This is a question Claire and I get from Americans when they hear of our tandem bicycle travels in third-world countries and our perseverance in spite of difficult conditions. Of course, there is no answer to such a pejorative question. By using the phrase “possess you” they are saying they think us possessed – maybe even crazy. Perhaps we are. Crazy – but also fulfilled.

Many JOO readers visited our New Bohemians website between early September and late December of 2009. We hope you enjoyed the journals, photos, and videos you found there, and we hope you learned something about Asia.

Just in case you joined us in the middle, I’ll give you a snapshot of our journey, and what inspired us to pick our difficult route.

The first part of our plan was to ride our tandem bicycle across the mountains of historic Tibet and into Yunnan province, to the mythical and literal land of Shangri-la. The concept of seeking out Shangri-la the hard way, on a tandem bicycle, came from ongoing motivations:

• To see our World from a unique perspective, at a speed that allows for contemplation of its many mysteries.
• To challenge ourselves against the unknown, find adventure, excitement, and fulfillment doing what we love.
• To represent a side of America foreigners seldom see on TV: wholesome, optimistic, open and caring, with a physical work ethic like their own.
• To share with diverse peoples our joy in life. From Urumchi to Winnemucca, from Alice Springs to Baku, the love for a spouse and shared labor is universally appealing.
• To gather material for our magazine writing, Just One Opinion, and NewBohemians.net.

This is not our first such adventure. Our tandem bicycle, somewhat inappropriately named Zippy, has carried us 40,000 plus miles (nearly 1.6 times around the world) over the last few years. “In Search of Shangri-la” was our second tandem journey in Asia, our first being our Silk Road Crossing from Beijing to Istanbul. Despite the difficulties of that trip – language, political unrest, route location, illness, and food – we wanted to go back.

We chose the most mountainous route possible to Shangri-la, over the steep fingers of the east end of the Himalayas. This turned out to be almost too much for this not-so-young-anymore tandem team, but by cooperation, tenacity, and thanks to a lot of help from friends we made along the way, we prevailed. There was the Tibetan family who took us in when a snowy night overhauled us. Later, a road crew shared their space and dinner with us as high winds, sleet, and our own exhaustion threatened our ability to go on.

After descending into Yunnan, China we found the literal Shangri-la, and were somewhat disappointed by its touristy reality. On the other hand, it did have a certain charm, sheltered us for three days, and provided better food to help us continue our trip. Did we actually find the mythical Shangri-la? Read on:

The “Shangri-la” most of us know is the mythical place of perfect happiness. The word and the concept were invented by the British author James Hilton in 1933. He described a Utopian kingdom where people lived to healthy old age, content and happy beyond the understanding of most Westerners. His “Shangri-la” was located in the mountains of northern Yunnan Province and western Sichuan Province where the Tibetans and most of the other fifty-three minorities of China live. It is a spectacularly beautiful part of the world, from the plateaus and barren gorges of Tibetan Sichuan, to the botanical paradise of the mountains of Yunnan.

Unfortunately, life is not always easy for the people living there. The terrain is brutally steep, the rivers violent, the winters high-altitude harsh, and the ethnic majority Han population of China is not always kind to them. Some residents are stoic and others are happy – not too different than those of us from the West – but their happiness quotient is very high considering the challenges they face in their daily life.

Further along in our journey we found the people who would be most like the mythical Shangri-la people – and in a most unlikely place.

Laos has been the whipping boy for Southeast Asia for much of its ancient history. In recent history it has been misused by its neighbors and colonial powers alike. During the “American War” (as southeast Asians call the Vietnam War), more total tonnage of bombs was dropped on Laos than by all sides during World War II. Even now, hundreds of people are killed and maimed every year by unexploded anti-personnel ordinance dropped over 40 years ago.

We felt the fear they live with every day when we were lost for two days in an area not cleared by bomb disposal crews. They go to work in their rice paddies or hunt in the jungle each day, knowing there may be a “bombie” out there with their name on it. And yet they bear no grudge against the Americans who salted their land with death.

The Lao we met are happy, well nourished, and live a rich family and village life. Laos has one of the few Communist governments left in the world, but it seems to have little influence on the lives of the people.

Is Laos Shangri-la? As we worked our way up a Lao mountain, we met a German with a story to tell. He was bicycle touring nine years ago when he became ill with food poisoning in Laos. While recovering, he met his future wife, and they now have two children. He runs his father-in-law’s pig farm, and has become Lao in every way except for his race. I asked if he would ever return to Germany. “Never!” was his answer. He has found his Shangri-la.

After eight months of bicycle touring in Asia over the last few years, the continent has again left me staggered. Just as I think I have the real Asia nailed, I find myself blindsided by the reality, the vitality, the sheer size and complexity of the continent.

Some will say I should just stay home and absorb the opinions of the talking heads, those government and politically motivated experts – most who have never set foot in Asia outside the capitals. I don’t believe that accepting observations from someone riding in the back seat of a Mercedes with darkened windows – never stopping, but just driving past the toiling masses – necessarily offers a true picture of that great continent.

Westerners have always misunderstood the Asian ethos, and underestimated the tenacity of the people. We need to get past stereotypes and open our eyes. Those of us living in the West will be competing with Asians and need to understand their hopes and desires, allowing us to work with them in mutual respect and to our mutual benefit.

Both Claire and I will be writing about Asia for a long time, for Just One Opinion and on our own website. If you would like to read our stories and see our photos and videos during our “In Search of Shangri-la” journey, follow the link to NewBohemians.net.

Editor’s Note: Chi Newman is a frequent contributor to Just One Opinion. She is our expert on all things Asian, especially Chinese food and culture, because she was born and raised there. Chi wrote this article for her own website at Chi-Newman.com and offered to let us publish it here. I bet you’ll have a craving for Chinese food that will last for days!

Its been several months since I contributed an article to my website and here at Just One Opinion. I’ve been really busy lately, but I felt like writing and sharing some of my Chinese recipes with you. These are not banquet dishes, these are family dishes.

In China, family dishes are called “shia fan,” which literally means dishes that make the rice go down. For common people this type of food can be quite inexpensive, but the ingredients are cooked with so much flavor by the adding of hot peppers, garlic, ginger and onions, that sometimes these “shia fan” dishes taste better than banquet dishes.

You do not need a big piece of meat. One chicken breast, a few shrimp, a pork chop or small piece of steak would be enough to feed a whole family. To these ingredients we add a little bit of this and a little of that – ingredients that are already in your refrigerator. You might have half a green pepper or red pepper, a carrot, some celery sticks, green onions – or some nuts like cashews, almonds or peanuts. Include ginger, garlic, hot pepper sauce, or flakes. Add these to the meat you have to make a very healthy and flavorful meal that will feed the whole family. Chinese hosts always serve rice on the side.

Once you know the art of stir frying, you can always find some things to make a beautiful dish. The actual cooking time is very short, but the preparation and cutting can take time. You’ll need many little bowls to keep each ingredient separate. Marinate the meat in the sauce you will have prepared, but each vegetable should be stir fried separately to retain its color and consistency.

Even in cooking we never forget to practice the “Yin-Yang” philosophy. There is never a Chinese dish that is all white or all dark. There are always contrasting colors and textures in keeping with our philosophy of balance and opposites.

CHICKEN AND CASHEWS

2 chicken breasts, cut into squares

2 egg whites, unbeaten
2 Tbs.of good white wine
1 1/2 Tbs cornstarch
Mix the above ingredients, and toss into the chicken breasts, let stand

2 slices of ginger, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
3 cloves crushed garlic

1 cup of cashews, or peanuts
1/2 green pepper (cut into squares)
1/2 red pepper (cut into squares)
5 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in boiling water till soft. Squeeze dry and cut into squares. (Any kind of fresh mushrooms can be used.)
2 stalks of celery, cut into cubes
Oil (preferably vegetable or peanut oil for frying)

SAUCE

1 1/2 Tbs red wine
1 1/2 Tbsp ketchup (for color)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3 Tbsps soy sauce
1 Tbsp Hosing sauce (can be bought at any supermarket)
2 Tbsps of hot red pepper sauce (can be bought at any supermarket) I like the Sambal Oilek (ground fresh chili paste, it is made in the USA) (optional)

1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water

Cut chicken breast into squares and mix with unbeaten egg whites, wine and cornstarch. Let stand.
Heat enough oil to fry nuts, season and remove to bowl. Heat oil to fry green pepper, red pepper and celery till cooked but still crisp, season and remove to bowl. Heat oil to fry mushrooms, season and remove.

Heat 6 Tbsp oil till very hot, add ginger, green onions, garlic, till very hot and fragrant, add chicken till it turns white, then add the premixed sauce. Stir till completely mixed. Add the cornstarch and water to chicken to thicken. Now add vegetables and nuts to blend. Remove immediately to platter. Serve with white rice on the side.

Note: This dish has all the ingredients to make a healthy meal. You can exchange the vegetables to broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or any other vegetables. Remember to keep the vegetables crisp and colorful in contrast with the dark meat. Also note how inexpensive it is to serve a whole meal that is not only healthy but delicious with just a few things you have at home.

HOT AND SOUR SOUP

This is an exciting soup full of contrasting flavors and texture, and a perfect example of the Yin-Yang that I talked about. It ranges from soft bean curd to chewy bamboo shoots. The pork blends well with the smoky shitake mushrooms, and the hot and sour taste is perfect for a cold winter day.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes:
5 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 Tbsps soya sauce
5 pre-soaked Chinese shitake mushrooms sliced, or any other mushroom of your choice
1/2 cup of bamboo shoots sliced into strips
1 cup pork sliced into thin strips

Add:
2 cakes of firm bean curd cut into cubes (well drained)
2 Tbsps fresh ground pepper
3 Tbsps rice vinegar, or any vinegar of your choice
3 Tbsps cornstarch mixed with some water to thicken

When soup comes to a full boil add 3 beaten eggs slowly to the broth. To serve add a few drops of sesame oil in each bowl for flavor and sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves.

SWEET AND SOUR PORK

A
1 lb. loin of pork
1 Tbsps sherry or red wine
2 Tbsps soya sauce
1 1/2 Tbsps cornstarch
Enough oil for deep frying

B
1 big yellow onion, cut into squares
1 big carrot, quartered
Enough oil to fry carrot and onion till cooked.
1 medium size can pineapple chunks, drained.

C
6 Tbsps sugar
4 Tbsps soya sauce
1 Tbsp red wine
2 Tbsps vinegar
4 Tbsps catsup
2 tsps pickle relish
a few drops of Tabasco sauce

1 Tbsp of cornstarch, mixed with 1/2 cup water.

Cut pork into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Mix well with A ingredients, except oil. Heat oil till very hot, and fry till golden brown. Turn out on a plate.

Heat about 4 Tbsps oil and stir fry carrots and onions till cooked. Add pineapple and remove to plate

Mix C ingredients in a large pot, except for the cornstarch. Add A and B ingredients. Let it come to a boil, add cornstarch mixture to thicken, remove immediately and serve.

CUCUMBER SALAD

6 pickling cucumbers, or 3 English cucumbers (unpeeled, or peeled if you wish)
3 slices of ginger, cut into thin strips
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 green onions, cut into small pieces
Mix well and add enough salt to coat. Cover and let stand for an hour or so. Drain well and wash with cold water. Pat dry completely.

Mix above ingredients and place in a serving bowl.

SAUCE

2 Tbsps soya sauce
2 Tbsps rice vinegar (or any vinegar of your choice)
2 Tbsps toasted sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp hot pepper sauce.
1 Tbsps white sesame seeds

Mix above ingredients, and pour over cucumbers. Mix well and place in refrigerator. Serve with the above dishes.

I hope you enjoy these dishes and if you have problems, contact me through my website.

Love, Chi

Be sure to check their website for their personal holiday greeting video. They’ll share some of their experiences that they’ve had along the way along with their personal feelings about the people and places they’ve visited.

Bob also shares some news on their plans for the near future and for next year. I’m already getting excited for them.

As the Senior Editor of Just One Opinion, I’d just like to let them know how much we’ve enjoyed following along and keeping updated on the progress of their long bicycling trip. I personally am amazed and totally in awe of their accomplishments – and their personal strength of character and courage to take on such an adventure.

So our thumbs up to Bob and Claire Rogers! Good going! You’ve made us all proud to be Americans and to have had you representing us to our Asian cousins.

Bob and Claire’s website, NewBohemians.net, along with some of their most recent adventures, can be reached from the links found in the right sidebar. Be sure to check out all of their past adventures and photo galleries as well. Your visit will be well worth your time.

Wrapped in plastic as carefully as though it were an original, the book I wanted had a full color cover, plasticized, just like an original, but something was fishy. The photo quality was poor and the alignment skewed. A medallion featuring the Kiriyama 1999 Pacific Rim Book Prize was flat and fuzzy. I rattled the loose spine, flipping through the unevenly trimmed pages. The tilted text, a blurry slate gray, lay flat against a too white field, cratered with distracting stray pockmarks. The photocopied pages irritated my skin like a million little paper cuts and lacked the warm eggshell color and texture of a real book. Leaves squeaked rather than rustled.

I was revolted; why would anyone want to even hold this book, much less read it? It didn’t even smell like a book. It was as annoying as scratchy Muzak or fuzzy red and gold wallpaper.

Bob’s patience wore thin as we rounded the block, combing shop after shop, looking for an original of the book I wanted. Again and again, I left the shopkeeper looking confused after they went to the trouble to dig out the title I asked for. Flipping through the flaky pages, I left, crestfallen, time after time.

The irony was the book was Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam, by Andrew X. Pham. Pham, a Vietnamese American, returned to the country of his birth, only to find it far astray from his own culture. He’s been carefully explaining to me, page by page, why I found Vietnam so maddening: aggressive vendors, raucous drunks, deafening horns, and unshakable beggars. Like Pham, I wanted to like Vietnam and felt guilty for not being able to, after all, I was born here too. There must be something I can bond with. I appreciate his honesty. I appreciate having found a genuine volume.

Asian sentiment lacks an appreciation for original work, for intellectual property or the concept of copyright. Everyone in Asia seems to work so hard that it doesn’t seem to matter that your occupation is simply to make copies of something. Same-same.

Pirated books and tapes in Saigon…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=167RNHVTYMw

I wondered at my visceral reaction to the fakes. Was I feeling sorry for the unrewarded authors? I was upset that the vendors expected me to take part in their farce and willingly accept an inferior product. Maybe my puzzling behavior will set the knock-off vendors to consider what the big deal is.

A high percentage of these anti-personnel cluster bombs, or “bombies,” failed to explode on impact. Many still lie today just below the surface, ready for a water buffalo or a farmer to step on the wrong spot -- or for an innocent blow by a hoe or spade. They sit and wait for a young boy to find one and then try to prove his bravery by playing with the deadly toy.

During the many years of bombing, thousands died or were maimed by unexploded ordnance, bombies and larger bombs. The local residents gave up and abandoned their water buffalo and their bomb riddled rice paddies and fled. After they begged for surcease in Vientiane, their pleas were eventually heard by the U. S. Congress, who had been kept in the dark about the bombing by the President. Hearings were held and the bombing finally ended. No one was ever punished for lying to Congress or for committing what most readings of the Geneva Conventions would define as war crimes.

The U.S. conducted the largest bombardment of a population in history in a few small provinces of a small country. More tonnage of explosives was dropped on Laos than in all of World War II. That deserves repeating: More bombs were dropped on the small country of Laos than during all of World War II. That is an absolutely staggering fact.

Historical view of the war in Laos…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXkF5YgZAX8

We recently visited Xieng Khuang to tour the Plain of Jars. Each site had areas marked off-limits because much of the province remains to be cleared of Viet Nam era ordinance. For their own safety, tourists dare not wander off the marked paths.

At the three sites we visited, bombies had been cleared. Most sites contained several large craters, probably created by 500 pound bombs. Many relics dating back 2000-2500 years were overturned or destroyed. It was a sobering sight to stand at the edge of one of those craters, and then later to see a man with no legs. It was hard for us not to become emotional, realizing that what we were seeing had been our tax dollars at work.

Let me back off for a moment and look at this subject less passionately. War -- any war or method of war -- seems like a good idea at its beginning. President Lyndon Johnson, who presided over much of the Secret War, was probably convinced by his advisors that the war in Indochina was a good idea. It is doubtful that anyone considered the long-term consequences of the bombies being dropped during that war. The workers at Honeywell probably didn’t think that the products of their labor would still be killing and maiming children forty years later.

In recent years, the Bush Administration used convoluted reasoning and language to justify torturing people, clearly in direct violation of the Geneva Convention. To the President, using torture probably seemed like a good idea. Sitting behind his big desk in the Oval Office, he was being pushed by smart and persuasive advisors, all afraid of an unknown enemy. America’s image as the champion of human rights has been damaged for years to come.  It seems that even the worst ideas always seem reasonable and appropriate initially.

Someone has to bear the responsibility for those decisions. Who should bear that burden? Maybe it should be you and I, because we didn’t speak up and demand better from our leaders. Maybe -- just maybe -- we all share the blame.

The Lao people bear us no grudges; they actually like Americans. They seem to understand the concept of forgiveness far better than we do. It’s interesting that our supposedly Christian country, one that preaches forgiveness to everyone else in the world, won’t help a small country we’ve injured, simply because they refuse to reject Communism. Laotian Buddhists are forgiving us, citizens of the country whose bombs are still killing them. We need to reconsider our professed values and compare them to those we actually live by. Our words are clearly at odds with our deeds; eventually there will be a price for us to pay.

Death and dismemberment continue to happen throughout the country. In Xieng Khuang province, forty to sixty people are killed or maimed annually, over thirty-six years since the bombings ended. Forty percent of the victims are children, mostly boys who pick up the bombies. Young males are attracted to dangerous things; they have no concept of mortality, believing they will live forever. Many will live long lives, but without their arms and legs. That’s a difficult sentence for any young man to serve in a poor country where physical labor is your only asset.

Laos found itself in the middle of the war between the United States and North Vietnam for over ten years. The Vietnamese used the Ho Chi Minh Trail that runs along the Laotian border and then took the war west into the agricultural central plateau of the country. The Laotians reluctantly found themselves drawn into the war by both North Vietnam and the Allies.

The people of Laos didn’t contribute much to the war and were officially considered neutral, but they still paid a heavy price for their involvement. In addition to the loss of thousands of Laotians, much of the country’s agricultural land is still unusable because of remaining live ordnance. The government of Laos, with the help of international NGOs from Britain, Australia and other countries, is managing the painstaking job of clearly unexploded ordnance.

The United States has reportedly offered to help with the cleanup, but our strident anti-Communism has blocked negotiations.  A flag showing the hammer and sickle flew outside the window of our guesthouse recently, but that is the only sign we have seen of a Communist society. The army’s presence is minimal, usually just a truck or two passing us on the highway, their soldiers waving and smiling to us like all other Lao people. Our passports are not checked at each guesthouse, or along the roads, as they were in China.

If the Lao system is socialist, like China’s, we haven’t seen it. It’s hard working people live by small capitalism. The government doesn’t seem concerned with controlling its people, or stifling their free market efforts. The government provides decent roads (better than China), and some sub-standard schools, but not much else. They certainly are not a threat to anyone, especially us. The Cold War Era “domino theory” was long ago proven irrelevant.

It’s time for America to pipe down, and pitch in – and help clear the remaining bombs we’ve left in our wake.

Bob has also included several videos of the friendly people of China.

For an even bigger treat, check out their “Shangri-la” photo gallery. Bob swears that he only has a cheap little digital camera with him, but some of the photos he and Claire have gathered are breathtaking and amazing.

Take five minutes out of your day and go view the amazing sites that the Rogers have shared with all of their readers and those of JustOneOpinion.com.

Link to NewBohemians.net Shangri-La Photo Gallery

Editor’s Note: As Bob and Claire Rogers continue their amazing cycling trip, our attention has been focused on all things “Asian.” Chi Newman offered to let us publish this adaptation of her article that describes her recent trip to Taiwan. I’m sure that you will be amazed as she describes the changes there since she last visited this beautiful island off the east coast of mainland China. Click here to go to Chi’s original article…

In 1594 a Portuguese ship sighted the main island of Taiwan and dubbed it “Ilha Formosa,” which means “beautiful island.” Although Taiwan (formerly Formosa) has been part of the Chinese empire for a very long time, the aboriginal inhabitants are not even related to the Chinese, but came from the islands of the Pacific.

The Chinese only arrived in large numbers after 1600, when the Dutch East India Company established trading posts and forts on the island. After they defeated the Dutch in 1662, they gained control over the island and stayed until the end of the 19th century when the Japanese took over. They also left their mark on the island, remaining in control until after World War 2, when they were succeeded by Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang.

How can I begin to write about my trip to Taiwan except to use the Portuguese word “Saudade”? “Saudade” is a word that envelopes so many emotions: nostalgia, longing, yearning, love, friendship, desire, etc. No other language has a word like it. Taiwan was once called “Formosa”, another Portuguese word which means “beautiful.”

I was last in Taiwan when my husband, Richard, served in Vietnam between 1968-1970. Our family was not allowed to go to Vietnam, so I went to Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, with my two young children. We were 180 wives with no husbands.

Since then Taiwan has changed so much that I did not know the place, but all for the better. It is a wealthy and vibrant island with hard working, polite people. They especially stress the importance of a good education for its youth.

I wanted to see my older sister, Amy, because her third son Michael had written to tell me she had been ill. It had been many years since I last saw her, as well as her three sons and their families. I did not want to linger over my decision for fear I might change my mind. I booked my ticket and left four days later. None of my family members could go with me, so I was quite nervous about flying half-way around the world alone. I had never gone anywhere without Dick, even on short trips. I closed my mind and refused to think negative thoughts, especially about the typhoon that was pounding the southern part of the island causing devastation and death.

I finally arrived in Taipei on China Air Lines around 9 PM. I was on the road for over twenty hours and was so tired that I did not even remember when my nephew Michael picked up my luggage, or the drive to my sister’s apartment.

Amy had surgery last year. She was fine, although she still had some breathing problems and coughed constantly. It was wonderful to see her again, and we made up for lost time. It was especially exciting to be speaking Chinese. Amy had thought of everything to make me comfortable. She even gave me a cell phone to make overseas calls and pocket money to spend. She also had a full-time maid and a chauffeur.

The next night a French banquet was given in my honor so that I could meet the family and Amy’s close friends. I had forgotten about all the protocol – the exchanging of gifts and the toasting that was exchanged back and forth before the meal was served. The liquors of choice were mostly “Johnny Walker Blue” and “Chivas Royal Salute.” I sipped on my half glass of white wine while I noticed with admiration and total awe the amount of liquor being consumed. It brought back memories of when I was a child in Beijing, and the many banquets my parents hosted with their Mahjong games. My mother was considered the perfect hostess and could drink to and toast each guest throughout the long meal -- but I never remember seeing her drunk. My sister certainly was as perfect a hostess as my mother.

While I was there, my oldest nephew Ricky, along with his wife and family, were vacationing in Massachusetts. Their three daughters have all graduated from the best schools in the United States and Europe. They were returning the day after I left Taiwan, so I was sorry to miss them. Amy took me to see their home located in Yangmingshan, a very exclusive area of Taipei. The houses and land there were amazing. The kitchens were equipped for either western or Chinese cuisines.

I took a tour of the manicured grounds and petted the three horses in their stables. Their youngest daughter now lives in Amsterdam and competes in horse shows in Europe. I was very impressed with everything.

My second nephew, Andy, is the CEO of several companies. He and his wife, Bonnie, have two children. Tiffany, who is 22, has a perfect figure, creamy white skin, and is very beautiful. I thought of Scarlett Johansson when I met her. She was leaving in two days to go to Hongkong and Shanghai to look for a job. She took me to the night market – a very popular tourist attraction. The market sold everything from shoes to trinkets and served every kind of food one could desire.Their son, Ian, is twelve. He told me he has too much homework, but it’s necessary because the education system is very competitive. Andy takes time on weekends to play tennis and be with his family, because during the week he spends many of his evenings  hosting overseas business guests. The whole family has luncheon and dinner together every Sunday.

Bonnie, my niece, and I had a delightful day together. She is very pretty and full of life. She speaks perfect English, and worked as an airline hostess for China Air Lines for seven years. She took me to a famous Chinese restaurant for lunch, where I ordered many dishes that I remembered from my childhood: drunken chicken, red-braised pork with skin that melts in your mouth, little steamed buns filled with pockets of succulent meat and juice, and specialty dishes from many provinces. These are called “Shia Fan” dishes, which means dishes that make the rice go down; they were so delicious, so well seasoned, so amazing that I wanted to remember the flavors forever. For desert, I ordered rice flour balls stuffed with black sesame paste.

She then took me to a massage parlor where I had an hour-long massage. I was totally satisfied with my day, but Bonnie had one more surprise for me. She was taking me to her favorite hair dresser to get my hair done. Before the girl washed my hair, I had another 15 or 20 minute massage of my head and shoulders. Bonnie was finally satisfied and I was ready to go home and take a long nap before the big dinner that night.

Michael, the youngest son, is an attorney-at-law for Baker and McKenzie. He is not married and lives close to Amy, so he came over every morning to have breakfast with us. What a charmer! I felt fortunate to see him so often. He is a gourmand and usually ordered the dishes and wines for the banquets and luncheons.

Michael and his friend, Gogi, who is a very well known fashion designer in Taipei, picked me up one Saturday morning and took me to the flower and jade market. I have never imagined so many variety of flowers, especially orchids. Then we went to the jade market, where I admired the great variety of jade, rings, pendants, and statues. These two markets are several blocks long and are only open on Saturdays and Sundays -- during the week they are transformed into parking lots.

We also visited “Taipei 101,” the tallest building in the world. Visitors can watch the multimedia show before riding the world’s fastest elevator to the 89th floor. The elevator has a high pressurized speed of over a thousand meters per minute. The observatory is equipped with high power binoculars, drink bars, image services, and recorded multimedia guides in eight languages. Visitors can observe the detailed structure and the heaviest wind damper which weighs 660 metric tons. Looking out the window one can see all of Taipei and its famous landscape. To reach the 91st floor one must take the steps from the 89th floor. You will feel the strong winds and see up close the spire to the building’s 508 meters high sphere. You can watch a theater film that shows the building’s construction and last New Year’s celebration with a fireworks display which emanated from all parts of the towering structure.

View of the National Palace Museum from the top of Taipei 101…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhaaTViymUs

I also took a day-long tour of Taipei and surroundings with six other passengers -- two from America, two from Australia, and one from Japan. We visited some of the must-see historical sights. The first was the Chiang Kai Shek memorial park. Around the park, a 1200 meter corridor is built. A Chinese window taking the form of a lantern is seen on the wall every 4.5 meters. There are two ponds that take up 3000 square meters. It is surrounded by stones and landscaped with artificial hills, stone-paved paths, and arched bridges. In the ponds a great number of bright-colored carp swim back and forth. With an area of 250,000 square meters, the Memorial Park is a paradise for animals, plants, and birds. One can see the butterflies flying among the flowers and bees busily collecting honey.

We then moved on to Chih Fu Temple. The main god of this Temple is the God of the Land, Taiwan’s most popular god. This god has evolved into human form and understands all the hardships of the human being. He has the power to influence people and is always ready to help when needed. He has a healthy face, silver hair, kind eyes and laughing lips. The day to worship the “God of Land” is called “Ya,” which means to “welcome fortune.” It is held on the second and the sixteenth days of the lunar month.

The best visit was saved for last -- the National Palace Museum. It has a permanent collection of over 650,000 Chinese artifacts and other pieces of art -- the largest collection in the world. In 2008 it was the world’s 15th most visited museum. In 2001 the museum underwent a major overhaul that cost $21 million, making it more spacious and modern. The displays are rotated once every three months. If you were to see all 650,000 pieces, it would take you more than twelve years.

Finally, my trip came to a close. I’m now back in Tucson with my loving family. I am again enjoying the glorious sunsets, the majestic mountains, and the quaint cacti. I will be playing tennis and duplicate bridge, cooking and baking, and enjoying the friends I love.

This simple life is good for my soul. I can truly say I would be satisfied if all my worldly goods consisted of a good tennis racket, a bridge table, an efficient stove, and a comfortable bed on which to lay my head.

I will always treasure my memories of Taipei and keep them stored in my heart to relive and savor: the distinctive food specialties of each province, the toasting before the banquets, the red envelopes with money for tipping, the gifts that are exchanged, and the protocol for each event.

I will also remember the kindness of my family and friends, the polite waitresses and service people in their neat uniforms, and the emphasis on education. I have fulfilled all of my senses -- from the exotic fruits and vegetables, the variety of sea food, fowl and meat (especially the exceedingly tender and flavorful Kobe beef), the beauty of orchids and other strange flowers, and the exquisite art and paintings.

I was also very impressed that everyone spoke Mandarin, which has unified all the Chinese people.

What a journey! What a vacation! What memories!

Thank you, Taiwan.

This wonderous place called “Shangri-La” has become a template for almost any modern earthly paradise, but is presented as a mythical Himalayan utopia, forever happy and healthy because it is completely isolated and insulated from the influences, wars, and diseases of the outside world.

In fact, in both the book and the 1937 Frank Capra directed movie “Lost Horizon” starring Ronald Colman and Jane Wyatt, Shangri-La was presented as an Eden surrounded by nearly impassable Himalayan peaks. The story was very convincing and it generated feelings of hope that such a place could really exist, especially during the time of the Great Depression and the world-wide economic collapse that was leading directly toward the most devastating war in human history.

Many expeditions actually set out in the Himalayan mountain ranges looking for the fabled Shangri-La, even though it was only a fictional place dreamed up by Mr. Hilton. His description of the people living at Shangri-La as being nearly immortal, living years beyond their normal lifespan and only slowly aging in appearance, created an almost religious devotion toward finding such a place.

Today whenever we hear the name of Shangri-La we usually think of an exotic paradise somewhere in the Orient. Our friends and frequent contributors to Just One Opinion, Bob and Claire Rogers, are on their own quest to find their “Shangri-La.” As this is being written they are pedaling their tandem bicycle across the streets, hiqhways and dirt roads of southern Asia. Those of us at JOO will do our best to keep you up-to-date on their progress and experiences as they ride on toward their goal, their own vision of Shangri-La.

Here’s a link to Bob and Claire’s own article about “Shangri-La” published on their website: “Shangri-La: Journey into myth, searching for reality”

Check back daily at JustOneOpinion.com for updates (links are located in the right sidebar) and the Rogers’ own website at NewBohemians.net for the latest news about their progress. Bob and Claire will be uploading articles, photos, and videos directly to their website whenever and as often as they can. Wi-Fi is available throughout Asia, but there are huge gaps between available access. So bear with them and wish them luck on their long, arduous – but most exciting trip.

If you want to email Bob and Claire and send them your good wishes, try them at BobRogers@NewBohemians.net.

You can keep track of their progress on this special journal page updated daily at JustOneOpinion.com.

Editor’s Note: Events of recent weeks in far western China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region, prompted this submission from someone who has been there, and who must – for now – remain anonymous.

Urumqi, Xinjiang is a fascinating city of broad ethnic diversity, mixed Soviet and traditional architecture, a reasonable infrastructure, and excellent food. In addition to the balanced and dominant Uyghur and Han ethnicities, also represented are Kazak, Hui, Mongolian, Kirgiz, Xibe, Tajik, Ozbek, Manchu, Daur, Tatar and Russian. But throughout Xinjiang, it is the Han, associated with the central government, and the Uyghurs, who still call the area East Turkistan, who are, and have been for recorded history, in conflict. As we have seen this summer, the conflict has often been violent.

We traveled to Urumqi from Beijing on our way across Asia on the Silk Road a few years ago. We found the people to be friendly, both Han and Uyghurs alike, but ethnic division was apparent throughout the region.

The year before we traveled through Xinjiang, the Uyghurs had bombed several buses in Urumqi, but it was not fully covered by the Western press, probably for lack of reporters in the region.

Who are these Uyghurs anyway? They live in such a remote part of China that few Westerners visit, or even know it exists. The Uyghurs are a Turkic people, and lay ethnic claim to a huge area of Central Asia reaching as far as Turkey in the west, Iran in the south, most of Kazakhstan and all of Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Early multiple invasions by warring peoples, and modern divide-and-conquer tactics of the Russians, with the consent of China, shattered geographic Turkistan, but the memory of Turkic speaking peoples is long.

Uyghurs, who lay moral and historic claim to East Turkistan (Xinjiang), have been the most active in attempting to regain full autonomy in historic times. As with the Tibetan minority, they chafe under Chinese (Han) rule. That constant burr under the saddle of their steppe ponies, periodically leads them to violence.

The most recent burr was the killing of Uyghurs by Han in a Southern China factory in the city of Shaoguan. The Uyghurs have trouble finding work in their own oil and gas rich region, and are forced to compete with the Han for factory jobs far from home.

As we arrived in one remote village, we were swarmed by a large group of Uyghur men, curious about the rare sight of a Caucasian couple riding a type of bicycle they had never seen. We soon learned they had been waiting for days, a prayer rug and blanket comprising their possessions, for a few low paying hard labor jobs repairing the single road to Kazakhstan. The supervisors were all Han, and paid much more than the Uyghurs

A few days later, near the border with Kazakhstan, a Uyghur had been told an American couple was staying at the hotel, and he waited for us to return from a walk. If you travel independently in China, you soon learn many people know where you are at all times. It can be unsettling at first. Local authorities knew he was meeting with us, and he probably was taking a risk.

Here is an account of our meeting from my journals:

He is a large Uyghur man of 47. He says he was a boxer and basketball player. He is fat now, in a successful businessman sort of way; proof of prosperity, somewhat of a rarity among Uyghurs. He orders the Han staff around like the stereotypical “Ugly American,” though he is a Chinese citizen. However, he is not Han, he is Uyghur, and thus does not see himself as being Chinese. Uyghur is his identity; he knows the bounds of his ethnicity and chafes at the loss of autonomy at the hands of the Chinese.

“Peejo! Peejo!” He waves his arm ordering more beer, and another Uyghur dish, both of which he pushes on us. “America good!” he says, and smiles broadly, setting broadside on his chair, legs spread to make room for his belly. He says something else, raises both hands high into the air, lifting up an imaginary something to great heights. “America,” he sighs. “America.” Then his beatific smile turns to a snarl, “China!” He turns up a little finger and spits on it, ultimate insult. “China bad.” Spit. “America!,” his voice softens again, and he lays his hand on his heart. “America.” Then he brightens, “George Bush! Good! America. Good!” He frowns again, “Saddam. Bad!” He is showing his solidarity with another small ethnic minority, the Kurdish in northern Iraq and Turkey.

We listen. He of course assumes we agree with him completely. There is no use trying to communicate that these questions are more complicated than perhaps he sees from his perspective. We smile. I try to drink just enough beer to please him, without getting drunk. I feel sorry for the poor man. He really thinks (he is not alone among Uyghurs) that America will someday restore the Uyghur homeland of western China to them. He really thinks America will attack China, just like we attacked Iraq. Poor man. Even an ego as big as George W. Bush would not consider attacking China.

The commercial dragon is awakening, and that is arguably good for the world economy; the sleeping dragon of the Chinese military might is not something to be awakened; not for a few million Uyghurs; sheepherders, horse and camel wanderers of the steppes and deserts of China. No, the Uyghurs will be free when they free themselves, and the Han will probably never allow that. They will dominate and eventually overwhelm with sheer population numbers, as they have done to the Tibetans. The dragon sleeps, but is still a dragon.

It appears that many in this major ethnic group, have somehow come to believe that we are their saviors. I’m not sure what our government has told them, or to what purpose, but since some of them are training to be terrorists, which is how they got to Guantanamo, I hope they don’t turn on us in their disappointment.

In coming months I will write about different Chinese ethnic groups, their relationship to the Han majority, and what that could mean for the Chinese government and their single party system.

China is a force to be reckoned with in this century, and we had better learn as much about the people and their ambitions as possible. The Communist government has adopted a market driven economy with a vengeance in recent years. How they bring those minorities, and the poorer Han, into economic parity with the new rich and the ruling class, will partially determine if the single party system evolves, or is replaced by something else. That something else, a system we enjoy, strikes fear in the hearts of the power elite in China.

Should current trends toward social instability remain unresolved, China could, as North Korea has done, turn to imaginary external threats and expand the military. The Han are very patriotic, and any outside threat would bind them together in a way that could threaten the peaceful relationship China has with us now. Let’s hope for continued evolution in China; in the political arena, not just the economic world.

As a child, I remember my parents always giving or going to dinner parties. They would usually play mahjong games that started in the early afternoon. Tea was served around four. Dinner, always a banquet, would be served around eight o’clock and lasted for several hours. Banquets consisted of twelve to fifteen dishes, and only the very best was offered. It would start with four cold dishes of fowl, meat, seafood and vegetables. After these dishes were sampled, the waiter would remove the dirty dishes and replace them with clean ones. The hot dishes would then begin, and are served one at a time. I remember our famous chef wanted to know precisely how long it would take a dish to be carried from the kitchen to the dining table, so he would know when to have it ready.

With each dish a toast would be offered, either to the hostess or the honored guest. It would be “Gan Bei” (bottoms up) or “Swei Bien” (as much as you want). Occasionally, toasting games were played. Two players would both call out numbers from one to five and each would throw out his hand showing the corresponding number of fingers. The winner who called the correct total of both hands would be the winner, and the loser would have to drink a “Gan Bei” toast to the winner. Consequently, the party tends to get nosier and happier with each dish. I remember many foreign guests who were attending a Chinese banquet for the first time, literally being carried out. They did not realize how many dishes would be served, nor the number of times they would be required to swallow their drinks, “bottoms up!”

“Beijing Duck” was always a popular attraction, especially in Beijing where the dish originated. The waiter would bring in several raw ducks on a bamboo stick, and the hostess would point to the one she liked. While this dish was being prepared, guests would be toasting and enjoying individual dishes of seafood, meat, fowl and vegetarian specialties.

The duck is covered with a coating of honey, soy sauce, five spice powder and brown sugar. When the duck is dry the procedure is repeated again. The duck is then roasted until done and the skin caramelized and crispy. While the duck is cooking, a sauce consisting of toasted sesame oil, hoi sin sauce,(this sauce can be bought in Asian grocery stores) honey, and soy sauce is prepared. The duck skin is served on one platter and the meat on another. Warm, crepe-like pancakes are brushed with the sauce, sprinkled with spring onions and shredded cucumber, then topped with a generous helping of duck meat, rolled up and eaten like a wrapped treat.

Deserts could be almond gelatin, walnut tea, or eight treasure rice called “Babao Fan” in Chinese. “Babao Fan” is my most favorite desert. The treasures may include: sweet bean paste, dates, almonds, walnuts, figs, and a mixture of crystallized dried fruits. The other ingredients called for are glutinous or sweet rice, butter, and sugar. Pick your prettiest bowl, grease it well, and make a flowered pattern on the bottom with fruits and nuts. Cover the inside of the bowl with the glutinous rice mixture, fill it with the eight treasures, and cover all with more of the rice mixture. Steam the bowl for forty minutes or so. When ready, turn the contents of the bowl out onto a beautiful plate and the flowered pattern will appear at the top of the mound of the steaming desert.

A banquet always ends with a big platter of fruit.

Chinese dishes have been developed for hundreds of years and passed on from generation to generation. Each region has its specialties, which have withstood the passing of time. I remember peaches as big as grapefruits, so juicy you could not avoid messing up your hands and clothing; oranges so round and perfect, I would cut the skin to make beautiful baskets. I filled them with chestnuts and sweets to give to my foreign friends and teachers at the French School, “Sacre Coeur,” where I was a student. Persimmons had to be bright orange and soft; if they were hard they would pucker up your mouth. My twin sister, Lu, and I would stick them outside the window on a cold, snowy day, and then eat them later with spoons, just like ice cream.

Chinese people love festivals and have special foods for each occasion. Spring rolls to celebrate the coming of spring; moon cakes stuffed with dates and nuts for the full moon; pot stickers shaped like golden nuggets for Chinese New Year and prosperity; long-life noodles for birthdays.

Chinese people are hospitable; the greatest honor they can offer their friends is to have them over for a meal. The hostess will go to any length to offer the very best to her honored guests. This custom is not reserved for the rich, people who do not have much money will invite their friends to share whatever food they can afford. It is an honor for the hostess to show her friends how much she appreciates and loves them.

The most tedious part of Chinese cooking is the preparation. The cook needs many little bowls so that each meat and vegetable is separated. As you know, each vegetable has its own texture and color, and each has to be stir-fried separately. Only the meat is marinated with soy sauce, wine and other enhancing ingredients. Even in our cooking we never forget to practice our “Yin Yang” philosophy; contrast and balance, the soft and the crisp, the light and the dark, the sweet and the sour. When slicing pork or beef, always cut it against the grain. The meat or fowl is always the main ingredient. If the meat is cut in strips, then everything else added to that dish should be cut likewise. Another dish could be cut into cubes. Always remember the balance of color and texture. The prep works could take hours, but the last minute cooking can be quite fast. Chopsticks are provided, and the guest has nothing to cut. No work, only to enjoy the food and be happy.

When Chinese people greet each other, they often say “Have you eaten yet?” and we always have a gift for the hostess. Never give a gift that you wouldn’t want to eat, drink, or use yourself.

A perfect summation to this article is that when someone says “Hsieh, hsieh” (Thank You), the answer should always be, “Bu Yao Keh Chi,” (do not put on the air of a guest).

The photo below shows Chinese ladies wearing their most beautiful “cheongshans” after a delicious banquet on Chinese New Year.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on July 22, 2009 on Chi-Newman.com under the title Bu Yao Keh Chi (Don’t put on the air of a guest). Chi continues her series of articles that explain the customs, manners and philosophy of that are the underpinnings of modern Chinese culture. She’s “been there and done that” so she is well-equipped to educate us all in her own very unique way.