Going To China To Teach

This is Chris, with his wife Shadi at his side, and our Baha'i friend Rose, who helped celebrate a going away party for two of our friends who are leaving to teach in China.

Margie is leaving in a week to teach permanently, if all goes well. She's taught in China before, and this will be her third trip there. Margie loves the people in China, and most especially the children, who are very eager to learn English.

Tina will be working in the same city as Margie. She has worked here as a social worker, working with the homeless. As part of our evening gathering, there was a presentation on teaching in China by Amy, who lives and teaches there.

Amy was very touched by the spirit in the people of China, to have a good education, and especially to learn English. Many of the youth wish to learn English so they can do advanced coursework abroad when they get their degrees.

These ladies have been captivated by China's incredible history and its enduring culture. They look forward to participating in everyday life in China as well as contributing to the education of its people. Amy spoke about China's diverse climate and astounding natural beauty. She has made China her home, teaching in the same city for many years, getting to know the local people. She said she often visits the families, who invite her into their homes made of cinderblocks. Most of these are heated by a long hearth, called a 'Kang'. It is a long stone slab with a cooking hearth underneath. As the meal is being cooked, the hearth slab warms, and everyone sits on it to stay warm. It is also used for sleeping, when nights get quite cold. Amy said she once recalled temperatures of 40 degrees below zero, and this hearth, stoked with wood and cornhusks, was the only fuel.

There are particular challenges learning to live and work within this culture, where the history, culture, tradition and social system are different from ours. Considerable care must be taken to not promote religion, or to appear to be organizing into groups. When visiting with families and friends, Amy is careful to never have more than two people visiting at a time. As long as she consciously blended into the ways of the culture, she was able to acquire greater understanding of China and its people. She finds her work there so meaningful and has formed an inseparable relationship with China and the Chinese people. We hope Margie and Tina will enjoy their teaching experiences with the same kind of spirit.

Our daughter, Ruhiyyih, has gone to China twice to teach English, once for a year, and later as a course instructor, teaching the teachers how to teach. In fact, I started this blog just as she was leaving for China, with the hope it could help keep her in touch with us here at home....such was not the case, as most internet sites were off limits, with even phone calls and mail being monitored.

In the photo above, I showed Chris and Shadi, who were the first Baha'is we met when we first moved to Tacoma about 18 years ago. They made us feel so welcome, introducing us to their friends, and making our holidays special with so many gifts for our children. It truly does take special bonds of care and friendship to make someone feel at home in a new place. Rose, seated next to them, in that top photo, is from Iran, and is in the catering business. She provided much of the food for our celebration, and also chanted a prayer in Farsi, a most lovely and poignant contribution to our evening.

Port Townsend - A Tourist Haven

Just a final few images here from our traveling around on the weekend. When we discovered that we couldn't canoe Lake Anderson, we spent a good part of the day exploring, checking out canoeing sites for future trips. We also spent a little time checking out Port Townsend, a historic Victorian seaport and gateway to the Olympic Peninsula. It also is a departure point for excursions into the San Juan Islands for whale watching. Nowdays, it has a reputation as a center for artists and craftsmen, and many of the little shops offer handmade jewelry, woven fabrics, and ceramics.

It is a tourist haven...filled with all kinds of trinkets, nic-nacks, and enticements.

The city has people dressed in period clothing, some offering buggy rides, and others giving guided tours along the streets. This gentleman was encouraging people to ride in his buggy.

Children listening to the stories from their elders.

The architecture requires a much closer look, we couldn't take everything in, in just an hour. So we agreed we'd have to come back, probably in the winter when the crowds have diminished.

Be Sure To Read The Signs

This was the sign that greeted us at Lake Anderson on Saturday, where we had hoped to do some canoeing. Officer Boice was there to greet us, and to explain that "Blue-green Algae Bloom" has caused the lake to be off limits to anyone - boaters and swimmers. The whole area is roped off due to this algae, which, when ingested by dogs, can kill them. Two dogs died from drinking the lake water earlier this summer.

Officer Boice indicated that blue-green algae, or Cyanobacteria, typically occurs in lakes rich with nutrients like phosphate. The algae can multiply rapidly to form extensive "blooms" that accumulate near shore as a thin bright green surface scum. When a bloom dies, the water surface may become colored with a mixture of bright blue and white material, often mistaken for a paint spill. She said "While not all blooms turn toxic, many of them have the ability to do so and it can happen very quickly."

As we explored possible coves and bays along Puget Sound, we found that the Washington State Department of Health had closed quite a few beaches due to Paralytic Shellfish Toxin, or Red Tide. When we found Oak Bay, I noticed that a warning sign was posted that prohibited gathering clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops.

These signs are printed in a variety of languages, so clam-diggers have the necessary infor- mation to protect themselves. Eating shellfish contaminated with this biotoxin is harmful to humans. If a person consumes enough poison, muscles of the chest and abdomen become paralyzed and death can result in as little as two hours, as muscles used for breathing become paralyzed. The toxin is not destroyed by heating or freezing, and the toxin can remain in shellfish long after the algae bloom is over. Shellfish containing toxic levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning don't look or taste any different from non-toxic shellfish. Tests are routinely done on beaches in Puget Sound by the Health Department, and all suppliers of shellfish to restaurants have routine tests. For serious shellfish harvesters, the Washington State Department of Health provides a marine biotoxin bulletin that indicates where harvests can occur.

Since this toxin is harmful only if shellfish are eaten, the beaches were open for canoeing, and for walking pets. We spent about an hour paddling out to sandstone outcroppings and gliding through seaweed that packed the shoreline. Then the tide started to roll in, with massive swells lifting the canoe up and down. I packed a lite meal of cheese and crackers, and we glided back to our put-in place just as the sun was starting to set. It was a very quiet day on Puget Sound.

The Charm of Port Hadlock

When I first noticed Eileen, pictured here on the left, she was visiting with a lady friend outside of her bungalow in Port Hadlock. She was dressed in a lovely yellow sarong tied at her waist, with a black camisole and beaded necklace and earrings. While Eileen chatted with her friend, I wanderd along the main street of Port Hadlock and took some pictures, while waiting for a chance to visit with her. She had a big pair of pruning shears and was trimming the vines in front of her bungalow when I walked up and greeted her.

I was delighted to learn that she is a resident of Port Hadlock, and lives in this adorable little cabin, the first of several "Skunk Island Cottages" that are available for rent. All of these cabins can be rented by the day, week or month during the busy season, but come September, all of the cabins will offer 8-month leases, to encourage winter tenancy. I can't think of a more beautiful and idylic place to stay on Puget Sound in winter. For many years when I was working, George and I used to have a monthly 'get-away', pack up the canoe, and try to find little places like this in Oregon and southwest Washington. Off season rates were so reasonable, and we delighted in little coastal towns along the ocean. We'd stay the one night, do our canoeing, and head back home so refreshed. I told Eileen that our son is getting married in the middle of September, and I will tell him about this little cluster of cabins for a possible summertime get-away.

Eileen is also the proprietor of the Ajax Cafe, situated next to her residence. The cafe is in the old Galster House, built in the late 1800's. This quaint building was once the home of Samuel Hadlock, the founder of the community. I gave a glance at the menu, and noticed "Tom's Fisherman's Stew" - Mussels, clams, prawns, calamari, & fresh fish in a classic bouillabaisse served with crostini. I would be happy to start with that!

Although we didn't stay for lunch, because we were on our way to Oak Bay for a canoe paddle, I took a peek in the window, and noticed that tables were set for lunch. Check out the Ajax Cafe website, and note that they've got a blog entry that says, "Fellow foodies, rejoice! The food is stellar. The staff is outstanding. The atmosphere is funky/eclectic. No pretense, no nonsense; an unexpected level of cuisine. This Chef blends the freshest ingredients with remarkable skill. This is a "destination" restaurant for me now. It's worth the 85 mile drive up from Tacoma. (What's the recipe for their Sauce Bolognese? It's perfection! So simple, but oh, soooo good!) ~ "bubbabeernut" ~Tacoma.

A courtyard is out back for dining and social- izing.I noticed that they've got live music too. Deadwood Revival plays the upbeat and groovy songs on the guitar & does vocals ....The Reflections are a jazz trio that play standards from the 20's, 30's, & 40's ....and Ezekial Kelly performed last weekend on the flamenco & classical finger-style guitar.

Across the street from the Ajax Cafe and the bungalows is the Northwest Wooden Boat School. They offer classes in boatbuilding with hands-on-experience. They are the only traditional wooden boatbuilding school in the world to use and teach the distinctive methods developed in the early 1900's by Puget Sound shipwrights and master boatbuilders.

Four boats are currently under constr- uction, and a layer of dust covered everything. Even the windows had a thin layer of dust. I notice that they've got a "Gaff sloop - Nordstrom Knockabout" at the Hudson Marina, and it's for sale, about $17,000....a very pretty little vessel.

Out back, an old boat, possibly a cata- maran, sat in a weedy lot, its workdays over. It's got two hulls joined by a frame, and was a sailing vessel.

I walked down the remainder of Water Street, which is just a small open area. I was delighted to see the charm of little entrances, graced by flowers and little picket fences. I do not recall in all my years of traveling through Montana, Idaho, Oregon or Wash- ington during our canoeing trips of ever finding such a sweet little community, so lovingly cared for. It did not have the excessive touristy look that can be the bane of serious sightseers.

As we drove away, I looked at some of the boats being repaired, boats being launched at an old harbor nearby, and thought that this is one of those rare places I've always dreamed about, where everything is the ultimate in sweetness and charm.

Yikes, What a Messy Office

He is always too busy to organize it, he says, but, when the gig is over today, he's gunna hafta do some organization. I'll have to admit, his new paint job is refreshing.

He's putting on the music today for a 80th birthday party for a friend....and I've got to clean this house. Ruhi class today.

Night Fishing At Ruston Way

Ruston Way is at the far North End of Tacoma, on Puget Sound. There is a long thoroughfare, for light traffic, and just about everyone who comes to the pier comes there to fish - for salmon, dogfish (a small shark), flounder, squid, and even sting-ray.

While George was doing his run on the hills of Ruston, Daisy and I got acquainted with the boisterous crowd lined up along the fishing pier.This is a long stretch of boardwalk, with 'gutting' huts for preparing bait. About sundown, you'll find men, women and children casting lines out onto the water and showing their catch.

This is some serious fishing, and when something is caught, it is everyone's business. They gather together to determine the lure and the bait, they check the fish and tell stories. Everyone was eager to share the time that "I caught one bigger than that", and "you shoudda' seen the fight in that bastard!"

Guys with fancy reels rammed them into the slots on the railing to check out the small sharks caught with....shark meat.

The 'gutting house' has stone slabs where fish are prepped and cleaned. There's a pump with running water, and pails for innards. The guys laughed over a few beers while getting bait ready. I noticed packages of squid, shrimp, and perch, all packaged specifically by a Korean market for fishing.

The place was sounding like a party, as one of the fishing clubs of Tacoma set up and cast out. This gear was inside the gutting house.

And nearby, the tools of the trade.

This couple caught an eel, a small one for Puget Sound. They had the darnedest time trying to wench that hook out of the eels mouth, but once done, it wiggled down to the bottom of the water. (And don't mind that sloping shoreline - I'll do anything to nose into a good photo!)

This guy told stories as he puffed on his cigarette. He said that several weeks ago someone caught a 10 foot shark off this dock. He fishes every night with his buddies until 2:00 in the morning, setting up lights over the water and jigging for shrimp. He's part of the fishing club. There are about 12 members, who 'party every night' here all year long. And, it did sound like a party, with lots of laughter, and cussing, with dads and moms watching out while the little ones cast their lines.

This little guy has been fishing for about a year. Those sunglasses are to protect his eyes, in case he throws that line in the wrong direction.

His sister cheers him on. She said, "Take a pit-chur of ME too."

Daisy and I spent about an hour listening to the stories, watching the catches, and then we left these guys, who said they'd be happy to have their picture taken. They gave a big grin and bear hugged each other. "But mind you" one of them admonished, "if yer picture don't turn out, you can just find us on the wall at the post office.

Up Close, An Eel

They threw him back into the water. Not good eating.

Zucchini Harvest

Summer Vegetables

This was taken about three weeks ago, when my garden was at it's peak, with zuchinni, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, carrots, peas, lettuce, cilantro, zinnias and snap-dragons.

Late Summer Garden

This was taken just a few days ago, before I cut back the squash and gourds due to mildew. I've pulled the gourds out, but the zuchinni has grown new leaves and fruit. I've also cut back the foliage on the tomatoes, to allow more growth in the fruit. The sticks in the background are holding the plum tree limbs up - they are heavy with plums now.

Cee Cee And Jim

It was just about dinner-time when my grand-daughter Daisy asked if she could walk down the street. She said she'd be gone for only a few minutes. She noticed a few children playing, and she wanted to meet them. They were Cee-Cee and Jim, and they live in a small brown rental house on the corner.

Daisy checks in every fifteen minutes, so when she came back from playing with Cee-Cee and Jim, she said she wanted to go back because she was the judge of their drawing contest. The children were inside the house with paper and pencils, drawing, and waiting for her return.

Now Cee Cee was an ambitious little sport, drawing a house, many flowers, a tree, and the sun. For all her four years she had figured that her drawing would surely win, and she held it timidly in front of Daisy.

But, there was this matter of an older brother, who had two additional years of practice. When she looked over at his drawing, her face saddened. She looked down at her work, and pressed it against her chest. It didn't seem so great anymore. She felt disappointed. She thought Jim's drawing was so much better.

She looked up at Jim while Daisy was judging his drawing. He was beaming, so proud of his work. I asked him if I could take a picture of the artists and their drawings, and he instantly held his drawing high, very high, so that it almost filled up the image in my camera!

When Daisy asked Cee Cee to hold up her drawing, Cee Cee hesitated. She saw how great Jim's drawing was, and now her flowers did not seem so bold. The house needed repairs. The tree looked lopsided, and that sun should have been much, much, bigger and brighter. Daisy told Cee Cee not to feel discouraged. "Just look how pretty your flowers are!" Cee Cee wasn't yielding to flattery, and Daisy was getting impatient.

Being the judge, Daisy took both drawings, held them up, and and said, "Grandma, take a picture!" Jim was quite proud, but little Cee Cee could not find merit in her work. She twisted her hands in doubt, regardless of our enthusiasm. Her little face showed all her anguish. Cee Cee's mother came out with a new baby in her arms, and gave a quick smile. She enjoyed seeing the photos I took of the children, and then motioned to them to come into the house for dinner. Jim galloped up the stairs, and Cee Cee stood there on the sidewalk and watched Daisy and I walk home. She held her drawing to her chest, looked at it one last time, and waved goodbye.

Now, if those children had used markers, so the images were more clear, you would see that Jim's drawing was mostly scribble, done hurridly, and without much thought. His lines were vibrant and fluid, spontaneous, and without accurate shape. Cee Cee's drawing was more deliberate, more carefully rendered, showing considerable skill for a four year old.

I hope these children get abundant encouragement, and feel free to explore and create. I'd like to see a smile on Cee Cee, a wide happy joy. We never realize how our creative work is a celebration. One cannot put judgments on it. It has a life beyond our singular intentions and our puny assessments. It is using us as an instrument. Who knows where the music goes, or who listens. Somewhere, someone is paying attention.

Seabeck on the Hood Canal

We packed a few things and headed out to Seabeck for a day of canoeing on Sunday. The weather was great, and the paddle started out with still water - perfect paddling conditions. Since we had Daisy along, the challenge was to have a short drive, and then find a location that was interesting to a ten year old child.

The beaches along Seabeck are oyster beaches, with clams in the sand, thousands of mussel shells, and plenty of detritus along the beach. I loved the exquisite colors in this mussel shell.

The skeleton of this crab had interesting muted colors. We noticed red rock crab scuttling the intertidal area to forage for food. Purple shore crabs, porcelain crabs and hairy cancer crabs frequently hide under the rocks along the shoreline. When I showed this skeleton to Daisy, she would not go near it. She has gone on over 50 canoe paddles with us over the past 4 years, and has yet to touch seaweed! (She says it looks slimy.)

We canoed down to Ricketts Beach, where there is a boathouse and community center (private) . The boats lined up along the shoreline were nested in the grass, and looked like they were not in use this season.

As we glided along, I pointed out schools of tiny salmon, swirling in the water under the canoe. They would dart away as we approached. There were also starfish, some, like these red ones were exposed in shallow tide pools as the tide receeded. The colors are varied; reds, oranges, and blue-greens. These little critters are very tough-skinned, and cannot be pried off the rocks. Sometimes, we see varieties with as many as 18 legs.

We skimmed along into a shallow inlet, where a family was picnicing. They, too had a canoe, and were drifting with the current and exploring the rock and mud bottom where northern clingfish, penpoint gunnels, high cockscomb, and sculpins scurry into to the mud.

The muddy tide-flats required pole-pushing much like one does with a raft. Daisy pushed in the middle, and George and I pushed from both ends. We went as far as we could, before getting stuck.

This old fishing boat, the Orca, had seen better days. The waves had completely broken it, and the innards were rusted and full of cobwebs. Nobody except me seemed interested in exploring this old boat.

So Daisy and George sat in the sun while I checked out the innards. I would have loved to fish from this old boat.

The tide was starting to change, with swells coming in, and George motioned me back to the canoe. We had some hard paddling, with a head wind, for the hour paddle back. People were out enjoying the water, and we enjoyed greeting families swimming and boating in the water. The temperature changed suddenly from warm and sunny to a brisk breeze. I put on my sweatshirt to keep warm.

When Daisy got hungry, George teased her by saying, "Oh, just wait. There's a catered lunch just around the bend!" Not falling for that line, I asked to stop at this little espresso place in Seabeck for coffee and chocolate chip cookies once we'd loaded up the canoe. Daisy had a Kiddie Grande, chocolate milk and I enjoyed my usual, an espresso with hot milk and sugar.

Rick, from Silverdale, comes here on weekends to play his guitar. He says he's lived in the area all his life. He loves to visit with the tourists and play his music.

He said that every year state and tribal shellfish biologists perform clam and oyster surveys on the beaches. They record data about water temperatures, food availability, harvest, disease, flooding and other environmental disturbances wich then determines the annual clam and oyster quotas. Half of the quota on every public beach is available to sport harvesters (the state share) and the other half goes to treaty tribes (the tribal share).
We saw this little miniature submarine on a hill along the highway. It has been festooned with Christmas lights.

The Big Beef Creek Field Station near Seabeck is part of the field studies of oceans and fisheries. It conducts studies on oysters, clams, and mussels to providing information and assistance to the shellfish industry. I walked along a field at the research station, where old farm machinery was displayed. I like the old colors and the com- plexity. It's all a mystery to me, what everything does, what it is for.

These were wheels to an old tiller. I like the grass poking through the spokes.

And, wouldn't you know it, for all our vigorous paddling to get back to our 'put-in place', we still got stuck in traffic near the Narrows Bridge. It came to a slow crawl, and we were stranded for awhile. George started tapping his fingers, worried, because our Ruhi Class starts at 4:30. I told him that if we are late, people will go to the patio out back and start the class without us. Fortu- nately, Kay was there, brushing up on details. She is the fascilitator. And, Barry dropped by for the Ruhi Class, eager to show us his new oil painting. It is an image of the pulp mill where one of his friends works. We gingerly passed it around as the paint was still slightly wet. I put it on top of the washing machine during our class, where the cats were not likely to step on it.