THE GREEN DRAGON

Flying out of No Bai airport in Hanoi to my next adventure-3 days in Taiwan; my first experience in this country . Leaving the familiar of Vietnam and Hanoi behind  i watch the green coastline below. I look into the unknown of the next few days- new country-new language-new city-new currency. So goes my travels in Asia.
Falling into a light sleep after lunch i hear in Chinese the announcement of our approach into Taipei airport. Looking out of my window i see a beautiful deep green emerald sea. Below the surface i see swirls and patterns of different shades of lighter green and white. The water surface is whipped by the spray of white caps. The aircraft turns and banks into the airport approach as beautiful Asian instrumental music is fills the aircraft cabin. I catch my first view of this land.
Beautiful forested cliffs rise out of the ocean capped by billowing banks of clouds dropping rain showers in certain areas. As we glide lower the sun falls on the sea revealing the patterns below the water surface more clearly. I see that these are the patterns of coral reefs spreading out from the islands shores. Taipei is world famous for its green jade and Im looking into the swirls and patterns of the green jade in a liquid form that is the sea surrounding the island. The two colliding  geological plates that have formed this island appear to have lifted the green sea and solidified it into the islands jade stone.
I imagine and feel like i am riding the back of a green dragon as the EVA Air 737 glides gracefully and lowers us gently onto the surface of this magic kingdom off the coast of the Asian continent. Another adventure opens up to me across the globe.

ETERNAL SPRING SHRINE-TAROKO NATIONAL PARK-HUALIEN,TIAWAN

Long Shan Temple-Taipei city-i enter the gate at the side and as i walk into the center courtyard enter another world. Passing a beautiful painted relief of a tiger (im told the opposite entrance has a dragon to conform to the fung shua of the temple design) i look on an amazing sight. In the center of the open courtyard is a large structure covered with slate and engraved with white painted chinese characters. Around all four sides are hundreds of people holding books and chanting. The chant is melodic and not the usual harsh chant i hear in many temples--sounds like a song. Inside the temple grounds on the outer walls are numerous alcoves where statutes and altars of various Buddist dieties are housed. Each diety has its purpose and in front of each a number of the faithful stand hands clasped together quitely praying. Incense burns all around us its smell mingling with the beautiful chanting does a number on my western mind. My friends Ed Sasa and myself take it all in;Sasa once again our guide. Beautifully carved stone columns stand at intervals linning the alcoves housing the Buddahs. Im told that the area all around the temple was bombed during ww2 but the temple was un touched. Walking up to the first alcove sasa explains "This is the old man with a book sitting under the full moon. The book holds the names of all the unmarried people.   When the old man finds the name of a young man who wants to be married he ties a red string around the wrist of the man." She then reaches into a box at the side of the alter and hands me a red string. " People who want to find a spouse will pray here" I look and notice about 5 young men intensly praying-no women. Sasa just smiles when i point this out. They hold thier hands clasped in front of them holding an incense stick and eyes closed silently mouthing prayers. "When the right match person is found for the young man the old man will tie the loose end of the string around the womans wrist and then they will notice each other. Hummmmmm? I think about the tea merchant in my previous story who found his wife when he was buying tea falling in love with her instantly after seeing her colledting tea on the hillside. I wonder if he was wearing a red string. Interesting but not the alcove for me to ask a question. At the next diety i noticed a number of young women praying in the same manner. "This is the Buddah for women who want to be pregnant" Sasa explains. Interesting but again not for me. "What is this Buddah?" i ask walking to the next alcove as the chanting continues in the back ground and the smoke swirls in the wind. This Buddah is for wealth,prosperty money and good fortune. Well! I have found my Diety! "How do i ask a question here"? i ask Sasa. She hands me a couple of wooden 1/2 moon shaped objects painted red-flat on one side and rounded on the other. "Hold these between your hands and shake your hands up and down three times asking a question then drop them on the ground. If one lands up and one down you will get your answer". Ok i do as instructed and drop one up and one down. "Good now you choose your message" she says pointing to a jar beside the alcove holding laquered sticks with chinese characters. Choosing one im instructed to repeat the action with the 1/2 moon blocks. Both down-- choose another stick and try again. Same-try again. Third time one up and one down- Sasa takes my stick and walks over to a small chest with a number of tiny drawers. She opens one up and pulls out a piece of paper with my fortune. The paper has columns of Chinese characters and as Sasa intently reads it the chanting picks up in volume and intensity. She looks at me and says "You will have a lot of money and large fortune but not right now. You must be patient. Others will get fortune before you but you will get it too so dont try to rush as you will have long life and many years". As we pass through the gate i realize that the chanters have stopped and are filing out into the streets of Taipei as the present century surrounds me once again. "How did you like the temple and your fortune"? Sasa asks as i pick up a good fortune charm and the temple gift shop. "It was wonderul" i said " Big fortune in my future! Lunch is on me!

ETERNAL SPRING SHRINE-TAROKO NATIONAL PARK-HUALIEN,TIAWAN

HANOI OLD QUARTER-FALL FESTIVAL SEPT 25 2007-1ST FULL MOON OF AUTUMN

Mopeds by the hundreds driven by everything from devils with glowing red horns to faeries with sparkling wands and illuminated wings. the streets are jammed with bicycles,mopeds and people walking as Hanoi celebrates the mid-fall festival night. its a combination of new years eve,Halloween, and Christmas all in one. streets are loaded with stalls selling every kind of toys,candies, rice moon cakes and colorful lanterns are strung everywhere. families are strolling about buying toys ,food and costumes for their children who are dressed in masks,or have ornaments sticking out from bands on their heads or hats. people are lighting fires of paper money on the street on in alters in front of their homes or shops, and teenagers are running about chasing each other and spraying cans of foam,confetti and bubbles at everyone. after 10 days in the mountains Hanoi is a buzz of activity and a shift to the senses. in the morning 2 young college age kids come up to me and ask if they could practice their English. we sit for 2 hours conversing about our lives and teaching each other. people pull up to me on their cycles or mopeds and ask me if i want a ride. when i answer in Vietnamese "no thank you i want to walk" they almost fall over in surprise. they then give me this "you got me " smile ,laugh and ride away. a Westerner in Vietnam is often an attention center. its hard for Vietnamese to leave the country(too expensive for most) so the tourists are often their only source of outside exposure. they are so curious about us and want so badly to converse and be seen with Westerners. they are almost proud that we want to spend time with them and learn about their country. when you can or try to speak a little of their language or express any interest, you make a fast friend.

FEBRUARY 2010-TET-YEAR OF THE TIGER-NORTHERN VIETNAM

To describe the indescribable-how to i do it?  That is how to describe the experience of a westerner in Vietnam during the Tet or new years festival. I remember it was 1968 or 1969 and i was in Junior High School (today called middle school). I was in social studies class and the teacher was explaining to us about the Tet offensive in Vietnam and how the whole country exploded into violence from the American Embassy in Saigon to the American Base in Danang to the city of Hue. The north Vietnamese and Vite Cong suffered heavily but it turned American public opinion against the war and contributed to the end and the American pullout a few years later. I'm sitting near the gulf of Ton kin reading about the American Revolution and i cant help but draw parallels to the Vietnamese tactics and those of George Washington against the British.   OK so how do i describe this? I don't think i can. how do i describe the look and excitement on the children's faces when the men of the family bring home a 6 foot tall potted tangerine tree and a flowering pink beach tree to the ocean front guest house where i am staying 3 hours outside of Hanoi.   How do i describe sitting in a families temple as I'm being shown the 13 generations of the families lineage on a wall chart while the men bring out drums,traditional instruments, beer and cigarettes and pound and play away for 30 minutes as they say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new.   How do i describe sleeping in my guest house room and a knock awakens we at 1145pm. i open the door and the guest house owner and his family are there urging me to the lobby to welcome the new year with them. At 3am another knock and i am invited back down to numerous toasts to the year of the tiger.   How to describe standing on a beachfront wall with a 360 degree view of the flat horizon. 180 degrees is ocean and the remaining 180 degrees explodes into fireworks as every village on the flat horizon sets off their own displays. I stand with the guest house family and the 8 year old daughter grabs my hand and jumps up and down in awe and excitement as i watch the fireworks dance reflected off her huge dark eyes.   How to describe visiting the guesthouse owners 76year old father with their teenage son just past midnight and he greats me with tears and a huge smile shaking my hand over and over. This man is a retired highly decorated officer in the North Vietnamese Army who fought against the French in the 1950s and Americans in the 1960s. He shows my a photo albumin of himself with many high ranking people and a box full of medals and commendations. He tells me through a translation of his grandson that he feels friendship with the American and french people as well as the military. It was the American and French leadership that were the enemies. I'm told that the first visitor of the new year is the most important and he was so honored that his first visitor was a Westerner and especially an American. He says that I'm the first American to experience Tet in this rural countryside.   Now how do i explain the looks and excitement on the faces of my friend viets young nieces and nephews on new years morning when i and all the adults hand them new years "lucky money". We spend the day walking around the village visiting relations and friends. Viets new wife Sim holds his arm with one hand and takes my hand with the other. I am welcomed by all as a family member by both Viets and Sims family. What follows is much eating,drinking socializing and playing with children. the children call me Ong Tay which in Vietnamese means "Mr Western".   Viets mother will not say goodbye to me as she explains that i am now part of the family and will always return and his father gives me a big hug and kiss on the cheek beaming hugely!   So as i started-how do i explain all of this? this is a very feeble attempt to explain what i cant. Ive tried my best with my limited skills and believe me when i  say it-I have fallen far short!   so to all my family and friends in Vietnam American and around the world i say " Chuc Mung Nam Moi" happy new year year of the tiger 2010 C

SEPTEMBER 16 2007 TAM DAO NATIONAL PARK- 75 KM NORTH OF HANOI VIETNAM

YUEH SHIA-MANDARIAN FOR THE MOON AND THE COLOR OF THE SKY AT SUNSET--COAST OF TIAWAN - JULY 2011

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