Created at Leland & Gray High School in Townshend, Vermont, supported by the Asian Studies Outreach Program (ASOP) at the University of Vermont (UVM), and funded primarily through a grant from the Freeman Foundation,

Journey East, as a whole, consists of the Asian Studies Academy and Sino-American Performing Arts Exchange at Leland and Gray Union High School; the integration of an Asian Studies curriculum throughout the Windham Central Supervisory Union, and the introduction of Chinese language programs into the district.

Dr. Juefei Wang, Director of the Asian Studies Outreach Program University of Vermont, is a recipient of the prestigious Goldman Sachs Award for Excellence in International education, on behalf of the UVM, Asian Studies Outreach Program.

The Leland and Gray Journey East program is deeply indebted, and extends its heartfelt thanks, to Dr. Juefei Wang, without whose effort and support this program would not even be possible!

Thank you Juefei!

T-minus 4

A day at the beach. Well, maybe not the beach, but there sure was a lot of sand!

Hi everybody. By the time you read this, the group has probably given their final performance in Hohhot. This will be yet another huge emotional moment for the gang (probably second to when they left home a month ago!). As the final days wind down, the emotion thermometer rises. The kids begin to feel the finality of their journey and the goodbyes they’ll have to endure tomorrow will be one of the most difficult “moments” of the trip.

As we hoped, the JE-ers were able to make it to the Gobi Desert. The winds were not a problem and it appears from the photos (I am warning you right now, there are no less than A LOT of photos today!), the weather was quite nice.

Here is Tom’s preview to get us underway:

The kids obviously had a great time at the desert. We had a large bus and a van transporting about 10 Chinese students plus teachers and translators from the college. There must have been fifty of us in all. I think that a chairlift ride in a desert in China was not imagined by anyone here a few years ago. A little bizarre but all part of the experience.

I tried to shoot everyone but know that I missed as many as three or four kids in the individual photos. You can't imagine the scene when we are trying to haggle with the camel owners over price and real time that students will be riding on the camels and then the loading up and getting on the "road," so to speak. It gets pretty crazy and I was running around trying to shoot everyone. There were actually at least a couple of people who did not ride. Mimi did not, preferring to wander out over the dunes to see some quiet; Jen didn't ride either, I think.

These kids will be picking sand out of their hair, ears, etc. for a month. I had to laugh hearing Travis say that he was going to go home, take a shower, and get all of the sand out. Not a chance. There will be sand from the Gobi in his shower in Vermont days after our return.

The experience for most was a little different than it has been for kids on past trips; less quiet, I think. Everyone was encouraged to find a little privacy and a place to sit and reflect. Some did, some did not. The desert is a pretty magical place. One student came up to me and said that she was on the verge of tears realizing where she was and how fortunate she was to be here. Everyone sees things a little differently; the experience is not the same for anyone.

The Gobi desert is one of those experiences like the Great Wall. The history and “hugeness” can be, if you allow it, overwhelming. It’s interesting how the two major physical “wonders” serve as bookends to the journey.

Well, let’s reach into our bag of goodies for today and see what’s in store . . . we have a gob(i) of photos (Ba-dum-bump), updates and overviews from Tom and Ann, and reports from Dylan Richardson and Adam Rucker. Quick assessment: How many reports are forthcoming? Do we have enough days left for everyone’s report?

Before you get to see the pictures (Yeah, I know, you can just skip all of this and scroll down to the photos, but humor me, okay, it’s all I’ve got.), did you do your homework and study up on the Gobi? No? Yes? A little? Study what?

Well, to give you a quick summary so you can better appreciate the photos you are about to see (you are about to see them, I promise!), here are the highlights:

• The Gobi is 500,000 sq mi (1,295,000 sq km), extending 1,000 mi (1,610 km) from east to west across SE Mongolia and N China.
• It is one of the world's largest deserts.
• The Gobi consists of a series of shallow alkaline basins; the western portion of the desert is entirely sandy.
• The Kerulen River is the Gobi's largest permanent stream; intermittent streams flow into small salt lakes or disappear into the sand.
• Nearly all the region's soil has been removed by the prevailing northwesterly winds.
• fierce sand and wind storms are common.
• The Gobi has cold winters and short, hot summers.
• Precipitation is in the form of widely spaced cloudbursts.
• The Gobi's grassy fringe supports a small population of nomadic Mongolian tribes engaged in sheepherding and goatherding.
• The Gobi is crossed by a highway and by the Trans-Mongolian RR, which links Ulaanbaatar with Jining, China.
• The railway shortens the Moscow-Beijing run by 700 mi (1,130 km).
• Coal is mined at Tawan-Tolgoi, Mongolia; oil fields are located at Saynshand, Mongolia, and Yumen, China; and there are copper and other mineral deposits.
• Many paleontological finds, including early mammals and dinosaur eggs, have been made in the Gobi. Prehistoric stone implements, some 100,000 years old, have also been excavated.
• (Reference: http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0821092.html)

Whew! Okay class, that’s your lesson for today, now let’s go play in the sand:
 

The Gobi Desert
Got sand?

Man, that looks like a lot of fun! Did you know . . . one hump camels are primarily found in Arabia (check out Lawrence of Arabia!) and the two hump camels are Asian camels:

Bactrian Camels (Asian, Two-Humped Camel):

Length: 7 to 11 feet
Height: 6 to 8 feet
Weight: 1000 to 1500 pounds
Number of young: 1
Home: Mongolia
(www.marisamontes.com/all_about_camels.htm)

The number of young is an interesting statistic. By the way, I know everyone thinks this, but contrary to popular legend, there is no evidence that camels store water in the stomach (or in the hump). Although they are adapted for conservation of water, they will lose weight and strength if they go for long periods without drinking. (Nowak 1999) (www.animalinfo.org/species/artiperi/camebact.htm)

Hey, we are dedicated to giving you your money’s worth here. Stick around folks, you might learn something (hint: remember the quiz!).

Now, we have some photos of the group enjoying a fine meal. I’m not sure where or when this meal took place. We’ll give you (precisely) five minutes to come up with an answer. We were so determined to find the answer to this perplexing question, we flew in a crack investigating team to uncover this mystery. The results of their findings will be revealed after enjoying the four photos, or five minutes, whichever comes first.
 

Okay, times up. here are the results: Clue number one -- the kids are wearing the same clothes at the meal as they are in the desert photos Clue number 2: the dining rooms are round. Clue number three: look at the photo of Emily Fuller (large photo, left column) and you’ll notice two small round buildings in the background. They are colorful and look like they could be eating places! Dah-dah! Lunch (dinner) at the Gobi desert!

And, do you know what they serve at this little restaurant? (Warning, the answer you are about to read may cause stomach pains, face squinching, and uncontrollable groaning!)

Sandwiches, of course! And for “dessert,” two humps of ice cream with “caramel” topping! I’m not sure about this, so don’t “go bi” me!

Stop it! Stop it! I’m sorry folks! It’s been a long journey for all of us! Four more days . . . Now, let’s get back to the show -- please!

Let’s take a moment here and read reports. Next up is Dylan Richardson.

Dylan Richardson, Junior
April 20, 2005

Throughout these past few weeks, we've all had so many totally new experiences. From sights to smells to tastes, I think it's safe to say that everyone in the group is going through a sort of sensory overload. I feel as though my senses have been bombarded and overwhelmed -- comfortably and happily numbed with the stimuli of the three weeks we've now been in
China. Out of all the places we've visited, I've found the ancient Buddhist shrines and temples to be among the most inspiring and peaceful.

The intricacy and volume of the paintings and architecture of these spiritual structures is pretty overwhelming. Wandering around these places, I often find myself in complete awe. Today we went to the local Dazhao Lamasery and Temple, a major and significant landmark of the Buddhist religion. After listening to a brief overview explanation of the temple, we had a chunk of time to explore the complete layout of shrines and open air courtyards. I ended up going to the most ornately decorated shrine where I stood quietly just taking it all in. The atmosphere of the room was so peaceful, lit only by candles and the glowing embers of incense. The room was filled with symbolic figures and offerings, its walls covered with massive yet amazingly detailed murals barely visible in the dim light. I stayed in the room for a while, just quietly observing .

At times I was the only one in the room; other times a number of people came in, some just to see it, others to pray. One of the most interesting and sometimes curious things about these temples is that they're all active religious communities -- people are there to keep the compound alive and they're there to pray. However, at one point, a group of people came in talking loudly. A few obnoxious cell phones went off. I remember thinking how totally clueless people can be and what a bizarre contrast it was hearing cell phones ring totally shattering the peacefulness and spiritual nature of the spectacular shrine. Luckily they didn't stay long. It's so neat to be able to see these places first hand. Seeing photos is one things, but being there -- standing in front of the actual shrine, smelling the burning incense and seeing rays of light beam down through the ancient experience is a whole new experience.

The reports continue to show us how, during this vast and varied journey, each student connects personally with something different.

As evidenced by the numerous and stunning photos we have seen of the Chinese people, Tom really enjoys capturing the real story of China through the people, especially their faces. Here is a small collection of some men found at the desert:
 

Hey, is that a restaurant in the background? Now, to get caught up with the reports, let’s read what Adam Rucker has to say about his journey east. Adam . . .

Adam Rucker, Junior
April 21, 2005

Our performance today was like no other. And our audience, though small (no pun intended) was one of the best. Six to twelve were the ages of the kids we played to. They could follow most of the play and it showed most of the time. Laughter erupted from all over the room in the "Diner" and "Rebel" scene, for instance.

It is interesting to see that Chinese kids share our sense of humor; they laugh at the same things, even though they are very, very different. After our performance, some of the kids at the school performed for us. Among the many performers who surprised me were the two little girls who played the pipa, a type of fretted stringed instrument. Although their playing was slightly slow at parts and off tempo, they were the best c. 8-year-old musicians I have ever seen totally. They were the only REAL musicians that age I have ever seen. Their hand-eye coordination was so good for such a young age. This is yet another example of the self-determination/discipline I find so impressive in Chinese students.
 

Afterwards, we had a chance to exchange gifts and talk to each other. I was also shocked at the amount of English the students knew and how well they spoke it. They kids were very well mannered and sort of mature in a way. They greatly appreciated our gifts, but I think they like giving us gifts more than receiving ours. I find this another example of unusually advanced maturity in Chinese kids.

I think this venue was an excellent choice on the part of whoever arranged the show. It gave us a chance to learn how to perform in front of younger kids, even though the kids were Chinese and other younger kids we'll perform for will be American. For future reference-to other kids who'll follow us to China -- I think it is always a good idea to try and adapt to one's audience at each show. By playing across China, even in more informal performances such as singing at dinners, we've gotten a good idea of how to act and play in all different places in front of all different kinds of audiences. I can't wait to perform in the States. I actually think it's going to be very similar to what we have been doing over here, but at the same time, it's going to be totally different.

NOTE: There you have it: So similar, so different. What Adam forgot to tell you is that, though the actual audience was only a couple hundred kids, the show was broadcast into every classroom in this 2,500 student primary school. Oddly enough, it was probably the biggest audience we've ever had in China with the exception of the show we did in that frighteningly cavernous Madison Square Garden-type venue last year.

It was another day in the arts: Adam and company had extra rehearsal time with the wind ensemble and the rest of us worked hard to polish the Mongolian dance and the songs we'll perform collaboratively. While Matt was at the wind ensemble rehearsal, Lili gracefully stepped in to conduct. Watching kids raise the bar for themselves; witnessing the big "ahhas". . , Teaching is immensely rewarding work. —ACL
 

I’ll bet those young kids would have enjoyed seeing Adam cut loose a la Jimi Hendrix!

You can learn a little bit more about the Pipa and other Chinese instruments here.

Alrighty then. This has been a big day, as we knew it would be. And every day here on out promises to be the same. Tom gives a brief overview of what’s in store for them today and beyond:

Busy, busy day today. Collaborations this morning, dress rehearsal this afternoon and the big show tonight. They will have news reporters and television people there to film the show. I expect that an excerpt or two will be shown on television here in Hohhot. Our students don't know what they are in for. Can't wait to see their faces today when the Arts College people bring out the costumes that they will wear.

Tomorrow [Sunday] is a shopping day and the final banquet is tomorrow night, as well. We have an early flight to Beijing on Monday, SYA on Monday afternoon, shopping for gifts for friends and loved ones on Tuesday and then off to the States on Wednesday. —Tom

Thanks for riding along with us today, everybody. It’s been twenty-six long days since you said goodbye to your child. It seems like months. To help pass some time over the next few days, revisit some of the early days of the journey. I think you’ll be absolutely amazed at all these kids have done and experienced. In fact, they have done so much, the events of this past Monday even seem long ago.

Enjoy your Saturday and we’ll see you right back here tomorrow. You don’t even want to miss tomorrow’s page!