November 2008
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Archive for November 2008

Autumn in New England - part 2 of 10

November 29, 2008 by Dianne.

One of the factors that contributes to the many colors that appear in New England in the fall is the great variety of trees that grow there. Not all trees are spectacular, of course. Some change briefly to a different color and then brown very quickly. For instance the following photo shows a tree that is not very colorful, but even this variety managed to display some subtle beauty.

Some species become a vibrant yellow:

Then there are the trees that morph from green to orange.

Most dramatic of all are those that become a bright red. Unfortunately most of these trees had reached their color peak before we arrived. However, I did spot one small tree of a different kind that, although still very young, managed to produce large leaves that were quite impressive.

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Autumn in New England - part 1 of 10

November 27, 2008 by Dianne.

Of course the trees do not just change colors overnight. It is a gradual process as shown in the following photos and gives us humans a hint of what is soon to come.

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Autumn in New England - introduction

November 25, 2008 by Dianne.

From October 20 until October 25 my sister Dorris and I were in New England (the group of 6 states in the northeastern corner of the U.S.) The event that drew us there at that time was our 50th college reunion.

Normally the reunions are held in May, but this year they decided to change it until October. At first we were disappointed, but then we realized that by going at that time we could observe the fall foliage, which is the most beautiful I have seen anywhere in the parts of the world where I have traveled.

Below is a photo showing trees in their greenery.

Beautiful - correct?

And then there is the picture of trees as we in the more northern climates see them for several months of the year when cold weather rules the environment.

Quite a different view, isn’t it? There is not a single leaf on this tree, and to some people it is a little depressing.

But it is what happens in New England between these two different stages that is so spectacular. In the upcoming few posts I will share with you the glorious show that Mother Nature puts on.

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Another person’s experience in the Grand Canyon

November 23, 2008 by Dianne.

Hi all,

One of my friends (actually it is the person who originally suggested I apply to teach at SISU because she had taught in the English College there between 1979 and 1981) sent me an email saying she had read the entries on the blog about the Grand Canyon and that it had made her think of her experiences. Below are some of her memories. One story about the photos she took as she rode down the canyon on the back of a donkey is very funny and the other is quite scary. I remember that it occurred to me when I was there that it would have been so difficult to see where the edge was if there were no fence and there was a mist or it was at night. Her story confirms that.

Below is what she wrote:

Regarding the Grand Canyon photos: when I was a teenager, a cousin and I took the donkey ride down to the oasis (not all the way to the ranch at the bottom). The ride down and back took something like 8 hours. We had lunch at the oasis. I took lots of photos on the way down. When they were developed, each shot was framed at the bottom by donkey ears–too funny. It was extremely hot and memorable–but nothing I ever need to do again. We were on a family trip that July, camping our way from VA to visit relatives in CO and NM, then on to CA, where my cousin began her freshman year in college. When we arrived at the canyon campsite, we all knew our duties: my mother and Aunt started dinner while the kids set up the tent and air mattresses. I walked over to the canyon rim moments after the sun had gone down. Clouds of mist were rising from the canyon floor, turning purple and blue in the fading light. It was a never-to-be-forgotten magical moment. I admit I was shocked that there was no railing around the “edge.” I could have easily stepped off into nothingness in the blue mist.

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Clever parrot

November 20, 2008 by Dianne.

Hi,

I have many photos still left from my Arizona trip and many others to put on the blog, but it will take me some time to get them ready to post, so for today let me pass on to you a Youtube address that a friend just sent me. It obviously comes from an American or Canadian TV show. Thought you might enjoy it. It is a little difficult to understand some of the things the parrot says, but he is really pretty clever.

Below is the address. Click on it. BTW, if you ever are unable to get to an address like this that I put on the blog, let me know. I test them out myself after I have written the blog, but sometimes there might still be problems in China.

Click here: YouTube - einstein the parrot

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Another reaction to Barach Obama’s election

November 18, 2008 by Dianne.

The same friend that sent me the website containing the many newspaper headlines from various countries also sent me the following piece that appeared in a U.S. newspaper. It was written, by Alice Walker. Some of you have read her novels and even written papers about her. I had several of her books in the little libraries I kept in my offices on the Hongkou and Song Jiang campuses, and I recall that they were frequently borrowed.

I think Ms. Walker captures the intensity and diversity of emotions - ranging from elation to disbelief to realization of all the struggles that had occurred in years past that made this historic event possible - that were felt by all African-Americans on the night of Nov. 4, 2008. In it she also offers the President-elect some advice. It is a beautifully written piece, and I wanted to pass it on to you. The article follows.

= = = =

Open Letter to Barack Obama from Alice Walker

Nov. 5, 2008

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people’s enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, “hate the sin, but love the sinner.” There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people’s spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

Finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,

Alice Walker

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Back to the blog

November 16, 2008 by Dianne.

Hi all,

For the past weeks you have mostly been seeing pictures from my trip to the Grand Canyon that I made in August because I was out of town and then had so many things to catch up on when I returned. Thus, I had scheduled blog postings ahead of time. The only one that was written on the day it actually appeared on the post was the one with my reaction to the election of Barach Obama.

Now I will try to post a connection to a web site that was sent to me by someone who campaigned very hard for Obama for more than a year. It will hopefully connect you to a site that shows the front pages of newspapers from many countries as they announced Obama’s election. It is easy to see that it was viewed as a welcome event virtually everywhere.

Click here: Obama Grabs Headlines

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Grand Canyon - tourists

November 12, 2008 by Dianne.

There are countless people from all over the world that come to see the Grand Canyon. While there we saw tourists from many different countries and heard a variety of languages.

Below is a photo of three of the people who greatly enjoyed their visit:

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Grand Canyon - a different kind of magnificence

November 9, 2008 by Dianne.

As we were walking along the rim, we noticed a group of people gathering off on one outcropping of rock and walked over to see what the attraction was.

Here is what we first saw. Can you see what the center of attention was?

As we watched, we could see more clearly why people were excited.

It was a bald eagle, a bird that is native to America and is the symbol of the United States. As you can see, the name is a misnomer; the eagle is not usually bald, but it is an elegant and very large bird. They can be seen flying in the southwestern part of the U.S. On the endangered species list for decades, it is now slowly increasing in numbers and will, hopefully, escape extinction. Below you can see its elegance as it spreads its wings majestically.

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Grand Canyon - other interesting items

November 6, 2008 by Dianne.

At one end of the viewing area along the southern rim there is a small area that does contain a limited amount of commercialism. One of the two buildings present is a gift shop. However, in order to preserve the atmosphere, it was built in the shape of a traditional Native American living area. You can see that, basically, it consisted of piling stones up to the desired height. I do not know what was used at that time to hold the stones together (if anything), but now, of course, some material is used to make the structure safe to be entered.

Below is a flat rock that stands in front of the house. It has been decorated with petroglyphs typical of those used by the Native Americansin the absence of a written language. Such drawings have been used by many of our ancestors and are sometimes found in ancient caves worldwide in which these people attempted to record theirimportant events in history.

This “commercial” area also includes the arrival point for the old-fashioned steam locomotive that still brings people to the Southern Rim just as it has done for many, many decades. Many people prefer to use the train rather than driving just for the opportunity to experience this old-fashioned train.

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