Tonight, an hour of darkness 8 to 9 PM, your local time

The World Wildlife Fund came up with this novel idea and tested it last year in Sydney, with phenomenal success.

This should be fun with Iza (and good practice for future power outages at our next post).

Unplug your tellies, too!

GULP?!

Hmm, so where on our blessed Earth is the water safe to drink?

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/3/24/anti_epileptics_sex_hormones_mood_stabilizers

Busy Week Sans Mommy

Iza with her Polska buds: Paweł and Jaś

Well... it was a long, long week.
Jill went away for 5 whole days and nights to a conference in Istanbul, a city she's been dying to see the whole time we've been in Polska. This was also the first time she'd really been away from Iza (whom is still breastfed, btw!). To say it was a challenge would be an understatement.

But, she is home now, and we survived.

Miraculously.

I had the gracious help over the weekend with several friends, including: Martin (sans Aza), Angie, George, Paweł and Jaś and Daryl. Their help and support assisted considerably with my sanity. Thanks to you all! (and to Pan Ptaku for the pics!)

Free Tibet

Not as common as hearing 'Paper or plastic?', but a somewhat common bumper sticker seen in urban parts of the states reads 'Free Tibet', showing Tibet's glorious flag colors blazing across the sticker. Seattle has a decent sized Tibetan community, partaking in numerous public and cultural events, expanding arm chair and eager world travelers with a more intimate look into this once very private nation. Sadly, they're in Seattle for a reason.

Tibet is under siege again, by more force from the Chinese than they have needed in two decades to keep their 'long lost brethren' tame and quiet. Peaceful protests began on Monday with several hundred monks, on the 49th anniversary of the failed uprising that sent His Holiness the Dalai Lama running to India to escape Chinese persecution and has forever remained in exile. Over 80 deaths have been confirmed by multiple sources. With the threat of no Western witnesses of the 'obedience action' that will unfold there on and beyond Monday this week, this dying culture may vanish before my daughter can say her own name aloud.

I have no sympathy for the Chinese in the Tibetan region. The Han population far outnumbers the Tibetans, for sure, but it still does not mean that the land is theirs. Where I'm sitting now is a one, well, many times, war torn country, where its and its neighboring residents were shifted to this town or that town, helping to spread the empire and weaken the local population substantially, depending on one's military perspective. When the end of the war came, thousands and thousands of people were 're-shuffled' all over this part of Europe, and, namely, the Germans were put back in Germany (or East and West). That must have been an organizational nightmare, but it was accomplished.

I think it can be done again.

The spotlight is on China for hosting the Olympics this year, and it will shine brightly on their many ill humanitarian actions, especially in Tibet. In some ways, sadly, the high Tibetan plateau is not full of tons of oil, gas and gold, so the Western nations don't have a vested interest in securing the area and making the excuse to save one of the world's vanishing exotic cultures.
But the plight is known. It is known across Asia. It is known across the globe. There should be support. There should be amazing support.

I can't be there to help. I can't get there. So what's an American abroad to do?
Well, writing this non-professional level-journalism is one step.

Another is making a personal, financial choice, one that many have done before and many will try in the future, but it's new for me:

Ban "Made in China"

A family did it 2 years ago in the states, and 'suffered' quite a bit, having to spend countless hours researching purchases, talking to salespeople, manufacturers, obtain detailed product manuals to inspect makers of internal parts, etc. ... it was challenging enough that they wrote a book on it. I won't do that but perhaps I'll keep updating yous all on this here blog. Will Jill do it, too? Not sure. I do most of the shopping and Iza can't reach the sales counter top yet.

H. H. Dalai Lama still supports the Chinese hosting the Olympics, but I don't. And I think if the situation gets worse in Tibet, perhaps even some athletes will bow out, maybe whole nations. I know I won't be going to China to watch the Olympics or giving it my attention on the tele, either.

Baby steps lead to toddler steps, which lead to adolescent steps, which lead to marches, which lead to movements.

Please call on your presidents and prime ministers for their support to not just sympathize, but to act.

Free Tibet.



(pic compliments of NYTimes/Getty Images. Monks staging a vigil in Kathmandu)

Update:
there seems to be one last official Western journalist in Lhasa, James Miles from The Economist and TimesOnline.uk His latest account is at:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3564470.ece

Paper or Plastic?

A very common question in the states.
And a 90's era TV commercial put a humorous spin with negative footage for either choice at breakneck speed, showcasing the daunting decision one must make after already making several to hundreds of choices in the aisles of the American well-stocked grocery store.

The argument continues in the states, and abroad. San Francisco has cut out plastic bags at large retailers and pharmacies. Here in Polska, even Lodz has done the same.

MSNBC has just put out a decent story/page/power pointish thing about the current state of the carrying nation.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23358591/

For us, we're trying to use our cloth or nylon bags whenever possible. One local fruit/veggie stand owner calls me and 'ekolog', which must translate to something like organic nuthead, or Earth saver. I shop at 5 stores regularly, and they still give me a weird look when I say I don't need a bag.

One common sight which is a bit strange is the Polish man carrying one can of beer in a thin plastic bag. It's weird for a few reasons. One, usually they just drink it out in the open anyway. Two, It's not like holding the beer will make them any colder (especially if they're drinking it!).
OK, I know... perhaps he was originally carrying 3 or 4 piwos and drank them already... but I've seen them make the purchase and the seller bags the one can.

very strange.

Frustated Grass Walker

It's hard being a new walker... on grass... when it's cold... when you got a huge, binding, non-articulated jacket on!

random February shots

working on her new walking skills

Iza's first play time in a real playground... sliding down and...

Astride her steadfast horse, searching the plains for her next adventure

Zlote Terasa
We finally made it to newish, swanky urban mall in the heart of downtown. Parts of it were absolutely hideous, but there were several creative niches and a wide range of unique materials and lighting throughout. Here are copper-clad interior bays

The entrance and mid-section are a wavy glass dome, similar to the curves of EMP in Seattle. Sadly, they are set to dull green and gray tones in large swaths, reducing the already slim natural northern climate light and creating a rather depressive interior feeling. However, the supports were rather playful, stretching out at irregular angles to the more geometric core. The posts could use a bright coat of paint to liven up the place, for sure.

This architect must've loved the original Star Wars and THX 1138
I loved this part

Flat Lizzy came for a visit.
Think we can fit our stroller in that car?

Finally, she can hold her own cup of water and drink from it!

Goodnight moon,
goodnight Warsaw

Thailand, part I

We flew out of Warszawa on New Year's Eve to head to Thailand for 2 weeks. We spent one day in Bangkok, then headed south to Hua Hin on the coast. Actually, we headed further south and stayed at Dolphin Bay Resort, which is much more remote and on a more clean, though not pristine, beach with only a handful of developed resorts along it. After that mostly relaxing week we returned to Bangkok for the ISS job fair, of which we secured our next post to Borneo!
Below is a bunch of shots, included Iza's first time in the Gulf of Thailand and swimming in a pool.

Us on one of several buses from Bangkok to Hua Hin. We took the 'cheap' option and nearly died in seatbeltless taxi in Bangkok and had to hassle with 3 buses between transfers and breakdowns and sitting out in the hot, humid weather and then negotiated an overly expensive taxi ride from HH to DBR. Shoulda, coulda, woulda...

This is the son of the woman taxi (pick up) driver.

Sweet ride!

Our beach was about 5 miles long and the southern part is home to a few fishing boats which take tourists out to Monkey Island (the 'sleeping figure' in the background) when the waters are calm, which was never while we were there.
Obviously, there's monkeys on that there island.

dead stingray

Jill wasn't sure why she was smiling

Dolphin Bay Resort: two pools, a water slide, lots of open air eating yet protected from the wind, good food, friendly staff, Thai massage, excursions galore. Certainly a place to return to if we're back in the area

Iza got to do some real swinging in the kid/baby-friendly courtyard

Tropical flowers

Iza, too, loves Singha beer
(pronounced "sing", not "sing-ha")

Iza got to practice her walking skills on crab grass, wood, tile and the beach but still not quite able to do it on her own...

next-door neighbors

reflecting on her fine position in life
and enjoying the sea breeze through her hair

travel buddies
iza then took the girl's binky out of her mouth



We made a few excursions to Khao Sam Roi Yot national park, south of Hua Hin. The region is mountainous, marshy, close to the sea and full of a huge variety of wildlife

we even fed some monkeys

lemur mama and baby on the park HQ's roof

a nature boardwalk through the marshes and bogs...

with tons of mangroves

they're shoots grow long enough up high until gravity pulls them down and they plop in the water, stabbing into the most soil below and taking root, and growing into a whole new, soon-to-be intertwined tree

next up was a short river boat tour, seeing some birds and impressive rock cliffs and formations

one of our Thai guides from DBR. Sadly, we never got his name, but he was really fond of Iza, as are most Thia people of babies, especially chubby white ones!

a limestone crag in the waiting...
this cliff would be perfect for a sport climbing area, with easy boat access, possibly a walk off and a variety of cracks, chimneys, aretes, and a few pumpy overhang moves, but overall a moderate wall... this was just the tip of the iceberg of the climbing potential here


I'm not sure what truck or tractor they took this foul smelling engine from
... but it worked just fine

next stop...

a Buddhist temple



the temple was full of several statues, all meant to be 'touched up' with additional gold leaf flakes. This, of course, is the Buddha dominating the temple

and a detail of another statue's plastered head


as is tradition, we rang the bells while walking clockwise around the temple.
Iza got a few in herself


Sai Cave was next up, with an arduous hike that felt more vertical than horizontal for much of it


our fearless guide

the fearful cave

this reminded me too much of a tooth pulled last summer
:(


a collection pool had been built up to provide fresh water to its select visitors over the millenia

this is the closest thing to a WI 3+ frozen waterfall that I've laid my eyes on since our trip in Slovensky Raj in Slovakia 3 years ago!




so where's Iza through all this?

she was nappin' in the backpack on daddy's back... and now she's up and shyly flirtin' with our fellow travelers

being in Thailand, she got to eat lots of mini-bananas, pineapple, jack fruit, dragon fruit, watermelon... and she's so excited about it!

and mom, too. Tasty white fish dishes... even dad had some of the fresh stuff straight from the Gulf of Thailand