travel jitters.

Tomorrow I'll leave for China. But in the mean time, I'm here in Atlanta with family friends. So I've had a good deal of time to think about what is going to happen. Besides the total euphoria I get about the fact I'll be exploring an ancient civilization, I also think about international hostility such as nuclear testing and imprisoned American journalists in North Korea, a brewing coup in Iran, terrorism, disappearing and hijacked planes. They are awful thoughts, I know, and certainly not something one wants to think about when you are about to be on a 13 hour flight. What about that movie "Taken" where the naive American tourists are abducted and then sold in an underground sex market. Fiction has be to be inspired by truth, right? I haven't had travel jitters like these when I traveled in the past because before, I went to western Europe. I was safe in a first-world country. Then again, in the movie "Taken" the Americans are in Paris...

When I go on trips I try not to have a list of things to do. It's such an arduous process trying to complete a "to do" list. There is no joy in that. It shouldn't be burdensome. Besides, there is no worse disappoint than not completing what you set out to do. I try to let the place and culture reveal itself to me. Walk around a city or town and let yourself discover things. It's amazing what you will find, or what will find you, if you let yourself get lost a little. Of course there are things I would like to see, such as the Shaolin Temple, Chin Woo School, and the Forbidden City, but this is not all of China. They are famous structures and things we associate when we think of China but it is definitely more than that. I hope to discover things that foreigners do not often do, something that hasn't been watered down by tourism. I hope to walk the road less traveled.

bienvenue en louisiaine.

I have been spending time in Louisiana to catch up with family and friends before I depart for China. The last time I was in Louisiana was last Thanksgiving. I usually average about 3 trips a year since 9 hours of driving is not very conducive to my time, wallet, and energy. I haven't lived in LA for the past 7 years and so when I visit, its always refreshing. I always reacquaint with my love for Louisiana though I never appreciated it when I lived there. To truly appreciate Louisiana, you have to know her history. I say this because I didn't start loving Louisiana until I understood where she came from. Louisiana is one of the most unique places in the US and it has a culture entirely its own.

You first have to realize that Louisiana is old. it was first explored by Europeans in the 16th century. That's 600 years ago. I can't fathom 150 years much less 600 years. I suppose you can argue that most of the New England areas are comparable in age. What makes Louisiana different is this: She has influences from the French, Spanish, English, Native Americans, and Africans and has retained those roots through culture and language. Lets take language--Besides English, There are three dialects of French spoken in Louisiana, most notably, Cajun French; Louisiana Creole French, Cajun English, and even Louisiana-Canarian Spanish spoken by Isleños. And then their is food--Cajun food which was influenced by the European French speakers (Acadians) and Creole which was heavily influenced by the Spanish and African peoples as well as French. My favorite dish would have to be gumbo. And if anyone knows how to make a great bowl of gumbo, they know the secret is in the roux. And roux can take hours to make but its well worth it. I call it a labor of love. And you can't be impatient when making roux. I usually try to make it when I know I have no plans for the rest of the day. I play some music to get my spirits high, maybe drink some wine, and I stir the flour into the oil and let it shimmer until its as dark as the Atchafalaya River.

Nothing is more laced with life, love, and pain than Cajun music. If there is anyone who knows about the hardship of life, it would be the Acadians. Exiled from Canada by the British if they refused to pay allegiance to the British crown, they finally settled in Louisiana to live without prejudice. Their music is of melancholy and deliverance, pain and joy. And you hear their life story in their music. It is not surprising that this all sounds like a history lesson. Like I said, to appreciate Louisiana, you have to know where she came from. I feel like I do. I love Louisiana because I feel like I understand her. Despite her firey heat and her tumultuous weather, I still come back. The is something about her; she has mystery. You can see it when you watch the sun set over the cypress as the peat moss waves in the wind. You can see it when you see the reflection of the moon in the bayou with the sounds of frogs and crickets in the background. She dances her own dance, walks her own walk, talks her own talk, and I wouldn't have it any other way.