in, it was one event after another. We had dinner at a local farmers house that was celebrating his son’s graduation from Lijiang University. The girls in the picture were all of his friends plus some others. It was a hot pot feast. We played some language games with beer towards the end and then drove over to do Karaoke in Lijiang. When they say Karaoke, they do it in style with large base speakers and a HD T.V.
June 23, 2009 to present – June 25, 2009
At the point, I will give some highlights of what life is like here and some of the fun activities I have done.
One thing worth highlighting is the outhouse. The outhouse has the toilet, sink, and shower all in the same space (no curtains of course). The toilet is connected to a biogas tank that provides methane gas for cooking here at GYS as well as fertilizer for the garden. The heating for the shower comes from the solar panels on top of the outhouse. It is a very nifty design. However, I realized after taking a shower on the morning of the 23rd, I don’t need to take one every day. Most people use it every couple of days or every week.
In terms of internship here at GYS, I am partnering with Sam on how to further expand the GYS by connecting all the different programs it offers. This includes YEN sampling –planting trees around the lake, education about the local ecology, information about biogas technology, and monitoring of local farmers who own biogas.
Our Goals:
・ To expand the Green Youth School for more tours and education groups
・ Build on people’s curiosity and enjoyment of the natural beauty of Lashihai
・ Educate about the rural life of farmers around the lake
・ Establish suggested donations or travel package that would support Service Tourism
Mr. Chen has created a program called catchCH4, which would bring investor and farmer together. It was based on someone purchasing carbon credits by investing in biogas technology for a local farmer. We thought of an alternative the focus much more locally, where investors can be tourist and visitors who come here and learn and experience the pristine beauty of this place as a biodiversity hotspot. They then can make a donation that would go to education, local biogas projects, and monitoring. All of the financial contributions would help benefit the local environmental and welfare of the farmers. The theme is preservation and sustainability of Lashihai.
I will give more details on this later.
In addition, I want to give this little tidbit. Who has heard of biogas? I know I didn’t know much about it before coming to Lashihai.
I though some of you must find the below information interesting in terms of the benefits of biogas for local farmers and the environment. Below, I have created a list.
Positive impacts of financial contributions to biogas
・ Reduce deforestation
・ Reduce GHG emissions
o Mitigate Climate Change
・ Protection of local biodiversity
・ Prevents indoor air pollution
・ Supports women who would usually have to collect firewood
・ Preserves/sustains and empowers the way of life (authenticity)
・ Sludge from biogas can be used as organic compost
o Cut back on the use of chemical fertilizers
Currently the two immediate projects I am working on are listed below.
At this point for the expansion of GYS, I am researching and collecting information about the local ecology, historical history, ethnic groups, and environmental programs of Lijiang and specifically Lashihai.
I am also researching the possible effects of the upcoming decision in Copenhagen on carbon emissions will have with Mr. Chen’s catchCH4 program in the future.
That is it for now. I will have a lot more pictures in the coming days. All the best.
Kevin Osborne
Sunday, June 28, 2009
June 28 Lijiang
Hi
Since Kevin is unable to access this blog site directly, he is sending his pictures via Flickr and narrative via email. I (his Dad) is moving this info to this blog. The pictures are partly from a hike in the area, one of Lijiang, several of the eco teaching center where Kevin is located-office, outhouse, main area outside, a pic of Sam (a Yale student), etc. As I get more familiar with transferring things over, I'll label the pics. In a follow on post, I'll provide the email narratives Kevin sent over email.
James (Dad)
Since Kevin is unable to access this blog site directly, he is sending his pictures via Flickr and narrative via email. I (his Dad) is moving this info to this blog. The pictures are partly from a hike in the area, one of Lijiang, several of the eco teaching center where Kevin is located-office, outhouse, main area outside, a pic of Sam (a Yale student), etc. As I get more familiar with transferring things over, I'll label the pics. In a follow on post, I'll provide the email narratives Kevin sent over email.
James (Dad)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Purpose of this Blog
Hi Everyone,
I'm Kevin Osborne, a student at Seattle University earning a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Mandarin. To those who know me, this blog will be a journal of my adventures during the next three months in China, which will contain both pictures and personal descriptions.
As you can see from the pictures, I will be traveling to three cities this summer. They include Lijiang, Kunming and Shanghai. It may be more, but this is my current itinerary. The purpose of this trip is primarily three-fold. First, as an Environmental Studies major, I have a requirement to do an internship. I decided to be adventurous and do it in China. It is important to note that I am also a Mandarin language minor. I have taken two years of the language. The organization I will intern with is the Yunnan EcoNetwork (云南生态网络) for six weeks in Lijiang doing projects related to sustainable development in rural communities. This is in the far northwest part of the Yunnan Province. It is also on the far eastern side of the Himalayas. Second, I was awarded a scholarship by the Chinese Language Council International (汉办) to study at a Chinese university of my choice. After my internship, I will attend the Yunnan University (云南大学) for an intensive Mandarin language program for four weeks. Lastly, I will fly to Shanghai to visit some of my Chinese friends at the Shanghai Business University（上海商学院）until September 14th, which then I will return home.
This is only the abstract outline of what is to come.
Stay tuned to this exciting journey, which is about to unfold. The countdown is on. Today is the day of departure.
Kevin Osborne
Friday, June 5, 2009
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