Final Days of Beijing 2009

These days life seems to be moving very quickly. I am counting my days and trying to take in and record all of Beijing I can before I say good-bye. Friends here ask if it is forever. I say never say never. Though I think if I return it would be to go to Kunming and Dali. That said, I've yet to see these places, but have plans to be there in early June, just before my final departure.

I have been a Beijing resident for a little over a year. Off and On.
I've seen the city transform a great deal through the pre-Olympic rush and post-Olympic lull. Now, its mostly like everyone has forgotten all about it. There are some residual benefits of course, like a well run bi-lingual subway system. Many road signs are in pinyin, as well. Sanlitun is the perfect example of what changed here. Once the only bar street foreigners were allowed to go to has transformed into an outdoor mega mall. The perfect spot for a new comer to be dropped off to shop, eat, and relax in a setting very familiar. Brands you know. Food you recognize. Spas to pamper your self and keep up any regular mantenaince. Its easy there. Crowed now with mix of Chinese and Forgeiners, this is the direction China is moving.

[more to come, days are short and weather is too nice! write more later]

Strawberry Music Festival ‘09

In addition to music, Shen promises Strawberry will be a place for your inner child. He describes his vision of the festival: young people jumping in trampoline castles to the sounds of Hedgehog while holding cotton candy the size of their heads. “Nothing is sweeter than childhood memories. I want that to be part of our dream as well,” says Shen. He is still working on acquiring the trampoline castle.

Strawberry Stage 13:00-13:40 SKO (死扣) 14:00-14:40 Omnipotent Youth Society (万能青年旅店) 15:00-15:40 Perdel (逃跑计划) 16:00-16:40 Nancheng Erge (南城二哥) 17:00-17:40 Hedgehog (刺猬) 18:00-18:40 Xiu Xiu (US) 19:00-19:30 Joanna Wong (王若琳) 20:00-20:40 Zhang Chu (张楚)

Love Stage 13:30-13:50 He Li (何力) 14:00-14:20 Hong Qi (洪启) 14:30-15:10 Youth (青年小伙子) 15:30-16:10 Steely Heart (钢铁的心) 16:30-17:10 Wu Zhuoling (吴卓玲) 17:30-18:10 AOK 18:30-19:10 The Lones (former L.A.B.F, 浪) 19:30-20:10 Left Right (左右) 20:30-21:10 Yu Yang (虞洋)

Electronic Stage 14:00-15:30 Shenyue 15:30-16:45 Donald Summer 16:45-18:00 Patrick Yu 18:00-19:15 Ben Huang 19:15-20:30 Eddie Lv 20:30-21:30 Dio


Saturday May 2
Strawberry Stage 13:00-13:40 Hua Lun (花伦) 14:00-14:40 The Offset: Spectacles (憬观：像同叠) 15:00-15:40 Arms and Legs (US) 16:00-16:40 Zhou Yunpeng (周云蓬) 17:00-17:40 The Life Journey (旅行团) 18:00-18:40 Brain Failure (脑浊) 19:00-19:40 Cao Fang (曹方) 20:00-20:40 Re-TROS (aka Rebuilding the Rights of Statues重塑雕像的权利)

Love Stage 13:30-14:00 Zhang Zhilin & Band (张志林与乐队) 14:20-15:00 Blue Garden (兰色花园) 15:30-16:10 Flying At Midnight (午夜飞行) 16:30-17:10 Lava OX Sea 17:30-18:10 Silent G 18:30-19:10 Kelly Cha & Orange Factory (查可欣 & 桔子工厂) 19:30-20:10 PANTHER (US) 20:30-21:10 The Thin Man (瘦人)

Electronic Stage　 14:00-15:30 Dan 15:30-17:00 Lydnb 17:00-18:30 Kay C 18:30-20:00 Blackie 20:00-21:30 Usami


Sunday May 3
Strawberry Stage 13:00-13:40 The Chinos (基诺) 14:00-14:40 Casino Demon (赌鬼) 15:00-15:40 Guai Li (怪力) 16:00-16:40 Wan Xiaoli (万晓利) 17:00-17:40 Sound & Toys (声音与玩具) 18:00-18:40 Lao Lang (老狼) 19:00-19:40 Sound Fragment (声音碎片) 20:00-20:40 Deerhoof (US)

Love Stage 13:30-14:10 Camel (骆驼) 14:30-15:10 Bigger Bang (大棒) 15:30-16:10 Pet Conspiracy (宠物同谋) 16:30-17:10 Hao Yun (郝云) 17:30-18:10 Shuangzi (爽子) 18:30-19:10 Amguulan (阿穆隆) 19:30-20:10 Long Shen Dao (aka The Dragon God 龙神道) 20:30-21:10 Xiao Juan & Residents from the Valley (小娟 & 山谷里的居民)

Electronic Stage 14:30-15:20 Iloop 15:20-16:10 Sulumi (孙大威) 16:10-17:00 Zigzag 17:00-17:50 Dead J (邵彦鹏) 17:50-18:40 LIman 18:40-20:05 Ouyang 20:05-21:30 J Swarz


¥80 (sold only at the door) Tickets
http://www.modernsky.com/news/news1075.html

All The Places I've Lived & Places I'm Going!

As the peony in Beijing bloom, I am reminded of the cycles of life.
I had some wonderful homes this winter, but the feeling of being unsettled was tiring.
Without a restful winter, spring is like being woken by the morning sun after a heavy night of drinking and playing. But it is beautiful, nonetheless.

Frasier Suites CBD 1218 Dave's place (DEC)
CaoChangDi CCD300 Studio (JAN)
Sun City Bulding 4 #702 Tyra's place (FEB)
Chinese Block near Beixinqiao Station Building 5 #602 Julie's place (MAR)
Yonghe Villa #509 Emma's place (APR)
On the Road (MAY)

When it comes to planning travel routes and hostels en route on the Tibetan Plateau, best be "suibian." With unpredictable travel restrictions for foreigners, one must be Zen about it all.

New Motto
随便
[suíbiàn] 1. verb
To go with the flow

Sounds like "sway be anne"

a great online Chinese English dictionary
http://www.nciku.com


May Schedule IN PROGRESS

May 10
Beijing to ChengDu (Sichuan Capital City)

May 10 - 13
Hostel in ChengDu
+ Panda Research Center
+ Walk the city on one year anniversary of the 2008 earthquake that made China stand still

May 13
Bus West to Danba or Kanding

May 14
Day rest

May 15 -16
Tagong about 3700m
Tagong in Tibetan means 'the favourite place of the bodhisattva'.

May 16 - 18
Horse Trek organized by Angela Lankford with http://www.definitelynomadic.com/cmtreks.html
Three day trek out of Tagong:

Day 1: Drive to Gyergo Nunnery early in the morning, and join the morning chanting circumnabulation of the mani stone pile. Commission a mani stone if you wish, and look at the general store. Explore the area until noon. Then leave on horseback for the Mjera Hotprings on the other side of the pass. Enjoy them at sunset, after a long day.

Day 2: Walk downhill three hours to a high pine forest. The guides will set up camp and we will hike up for a view of the lake, and a walk around it (seeing all the sights there, including an old meditation hut, a sacred spring, a stunning waterfall, and glaciers on the peak above).

Day 3: Ride this long day out of the mountain valley, back across the grasslands over a low pass, back to Gyergo. Spend the night there and then head out the next day back to Tagong and out.

We could change Day 3 to not make a loop to Gyergo, but to a different car pick up site along the road, and you could get to Kangding that day if need be. So, similarly, if Gyergo really interests you, we could spend most of a day there, and a night, on the way in, with the same total day number. It depends on your sense of hurry.

May 18 -19
Kangding
For centuries, the town has been the trade center of the Han and Tibetan cultures.
China for a popular Kangding Love Song / 康定情歌

May 20 - 21
Bus to Litang
Stay the night

Potala Inn - the best hotel in town, just cross the bus station and walk 10m ahead then turn to right. 20/head for Tibetan Style bed, shared bath room; Y160/std. room, 24hrs hot water. Both the owner and the young Tibetan guy in charge speak good English. The hotel is almost the base camp for foreigners in town. Tel.: 0086-836-5322533, email: meiduo25@yahoo.com.cn

http://www.chinatrekking.com/destinations/sichuan/litang

May 21 - 22
Bus to Xiangcheng
Stay the night

May 22 - 29
Bus to Zhongdian
Stay the week with Alicia and Mum/Friends*

The "Shangri-La" discovered by Joseph Rock in 1928

May 29 - 30
Early bus to Tiger Leaping Gorge
(if tired, spend night at Jane's Guesthouse P: 880 6570)
(29) Hike half way
Sleep at Half Way House P:
(30) Hike other half
Sleep at Sean's Spring Guest House www.tigerleapinggorge.com

Tiger Leaping Gorge Shangri-la
Tel：+86 0 887 820 2222
Fax：+86 0 887 880 6300
Email：tibetdragon2001@gmail.com
Web:http://www.tigerleapinggorge.com
备案：滇ICP备05005679号 Manager enter

May 31 - June 2
(31) Early bus to LiJiang
Sleep at

June 2
Early bus to Dali

June 2 - 4
Dali Old City

June 4
Night Train to Kunming

June 5 - 7
Kunming

June 7 Sunday
Early flight to Beijing

June 8 Monday
Rest

June 9 Tuesday
Early morning flight to ATL


HOMEWARD BOUND
2009

Living on the Edge (of Town)

I am staying in on a Friday night, which I love to do in Brooklyn, too. Tonight, it is a bit cold as the temps dropped from an unseasonably warm 70's to the 50's to remind us that Spring is just warming up. The heat was turned off the 15th of March. The whole country or at least the part that has heating, gets their heat turned off at the same time by law. To warm myself, I am drinking peppermint tea and listening to the longing moans of the Mongolian band Hanggai. It was recorded at Dos Kolegas the bar my girlfriends frequent and met their Chinese boyfriends at. The bar is located next to a drive in movie theater and feels like you are in someones dark basement in the winter and opens up to a nice outdoor space when it gets warmer. The guys who run the bar are all from the same town in NW China, Ningxia, the town where goji berries come from.

CCD is becoming more lively as winter thaws. More people around, new arrivals. An artist residency program is in the complex, which hosts foreign artists. At the moment, there is a woman video sculpture artist from Switzerland, named Katjia and a performance artist named Andreas from Berlin. The whole feeling here as shifted for me. Its like I am seeing it all for the last time, as new people come to experience it for the first. The studio represents a place of dreams and investments and a bit of emptiness. Not a real home, but sufficient for the time. The Mongolian throat singing is continuing, but has picked up its pace. Lightening up the mood.



SPRING IN BEIJING

We had an OPEN STUDIO party April 11, 2009.
CCD300 Artists:

Su-Jung Lee
Katia Loher
Ma Yongfeng
Andreas Sell

We have a old factory complex with a cement courtyard. We are flanked by a taxi motel, where the taxis and drivers come to eat and rest and an active railroad track. I find the sound of a midnight train relaxing. In Athens, GA and Roslindale, MA I lived close to the tracks. From the studio, I can see it directly outside of my window. The whole town is a construction site at the moment. There is dust and pollen floating around everywhere. Luckily, I'm staying in town cat sitting in a beautiful home near the Lama and Confucian Temples. Counting my lucky stars.

Preparing to get back on the road...

My studio is on the raised part of this space.
This is before I built walls, opened the windows, added track lighting, and a door.

Fight or Flight

"Fight or Flight" is a term used to describe acute stress response.
This is the title of my unwritten History of Boyfriends.
As Venus is in retrograde, I have decided to look back and try to resolves things with Henry before allowing myself to move forward without doubts.


March is the 2nd anniversary of my father's passing. In this time since 2006, how have I directed my life? At that point, I had no idea I would be in Beijing or that I would stay for so long. Life can surprise you completely. So to move forward, I have to look back.

March 14, 2007
My father, D.J. Lee, passed away suddenly. I received a panicked call from my mother. I had never heard her sound like this and only in hindsight can I even begin to imagine what she was going through in the first 30 mins as she waited for the ambulance to arrive. All she could say is that Dad was dying and I needed to come home immediately. I had a 16 week old German Shepherd puppy that had grown past airline under seat storage size. I had to think about how I was going to do this. At the time I didn't have a car, so I had to come up with a plan quickly. I called my sister first, as I did on 9/11. She was calm. She is always calm. Uncertain of the details, she said she had sent her husband Doug to Mom's. My brother called me soon after. I asked if he would be willing to drive with me and my new puppy. He was very accommodating and told me to meet him at his house in Jersey that night. We would drive through the night to get to Mom's by the next day. At the time, I had a doggie vest that read "Service Dog (with a interchangeable Velcro label) In Training." Meta had out grown carrying size and I needed her to be able to get on public transportation with me & I also did plan for her to get certified one day as a Therapy dog. Well, point is I had to get on the subway from Brooklyn, get to Penn Station, get on a NJ bus and commute another hour. She was great. Pee-ed in the middle of Penn Station, but other than that was very professional. We made it to NJ and drove south that night.

March 14, 2008
Return home to support my Mom. We hiked up to the tallest peak in Georgia, where the year before we had dusted Dad's ashes. We revisited this spot and had a family picnic.

I spent a month at home with my Mom to help her go to doctor's visits and help my sister who had been taking care of my little Meta, just over a year at this point. It was time well spent.

By the time my birthday came around, I decided I wanted to be back in New York. One of my best friends, Amy Mitchell, flew in to spend my birthday night with me and Meta at the Rivington Hotel. I threw myself a birthday party in the hotel bar and got to spend a great relaxed night catching up and feeling very loved. I turned 33. Henry sent flowers to the hotel and gave me a b&h gift card towards a new digital point and shoot I had been needing, as my first Sony cybershot had died.

March 14, 2009
This year, I will not be with family. I am in Beijing on my final trip for the foreseeable future seeing through some commitments and giving myself some time to heal and try to make art work and learn about China. Saturday TBD. The rest of my family will be with Mom. Meta included. She is now just over 2 years old (14 in dog years). I had told my Dad about Meta and sent him a photograph before he passed away. I think part of him feeling ok about me was knowing he had helped me buy my place in Park Slope and that I had started a family of my own in some way.

As the two year mark comes around, I am thinking of all the new things I've done and seen since. I hope my Dad would be proud of me for taking some chances for love and work, but I can only hope. There is a sense of freedom I have now, that is new too.

I am going to lead life with my heart. More so than ever and not hold back. This time I'm just going to let myself have fun and not worry so much. Or at least try. Will surround myself with people who make me laugh and can love me fearlessly. That is how I see my future.

Time Space Continuum and the Astrohair Clock

Getting a haircut after the new moon is meant to be good for strong and think growth.
If you are interested in timing your haircuts with the moon or at least finding out some interesting info about growth and moon phases, check it out at longhairlovers.com.

This February new moon on the 24th is in Pisces. The website above has this to say about cutting your hair in this phase:

The Moon in Pisces is watery and feminine and one of the most fertile signs so expect increased growth and thickness if you cut your hair during this moon. In fact, almost any hair goal can be achieved with success. Chemically processing your hair is favorable since so much moist energy is available. A Pisces moon is meant for reflecting on your connection to other people and the cosmos so use this time for intimate, serious, and inspirational conversations with the opposite sex. There’s a passionate quality to this moon that sets the stage for romantic encounters. Don’t let this moon pass you by without trying a superbly romantic, soft style. Deep auburn and chestnut colors enhance an amorous moment.

A salon chain I like here in China is Tony Studio.
My appointment is for 11 am February 25 Beijing time, 10 pm February 24 New York time.


This past trip I spent a lot of time discussing things like astronomy, quantum physics, and genius.
Though I am not very familiar with any of these topics, they are of great interest to me.
I dream of being able to navigate the seas using the stars and enjoy asking questions almost more than answering them. And I have been listening to Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, a book that looks at how genius happens and cultural factors that shape it. AWESOME.

Point is my mind is swimming with ideas. Spending time with Sonya who also has a very inquisitive mind, but might lean more towards answers than questions...lead to many fascinating conversations. She is hilarious and smart. A whiz and a whip all in one. We had a super time and were able to flow in and out of using Korean, which for me was a first. We had a ball.

Us in front of a waterfall that falls into the sea.
(Jeju Island, 2009)

To wrap up this segment on Time and Space, I would like to say that due to "spring-ing" forward Sunday March 8, 2009 in the continental US, I am only 12 hours difference now. After spending a winter in a 13 hour time difference, it is so nice to feel a bit closer to New York and my friends and family up and down the East coast.