Treehouse Livin' and Jungle Zippin'

I have a pretty intense fear of heights - I hate climbing latters, I don't stand on apartment balconies, and I even have difficulty looking over railings at the mall... but I chose to come face to face this phobia last week when Lynn and I participated in The Gibbon's Experience. This "experience" is set deep in the Bokeo Natural Reserve in Northern Laos and uses it's funding to help protect the forest and wildlife of the area. What this meant for us was three days living in a tree house some 150 meters above the jungle floor; living, zipping and trekking through the jungle.

Day 1: Seven of us packed into the back of a truck and were taken 1 hour north of the border city of Houe Xai, and 1 hour along winding dirt roads deep into the jungle. We began our trek in a small Laos village; a tough 1 hour long process up the mountain (that quickly reminded me how 4 weeks of vacationing has made me well out of shape) before being fitted with our harnasses and ushered (read: zipped) into our treehouse home. Our guides (two 18year olds from the local village) made it look so easy, just clip in, step off the platform, soar....... My heart was racing a mile a minute but I forced myself to take the leap and enjoyed the thrill of it all.

Our tree house (1 of 6) was a truly remarkable construction; 3 floors, running water, a full shower that allowed for a breathtaking view of the jungle, and a squatter with a hole straight down to the jungle floor. What made this experience all the more terrifying were the swarms of bees threatening to sting you in all the wrong places. For much of the first day, being in the treehouse at such a high elevation was painfully frightening, so I sat in the middle of the mainfloor, almost wishing i could stay in my harness, clipped to the tree... just incase.
After a quick view of home, we set out with our guides who showed us around the trails and the zips. Each take off evoked fear (as zips were up to around 600 meters long, and some 200 meters above ground!) but each zip provided great thrills and stunningly breathtaking views. Our guides were hilariously entertaining, loved what they were doing, and were amazingly knowledgable about the sights and sounds of the jungle. Equipped with a sixth sense for hearing and scoping out Gibbons, on our first day out we did just that. Quietly the pack of us ventured deeper into the jungle, off the beaten back, following the keen senses of our guides. There we witnessed about four gibbons soaring through the trees- it truly was an amazing sight.
That night dinner was zipped into us, and sunset occured shortly thereafter, rendering us into complete darkness (save for a few candles which enabled us light for a few card games before calling it a night).

Day 2: At 5:45am we awoke to the sound of the zipline as our guides entered our treehouse for another full day of exploring. The early morning zips were stunning, zipping through the fog, unsure of what lied ahead, and still providing more breathtaking views of the jungle. After breakfast we took a long hike, including new ziplines to another treehouse deeper in the jungle. The trek was painful, but the outcome was rewarding and each zip eased my nerves a little more.
That night, around midnight, a huge thunderstorm rolled in. Infact, it seemed as though we were sitting between two storms in fierce competition with each other. Lightning flashed like strobe lights, about 30-40 times per minute, illuminating the entire sky. The thunder boomed and echoed through the jungle. It was a phonomenal natural display, and slightly frightening given our treehouse elevation.

Day 3: After a few final zips we said goodbye to our jungle lives and headed back into town. Three phonomenal days, intense heights, breathtaking views, grueling hikes, thrilling zips, amazing opportunity, experience of a lifetime.

Lessons Learned.

My time is Korean is through!. It was a stressful last few days of winding down, packing up and saying goodbye... but now that I'm in the tropics, I'm care free, worry free, and just thinking what cocktail I'll buy for 1.50$ on the tropical terrace in our guesthouse tonight.

So, in China, Kate taught me a valubale lesson for getting through tough times. "if it sucks, it only has suck once"... (so suck it up). It's a valuable motto for travelling and one that I kept repeating to myself on Wednesday on our commute from Bangkok to Cambodia. We left Bangkok at 8am, and boarded a coach bus that was taking us here... once over the border (a grueling 2 hour, steaming hot process) we boarded our next minibus that would take us the rest of the journey. A rickety 20 seater, packed with people and gear, aircon less, shockless and comfortless. For 6 long hours we bounced along the dirty road, inhaling dust and blinded by it. I guess the advantage of such a raw experience allowed me to witness a country unlike anything I've seen. I saw the grass hut home, the starving cows crossing the road, the kids bathing in the dirty stream and locals at work, at play, at leisure. And it gave us plenty of time to plot out a new means to return to Bangkok, beause anything that bad, had bset only suck once!

With that experience out of the way we now are in the midst of our tour through Siem Reap and the temples of Ankor Wat, as well as the Capital city, Phnom Pehn. It's hot, it's cheap and it's been a fabulous experience. There are more details than I have time to write, so I'll attempt to download some photos soon...because now it's time for my cocktail.

In the News

Beijing, China. One person was killed and 75 others were injured while setting off fireworks over the past day, the capital city's firework office said on Thursday.
(Xinhua News Agency February 7, 2008)

..and this in no way surprises me after witnessing first hand the festive and explosive celebrations that surround Chinese (Lunar) New Year in Beijing… an event which rendered me speechless, and will be etched in my mind forever…a truly amazing sight to behold.
The Chinese ring in the New Year by letting off fireworks intended to ward off devil evils. As darkness fell on the city fireworks began to explode around the city in preparation for midnight. Around 11, Kate and I took to the streets to witness the chaos and stumbled into a small residential courtyard surrounded by apartment buildings. In every direction, families let off fireworks of all kinds, volume and colour, causing children to scream and laugh, car alarms to flash and sound, and us to smile and frolic in excitement.
At about quarter to midnight we found some fellow tour-groupers and snuck through a window to the roof of our hotel. The sight of the surrounding city was unreal. In every direction, as far as the eye could see, we witnessed the best and biggest, un-choreographed display of pyrotechnics imaginable . Fireworks ignited from thousands of streets, courtyards, sidewalks, balconies and parks, shot into the sky, ricocheting off buildings and each other, and echoing though the night sky. Words still continue to fail me, so enjoy the video…

Beijing : Chinese New Year

In Canada, flying used to be a common part of my working and personal life, but since coming to Korea, I hadn’t left the country in 11 months had developed a horrible feeling of cabin fever. So, the pleasure, excitement and thrill of taking a trip to Beijing was that much more appreciated and need. Oh, and how can one pass up Chinese New Year in China!!??
I didn’t believe it was possible to pack so much into such a quick trip.. but 5 days later, I’ve come home having climbed the Great Wall, explored the Forbidden City, stood in Tiananmen Square, watched New Year fireworks, visited the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Llama Temple, Watched a acrobatics show and martial arts performance, took part in a tea ceremony, rode a rickshaw through the ancient part of town, danced with Mongolian performers, bargained for cheap goods, and flew business class.
Though I may have hated touring in sub-zero temperatures, the experience was amazing and well worth every toe I froze off in the process.

The Name Game

Students at academies are usually given English names for the convenience of their teachers. When students arrive in my class without, I usually let them choose, and if they want I will give them a list of options on the board. This has enabled me to have almost all my best friends in my classes, and it’s a pleasure to see them week after week when they’re living oceans away.

Last semester, a student arrived in my class and claimed to not have an English name. After making a list of options, “Steven” was welcomed into MIP4. This student is a little odd, and quirky, but is certainly entertaining. A couple weeks later, Steven was in the staff room claiming to be “feeling dark” and being a “dark angel”. While he conversed with Kate I learned a number of things : Steven used to be Kate’s student, Steven used to go by the name Maximus, Steven is in fact a girl. SHIT! I felt horrible, there really was no way of knowing, so I quickly just resorted back to the name Maximus, and so she been called ever since. Until last week that is, when she bolded exclaimed she would now be known as “Strawberry Fresh Maxi”….. I almost think Steven is better…

Trooper

This evening I was taken out for dinner with my student Ellen and her non-English speaking mother. I had planned to meet them at 6:30, and at 4:30 I woke up from a day of napping on my floor and was still feeling the ill effects of the previous night. I cursed myself for poor decision making and spent the next couple hours trying to feel alive and get ready for what was ahead. Being the anti-socialite that I am, I was really concerned about trying to make conversation and using my student as a translator between the mother and myself. But the conversation side of things ran smoothly and what I should have been concerned about was their choice of “traditional Korean food”. Korean style is to have many dishes all over the table, and everyone shares the food, and both Ellen and her mom were excited for me to try it all. The plates kept arriving, and about 90% of them were heaped with various forms of seafood. I wanted to be a good sport, and didn’t think it would be appropriate to express my dislike of anything fishy. So, I toughed it out, tried everything that was there and played an hour long game of mind over matter. Some bites required a chaser in the form kimchi, and some pieces could easily be camouflaged and hidden in my bowl of rice, all the while my stomach wondered how I could be so cruel. But I managed, I’m alive and I played the game well enough that they requested for me a doggie bag of seafood Korean pancake… mmmmm....

Recap

I will admit to being disappointed in myself for my lack of blogging these past few months. This doesn’t mean that the winter months have left me completely bored and lonely, though they have perhaps slowed things down a little.. and maybe made me a little lazier. However, there’s still been time for adventuring:

1) Attending a coworkers wedding: an opportunity to experience the true Korean ceremony, which involved sharing shots of Soju with the bus driver at 2pm.
2) Working Christmas day, but still managing to celebrate the holiday festively: a virtual present opening with my parents and siblings, a wonderful Christmas breakfast and afternoon with Lynn, and a delicious traditional dinner with fellow foreigners.
3) Welcoming 2008 in a typically outrageous fashion: ringing in the New Year in the back of the cab, obnoxiously screaming at passers-bys and harassing the cabdriver, and all this before we even made it to the bar for the real gong show to begin.
4) Partying with my director and learning the secrets of his past: his #2 hit on the Korean charts in 1997, his attempt at Priesthood, and his childish personality that had frolicking around the department store and spending money on an air rifle bb gun (and plenty of drink, food and norae) instead of paying us on time.

More unforgettable experiences to appropriately conclude 2007, and welcome 2008!