Although much of the lower elevations in Hainan have been converted to growing crops, there's still plenty of relatively untouched forest in the highlands. 7 Fairies Mountain outside of Baoting was an excellent day hike.
At the base of one of the seven rock pinnacles that the mountain is named after.
My dad is in the Carpenters' Union and has built and tore down countless scaffolds over the past 30 years. I thought he might get a kick out of seeing this lashed bamboo scaffolding that is commonly used in Southern China.
I cracked up when I saw this guys hat. He didn't know what it meant so we gave him a rough translation 'Ni hen lan, wo hen mang' (You're very lazy, I'm very busy). He was busy indeed, selling red banners that families put around their doors to welcome good fortune in the New Year.
The Li ethnic group, the original inhabitants of the island of Hainan, are traditionally coastal people. However, as Hainan's beaches have been developed for tourism the Li have had to move to the higher elevations in the interior of the island. The Li have their own language which is related to the Tagalog of the Phillipines as well as Malay spoken in Malaysia. This Li woman is selling sections of a medicinal tree at the market in Baoting, Hainan.
The Li, like many autonomous groups in China, can have more than one child. Kalila made friends quickly with the swarms of kids in this Li village outside of Baoting.
This Li 'Ayi' (auntie) took Kalila for a stroll around the neighborhood.
A kind Li grandmother we met near some terraced rice paddies wanted to give Kalila a piggy back ride up the mountain. Hainan's tropical climate makes it possible to have three rice harvests a year. These fields were planted in early January and will be ready to harvest in April.
We were invited to eat some bananas that had just been cut down from the tree. Most of the younger generations of Li can speak Mandarin and wear modern clothing but there are still older people that speak only Li hua and wear their traditional headdress.
Betel nut is grown and chewed throughout Southeast Asia. In Hainan many people chew betel nut for it's mild stimulant effect. The juice of the betel nut stains peoples' teeth and lips bright red. One ethnic Li woman told us that chewing the binglan is good for the teeth and digestion.
Betel nut palms near Baoting, Hainan
Spotting betel nut growing high in a tree.
This graffiti caught our eye as we left the city of Wuzhishan to explore the surrounding countryside.
Much of Hainan has been deforested and replaced with rubber trees, betel nuts, papayas, bananas, and various other cash crops. Here Kalila is examining the cuts made on a rubber tree.
Earth homes and thatched roofs are all too quickly being replaced by concrete. Notice the rich red clay used as plaster on this hut. This home was surrounded in terraced gardens and papayas. (Wuzhishan, Hainan)
Alice spotted this huge spider on one of our hikes through the coconut plantation in Dongjiao Yelin.
The island of Hainan (which means 'south of the sea') is the southern most province in China and is nicknamed 'the tail of the dragon.' We were pleasantly surprised to find that the town of WenChang in Northeastern Hainan is the ancestral home of our teacher Pearl Huang's father. We came to WenChang to explore Dongjiao Yelin, a coconut plantation that provides 90% of the island's coconuts. There are coconut husks scattered everywhere and some people even crush them to use the fibers as a mulchy ground cover. Most travellers go to Sanya or Haikou to play so we had the beaches here virtually to ourselves.
Our friend from the helal noodle shop just returned from a month back home in Qinghai. He said that the weather's been strange, still no snow and the mountains are only about as cold as Xi'an. He brought back his daughter Fatima and son Musa who are on a break from school. It was an unexpected treat to meet his family and join them in drinking a salty yak milk tea that they'd brought from home. They just kept pouring it from a huge metal teapot. Its a very good beverage for cold weather, and with the recent milk contamination scandal it may be some of the only milk that's fit to drink in China.
We had a great time visiting the aquarium with my good friend Farhot and his family. His wife Zulfia and daughter Kamila just recently arrived from Kyrgyzstan. Farhot, Zulfia, and Kamila are Uzbek speakers. Uzbek and Turkish are closely enough related that I was able to communicate somewhat with Zulfia and Kamila who don't speak much Chinese. Kamila is two and a half years old and made fast friends with Kalila as they pressed their little noses against the glass to get a better look at the sea creatures.
This past Sunday we took Kalila to see a CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) game. Basketball is incredibly popular in China and Shaanxi has a good team this year. Xi'an's team plays at Jiao Tong University's Si Yuan Stadium and good seats only cost about $5. As far as I could tell we were the only non-Chinese fans in the crowd. One big bald-headed basketball fanatic gave me a bear hug as soon as he saw us come in right at the tip-off. The two teams were evenly matched but Shaanxi managed to hit a shot at the buzzer to win 118-116. Kalila thoroughly enjoyed herself and joined the crowd in chanting 'Hao Qiu!' (good ball, good play). As there were several excellent American ball players on both sides that seemed to act as team captains I predict that it won't be long before we see more Chinese in the NBA. The CBA is good quality basketball. The only thing they're missing is a mascot in a monkey suit that can do a trampoline dunk from the free throw line!
In acknowledgement of academic achievement, my advisor at Northwest University gave us tickets to Xi'an's T'ang Dynasty Show. The performance showcases T'ang era culture. The live orquestra is made up of traditional instruments such as the guqin, pipa, and sheng (pictured above). The dancers' costumes were designed to replicate the style of dress shown in cave frescoes at Dunhuang, an old Buddhist enclave in Gansu Province. The clothing seemed to be heavily influenced by East Indian dress. Another highlight of the show was Gao Ming, a world renowned 'paishou' player. The paishou is a kind of pan flute that is over 1500 years old. He used it to imitate the sound of orioles, a bird that was considered a good omen in ancient China.
Winter officially arrived in Xi'an the 21st of December. A cold front from the Northwest blew in and sent everyone scurrying for Jiao zi. Local custom advises that one eat dumplings on the first cold day of the year to keep your ears from freezing off. The tradition is based on an old joke about dumplings resembling ears. Eating dumplings on a cold day is indeed a great way to warm up although I'd suggest a hat or earmuffs to remedy freezing ears. 
Although classes at Xi Bei Da Xue (Northwest University) don't let out until after the New Year, the school did hold a Winter party that showcased the talents of our classmates. The couple pictured above are dancing the 'Lezginka.' The dance originated in the Caucus Mountains but is popular throughout the Islamic world. These students are ethnic Chechens that live in Kazakhstan. During the Stalin years of Soviet oppression in Central Asia many Chechens were forced to relocate to Kazakhstan. My friend Saihan, the male dancer pictured above, is a powerful dancer and a super mean soccer player. When I see him in the hall sometimes I just say 'red card' to get him laughing.
Bashir, a student from Kazakhstan, played an improvised piece on his 'dombra,' an instrument popular in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as well. Variations of the dombra exist throughout Central Asia and the Middle East. In Tajikistan it is known as 'dombura,' in Turkmenistan it is called 'dutar' and in Turkey it is referred to as 'saz' or 'baglama.' Its drone strings give it a trance-like quality and it is often used to accompany storytelling and singing.
This is yet another Kazakh classmate of mine dressed in traditional costume and performing an up tempo, energetic dance. The vast majority of my classmates come from the Central Asian Republics. China's recent boom has renewed the ancient Silk Road connections. My language teacher told me that its just been in the last 5 to 10 years that Northwest University has seen a large increase in the number of students from Central Asia. In the past, Russian speaking Central Asians were more likely to go to Moscow for education and work. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of modern China, Central Asians are once again making the journey along the Silk Road, inspired by economic incentives to learn Mandarin Chinese. 
Qin Shi Huang, the man that managed to unify China after the Warring States period, ruled the country with an iron fist. He was able to accomplish several large scale projects through the use of forced labor. He is credited for having consolidated the Great Wall, building an extensive canal system that surpassed Roman aqueducts, standardizing the written language as well as currency, weights, and measurements. Some 75,000 craftsmen worked for decades to create Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum which is equipped with a life size terracotta army to accompany him in the afterlife. The Qin Dynasty didn't last long as the people grew weary and rebelled against the oppressive regime following the death of the Emperor. The Han Dynasty that followed was much less overbearing and enjoyed long term popular support.
Now and then we see roving merchants like these selling fox furs out of their portable handcarts. Kalila's such a fan of animals that she was pretty captivated by this woman's array of fox skin hats and scarves. They also tried to pass off some larger hides as 'lao hu' (tiger) which were obviously counterfeit. Merchants on the move try to stay one step ahead of the authorities who make a feeble attempt to regulate commerce. Its not uncommon to see a whole row of merchants grab their wares and go sprinting down the street when the police arrive.
Kalila's Puo puo Gong gong (grandma and grandpa) recently came to Xi'an for a visit. We had an excellent time. Here they are at Xi'an's famous Gu Lou (Drum Tower) which is filled with drums of all shapes and sizes. In the past, the Bell Tower and Drum Tower located in the city's center, announced the time of day to Xi'an's citizens. Today the towers serve as museums. We saw a display of T'ang Dynasty furniture as well as an extensive collection of drums from different time periods. Xi'an is known for its drum music. Although traditional drumming is not as popular as it once was, you can still find drum troupes practicing in the park.
Wandering through Xi'an's Muslim Quarter we happened upon this Traditional Orquestra rehearsal. There were half a dozen 'sheng' players so I was able to see how the instrument is held. Alice observed that, like a harmonica, the players produce tones by inhaling as well as exhaling. There were a couple people playing 'dizi,' the Chinese horizontal bamboo flute, and a percussion section consisting of a big bass drum, cymbals, and wood blocks as the time keeper. There was also a 'Guanzi,' a double reeded oboe that originated in Kucha. It is sometimes called 'belili,' or 'sad oboe' because of its melancholy sound and scale. It is often used as the lead instrument that carries the melody. The music was full and splendid and the musicians made us feel welcome to listen in as they rehearsed.
Today we had the pleasure of seeing a young troupe of street acrobats. These kids were out of control! Their rag-tag team performed amazing stunts including feats of balance and contortionism. We gave them a big tip then Alice had the excellent idea of printing up pictures of the performance to give to them. They loved it! One girl was looking through the pictures as she balanced on a board placed over a rolling cylinder on top of a table. It may well have been the first time they've owned pictures of themselves as most poorer people in China can't afford cameras. In America you might spend $40 to see the kind of show that these kids put on for tips and small change. We could tell that they enjoyed having an enthusiastic audience as Kalila hollered 'Wow!' and clapped for them.
Instead of ink and paper this man practices his calligraphy using water on dusty tiles. Calligraphy is a highly respected artform in China. I like the obvious impermanence of his practice. Like many Eastern artforms the emphasis is on the process rather than the end result. His deep focus radiated an atmosphere of calm all around him.
Kalila took a liking to this woman and her tiger-striped shoes. Many of the Hui (ethnic Chinese Muslim) women make beautiful hand-sewn baby shoes. They can often be seen setting up shop on the sidewalk with a wide selection of soles and colorful fabrics to choose from. This 'Ayi' (auntie) had a warm smile and contagious laugh that made Kalila just crack up.
Zhong Yao (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is an ancient and sophisticated science used to promote wellness as well as prevent and cure disease. Chinese medicine is based on the idea that humans are composed of and governed by the Five Elements in varying proportions. Herbs, roots, and animal products are used to remedy elemental imbalances that may disrupt homeostasis and lead to illness. We came to this medicinal market looking for Huang Qi (Astragalus), which can be added to soup or taken as a tea to improve the immune system. I was also in the market for Guan Ye Lian Qiao (St. John's Wort), a good mood stabilizer for countering the effects of reduced light exposure. Sunny days in Xi'an are few and far between and the grey skies make me want to hibernate! A block from the market we could already begin to smell the pungent herbs and roots. Entering the various stalls Kalila was most interested in the array of dried snakes, pearls, turtle shells, millipedes, skewered lizards, ants and other insects. The dried lizards (pictured above) can be made into a soup to cure a soar throat. We stocked up on dried longyan fruit (dragon eyes), goji berries, ginseng, astragalus, and a shell-like substance used for treating cuts. Although we only scratched the surface, it was fascinating to talk with the merchants about the properties and uses of their medicines.
When this old troubador noticed that we were interested he invited us to sit down beside him to listen to his song. His fingers were wrapped in tape and his fiddle was completely caked in rossin dust which made me think that music must be his full-time occupation. His two stringed fiddle is called a 'ban hu' and is a regional instrument of Shaanxi. It is smaller than the 'Erhu' and its sound box is bowl shaped rather than cylindrical. He sang in the raspy, guttural style common to Shaanxi Opera (Qin Qiang). Variations of throat singing can also be found in Tibet, Mongolia, and the Circumpolar regions. As he improvised lyrics I could pick out enough words to know that he was singing about a girl's beautiful hair.
Kong Zhu (literally 'hollow bamboo') is known in the West as the Chinese yo-yo. Alice had been wanting to learn to play for some time when she finally met a group of women that practice outside the old city walls. They helped her find a kong zhu and showed her some basic techniques to get started. There are a couple different kinds of kong zhu - one is symmetrical (pictured above) and the other is more like a spinning top that makes a whirring sound when it gets up to speed.
I am a big fan of accordions and was surprised to find that my favorite instrument evolved from the Chinese 'sheng,' which was one of the world's first free reed instruments. In the 18th century a couple of European travellers brought a few traditional shengs back with them to Europe. The introduction of the instrument inspired the invention of the harmonica and the accordion. The popularity of the harmonica and accordion spread quickly because the instruments are so versatile and easy to transport. Variations of the accordion play a central role in many musical styles including tango, forro, cumbia, vallenato, merengue, and norteno just to name a few. The next time you hear a smoking merengue or a refined tango remember that it all started with this strange instrument from China.
