#EverythingINDIAEverything

A feast for the senses!  If ever there was a country that represents itself through every sight, sound, taste and smell it is India...magical, overflowing, varied India.  Like its foundational belief system of Hinduism, India is complicated, numerous, imaginative and hard to define simply...or as I heard several students say as they prepared for their World Religion Hinduism exam, "There's too much!"  This abundance is evident on the streets, in the food, within the people and through the diverse landscapes. It's helpful (essential?) that mediation is practiced so regularly in India....we often felt the need to stop, breathe and return to the moment.  The ship docked in the port city of Kochi where we took several Tuk-Tuk rides...buckle up:

This sums up a typical moment on the streets of Kochi:

I had the pleasure of taking my students to a field lab focusing on India's ancient theater tradition of Kathakali. To a western eye this form of performance is startling to say the least.  This is one of the oldest forms of theater in the world:  based on themes from Hindu mythology (Ramayana, Mahabharata) the actors take on various roles expressed through an elaborate language of gesture, movement and facial-expression.  The movements are from an ancient "alphabet" of symbols developed specifically and only for Kathakali.  The movements are rigorous and actors are trained for multiple years before they are able to perform on stage.  The complexity and uniqueness of the performance structure are only surpassed by an elaborate (understatement) make-up and costume code. Characters are categorized according to their nature:  Royalty, divine, noble characters wear green make-up;  Characters of high birth with an evil streak wear green make-up with red marks on the cheek; Extremely evil and angry characters wear all red; Women (played by men) and ascetics wear yellow.  The action is accompanied by an orchestra playing traditional Indian instruments and a typical Kathakali performance begins in the evening and continues through early morning...until Good conquers Evil.  Contemporary Kathakali performance has been adapted to fit snapshots within a few hours.  I can think of no theater in the world that represents its country of origin more accurately than Kathakali.  My students had a blast.  Words do nothing in comparison to video:

We escaped the hustle and bustle of the city for something completely different:  a 3-day camping trip through the cartoonishy-beautiful tea fields of Munnar...

Namaste.

Finding Peace in Burma

Burma was an absolute honor to visit.  After so many years of oppression, control and confinement the country is entering a new world of freedom.  Like a baby bird pecking its way out of its shell, its wet wings coiled awkwardly, it squints as it sees the sun for the first time.  Burma, in many ways, is beyond description with words.  Even as I write this, my heart shakes with excitement and wonder recalling our time there.  I have written a short essay, a poem, a song…all erased…simply not enough.  Here is a list of words that will, hopefully, provide a look-inside this powerful experience:

Open, pleasant, bewildering, juxtaposed, filthy, spotless, poor, rich, spiritual, heartful, loving, admirable, iconic, hilarious, miserable, smiling, screaming, exotic, crying, unfathomable, unimaginable, religious, spiritual, magical, extreme, playful, loyal, communal, SPECIAL, present, accepting, trusting, devoted, committed, contradictory, amazing, shocked, adorable, beautiful, refreshing, bleeding, needing, wanting, hoping, hoping, hoping, historic, ancient, important, honorable, spiritual, defiant, gentle, friendly, smooth, hot, dusty, embracing, connected, lazy, restful, excited, juvenile, forgiving, spiritual, stirring, emotional, bright, happy, vibrating, shaky, sturdy, elated, tearful, dewy, fragrant, clever, astute, shameful, obedient, resilient, private, personal…Spiritual.

The story of Burma and her people have been hanging by a string for over one thousand years…literally.  Traditional Burmese Marionette Puppetry has deep, important roots in Burma.  The intricate process of bringing the puppets to “life” is centuries old and handed down through generations.  Theses “voices” of Burma are in the DNA of the families who continue this traditional form of theater with every cell of their bodies.  There are 4-year university puppet degree programs in Burma, but it is the fast track to a process that prides itself on one track—history.  The puppets can say what the people of Burma could not…for so long.  The puppets are the “media” of Burma sharing more than just evenings of entertainment (traditional shows lasted from sun down to sunrise); they also share the news, politics, ideas and thoughts that make up the people of this amazing country.  I was fortunate to bring my students to one of the true puppet masters of Burma.  I found immediate and great inner peace witnessing the “birthing” of a new puppet, a new life, a new country.  Here is the story as covered by the amazing communications team aboard the ship:

http://www.semesteratsea.org/2014/04/02/field-lab-pulling-strings-in-myanmar/

As we walked through the streets of Yangon (where the ship docked) we found amazing people, food, shops and….above all…Pagodas!  These are the numerous ornate temples the country is populated with…one amazing golden structure after another.  Buddhism is more than a religion in Burma, it is a universally accepted way of life.  There are countries we have visited who practice Buddhism—Burma lives Buddhism.  Here are pictures of Shwedegon Pagoda--the largest in Burma, and one of the largest in the world. 

We took a short plane ride to what seemed like the center of the spiritual universe:  Bagan.  At first glance this looks like a movie set for a mystical, fictional, magical film that takes place on another planet.  It is indeed one of the most miraculous places I have ever seen…a true wonder of the world.  Bagan is a huge expanse of land populating over 2,000 (originally 4,000) temples.  Over one thousand years old, these temples were built one after another in praise of Buddha.  To say this is a “holy” place would be a vast understatement….it is a stirring testament to the unlimited spirit and devotion of this country.  It was a MAGICAL experience.  Even when we were there it seemed unbelievable…could it be real?  Where we really seeing what we were seeing?  Our faces hurt from so much awe-inspired smiles.  Here are photos from land and air (we splurged for the hot air balloon and now can’t imagine not doing it—it really was the only way to see the entirety of Bagan).  Every moment brought increased peace…tears….peace.

And, because we hadn’t experienced enough peace yetJ we visited two monasteries where we were treated to a Darma talk by an elderly monk on the benefits of meditation and provided alms for young monks during their lunch break.  For a country that is so “new” to knowing, they seem to KNOW a great deal.  Grow slowly and wisely Burma…we love you.

Singapore

Playing in Viet Nam

Viet Nam was an amazing experience.  We were captured, smitten, challenged and hugged in ways we did not imagine.  It is alarming how the spirit of one country in Southeast Asia can differ so completely from the next.  And, simultaneously, how our foundational connection as human beings, our shared humanity always radiates through each exchange, each experience, each smile.  This is a country that has been beaten, battered and abused for decades.  This is a country where rebirth and rebound define each moment.  The transition from an agriculturally based population to an urban-based population is a contrast that is being wrestled with before your eyes.  To travel from the unbelievably crazy traffic of Ho Chi Minh City to the lush tropical jungles of the Mekong Delta is a healthy stretch of the heart.  The traffic of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) makes NYC look relaxed.  An endless ocean of motorbikes and cars that willingly and happily will part as you move through it—recommendation:  Don’t hesitate, just go!  The flow of the traffic will bend, curve and wrap around you without stopping so the subconscious agreement is that everyone keeps moving forward.  Safe?  Absolutely not.  Exciting?  Yes!  Traffic signs and lights are merely suggestions—you must be aware at all times.  The Mekong Delta is the center of the agricultural life and commerce in historical Viet Nam.  Each picture is like a snapshot from every Viet Nam war movie you have seen.  An intricate system of waterways bordered by quaint, poor, happy working villages of people.  I marveled at the high functioning of the system along waters that were sites of some of the bloodiest moments of the Viet Nam War.  A war that is referred to as “The American War” in Viet Nam…makes sense, more on that later.

As I searched for a central image or metaphor for this post I kept returning to Playing.  We experienced a wide variety of sensory in Viet Nam all united for me by the positive forces at play together.  Viet Nam is a socially Communist and economically Capitalist country; densely urban and beautifully lush; desperately wounded from the past, intensely proud about the future.  The extremes are intense yet those we connected with move forward happily…with an unexpected and utterly pleasant sense of play.

                                                             Playing with Water

Water Puppetry is a form of theater indigenous to Viet Nam—you will find it nowhere lese in the world.  Originated in the rice paddies, the farmers entertained themselves in waist deep water by constructing puppets that told stories of their lives.  The stories primarily illustrate the rural life of the farmer, their families and villages.   The characters are fishermen, boats, fish, farmers and musicians.  The other and more important origin of this rare form of theater was to entertain the gods and spirits so that they would not create mischief for the farmers and their families—there are deep religious roots in mysticism and superstition.  To appease the gods there are other characters:  dragons, snakes, mystical birds and royal subjects.  All of the stories have a foundation of wry humor, self-deprecation and silliness.  The action is supported by an orchestra that not only plays traditional Vietnamese instruments, but also provide the dialogue and singing of the frozen-faced puppets as they splash about.   The magic of water puppetry is that the audience never sees the puppeteers and the characters appear out of the water like they all live down there just waiting for their cue.  Puppeteers are trained for years and sworn to secrecy as to how it all works—they even have there own code language they use during shows that only they can understand. 

Contemporary performances have moved from the rice fields to special theaters where the stage is a pool of water (see photo below).  The performance we saw was enchanting!  14 short scenes celebrating rural life and embracing the spirit of what it means to be Vietnamese.  The manipulation of the puppets was intricate and complicated—it is easy to see why these are puppet masters who have spent decades training.  The movement and splashing about is complimented by exciting theatricality:  smoke rising from the water, a real rainstorm and a firework-breathing dragon.  The stories are told in Vietnamese but the storytelling is so universal it is easy to understand what is going on.  Our shared (wet) humanity.

We spent 2 days in the Mekong Delta—what a treat.  Witnessing life in the delta was a true slice of Vietnamese village life.  The “streets” are the intricate system of waterways.  The “cars” are boats.  The floating market was something to behold and exactly what it sounds like; each boat a different department…clothes, food, hardware…all there.  The village homes line the busy, super thin roads on shore all hidden within dense jungle.  One of the greatest privileges of my life was a 3-hour bike ride through the multiple villages connected by an occasional ferry.  Smiles, invitations, tea breaks..I envied the clever simplicity and complete community we saw before us.

                                                                  Playing with Fire

The American/Viet Nam War has left deep wounds in this beautiful country.  I visited the War Remnants Museum—not an experience I will soon forget.  The museum is four floors of displays and photographs illustrating the horrifying impacts of the war:  international anti-American protests, letters and artifacts condemning America’s aggressions, bloodied Vietnamese bodies, crying children, horrific health impacts of Agent Orange…(ouch).  I felt like disappearing into a corner after the first floor.  There was a flag with a tree half destroyed by Agent Orange…it looked like the AFP tree…(double ouch—see photo below).

A Vietnamese guide from a tour the previous day was adamant about me knowing her side:  “About 30% of what you will see at that museum is true—the rest is made up by my government.  Don’t feel bad about being American—both sides have a lot to be sorry about.”  Regardless of the percentage of truth in the museum, the idea of “What in the world is going on here?!” crossed my mind as it has in the multiple memorials and museums I have witnessed.  It simply doesn't seem possible that this type of organized mass destruction, mass murder, mass atrocity can happen again and again.  It never gets easier. 

I suppose one always has to remind oneself that the storyteller, the source of these memorials all over the world is important.  Whose side of the story are you hearing?  Each side has every right to tell their story the way they’d like.  This includes the need for governments to tell things their way.  I have also had the privilege of seeing Viet Nam memorials in America.  I now have the opportunity to weigh both stories.  I suppose the truth lies somewhere in between the two.

I am fortunate there was a Buddhist temple down the street from the museum.  I spent some necessary quite time there.  Buddha kept smiling.

Just Playing

We are making sure to include multiple service visits on our trip.  Important for Nate, important for us.  We spent one morning at a school for deaf and developmentally challenged children.  Kids are kids and they immediately reminded us of our shared humanity.  It felt so comforting and familiar to get on the floor with them and play.  Paper, pens and Popsicle sticks were the bridges between languages and hearing.  Ahhhh, homeJ

Chinglish

Chinglish

David Henry Hwang (M Butterfly) wrote a telling and biting play about contemporary Chinese-American relations called Chinglish.  It is the play I assigned to my Intro. to World Theatre students for analysis and discussion.  I suspected the play would provide bridges for my students as they experienced this giant country.  I did not suspect the play would teach the teacher so well. 

Chinglish is about an American sign salesman from Ohio who is in China attempting to seal a deal with the government of a local province.  His family-owned business is on its last limb and if he can make this sale he will save the company…and himself.  The Chinese clients are badly bruised from poorly translated signs from previous experiences (i.e. “Chief Financial Officer” read “Financial Affairs is Everywhere Long” ).  As they move through multiple negotiations, translations from Chinese to English and English to Chinese are consistently misinterpreted and, in the end, the one thing that matters most is the power of Relationships or guanxi.  Relationships between people are international and cut through language and cultural barriers.  This is not to say the obstacles are easy to overcome—quite the opposite and are, in fact, fuel for many hilarious and touching moments in the play (in our lives too?).  In the end, its all about human to human.  In this case, our fragile, exposing and vulnerable Shared Humanity.

Current Chinese theater is a powerful blend of the past (Chinese Opera, Shadow Puppetry) and the future (western-style realism, film adaptations of American musicals).  I use the word “power” intentionally.  What was “delicately attended to” in Japan is “powerfully delivered” in China.  The Cultural Revolution and Communist government have controlled the artistic output of the country.  Many ancient theater tradition artifacts are marvelously on display (statues, texts) and many are nowhere to be found.  The filter of Chinese authority is apparent at every cultural turn.  Theater is important in China—the theater China wishes to be important.  We are wired in the west to frown upon “Communism.”  While human rights violations cannot be condoned in any country regardless of political ideology or labels (and I’m not just referring to Communist countries here), it is fascinating to see how the muscle of theater, storytelling and performance manage to muscle through the political messes we create to efficiently illuminate the character of a nation.  Is the Chinese government’s control of art so different than the West’s control of their art?  Censorship is censorship.  Perhaps familiarity makes one more digestible than the other?  I ask these questions of myself at each port to escape the potential cloud of judgment that may impair my view of the storytelling in front of me.  I try to come to each country in AFP fashion:  Open eyes, open ears, open heart.

The Theater of our visit was, as always, reflected both inside and outside of the physical theater.  We visited a national theater in Shanghai where large state-of-the-art flat screen televisions promoted the current season:  Classic Beijing Opera in all of it’s historic splendor running in reparatory with sleek-suited, contemporary family plays.  I have several students from China in my classes on the ship.  One of them is an avid follower of American musicals and was recently given permission on his home campus to direct a production of Rent.  I asked him how that was received and he said he couldn’t show “all of the play.”  I assumed that he meant he had to cut the homosexual and AIDS moments….you know, 85% of the play.  He replied “Oh no, not those things, those are widely discussed in our stories.  It was all of the drug use and wild freedom parts against authority we had to adapt.”  Interesting, interesting, interesting.  I wanted to see his production more than ever after our conversation.

Shanghai (“On the Ocean”)

After a port delay we finally arrived in rainy Shanghai.  It was cold and wet throughout our stay.  For all of our Buffalo friends, I’M NOT COMPLAINING…we thought about you and the winter you are having every time we were “bothered” by the rain.  We put on our ponchos (Maria packed us wisely) and headed out! 

Many people and publications suggested we go to the Bund as a great walking around place…we were not impressed…lots of malls and overpriced shopping cleverly wrapped in amazing architecture…old Shanghai meets new Shanghai…Chinglish! 

Craving authentic China we took a cab (super cheap way to travel in Shanghai) to Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar.  This was a marvelous experience:  a maze of authentic Chinese stores, authentic traditional Chinese architecture, authentic Chinese food tightly snuggled in modern skyscraper Shanghai…Chinglish.  In the middle of Yuyuan is a beautiful traditional Chinese garden with a “floating” ancient tea house where we were treated to a wonderful tea ceremony…followed by a high pressure sales job to buy overpriced tea…Chinglish.  After deflecting the numerous arrows of commerce from several employees we left impressed with the ENTIRE ceremony…China is better at this capitalist thing than we are!  Who’s teaching who?? 

We spent the second part of our Shanghai day in the People’s Square where Nate was thrilled by the kazillion-story mall.  I think seeing high-priced Nikes and Starbucks grounded him a bit.  Thankfully we agreed to go to the top floor with him as there was an amazing food court filled with every Chinese food you could imagine.  Yes, we had to suffer through floors of Polo, Abercrombe and Banana Republic to find Dim-Sum, dumplings and squid…the Chinglish trek to the promised land.

Hong Kong

While Hong Kong certainly had its share malls (everywhere…I mean everywhere), the charm of this multi-island section of China embraced us.  Hong Kong enjoys its  own ways—they have their own currency, laws, ethos.  They are part of China and not part of China…very funky, very cool, certainly more progressive.  Still, Chinglish was apparent at every turn.  We even had to get to our ship through a super mall.

Our first day was spent on an amazing Semester at Sea field program that I led:  Tai Chi, Tea and Dim Sum.  We began our day taking a Tai Chi class outside, directly facing the harbor of Hong Kong.  Our teacher is a famous Tai Chi master…simply amazing experience.  Ancient martial arts set against the backdrop of one of the most impressive skylines in the world…Chinglish squared!  We then had the pleasure of taking a tea class from a tea master, Viviane.  She is PASSIONATE about tea—we ate, dissected, crumbled, analyzed and drank all types of Chinese tea. She was an inspired teacher and has an amazing company, Ming Cha Tea.  She is a mixture of old world teacher and marketing genius.; check out www.mingcha.com for Chinglish in action.  We completed this awesome day with Dim Sum lunch.  We were the only non-Chinese patrons at this sprawling movie set of a restaurant.  “Dim Sum” comes from the phrase “from the heart.”  From the heart of China to the stomachs of America…I’m still full.

For more on our Tai Chi, Tea, Dim Sum Day:

http://www.semesteratsea.org/2014/02/25/exploring-the-culture-of-hong-kong/

* The ship’s communication team does great work!

The next day was spent at Lantau, home of the largest sitting Buddha in Asia and the Po Lin monastery.  To say that we were deeply impacted would be an understatement.  We went with our friends Sara (the director of the children’s program on board the ship) and her husband Nick (videographer for the ship).  Nick asked if he could use our visit for a Semester at Sea story…this video really sums up our special visit and its connection to our voyage:

http://www.semesteratsea.org/2014/02/21/embracing-ubuntu-through-sacred-places/

                                                                   Shanghai skyline

                                                                 YuYuan Bazaar

                                                               YuYuan Garden

                                                                YuYuan Teahouse

                                                                    Shanghai Mall Food

                                                     Chinese Opera Performance Poster

Shrines, Subways, Sprirt and…Shhhhhhh.

Japan is a land of deep contrast:  A deep spiritual connection to sacred ways of the past set amidst an ultra-modern, technology driven collection of mega cities.  While this may seem a chaotic clash of sights and sounds, its not.  Quite the opposite really.  Stepping through the many Japanese cities we visited was a calming, pretty, simple, appreciative, kind experience.  At times we felt like the city was so welcoming it quieted itself so as not to disturb our visit. 

I always teach my students that theater’s primary job is (and has always been) to reflect the society it exists in; its ethos, character, politics, pulse…its vibe.  The god-fearing tragedies of the Greeks, the church dominated pastoral plays of the middle ages, the European absurdist’s response to Hitler’s final solution—“holding a mirror up to life.”  This is beautifully evident in Japan’s rich theatre tradition:  Kabuki’s bold, theatrical, ornate visual world balanced by the razor sharp definition and precision of each gesture, each step each pose.  Attention to each detail without apologizing for the grandeur of the environment, of the style.  The spirit of a nation served generously in vividly proud, lush portions.  If you can imagine the visual strength of a huge rock concert (KISS, Lady Gaga) combined with the precise, delicate ritual of calligraphy and embraced by the very real spirits of ancestors from thousands of years ago…you can imagine Kabuki.  I bloggeth over in my imaginative description because (alas) Kabuki was out of season during our visit.  Nonetheless, this description also fits the personality of Japan.  We visited five major cities during our visit and while each had its own separate flavor, some common attributes reported by students, faculty, staff and family were:

-Feng Shui all the way.  Great effort goes into the order, balance and beauty of all things.  Buildings, streets, food, people.

-Kindness and Accommodating.  There is no word for “No” in Japanese.  Why?  Because they never use it.  We all returned with stories of Japanese people going out of their way to help us…and then apologizing for not doing enough.

-Clean, Clean, Clean.  It is difficult to find a trashcan in Japan.  It is also difficult to find garbage…anywhere.  Imagine if a giant cleansing wind blew through Manhattan followed by a hot rinse…that’s the Japan-City we saw consistently.

-Yum!  Delicious, clean, fresh food everywhere.  From the subway kiosks to the sushi café’s, to the fast food street shops…delicious food prepared carefully and thoughtfully.  A hot bowl of noodles with fresh shrimp was never far away.

-Shhhh.  There is no needless noise in Japan.  We were in large, contemporary, highly populated cities and it seemed like a holiday everyday.  Step on a packed subway train:  Shhhh.  Walk downtown to find a restaurant:  Shhhh.  Stroll through a shopping area:  Shhhh.  It was a relief not to hear noise.

-Spirit Matters.  The matter of fact acceptance of Japan’s Shinto past (with all of symbolic superstitions) as well as the contemporary commitment to Buddhism and other belief systems are simply present at all times.  No fuss, no advertising, no judgment…it just Is.  This universal spiritual embrace seems to balance past and present with a touch of self-aware humor.  It was comforting to witness that.

Pic-tastes:

Mt Fuji towering protectively over the port city of Yokohama.  This was the view from our room as we sailed into port.  An immediate welcome to the pleasant contrasts of Japan.

Yokohama at night.  Feng Shui.

A room lined with a history of noodle flavors at the Ramen Museum and factory.

Shrines, shrines, shrines.  Awe-inspiring.

In Osaka, a hot bowl of noodles and shrimp.

Lake Ashi at Hakone National Park on our way to Mt. Fuji.  Mystical bliss.

Statue of Izumo no Okuni, the creator of Kabuki Theater.  Her statue resides by the river she first danced through in downtown Kyoto. (Yes “she.”  Subsequent changes in Kabuki forbade women to be on stage…to this day)