Yo-Yo Ma

There are moments in our lives, I feel, where we are so moved by someone else's passion that our lives are irrecoverably changed for the better. For me, a moment such as this occurred on this past Tuesday evening. As you read this post, may I recommend that you visit this link and listen to a sample of the music this blog is about.

But let's back up to how this moment came to be. A few weeks ago, I was at work catching up on the latest Red Shirt news (see previous post for more on this topic), and saw an ad for an upcoming concert featuring Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, part of the Silk Road Project. I have loved Yo-Yo Ma for a long time (I have fond memories of seeing him on Sesame Street as a kid), and am a huge sucker for the cello. I thought to myself, "There's no way I can afford these tickets, but what the heck? I'll just have a look and see what it's all about." I get onto the ticket seller's website, and find that not only are there tickets left available, but they're only 1000 baht (about $30) for the cheap seats. I am now thinking, "Oh man, I could totally go." Within the next 10 seconds as I watch seats get snapped up electronically by other patrons, my thought process progresses to, "Oh man, I should go. I have to go. THE WORLD WILL END IF I DO NOT BUY THESE TICKETS!!" I purchase two, thinking I can get a co-worker to attend with me, and thus begin the most agonized two weeks of my life waiting for the date of the concert to arrive. In the meantime, I treat myself to a custom tailored little black dress (about $60 for the whole she-bang), and a new pair of black pumps with a satin-y exterior (about $6). Add in my mother's pearls, a dab of red lipstick, and a very chivalrous Ankit (my worldly co-worker) who so kindly agreed to go with me and hold open every door, and I had a recipe for a fantastic evening. And so it was!

We got dressed after work and took an hour cab ride to the theater. The venue was lovely with beautiful trees draped in little twinkling white lights surrounding a courtyard that boasted a exquisite miniature wat (temple). The inside of the building itself wasn't too special, but it was fun to walk around all dressed up with all of the other patrons. We found our seats, and forgetting the usual Thai custom of standing several times for the Thai national anthem and King's anthem, we found ourselves leaping to our feet as music blared over the sound system before the show began. I think there may also have been some members of the royal family in attendance, as there were some delays before and after the show during which no general attending member of the audience was allowed to enter or leave the auditorium. But I digress...

Anyway, after introductions and welcomes in both English (yay!) and Thai, the lights went down and members of the Silk Road Ensemble began to walk on stage. At the end of the line, Yo-Yo Ma walked casually into the glow of the stage lights, and took his seat. In his hands, the most magnificent Stradivarius cello seemed to emanate a beautiful red-brown glow as it reflected the lights back into the audience. The whole crowd went wild, and as Mr. Ma wai-ed (the respectful Thai greeting) to the audience, you could hear every Thai person in attendance cry out in delight. The amount of respect and adoration for Yo-Yo Ma in the audience that night was positively palpable. We were ready to be wowed, and Mr. Ma and his Ensemble did not disappoint.

The Silk Road Ensemble is a project of Mr. Ma's to bring together world class musicians from all over the world to preform, well, world music! In this particular concert, they played a variety of Asian pieces, some of which written by members of the ensemble! They played a wide variety of drums, bamboo flutes, and stringed instruments, and while each instrument was unique and lovely to hear by itself, they were especially impressive when they played as a group. I was impressed by an Indian drummer who played a bongo like instrument with his bare palms and fingers; his hands moved so fast that sometimes his fingers were simply a blur and the distinction between individual beats was lost into the sound of one solid note. There were also three men played a trio of violins; never have I heard such skilled playing. Being a violin player myself, my appreciation for the difficulty of the pieces they performed and the precision required to play in unison so beautifully was especially deep. At times, they were so perfectly in sync that they seemed to be one single instrument guided by three hands.

And then, there was Yo-Yo Ma. At first, he played as part of the ensemble and though his playing was beautiful, it was not emphasized over any other musician. Then, the second piece began, featuring a cello solo meant to describe the composer's loss of their grandmother long ago. The other instruments quieted, and the spotlight closed in on Mr. Ma as he pulled his bow across that first long mournful note. The sound, so quiet and shy at first, grew with an intensity that filled the silent hall with a shocking sadness, full and round and growing as if it were a living thing springing to life before our eyes and ears. That note, and the next few to follow seemed to absolutely consume me; I felt as if my soul were being rung and my heart pulled out of my chest and broken so completely by the music. Tears welled in my eyes, and with each devastating note ran down my cheeks in a little river of one of the happiest moments of my life.

The expression on Yo-Yo Ma's face as he plays is one of such passion and dedication that it would seem as if he has spent his whole life practicing for each note, each draw of the bow and each placement of every finger. His vibrato shakes his whole body, and yet all the while he is serene, composed, and the very essence of tranquility. Never have I seen, heard, or felt such a thing. To behold him and his cello, one organism in unison, born and created for each other it seemed...I feel that words simply do not do that moment justice, nor any moment for the duration of the concert. Such a sensational 90 minutes I would be hard pressed to surpass.

Thailand: A Country in Upheaval

I want to begin this post by reminding my readers that all of my posts are entirely my own thoughts and opinions, and in no way represent the opinion of my employers, school, or any other sponsoring agency.

For the past five or six weeks, Bangkok and Thailand as a whole has been in a state of political upheaval. The issues surrounding these current events are immensely complicated, but I feel that it is not very often that one lives through such events and I'd like to comment on them if you, dear reader, would indulge me. The information I present here describes these events and issues as I understand them, though I would give a word or two of caution that due to the complexity and corruption surrounding all of this that my findings may not necessarily be entirely accurate. This is beginning to sound like the intro to an academic paper...

Thailand has a rich history of being ruled as a monarchy, and to this day maintains a king and royal family who are beloved by a vast majority of Thais. The current king, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej was born on December 5th, 1927, and assumed the throne in 1946. He is considered a semi-deity in the Thai conscience, and is the world's longest ruling monarch. Unfortunately, the king's health has been declining in the last few years, and since September of last year, he has been living full time at a hospital in Bangkok. His passing will be a major loss to the country, especially since his son and heir to the throne is not nearly as popular as the current King.

In our more recent era, a government rules alongside the monarchy, composed of a House of elected representatives and a prime minister. The King still holds sway and much influence, but is more of a spiritual and figurehead leader than an actual decision maker (think modern day Britain). The current government was put into power a few years ago by a military coup, during which the now ex-prime minister Thaksin was removed from power and imposed exile on himself. All of this occurred due to some pretty serious corruption in Thaksin's government (theoretically). Thaksin has since been found guilty of some kind of money scamming deal that essentially claims he used his position of authority to make himself some big bucks (or baht, as the case may be). Currently, he has been banned from most countries in the world, exceptions being made by countries like Monte Negro and other places of that repute.

While prime minister, Thaksin was a champion of the poor and impoverished and established many social welfare programs that benefited those finding themselves at the bottom end of the class system. Because of these programs, Thaksin continues to have a huge following of Thais, mostly from poor and rural parts of the country. They call themselves the "Red Shirts", and for the past five or six weeks have been staging huge protests in Bangkok and other parts of the country. In a nutshell, they are asking for the current prime minister and government to step down and have a fresh batch of elections. I think there may have initially been some intent to bring Thaksin back to power, but following his conviction and plummeting popularity amongst everyone but the Red Shirts, it appears that he is now more of a driving force than a conclusion to this contentious issue.

As one might imagine, the current government isn't too thrilled about being challenged, nor having Bangkok being held financially and logistically hostage by the protestors. They've declined most of the demands made by the Red Shirts, and are attempting peaceful talks. Supporting the current government are the "Yellow Shirts", who are fiercely loyal to the current King and support the current government. In the past, this group has been a little more radical than the generally poorly educated and financially strapped Red Shirts. They represent the middle and upper classes, and during the last government overthrow, they staged a massive sit-in at Bangkok's largest airport and shut it down for a week. In the past week, they've reassembled themselves (they'd been dormant since the last coup) and are demanding that the either the government regains control over the Red Shirt situation, or the Yellow Shirts will do it for them.

The current conflict has turned violent since April 10th (more about my experience with that date later), and thus far there have been 26 deaths and over 800 injuries. As of this post, violence seems to be erupting again in the city's center, but I haven't heard any confirmed reports of what's happening. Needless to say, it isn't safe to go to some parts of the city, and traffic congestion is worse than ever throughout Bangkok (keep in mind that Bangkok is known as the world's worst-planned city, and so traffic is generally horrendous all the time).

Sadly, popular opinion seems to be that this situation will not be resolved without some kind of major clash or conflict. I believe this is partly through the Thai custom of saving face. No party wants to back down and embarrass themselves, while it is also distasteful for the elite to attack the poor. In this case, I am predicting that a small minority of fringe Red Shirts (some of whom are armed and presumably dangerous) will take things a little too far and attack the military. In self defense, they will retaliate, and things will escalate from there. I mean for this to be a mostly informative post, so I will save my own commentary for a different post.

Regardless, this is a huge, complicated, and potentially deadly situation. It has escalated enough thus far to draw attention from other countries (including the United States), and I can only hope that all parties involved advocate and work toward peace rather than chaos.

Songkran: A Wet and Wild Thai New Year

Sawasdii bpii mai na jaa! Or Happy New Year for my non-Thai speaking readers. The week of April 12th marked the Thai New Year known as Songkran, and if ever there was a holiday perfectly suited to the Thai climate, this is IT! Songkran takes place during the hottest part of the hot season, which Thailand is experiencing right now. Mid-day temperatures can soar to over 100 degrees F (although after about 93, all temperatures just register as "too hot" on my internal thermometer), and there is sometimes no escape from the heat except to duck into a 7-11 to enjoy a thorough blasting by their ever present air-con. Songkran seems a holiday dedicated to fighting back against the heat; to celebrate the Thai New Year, the whole country turns into a week long water fight, complete with giant super-soakers!

Songkran, complete with beer and super soakers!

Never have I had such an awesome time! Beer was cheap, the weather was hot, and there were hundreds of people running through the streets wearing soaking clothes and big smiles. I think the tradition originally came from washing away one's sins by pouring water over your head (considered the most sacred part of the body), and has since morphed into something much larger and more fun. The only bit I didn't really care for is the white soy-based powder that Thais smear all over your face as you walk through the streets spraying people. Once it gets in your eyes, it's a real pain to get out, literally.
I've also had the pleasure of hosting one of my favorite people on the planet (oh, and boyfriend!), Matthew, for the past couple of weeks. We had a great time playing Songkran in Bangkok for a week, and then spent this past week down visiting Koh Chang and Koh Samed for some R&R and sand between our toes. Matthew has never visited a warm climate before, and it was really fun for me to show him the beautiful beaches, friendly people, and delicious food of my new Thai homeland. Sometimes the only thing better than visiting and experiencing a new place yourself is sharing those discoveries with someone special. It has been a lovely two weeks, and it was achingly sad to see him off the airport on Sunday morning. Surely a solid reminder to be thankful for the people we get to enjoy in our lives.

Lounging on the beaches of Koh Samed

Matthew and I after a long Songkran day.

The Harrisons in BKK

These last three weeks, I've enjoyed having my parents in Thailand visiting me and exploring this new country that I've come to call home. My parents arrived on on March 11th and we spent a solid week on the go. As was to be expected, it took them a few days to get used to the heat and time difference, but once they had their feet under them, it was non-stop action!

Our first day, we visited the beautiful Wat Pho (pronounced wot po), which houses the stunning and most impressive reclining Buddha image. It was, as is the usual these days, extremely hot, so we tried to stay in the shade and explore the many buildings that make up the wat. Truly the most exception part was the Reclining Buddha itself. 45 meters long and 16 meters high, the entire figure is covered in gold leaf and the soles of its feet are fashioned from mother of pearl. It was simply stunning to see up close, and I was glad to start my parent's trip out with such an exquisite example of Thai belief and craftsmenship.

The Reclining Buddha

Mom and I making merit at Wat Pho

Hundreds of Buddha images graced the many buildings

My folks stayed in a lovely hotel called the New Siam (much recommended if you're considering visiting Bangkok) along the Chao Phraya River. My dad got a kick out of all the boat traffic on the river, and took at least half a gig worth of photos of tugboats, coast gaurd vessels, and merchant ships cruising up and down past their windows. Their hotel had a lovely pool, and we discovered that the best way for 'farang' to beat the heat is to relax poolside all afternoon with a smoothie (called 'shakes' in Thailand) in one hand and a good book in the other. Sometimes life simply cannot be improved upon!

The best way to beat the Thai heat!

Since my mom only had a week for her visit, we decided to head to Ko Chang for the better part of a week. Ko Chang is located south east of Bangkok, and is about a five hour drive by bus. We booked through a company which picked us up at their hotel, and dropped us five hours later at a pier where we took a 30-minute ferry ride across to the island. There, we caught another "taxi" (really a songteow) to our hotel. I was a little anxious about how my parents would handle the lack of "civilized" transportation and crazy driving/traffic in Thailand, but I had nothing to worry about it. I think I sometimes forget to give my parents the credit they deserve for having survived this long in crazier situations that I've probably been privy to hearing about!

The ferry across to Ko Chang

We spent the next day snorkeling off some absolutely breath-taking islands south of Ko Chang proper. While the eco-tourism industry isn't quite as developed in Thailand as it is in the states, the locals seem to understand and respect the environment. Our guides seemed to be aware of the impact they could have on coral and fish, and while they did have some bad practices (feeding fish, touching sea urchins, etc.), they didn't drop their anchor on the coral, and cleaned up all the trash from our included lunch). While there were lots of fish (especially since they are used to being fed), the variety wasn't particularly impressive. What WAS awesome was the spectacular size and color of the coral. It was a fun snorkeling experience, and had me wishing for an underwater camera.

Beautiful snorkeling with the folks!

Paradise on Ko Wai

The next day, we visited an elephant preserve to feed, bathe, and ride the animals. I was nervous since I didn't want to end up in a "preserve" that was cruel to their animals, but after we arrived I could see that I didn't have anything to worry about. The mahouts (pronounced 'ma-hoots') were friendly, chatty, and seemed to enjoy their jobs. Each mahout owns their animal and is soley responsible for feeding and caring for the giant creature. If you've never seen or been in the presence of a live elephant, it is really quite an experience. Even the smaller Asian elephant (in comparison to an African elephant) is a HUGE beast, and their trunks are simply marvels of evolution. They can do just about anything with them, and seem to make up for a lack of hands and thumbs quite well. Each animal has a very distinct and noticeable personality, and it is tragic to think of them being tortured into submission for use as laborers in tree-harvesting operations.

Our experience began with washing the elephants in a small but deep natural pool. They walked us down to the water and lead the elephants in. Both animals immediately sank down into the cool water and seemed to be waiting on our group to figure out what to do. The mahouts - in their broken English - directed us to get into the water and "wash" the animals with rough scrub brushes. Most of our group (about 10 of us) weren't wearing swim suits, and so had a little apprehension about getting in the water. Dad, who had been warned by our family doctor to avoid bodies of fresh, still water, was considering just watching from the bank...at least, until his daughter was the first one in the water and climbing up on an elephant! Mom was the second one in, and so, not to be upstaged by his wife and daughter, dad finally (and reluctantly) got in the water and waded out to his elephant to scrub. Being ON the actual elephant while they spray you with water was, well, weird! Their skin is thick, covered in long bristly hairs, and it is difficult to wrap your mind around the fact that you're scrubbing a huge animal. Their trunks, once you get past the snot factor, are simply magnificent. The mahouts even have a command for the elephant to reach back and kind of fondle your hands and face with their trunks, and so post-bath, the elephants were a little cleaner, but we were pretty disgusting.

Mom and Dad washing an elephant!

After the bath, we headed back up to the main camp area, and were ushered on board our elephants in pairs. Since there were an odd number of visitors, I had my own elephant and the mahout let me play the role of "Mahout Hannah" and ride on the neck and head of the elephant where he would have traditionally ridden. I learned a few commands, though the elephant wasn't quite as cooperative for me as she was for my guide. We rode through some lovely rain forest for about an hour, ending our walk by lumbering (elephants aren't the most graceful of creatures) through a rubber tree grove. How NEAT to see the 'sap' flowing out of the trees, already feeling like silicon! The eco-geek in me came bubbling out, and I was grabbing at every passing tree to get a closer look at the sap and examine the rubber properties.

Harrisons on elephants!
Feeding bananas to hungry, hungry elephants! Those trunks make them extra grabby.

Once back at camp, we fed the elephants bunches of bananas and had to say goodbye. The next day we departed, but not before a lovely meal and stroll on the beach. Matthew is coming to visit me on Sunday (!) for two weeks, and I plan to take him back to Ko Chang so that he too can fall in love with a giant pachyderm and swim with the fish!

Getting pushed by your dad on a beach side swing for the first time in 10 years? Priceless.

It was awesome to have my mom here, and I'm excited that I got to share a bit of my exciting new life with her, even if only for a week. The older I get, the more I enjoy time with my parents, especially when they get to visit me on my turf. It seems that when we're young, our parents are everything, and as we grow older we forget that. Now that I'm past those teenage years and out of college proper (for now), the importance of guidance and unconditional love in my love comes rushing back. I think we've worked out that I'll keep moving to interesting places, and they'll keep coming to see me. Thanks for visiting, Mom and Dad!

Mom and I eating lunch beach side.