Yesterday was a lengthy day for Michael as he "sang for his supper," and I accompanied him as his wife. We were grateful to be picked up around 10 am, especially since we didn't get home the night we arrived until after 1 am! Our first stop was a new research institute linked to the university and the hospital, designed to support both basic and clinical research with dedicated buildings for cancer, neurological/mental health, and cardiovascular studies, among others. The complex is stunning and situated on the outskirts of the city. We had lunch there with prominent professors and staff before proceeding to the hospital, where Michael engaged with a group of psychiatry graduate students working with our host, Xiandong Tang. Each student presented a brief PowerPoint on their current research, and Michael offered both encouragement and constructive feedback to help them enhance their projects. By 4:30 pm, it was time for his lecture in front of a packed audience mostly composed of psychiatrists and graduate students. Interestingly, the majority were female, with only a few men present. As always, Michael was brilliant and alert, while I, on the other hand, was clearly feeling the effects of jet lag but pushed through!
On Tuesday morning, June 17th, we got up at 5am to complete our packing and left for the airport by 9am. Our Delta flight #281 departed an hour behind schedule and landed in Shanghai around 4:30pm Wednesday, local time, which was approximately 1:30am PST on Wednesday.
Gazing at the stunning temple at the base of the Songshan Mountain range in Henan province, southeast of Luoyang, I had finally reached a destination I had longed to see for many years. I was captivated by the legendary Shaolin temple, known as the residence of the renowned Indian monk Bodhidharma, who is credited with founding Zen Buddhism and the martial art of Kung Fu. The temple's historic architectural complex, notable for its significant aesthetic appeal and deep cultural meanings, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After completing my usual photographic exploration of the temple, I settled in front of a statue of Bodhidharma and entered into deep meditation. As a practitioner of transcendental meditation, I found it effortless to transition into dhyana, despite the distractions of occasional tourists wandering through the temple, which is predominantly recognized by the public as the birthplace of Kung Fu martial arts. My personal link to this temple, shared with many fellow individuals from my home state of Tamil Nadu, India, stems from the great Bodhidharma himself, who arrived from our city of Kanchipuram in 520 AD to introduce Mahayana Buddhism to China. He spent nine years living in the Shaolin temple, and I plan to share his story through the perspective of Tsutomu Kambe (a former physics professor at the University of Tokyo), drawing from his book 'Bodhi Dharma and Oceanic Silk Road.' I have long wished to write about the esteemed Bodhidharma for my blog readership since my visit to these regions in 2003. Ensuring safety is always a priority for me when exploring remote areas.
Gazing at the stunning temple nestled at the base of the Songshan Mountain range in Henan province, southeast of Luoyang, I had finally reached a destination I had dreamed of visiting for many years. I found myself captivated by the legendary Shaolin temple, renowned as the residence of the esteemed Indian monk Bodhidharma, who is recognized as the founder of Zen Buddhism and Kung Fu martial arts. The temple's historical architectural complex, notable for its remarkable aesthetic appeal and deep cultural significance, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. After capturing my usual photographs of the temple, I settled in front of a statue of Bodhidharma and entered a state of deep meditation. As a practitioner of transcendental meditation, it was easy for me to transition into dhyana, despite the occasional noise from tourists wandering around the temple, primarily known to the general public as the birthplace of Kung Fu. My personal connection to this temple, shared with many of my fellow natives from my home state of Tamil Nadu, India, is through the great Bodhidharma, who journeyed from our city of Kanchipuram in 520 AD to promote Mahayana Buddhism in China. He spent nine years residing in the Shaolin temple, and I plan to share his story as recounted by Tsutomu Kambe, a former Physics Professor at the University of Tokyo, in his book 'Bodhi Dharma and Oceanic Silk Road.' I have long desired to write about the remarkable Bodhidharma for my blog readers ever since my visit to this region in 2003.
Nearly every weekend was filled with an exam. There were entrance exams for international high schools, PE assessments for middle school graduates (which my daughter excelled in, scoring full marks in all), and mock exams for subjects like English, Chemistry, and Physics, among others.
15.03.2025 - 15.03.2025
I can't recall when I first learned about the Canton Fair, but I finally had the chance to attend as a "buyer." I had to bend the truth a bit and claim I was shopping for electronics to bring back to Canada. It's an enormous trade event that takes place three times a year in Guangzhou. When I attended, it was the electronics segment. I went on another river cruise and then returned to the hostel. A German guy generously shared his Lithuanian vodka with me, and I ended up a little intoxicated. When I returned to the room, I caused quite a stir upon seeing all the clutter on the table that I wanted to discuss with them. I scattered their belongings throughout the room, and they called the police. I stayed up all night and left for home in the morning. I received a refund for that terrible hostel (Lazy Gaga hostel; avoid it, as it is filled with homeless individuals rather than backpackers).
05.04.2025 - 05.04.2025 20 degrees Celsius
04.04.2025 - 04.04.2025 20 °C
29.03.2025 - 29.04.2025 18 °C
28.03.2025 - 28.03.2025 20 °C
04.03.2025 - 04.03.2025 22°C
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