Eth-Noh-Tec

What We’ve Been Doing:

Well, we’re exhausted, but full and sated. We have walked miles and miles learning the stories and history of the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, underground Ming Tomb, Sacred Way and the Summer Palace. We have visited the Olympic Water Bubble and Bird’s Nest. We have taken photos, videos, and rubbed our aching feet! Where once these sites were fairly empty and calm, with mostly western tourists, these sites are now over crowded with Chinese tourists. What a change with the new wealth of some of the Chinese in this country. They are traveling!

In addition to their traveling, they’ve invented some new traditions: lovers, couples and the newly-in-love buy locks to chain to the Great Wall and throw away the key over the wall to announce that their love is forever. However, we saw one lock that was a combination lock – just in case they change their minds!!

We have all been caught in traffic jams, eaten great food, sung on the bus with new songs in Chinese and English, bought little trinkets like Groucho glasses and nose with the Chinese addition of colorful paper unrolling and closing under the nostrils; we’ve bought kites, roasted chestnuts, camel bone Buddhas (which are probably made of plaster), pearls, Tang dynasty head dresses and we’ve seen t-shirts with Obama dressed in a Mao uniform – really fun!

And we’ve definitely seen the huge high rises, huge department stores with western stores like Gap, and way too many McDonalds and KFCs – some 3 stories high to accommodate the Chinese patrons.

The Reason We’re Here: The Storytelling Village Gengcun

Tomorrow we’re off to Gaocheng City, the nearest city to Gengcun Village. Gaocheng City is where we will be staying while we visit and share stories, songs, dances, laughter, hugs and friendship with the villagers of Gengcun – the reason we are here.

This is the traditional storytelling village we are visiting for the 4th time. They have had this tradition of telling stories for over 600 years. Our greatest concern is the preservation of this village and their art form. Modernization of China is starting to break down the tradition with the young leaving to work in the cities. Some are now taking their children to the city for their education and this further breaks down the tradition of the next generation being able to learn the stories to hand to their next generation.

We will be studying this predicament and brainstorming as to how we can help in the preservation of this particular folk tradition. If anyone has a contact at UNESCO or knows of a professor who has a passion to preserve old folk traditions, please let us know.

Keep visiting our blog! More about our beloved storytelling friends once we’re there!

Getting Out There in China

Nu Wa China Storytelling and Cultural Exchange has launched! And once again, it’s a wonderful group of diverse Americans!

Tea Time & More

We went to a Tea House today and saw some amazing performances – magic with live fish appearing on the end of fishing poles, in bowls and more; storyteller using song and drum; repartee – like a stand up comedy routine (and one of the guys was really handsome!); tea ceremony and dance; an amazing balancing act using these large porcelain jugs and a large garden planter pots thrown up in the air and caught on shoulders, his head, rolled from arm to arm, tossed from fist to fist and so much more; shadow puppet story; and the most fascinating was the face pushing or face smear – the instantaneous changing of masks with dance/opera movements. If you haven’t seen the Chinese movie “King of Masks” – definitely check it out and you’ll know what we saw.

On the Square

Also walked around Tiananmen Square replete now with 2 gigantic digital screens with scenery and dances from throughout China, along with this majestic music that makes one?s experience of the square bigger than life – like you’re in a movie!

The Cuisine is Mean!

Of course the meals have been plentiful with at least eight different dishes, quite different than all our other tours. Less Americanized. Well, we have had sweet and sour chicken at lunch and dinner today. One tour it was kung pao chicken every day. But tree ear fungus? Tea eggs? This is exotic for westerners. First day and we’re already too full!

Exhausted after walking, eating and in 90 degree weather, everyone has gone to bed early.

Us, too. Goodnite from China!

Nancy and Robert

A Return Journey In Many Ways

As many know, I was commissioned by Sue O’Halloran of Race Bridges to write and perform my mother’s story titled ‘Bittersweet’. It was performed in Chicago twice this past April and on Orcas Island as part of the Smithsonian’s Journey Stories traveling exhibit. Soon, I will perform it at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough in October.

How fitting it was, then, that I was traveling to China for Eth-Noh-Tec’s ‘Nu Wa Storytelling and Cultural Exchange’ program. I brought the 2nd half of my mom’s ashes to be scattered here where the happiest part of her life was spent, and particularly at her Yenching University, now called Beijing University or Peking University in Beijing.

And so, Robert and I came early and found our way by bus and subway to the famous landmark lake and water tower within the campus. Robert, carrying and rolling his video camera and photo camera, along with mom’s ashes, we roamed the shore of the lake looking for the perfect spot. We found it!

Full Circle of The Spirit

My Mom’s ashes are on the island within the lake in an opening left of a marble boat. The view takes in the lake, the many willow trees along the shore, the sitting gazebo, the water tower that is built like a pagoda, and of course, the marble boat. I placed her ashes along the roots of a beautiful willow tree that leans over the water’s edge, and then continued pouring the ashes to make a path along the rocks and shore of the lake until I made 2 circles of her ashes: full circle for her trip to China as a young girl for her education, and now back to China, and full circle for her birth and then her death in America. It was perfect weather. A mild 76 degrees, a lovely breeze, and we actually saw some blue sky and clouds vs. smog.

The lake and the trees were so green and lush. A white butterfly with black markings kept us company for the hour it took to give her family messages, to scatter her ashes and to reflect. Perhaps you might know that white butterflies are symbols of the departed spirit of those who have passed. I also, like the butterfly, wore the same two colors: I wore white – the Chinese color of mourning and respect, as well as black – the Western color of mourning and respect. The white and black butterfly flitted and flirted all around us during this time.

Ash To Ash…

As we sat afterwards, a young girl had her picture taken against the willow tree and as she left, tracked some of mom’s ashes as she continued her walk along the lake. Then a dog came and lightly stepped on one circle and then tracked some more of mom to walk along the path of the island. This will keep happening while some ashes will sink into the ground; the ashes along the tree roots will become part of the tree forever.

It was such an honor to do this for my mom, as it was to care for her in her final months and to write her story. And if she can know what is happening, and I believe she can, she is happy and content for how it all turned out – this her story, her life of bitter and sweet. It was all very lovely and quite extraordinary.

Hello everyone!

Nancy came up to Orcas Island early in May to start the garden. By the time I joined her in June the seedlings were now well sprouted and on their way to looking great. Lots of planning, digging, and planting, even hiring extra hands. It was a lesson in getting-back-to-the-earth, episodes with a mysterious, two-legged, deer fence saboteur and munching deers, and plenty of veggies to eat. Special thanks to daughter Xiani and boyfriend Wes for digging, rock arranging, and, oh yes… spotting that rascal deer!

‎”What can we do about Global Climate change?” we asked ourselves? We answered: “Get ‘personal’ with going ‘Green’ ” . We started a garden to gain first hand experience with amazing world of food growing. Growing and eating healthy veggies, working in the dirt, listening to the farmers, gardeners, of the community, learning to grow our own food… all part of lowering the carbon footprint. We have a greater appreciation for all the hundreds of thousands of people it takes bring food to us all. “As I held the clump of dirt and seedling in my hand- I could feel overwhelming emotions in me: gratitude, awe, respect for the miracle of the life in seeds, the dirt, the sun and water”. Learning to plant and nurture life-giving food is a political act for peace. I HIGHLY recommend getting involved in food growing at whatever level you can (support organic farmers, eat organic food, grow veggies, reduce or eliminate animal protein consumption, support local farmers)

We’ll be back in urban SF in a week with fond memories of dirt! Green Grows the garden!

R & N

Last weekend marked the last of the 5th year series of “Salon! You’re ON!”. As another wonderful season comes to a close, we have much to be grateful for. First and foremost- we are grateful to all the incredible Bay Area talent that made this possible. With over 8 events, 400 people attending, and 60 participating artists, painters, writers, poets, film makers, songwriters, playwright, storytellers, public artists, musicians and dancers, and choirs we are so thankful to have created such an array of artistry. We can all feel so proud to be a part of this diverse cultural region known as the Bay Area.

Al Manalo: 

Starting off the evening with loads of laughs Filipino style, Al Manalo shared memoirs upon the journey of cultural identity filled with plenty Pinoy innuendo.  Hailing from Salinas where he learned the Latino ways like what he termed, the “airplane dance” he manuevered us in and around that ever close relations between Filipinos and our Latino brothers and sisters.  I personally liked the “balut” vingette (pronounced: “baluuuuuut!” in the tradition of those ever present vendors that sell the  half-formed-chick-embryos that go down so well San Miguel beer).   I also liked his description of crowing roosters (at 3am in the morning).  Al had many of  the crowd in stitches… caught up in the contagion of laughter.

Aileen Ibardaloza:

Her writing was elegant and graceful as she shared the poetic stories in a piece called ”Wedding Dress”.   In this piece she drew in sights and sounds of Filipino life, with images of&nbsp Manila, like Quiapo, the old town market district, images of old photos, draping fabric, stillness and moments, of beggars and saints, folk potions that cure forgetfulness.  Aileen’s poetry is sensual and intimate as she draws her listener into personal views of family relationships, always honoring the matriarchy of mother and lola (grandmother).  In her second piece she was joined by Paul, her husband for some tandem recitation of a poem titled:  ”Italian Wedding Suit”.

Sean San Jose & Rick Saenz:

Sean read from his work dedicated to his grandmother, his lola, “the one who taught us about “slow dancing, about memories, about tattoos ‘tik tik’ (grandmothers knick-name for the sound of a tattoo machine)”.  Sean took us through two scenes. The first scene, back in 1948: Dance Hall Manila at makeshift social dance hall in a barn on a farm of beets and strawberries fields, of zoot suits and knife fights.  The passion and fire between Latino and Filipino communities, from Guadalupe, CA to Intramuros, Philippines Sean moves us between worlds.  The second scene flashes forward to current times, a young man trying to honor those who came before him with a commemorative tattoo.  But what image should be chosen? He tells the tattoo artist: ”You can start my tattooing memories… of Weddings, funerals, barong (shirts) and shoes… a tattoo of his grandfather’s lolo’s heart, and his lolas face”.  Sean’s writing and delivery was poetic drama.  Thank you to both Rick and Sean for this passionate performance!

Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo:

Adding to the mix of entertainment, I dusted off an old favorite from  former Asian American song-writing days and sang an original:  ”To The Manongs of Walnut Grove”.  The song speaks of the community in the California Delta area where Filipino migrant farm workers live.  These “Manongs” (respective term for elder brother, uncle or elder) who came to America in the 1920′s and 1930′s were a significant part of California’s booming agricultural economy.  It was good to have my “manongs” in the audience listening, Bill Tamayo and Ron Muriera (my brother artists and community activists) who also witnessed the earlier years of Filipino American consciousness (International Hotel and the struggle of low-cost housing in SF; Fil-Am veterans rights movement, Asian American legal aide, and immigration rights movement).

Nara Denning:

Nara herself calls her work “painting with film” and  ”poetry of cinema” as she presented two pieces both earning this unique approach to film.  The first piece, a film of a modern man’s encounter with “Pele” the goddess of the volcano in Hawaiian Mythos is a cautionary tale depicting what happens when a modern man (symbolized by a voyeur photographer) trespasses the realm of the goddess and offends her with a flash of the camera.  Perhaps it was a statement about trying to “capture” spirit, rather than “experiencing” it.  Nara’s visual sensibility was mythic and stunning.

Ron Quesada: 

Kulintronica is a term which implies the fusing of kulintang, the traditional gong music of Southern Philippines with synthesized music. Ron, who has studied the traditional music is exploring the outer edges of this genre by overlaying Filipino modes on top of “tracks” produced by soft-synth sounds of the laptop computer. With his initial foundation in traditional Maguindanaon *(one of dozens of ethnic groups found on Mindanao island) gong music Quesada has blended “trance” style sounds of popular Western culture with tradition.

Big Thanks!

For all the artists, audience members and volunteers that made this season a hit.  We will open our  6th season in the Fall (dates to be announced).  If you know of other artists, ensembles of any art form, please let us know.  We’d love to include them in next years line up.