Southeast Asian Adventures Parts 1 and 2 (added new)

The Journey

Though a series of flight complications in Shanghai left me with an unexpected midnight tour of the city, the flight from New York to China was relatively painless. It was only within an hour of landing when the captain informed us that we would not be landing in the Shanghai international airport as expected. Apparently the poor air quality had left the city covered in a thick smog that the pilot did not feel safe penetrating. Lovely. But I suppose seeing the runway is necessary for a comfortable landing...

Instead, we landed about thirty miles away at a small domestic airport which left everyone with a connection to Thailand or elsewhere in a hybrid state of annoyance and panic. Customs was a mess because their facilities were not equipped to handle a large number of international jet passengers from the late night arrivals. Hundreds of people in the wrong airport, poor English, midnight, few with visas to enter China, and lots of yelling. I swear at one point the ladies behind the counter escaped to the back room to avoid the belligerent passengers because they really had no idea what to do with everyone. 

Driven by sleep deprivation, I let out a really loud laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation and the many suitcase lugging zombies around me stared in dead-eyed confusion. Somehow I found a small group of Americans destined for Thailand and we managed to get a group bus to the other airport and on the next flight bound for Bangkok. We said a quick hello to the strangely empty streets of Shanghai, but everyone was relieved when we finally took off. 

This description of the flight journey is unnecessarily lengthy, but as a last point, our connecting flight to Bangkok had the strangest snacks. I tried something that I though was chocolate and it turned out to be beef jerky bits. I bit into a cookie and it tasted like cheesy chicken noodle soup and then I ate a roll with exactly one raisin in it. In the poor lighting, I was just glad it wasn't a bug. Oh China. Looking forward to a more official visit in the future!

Welcome to Thailand!

My experience after landing in Thailand was remarkably more pleasant. Contrary to the many online forums that warned of sketchy taxis, the driver did not rip me off, and the hour long journey to the hostel cost the equivalent of $12. Yay!

I spent the first four days in Bangkok, which is the largest city in the country. It felt like New York City on steroids with the congested streets and hoards of people playing squirrel with one another on the mangled sidewalks. Bangkok is extremely modern in that all the comforts of home are available in sophisticated mega malls and the sky train probably breaks down less frequently than the subways of New York or Boston. Yet there are visible differences as you venture down the haphazard maze of smaller streets. These streets are where the bits of unique city culture emerge and the strange (sometimes quite foul) smells begin to accumulate. 

One thing I found slightly alarming was the mess of power lines strung about, truly an electricians nightmare. But I guess it is a necessary evil for everyone to have access to power. I'm unclear if there is a city planning and zoning department because most of the streets are under construction by barefoot Thais in casual clothing. Someone told me that all the businesses pay their electric bills to the 7-Eleven chain stores on each block. I really hope that's not true, but the fact that I bought a train ticket through 7-Eleven made the idea seem plausible. Walking beneath the web of chords made me wonder if there were ever accidental electrical explosions and subsequent fires from the open flames of the street vendors stir-flying below, but the street food is pretty great and it's how some lower income families make a living here so I'll stuff those catastrophic thoughts under some cranial blankets and think about how hilarious it is when I try to speak Thai.

People cast some strange looks when I take pictures of wires on the street so I don't yet have any better photos of the strangling vine-like electrical coils. But don't worry, I'll put one up soon!

I stayed at a hostel called Lub D, on Decho road in the Silom, Bangrak region. Great location, close to street food and fancy bars, but also within a twenty minute walk of the central park, night market, Sky Train, and the infamous Chao Phraya River. Lub D gets five stars in my book, but no one could tell me what the name meant, must be an inside joke!

If you are staying in Bangkok the only greenery that you'll see outside of the occasional city tree planted in a storm drain or water catchment is at Lumphini Park. It's pretty small, maybe a couple hundred acres, but has a central pond and some walking trails with lots of flowers.

As an environmental scientist with a strange knowledge accumulation of invasive species and water pollution, the pond was, for lack of a better word, disgusting. The German girl that I met must have thought I was crazy naming all the giant carp and talking about cyanobacteria in this more-or-less stormwater retention basin, blooming so thick with algae that you could barely see the Asian water monitors lurking with their noses above the surface. Yes, giant lizards! The first one I saw really made me jump. Growing to ten feet, the Varanus salvator is the closest relative of the deadly Komodo dragons of Indonesia. These resident animals are pretty tame and very used to flocks of people out for their morning jog, but it is still a bit unnerving to be steps away from a group of six-foot long lizards. Because I anthropomorphize all plants and animals, I thought they were cute. You might disagree. 

Also in the park, you can see a number of holy Buddhist shines with burning candles and incense. It is traditional to burn three incense sticks while you pray. Some people place miniature statues in front of the life-sized golden Buddha within the shine; maybe for luck? I'm not sure who manages these but the shines are very common and frequently found on street corners throughout the city. I'm really looking forward to exploring the meanings behind more Buddhist traditions during my stay here. The atheistic Theravada branch of the religion is intriguing in it's selfless and peaceful nature and over 90% of the population in Thailand practices this form of Buddhism. 

I think my favorite part of Bangkok is the Chao Phraya River. If you couldn't tell by the insane boating traffic, the severe pollution would demonstrate that the river is a major way of transportation in the city. To avoid the sweltering smoggy streets that are cluttered by motorbikes and taxis, most pedestrians opt to hop on the river ferries that act more of a bus system. Every 20 or so minutes, a rotating ferry whisks up to your stop at a terrifying speed. The rubber tires along the dock compress to absorb the shock of the incoming 80ft boat as the dock rocks up and down so much you need some serious sea legs not to topple over. A loud whistle signals that it is time to board and you carefully mind the gap of shifting proportions. No safety measures here folks! 

The muddy river is splattered with plastic bags and Styrofoam chunks, and there is absolutely no natural river shoreline. Houses are built up on stilts on the bank and I had a hard time stifling the thoughts of catastrophic flooding during the rainy season. The many collapsing corrugated buildings and docks suggest that flooding is a true problem that has yet to be addressed, though if you take the power lines to be an indicator of city planning there is no hope for the river. When I go back to Bangkok towards the end of my trip, I want to look into environmental groups that might be working towards a cleaner future for the Chao Phraya.

I took an overnight train from Bangkok to Khon Kaen. The train was designed for a good night’s sleep, but between the excitement of heading to the Project, and the nerves that I might sleep through my 4AM stop, I didn’t get more than a couple hours rest. The remote rail tracks traveled through the middle of Thailand which provided a unique window into the lives of the people living in the rural parts of the country. We passed by open houses in little villages, the lights of their televisions illuminating the cement floor dwellings. The train crossed dirt roads with sleeping dogs that seemed unusually peaceful and barely disturbed by the thunderous rumble of the passing cars.

When I finally got off, I decided that the dark and empty train platform was not the optimal place to sit around, so I took a taxi the nearest hotel to wait for my bus at 9AM. But in true backpacker style, I politely asked to wait in their lobby instead of getting a room. The young Thai man behind the counter was sufficiently confused and the extreme language barrier did not help. Either way, they let me stay, and I broke the ice with purchasing the breakfast for the equivalent of $6. A coffee and a plateful of delicious noodles from a four-star hotel were a strange twist to my trip, but I welcomed the solace of a comfortable place to catch up on some reading before I tried to find to the bus station.

This bus station is where I first felt the full effects of being a single white girl in a bustling hub of Thai natives. Khon Kaen is not a tourist city. There are very few foreigners and even fewer Thai’s that speak English. A Thai women came up and took my photo, smiled, and walked away. Despite her innocent gesture, she heightened my anxious awareness of the many eyes that curiously followed me to bus 14. Everyone was pointing me in different directions because they wanted to help but couldn’t understand my pronunciation of the destination! Thankfully though, I had worked out directions and knew which bus to take to get to the Mindfulness Project.

The bus dropped me off at a long side street and I began my half hour walk to the Mindfulness Project’s Forest Monastery. The dirt road was clearly a residential neighborhood with many grassy side streets. The simple homes had corrugated tin roofs and with simple cement foundations. Chickens scratched at the debris in the gullies and lazy dogs lifted their heads to check me out. Again, I received much attention from the little children and grandparents sitting outside. So many smiles and excited waves. One family give me a big hug and offer me food when I told them I was heading to Wat Pho, the Forest Monastery. At first my mind was filled with apprehension, but the local people gave me no reason to hold on to these feelings bred by stereotypes. It was definitely a new environment, yet the locals are a million times friendlier and more welcoming than I had expected.

On arrival to the Project, my new home for the next two weeks, I received a string of warm embraces and introduced myself to so many people that I thought I could never remember everyone’s names. Lucky for me I came right after breakfast and everyone was just starting the morning work… Laugh if you will, but ten minutes after putting my pack down I jumped into a mud hole and put my feet to work making bricks for an Earthen building project that the community is building for the farmer next door. The Project has an incredible relationship to the local Thai farmers. We exchange volunteer work and manual labor for fresh food, and the neighbors do everything they can to give us a ride down to the main road if we want to hitch into the city, which is actually the only way any of us get around here. On multiple occasions we’ve hitch hiked in groups as large as ten in the back of pickup trucks (which is a totally normal mode of transportation by Thai standards) and people always seem to go above and beyond to make sure that we get where we need to go.

This rural part of Thailand is full of the most compassionate and helpful people I’ve ever met. It’s really opened my eyes to how closed off and stoic much of American society is. One could argue that many of the small town farmers in the States are equally kind, but I really think that the harmonious Thai nature has roots in their peaceful and spiritual society. When I say spiritual, I don’t mean that everyone is religious. As I mentioned before, the commonly practiced form of Buddhism is actually an atheistic religion. Instead I mean that people are thankful for what they have, loving to strangers, and tend towards a strong connection to nature. Yea, the cities are still dirty and garbage pollution is a problem in most areas of the country, but despite immense poverty in the rural communities, Thai people manage give and give and give.

Last night we stayed overnight in the main Khon Kaen monastery. We woke up at 4AM for morning meditation and our teacher gave us an in depth etiquette guide to interacting with the monks. In Thailand, feet are a big taboo and you are expected to never have the soles of your feet pointing towards the Buddha shine or the monks. We attended the morning ‘Buddha day’ chanting with a crowd of local Thais and the director of our Project, who once served as a monk, provided some English translations. Usually I feel strange listening to mindlessly repetitive chanting, but after hearing the translations, I became a bit more accepting. Instead of pledging allegiance to a God, most of the prayers are actually giving thanks to nature and wishing happiness and love to all living beings. “May all living beings be full of loving kindness, may all living beings be free of physical pain, may all living beings be calm, happy, and truly free.” It felt strange to watch a crowd of people nearly kissing the ground during the regular bowing, but it is practiced as a way of lowering one’s ego. The act seemed to parallel the beauty of the temple’s shrines and mosaics.

Diving with Cape Fur Seals of South Africa!

https://vimeo.com/142791323

A Quest to Save the Blue Heart of the Planet

If you love the ocean, we hope that the name Sylvia Earle sounds familiar. Dr. Sylvia Earle is a lifetime marine scientist and conservationist. Known to many as Her Deepness, she is famous among the ocean exploration community, and has dedicated her life as an ocean steward and leader. Sylvia's passionate energy has inspired many, and she has been a strong voice in ocean policy improvements.

Just last week Dr. Earle traveled to China to speak to a wide audience about overfishing and the perils of the shark fin trade.  Recent years have brought an increasing awareness of this global issue, but sharks all over the world continue to be hunted for their fins to supply the shark fin soup industry. Shark fin soup is a popular Asian dish that serves as a cultural status indicator among it's consumers. Many of the people who eat the dish, however, have no idea that shark fins are often harvested in a cruel and gruesome manner - the fins are sliced off from the living animals and then the shark's bodies are discarded back into the ocean.

Although this extremely wasteful practice has been made illegal in many countries, it is difficult to regulate fishing on the high seas. As a result, shark populations have decreased drastically, including populations off the American coast. Scientific researchers estimate that certain species of sharks have declined by 75 - 90%. A harrowing number with equally frightening implications for marine ecosystems as a whole. Dr. Earle hopes to convey the message that sharks, as well as the ocean in general, need our help. We should not support the destructive fishery, and should instead limit our personal intake of seafood while trying to make educated and sustainable dinner choices.

In her new documentary, Mission Blue, Sylvia poses the question, "How can we use the ocean, and not use it up?" Her answer lies in a simple network of 'Hope Spots.' Just as national parks preserve thousands of miles on land, marine protected areas and underwater sanctuaries that prohibit fishing allow for rebounding populations of entire aquatic ecosystems . As of 2014, less than 3% of the ocean is protected. Mission Blue's goal is at least 20% by 2020, and the American Shark Conservancy hopes to share in this passionate pursuit.

"Conscious efforts have shown that if you make an investment to care for a place, it can recover and be a symbol for hope...This is the moment. Our decisions, our actions, will shape everything that follows."

                - Dr. Sylvia Earle.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Long before environmental consciousness meshed with modern social awareness, and decades prior to the healthy-living, 'green' attitude that is growing among college-educated Americans, Dr. Seuss wrote a book. This book, The Lorax, was filled of Seuss' distinctive fictional creatures and tongue twisting names. It was another rollercoaster ride onboard perfectly placed fanciful verbiage that grabbed the hearts of adults and children alike. Dr. Seuss was famed for incorporating obscure moral themes into his work and The Lorax, first published in 1971, was a timely representation of the recent political and environmental turmoil. By 1971, the first Earth Day had passed, the Clean Air Act was beginning to crack down on industrial pollution, and restless citizens urged the American government to act on severe contamination of lakes and streams. 

The book begins with a small boy living in a hazy, polluted town. In search of an explanation for the desolate land,  the boy pays a visit to an isolated 'Once-ler' who lives in a rickety tower on the outskirts of the village. In a long flashback, the Once-ler tells his tale of how things came to be. Readers are taken back into the Once-ler's first memories where giant fields of brightly colored 'Truffula' trees supported a thriving community of 'Brown Bar-ba-loots'. The crystal streams teemed with 'Humming Fish' and the land sparkled with natural glory.

Things take a turn for the worst when the Once-ler sees the Truffula trees as a valuable resource. One by one, he hacks away at the trees and uses them to craft the fashionable and multi-purpose 'Thneed'. The scarf-like sweater garment is then marketed as a hot item that everyone needs. Demands increase, and with dollar signs in his eyes, the Once-ler cuts down more trees.  

At this point Seuss introduces the Lorax, a furry little creature and forest keeper. "I  am the Lorax! I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues!" The Lorax expresses his overriding concern to the Once-ler and warns that there will be terrible repercussions following the unsustainable destruction of the Truffula trees. Of course, the greedy Once-ler pays no attention to the Lorax and his forewarning.  The Once-ler then expands to a Thneed factory and builds machines capable of cutting down multiple trees at a time. Polluting smoke stacks emit billowing clouds of black smog and the Truffula forest begins to shrink. Still, production carries on.

In a satirical depiction of consumer driven society, hoards of people (you never actually see more than their avaricious fingers) inundate the land in pursuit of that Thneed that they need! No one but the Lorax seems to notice the rapid deterioration of the forest and the pollution of the crystal streams. The minds of the Once-ler and his customers remain fixed on the market and the visible destruction passes just below their oblivious noses. When will they be shaken to reality? when their noses are full of smog and the polluted water becomes unsightly?

The Lorax tries desperately to stop the destruction, yet the Brown Bar-ba-loots are forced to migrate from their homeland and the Humming fish choke on the contaminated water. It is not until the 

Once-ler chops down the very last Truffula tree that he understands the severity of the devastation. There is nothing left. There will never again be a Truffula tree to turn into a Thneed. The factory doors are boarded shut, the land is dead, and with great dismay, the Lorax leaves. Alone in his own created wasteland, the Once-ler retreats to his tower home.

The flashback ends and the boy is left with a perplexing dilemma. How can he help? Is there any way to right the wrong and to restore the land to its historical natural beauty?

UNLESS. The Once-ler hands the boy a seed, a Truffula seed. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." With the weight of the land upon him, the boy realizes the potential of the seed. If he were to plant and care for it, he may be able to grow a tree. This glimmer of hope in a world so blind to environmental damage draws a strong parallel to our own society.

"Unless someone like YOU cares a whole awful lot..."-  Seuss brilliantly and passionately empowers his readers with their own hint of light. These words serve as a call to action.

Large-scale environmental change stems from individual concern for the environment. Though Dr. Seuss was not the first nor the last enlightened individual to weigh in on this concept, I hope his words rattle your thoughts and spark your own contribution to the world. It really is simple. Nothing will get better unless you strive to make it so.  Apathy is as dangerous as holding the ax yourself. 

Happy birthday Dr. Seuss!

"Talk Nerdy to Me"

Time after time TED speakers successfully inspire me to continue forward as a combined scientist and activist. Earlier this evening, I sat down for another ordinary pasta with spinach dinner - it's Monday, exciting dishes only happen on Thursdays when it's almost every other weekend. But on this ordinary Monday with my ordinary meal, I stumbled upon some extraordinary public speakers. With millions of views on their TED talks, these people know how to communicate; they know how to lead.

Sometimes I wonder why I have so many qualms and anxieties over public speaking. Every time I deliver a practiced presentation or casual discussion, everything usually turns out great. Yet each time, the relentless butterflies and flushed complexion deliver a strong dose of unnecessary adrenaline. I've come to the conclusion that my irrational fear of public speaking lies within the intense passion and care for my words and how others react to them. So that's it I guess. I CARE!

Not about what people think of me, but about what people take away from what I am saying... Have you ever been inspired by someone who delivers a humdrum and emotionless speech? Have you connected to a presenter because of their dashingly organized PowerPoint slides or their exquisite poise on the podium? For me, I take a special liking to the enthusiastic idealists that wrangle in all sorts of thoughts, the people who start off shaking, then end with a standing applause and huge smile on their faces. These individuals put their heart into the carefully constructed thoughts they share with the audience. By the transitive property, the speaker's excitement becomes your own. It's truly incredible.

For a few tips on how to effectively communicate scientific research, take a look at this TED talk by Melissa Marshall (http://www.ted.com/talks/melissa_marshall_talk_nerdy_to_me). Though she doesn't quite surpass the flying colors of a TED public speaker that I describe, her relatability and charming take on 'science is sexy' allowed me to hone in on the dramatic and essential message:

To all my scientist friends, our work becomes relevant when we can explain it in terms of public interest! Maybe the future world will be slightly less human-centric, but I don't see that change coming until we show EVERYONE that science is sexy! I want everyone to talk nerdy to me. Show me that you care, and I'll keep trying to do the same!

SCUBA Diving Adventures in the Cozumel Marine Park, Mexico!

Check out this new video that recounts my recent diving adventures in Cozumel, Mexico! (You may need to disregard my strange sense of humor on this one!)

http://vimeo.com/116819083