Yangtze River Valley Tradition

Reed Sandals, July 2009.

Shot outside an old house in the Yangtze River Valley in CheXi, Hubei Province, China.

suggestions for a lively October 25 (thinking ahead):

Find a chocolate festival. Preferably in Europe (you know, if you're there). Walk around. See the sights. Maybe sample some chocolate.

Perugia, Italy. Chocolate Festival. October, 2008.

One of the charming things about Italy is that each little town has a unique personality. Everyday practices, from what sort of food people eat to more seasonal customs, such as when festivals blow through town or the details of religious processions, find their roots deep in history. Witnessing these in a smaller community opens a different country than many visitors encounter when experience "Rome," (though this, undeniably, is Italy too).

Haitian girl learning to walk

Haitian girl. Ile-a-Vache, Haiti, 2007

Reality in one of the poorest corners of Haiti: if you are born with a physical disability your parents likely won't be able to care for you. Abandoned by her parents, this little girl is in the loving care of a nun (Sr. Flora) who runs an orphanage for the severely disabled. One day she may be able to walk on her own.

My reasoning to post this photograph now was quite purposeful. One of the most frequent Google searches that drives people to my blog is evidently, "Haitian girls." I don't know the motivation behind these searches but I lived long enough in Haiti not to ask. Still, one can hope, the searches are well intentioned.

Tourism in China: Wish you were here!

Huangguoshu Waterfall, Guizhou Provice, China

At first, this photograph is about two things: aesthetics and a darn good back story. The massive waterfall (largest in Asia) in the background contrasts dramatically with the antics happening in the foreground. This combined with the vibrant colors really draw the observer into the scene (click the photo to see a larger version). Too, at a cursory glance, these folks seem like part of a show. But upon closer inspection (check out the man's pressed trousers and glasses), it's clear they are probably someone's grandparents - tourists! - horsing around in rent-able traditional garb.

Most importantly, (and this is why it's one of my favorites photographs) this photograph reveals some interesting characteristics about China that in the face of tire-tariffs and a weak dollar (well, even before that, let's face it) we neglect. It hints at a natural grandeur and beauty impossible to to imagine. At the same time, it expresses something intimate: a silly element to an older couple's sense of humor. I would venture to say I experienced this sort of refreshing joviality in my interactions with people throughout the country - this willingness to act goofy or make jokes at the expense of one's self for a laugh.

Importantly, the photo also gives a peep the thriving internal market for tourism, which includes path-side vendors who rent period costumes in which tourists can be photographed. (In addition to Ming-style grannies, I saw silk-robed teens and all manner of anachronistic ridiculousness... all over the place). However, in July on a Friday, hundreds of Chinese visited this waterfall; I didn't see any Westerners. China, despite its welcome capitalist market and vast offerings in the trade world (sure, it'll take our $ for investment and manufacturing) has yet to really profit from basic tourism. Yes, despite the Beijing Olympics.

The proof is in the pudding (no, not in a statistic put out by the People's Republic): try to find a postcard in Shanghai. I dare you. (And this with the World Expo 2010 coming up). All I'm saying is that someone's missing out...

**To read about my visit to Guizhou, see Wild Wild West of China. To check out links for tourism in Guizhou, go to China Tourist Maps and click GuiZhou. To be wowed by China's nature offering, check out BBC's documentary "Wild China" (awesome) at Amazon.

portiamills.com updates

For months, I completely shirked my blogging and website in lieu of other activities. Now that some of those obligations are behind me, I'm trying to make up for lost time. Please check out www.portiamills.com to see the latest updates. The newest sections are "families," "who's there," and "work and play."

In coming weeks, I hope to reorganize the site to post photographs from other locals and trips. Your feed back, thoughts and ideas are, as always, most welcome and appreciated!

a reminder....

that life is wildly, fantastically and amazingly beautiful. Even on a foggy, Maine day, there is beauty. Some times, we need reminding.

things to see

"Hey! Look at that house hanging off the cliff up there!"

"Portia, if I do that, we'll drive straight off the mountain."

"Oh, it's too bad, there are so many interesting things to see."

"Sorry, I have to concentrate."

"It's OK, I'll just tell you what I'm seeing."

"Oh dear God, this will be scary..."

So, what you're saying I have an infantile and unique view of the world?

COOL.

I found this spider on a walk in South Carolina. Love the red spikes.

the smell of wild sea roses

Stopping to smell the roses on Caterpillar Hill, Maine.

Mid-Coast Maine Sunset

suspended... for the moment

One of Espwa's little boys hung some flowers from a spiderweb. It caught my breath to see the little blossoms suspended in air. Images like these - these kinds of memories - and faces like this little girl's float through my mind.

I have not posted in a week because I have been traveling and taking a short vacation. Internet access at my grandmothers and on Isle-au-Haut, Maine is more limited than in Haiti, it seems. Now that I am back in DC, you'll be hearing from me with greater frequency as I attempt to reorient my life in the post-Haiti phases.

stripping away belying smiles

Despite their tragic histories and less than ideal lives, the Espwa kids smile regularly and "fe desod" (act out) on a daily basis. In fact, catching any one of them in a pensive or sullen moment is rather difficult. Perhaps that goes to show how our screen-less and packed homes, three starchy meals a day and boundless, muddy farmland compare to the alternative, which is nothing - less than nothing - or death from starvation. Yesterday, Paige and I went out to try to "capture" some of the kids looking gloomy. We literally had to bribe them with candy -- and even still, we caught far too many smiles! But man, without a cheerful, toothy grin to hide the sorrow, their eyes reveal naked tragedy. They possess memories that no one deserves, let alone kids their age. This little boy (below) did not need any coaxing, however. It would be hard to exaggerate the harsh reality of going through life with one foot -- especially in a place where prosthetic limbs are only a fantasy.

colonial ruins

Colonial ruins in Mercen, Haiti.

Saut Maturine

Rough n' Tumble

Mountains

Dark Cloud over Kenscoff

In a different era, Graham Greene wrote in his novel The Comedians about the dark cloud over Kenscoff. Nearly half a century later, it's still there: the black rain cloud that empties itself on the mountains above Port-au-Prince.

R&R on Friday Afternoon

land of mountains

quieter streets

Cite Soleil post-UN gang round-up.

Tortured Contrasts

An old woman sits on a hill situated slightly west of Port Salut. A crop of dying sugar cane surrounds her and her rusty tin hut, which is no larger than a spacious outhouse. She sits facing away from this scenery, toward the road. She has a panoramic view of the southern Caribbean but not desire or ability to enjoy it. Only a few other thatched-roof huts speckle the landscape; each has a stunning coastal view and a resident blinded by poverty and structural violence. Haiti has stretches of coast with little or no development. The few beaches near more populated, waterfront towns are usually destroyed or literally covered with trash. With recent improvements to infrastructure (better bridges, paved roads, electricity) and slow but steady economic growth, the facts about this devastated Caribbean island could change. Miles of empty, turquoise water do not promise change any time soon, though. Even with some real achievements in national monetary policies and with GDP growth creeping ever higher, the government must still face major socioeconomic challenges. Human rights violations remain Haiti's greatest plague. This lingering and gruesome quality of a long-unstable government is painfully visible everywhere in the country and creates a stark contrast to the dazzling colors and uninterrupted panoramas.