All posts tagged expedition

Esther Expedition: Wearing my carry-on

by noel.piper on April 10, 2012 in Asia, Recommended with 5 Comments

Esther Expedition

Anyone who’s looked at pictures of the expedition must have noticed that in nearly every picture I’m wearing the same vest, whether I was conferring with party secretaries or slurping soup or goofing off. If you couldn’t see the vest, it was probably hiding under another layer on a cold day.

Yep, every day for a month, I was wearing my used-to-be-brand-new Scottevest. It’s still like new after hard wear and several launderings. And yes, I ordered a men’s vest, because it fit me better and it’s longer in the back–better coverage, you know.

Before this trip, I’ve used my favorite shoulder purse or backpack for carry-on and daypack purposes. In them, everything has a place and I make an effort to put each thing back in its place. This is an important ADHD tool. Otherwise, I’m back inside, hunting my whatever while everyone else is already out the door and on the way to the airport.

But when either of those bags is loaded, it’s not long before I’m experiencing every ounce via a nagging, squirmy ache between my shoulder blades.

With the Scottevest, I wear my carry-on and don’t even notice the weight (not a bad addition to my American-in-China weight loss plan–”weight lifting” all day without feeling the extra effort).

Another big plus is security. A few years ago my prescription eyeglasses were picked out of my backpack in the chaotic push-and-shove of a market far away from home. After spending the rest of that trip not able to read, I’ve been slightly paranoid when everything important is riding out of sight on my back. With the Scottevest, I can opt to have nothing in back, and hug everything in front. Besides, I think all those pockets would leave a thief  confused and dizzy.

There are less expensive travel vests out there, but I rate the Scottevest high above the others I’ve seen because the Scottevest pockets are integral to the design, not sewn onto the outside. Maybe this wouldn’t matter to svelter people than I, but I don’t need any additional bubbly bulges.

Scottevest advertises 22-24 pockets. I never did manage an exact count. I just know that every couple of days, you could have heard me shouting, “I found another one!”  Photos of the vest aren’t helpful for trying to count, because there are pockets hidden within pockets.

In my vest, every pocket (that I finally discovered) was populated with pretty much the same items every day. I knew exactly where to reach for my passport or chapstick or afternoon meds or whatever. That’s a lot of mind-easing for an ADD brain that’s always subconsciously tense wondering what it’s forgotten this time.

The vest came with a card in each pocket suggesting how to use that particular pocket. But I suppose each “vesty” comes up with his or her own most convenient uses. And each trip has its own needs. Here’s how I used mine for this China research expedition.

 

Vest Front

Upper outside pocket #1: Business card case. Current public transport ticket and/or multi-travel card. Hotel room key or card.

Upper outside pocket #2: Sunglasses case. Petzl headlamp–about the smallest out there. It’s handy during electric outage or anytime a flashlight is needed–especially when it’s right there at hand in its pocket.

“Handwarmer” pocket #1: Antibacterial wipes. Bandanna to use as towel, sweat wiper, napkin, personal-sized table cloth, etc., etc. Tissue packet–always at hand when t.p. isn’t where you expect it to be. And there’s still room to warm a hand.

“Handwarmer” pocket #2: Available for the unexpected–and for warming a hand.

 

Inside left side

Upper “phone” pocket: Extra camera batteries, memory card, flash drive.

Pen pocket: My favorite sort of pen.

Lower “ID” pocket: Sweetener packets, since apparently nobody but me needs them in China.

Deep pocket: Water bottle. Kindle. Umbrella. Journal (not pictured–see what I mean about losing things if I don’t put them where they belong?). Magic Wand Scanner in its hard case.

Shallower pocket on front of deep pocket: Passport, Boarding pass (not pictured), my favorite travel wallet.

 

Inner right side

Pen pocket: another pen or a pencil

Phone Pocket: phone

Side-zip pocket below phone pocket: Spider mini-tripod. Camera (not pictured because it’s taking the picture) in its wrap-around case.

Big zipper pocket: All the stuff that usually is in the “cosmetics” section of my purse–chapstick, toothbrush, lotion, eye drops, lozenges, etc.

 

 ”back pocket”

This pocket is the bottom half of the vest back, side seam to side seam, zipper to the bottom hem. There may be 20-something pockets, but this is the one that makes people say, “Oh, wow.” ( or “ha ha” or “flat-butt”).

This was the perfect place to carry and protect Esther Nelson’s China, the Shutterfly photobook that was our reference/reminder of specific details to look for and a wonderful conversation starter that yielded unexpected stories and connections.

I also discovered that on a long bus or train ride, I could stuff my back-support cushion (a cheap throw cushion) in that pocket. It was just the right position, and wouldn’t let me leave it behind when the ride was done.

 

Message to the folks at Scottevest:

You’ve created a nearly perfect vest for travel. After wearing the vest all day every day for a month, though, I wished for just a couple of adjustments and 1 addition.

Addition:

I wish I’d brought along a lightweight, fold-up backpack for the occasional item (acquired in the middle of a day) that was too bulky or poky to fit in a vest pocket. Maybe that would be a bonus you could add to a vest purchase.

Adjustments:

I’d really have appreciated if the main front zipper were a 2-way, opening from the bottom when needed. Even a loose-fitting vest, when fully packed, becomes snug. It would be more comfortable and less strain in the vest, especially when sitting, if it could be zipped up from the bottom a few inches.

If each zipper pull had a rounded loop where it attaches to the zipper, it would pull more easily from whichever angle it was grasped. With the square loop, I often had to juggle the zipper around to get it straight so it it wouldn’t hang up.

If the deep pocket had an elastic strip sewed into the vest side of the pocket with sections (like in one of the hand warmer pockets), the deep pocket would hold water bottle, umbrella, etc. upright. This would be good for the fit and hang of the vest and for ease in quickly finding the right item.

One of the beauties of the Scottevest is that it’s adaptable to each person’s preferences for pocket use. S0-o-o-o how about if the key holder and clip with lens cleaner were fastened into the vest by clips and rings and if several or all pockets had rings so the wearer can choose the pocket to fasten the key ring or lens cleaner clip into? As it is now, the cleaner clip was not where I wanted it and I kept getting tangled up with its cord.

My travel companion liked my vest so much that I left it in China with her. So I need to get another one before my next trip. Since I’m almost always too hot, I think I’ll go for the lightweight vest this time.

 

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

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If you make a purchase after you click on some product links in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

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I hope you’ll also visit my other blog–NoelPiper.com

Esther Expedition: What book?

by noel.piper on April 1, 2012 in Asia with 2 Comments

Esther Expedition

The building of the registered church in Ya’an sits where the Baptist church building used to be, before the mid-1950s when churches were shut down for the next 20 years or so. The old building is replaced now, but the church–the people–are there again.

Esther Nelson lived nearby and worshiped in the old church building here. To get from her house to her work at the Briton Corlies Hospital (a Baptist Hospital named for the doctor who began the work), she used to walk past the back of the old church building, through the area where the church ran a kindergarten.

Joann and I worshiped with believers at the church on Sunday, March 18. The video here contains excerpts of a couple of hymns and of the Apostles Creed.


Near the end of the sermon, the teenager next to me succumbed to the prods of her mother and turned to me to practice her English with the convenient foreigner.

Since we were sitting near the back, it was easy to slip out. I didn’t want to disturb others around us.

While she was talking about her school and classes, she said she likes to read.

“Have you ever read from the Bible?” I asked.

“What?” Apparently, Bible in hadn’t been in the vocab list in her English class at school.

I gestured toward the sanctuary, “The book your mother has in her lap.”

“Oh, that book. No, I haven’t read that book.”

“It’s a very important book,” I said.

“My mother also thinks it is important.”

“But you don’t think it’s important? Why not?”

People were beginning to come out of the church, and her English wasn’t able to reach far enough into motive-and-reason language.

She introduced me to her mother and asked someone to take our picture. As we said goodby, I shook her hand and held it while I leaned toward her, “I want you to read in the Bible. It is the most important book. Read about Jesus.

“I don’t know how you say the names in Chinese, but look for the parts called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.”

She smiled and nodded. I gave her my blog address so she could read about our China explorations. So if she sees this story, perhaps it will give her some English language practice — and a reminder.

(I’ve uploaded 3 sections of photos from Ya’an: church & hospital, general, and you may have already seen the school pictures.)

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

Esther Expedition: drawing a crowd

by noel.piper on March 31, 2012 in Asia with No comments

Esther Expedition

One thing I’ve learned about China. It takes hardly anything to draw a crowd almost anywhere almost anytime.

These photos illustrate Joann’s story that’s an example of what I mean. The story starts with 2 schoolboys, their teacher, and an unsuspecting tourist. Just watch how it ends.

 

 

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

Esther Expedition: Not done yet

by noel.piper on March 28, 2012 in Asia with 4 Comments

Esther Expedition

I read aloud a few lines from a biographical sketch of Isabella Bird, a phenomenal traveler and writer of the late 1800s. He said she was sickly as a child and on into adulthood. Perhaps it was psychogenic, the biographer suggested, because she was sick only when she couldn’t do what she wanted to do. When she was traveling she was perfectly healthy.

Joann laughed and remembered an Alison Krauss song that says,

When are you coming back to town
And I answer quite frankly
When they stop building roads

. . . “And road building will never end in China,” she said.

But particular trips do come to an end. I’ve just hugged Joann goodby so she can fly back to her home in Beijing tonight. Tomorrow morning I fly home.

Joann wrote her goodby and thanks last night–to you and to the many here who have helped us on our way. I add my thanks with a hearty amen.

I owe Joann a huge thank you. There is no way this expedition could have happened without her. Only God knows how many hours she spent working out and reworking logistics and making reservations for boat, plane, car, hotel. Only God knows the complexity of the networks she tapped into–someone who knows someone who . . . –connections through which we found hidden places and people who were somehow connected with Esther’s life and legacy. And even those discoveries would have remained hidden to me without her as my Chinese language voice and ears.

She is right that there are “still so many untold stories.” Some are in her memory, some in mine, and many will emerge over time as I continue to process what I’ve seen, heard, and learned in Sichuan and as I “travel” further through letters, books, and archival materials.

So I hope you’ll stick around as Esther and her China and her God show themselves more and more clearly.

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

Esther Expedition: Shining Grace Church

by noel.piper on March 27, 2012 in Asia with No comments

Esther Expedition

There is much from Esther Nelson’s day that we still could see at Sichuan University, but “her” Baptist Church doesn’t exist anymore in Chengdu. When the government merged all the churches of the city into 3 (I think it is), the Baptist church and property wasn’t one of the designated facilities that would remain.

So on Sunday, Joann and I visited Enguang (Shining Grace), the church that meets in a strong old building that was built by Canadian Methodists more than 110 years ago.

As in the other registered churches we’ve visited, the gospel was presented in a fair amount of detail during the very long pastoral prayer. And once again, according to Joann who can “hear” Chinese, the sermon was true and good.

Across the small street from the church was an old house built in a semi-western style of the same brick as the church. We guessed that it had been the home of Canadian Methodist missionaries beginning about the time the church was built. I wonder if Esther ever visited anyone in that home.

A few steps beyond the house was Streams in the Desert bookshop.

I left Shishengci Street, thanking God that his Word is present here and praying that Shining Grace Church will indeed be a beacon in this city of his grace shining through Jesus.

(You can see pictures from Enguang Church. Also, I’ve finished uploading all of my photos from Chengdu.)

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

Esther Expedition: The Lord gives & takes away

by noel.piper on March 27, 2012 in Asia with 2 Comments

Esther Expedition

We are in Hong Kong. Joann has written an excellent explanation of our taking a much more complicated route than normal to get here from Chengdu. I hope you’ll read it, because it’s an important part of Esther’s story and is the last chapter in her China life.

We have stopped or visited in every city that was part of her escape from China along with 2 families and one other single woman. But during our travel to Hong Kong, I kept thinking, “What we’re doing is in only the tiniest way parallel to what they did.” Read Joann’s story to see what I mean.

Ralph Covell, who was also with the Conservative Baptists in Sichuan, though in a different place than Esther, wrote about his and his wife’s arrival in Hong Kong some time ahead of Esther and her team. His account gives a flavor of the exhaustion and struggle and fear they experienced as they tried to reach Hong Kong. This would have been similar to any missionary trying to leave China at that time.

What an unimaginable relief to get to the small village bordering on the New Territories of greater Hong Kong. After another inspection of ourselves and our luggage . . . we crossed over a narrow bridge leading into British Hong Kong. No sight has ever been so beautiful as the Union Jack fluttering gently in the breeze . . . .

Hong Kong then was nothing like Hong Kong now, but the difference from China was profound. We had nothing more than the clothes on our backs. Not only were they dirty and road-worn; they made us feel like tramps in Hong Kong’s glittering society. The hotel rooms and beds were so nice, we wondered if we could sleep in them. And we stuffed on food, as if we would never have another meal. . . . (Mission Impossible: The Unreached Nosu on China’s Frontier)

The complex on either side of that small bridge is huge now and complicated to navigate, quite different than the simple buildings when Esther crossed over to freedom. These days there is still a sense of moving from watchfulness to freedom when one crosses that narrow river. But that is a small thing–miniscule–compared to the life-and-death difference for Esther when she took those steps across the bridge.

God took her to China, and he took her out of China. The Lord gave and the Lord took away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

When Joann and I reached our hotel, we high-fived. The Esther Expedition is almost over–the travel part, that is. But the expedition through letters, photos, archives, and other resources still stretches ahead. I expect to be here on the blog with you for quite a while to come, telling more stories from the trip and sharing with you discoveries as I keep searching for Esther.

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

Esther Expedition: Streams in the Desert

by noel.piper on March 26, 2012 in Asia with No comments

Esther Expedition

Streams in the Desert: 366 Daily Devotional Readings4/23/1933 — Esther Nelson letter from Chengdu

I am enjoying Streams in the Desert so very much.

 

Sunday we worshipped with believers in Chengdu. Afterward, the name of the bookshop across the street caught my eye–Streams in the Desert–named after a book that was given Esther Nelson by friends at Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis when she was returning to China in 1932 to work in Chengdu.

Inside, almost immediately, Joann discovered the Chinese version of The Legacy of Sovereign Joy. She turned to the shopkeeper and pointed toward me, “This is the wife of the man who wrote this book.”

“Praise the Lord,” she replied.

Another woman overheard and walked over, picked up a copy and leafed through it. She handed a second copy to her friend. After both had completed their purchases, we caught up with them outside to get a picture and give them the address of the DG Chinese website.

(Earlier in Chengdu, we saw the book also at the Daily Renewal Bookshop.)

 

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

Esther Expedition: Airport entertainment

by noel.piper on March 22, 2012 in Asia with 3 Comments

Esther Expedition

1. This reserved seat makes me wonder: What about young, healthy pregnancies?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Photo of Tibetan monk taking a photo of a foreigner taking a photo of a Tibetan monk, while his sidekick plays games on his smartphone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

__________

If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

Esther Expedition: She’d still know her way around

by noel.piper on March 19, 2012 in Asia with 3 Comments

 

Esther Expedition

West China Union University was founded in Chengdu in 1905 through the joint efforts of 5 Christian organizations. Now it is Sichuan University–one of the finest universities in China.

Esther Nelson arrived there in 1924. Her first task was to learn Chinese. She also worked until 1926 as a nurse in the Canadian Baptist Men’s hospital, which was a University teaching facility. She returned in 1933 and worked at the hospital until 1935, also taking part in the university’s training of nurses.

Nowadays the immense hospital complex is known as the largest and best medical facility in Southwest China.

Yesterday (Monday on this side of the world) we walked the campus and were amazed at the number of old, well-maintained buildings that remain amidst the modern hospital and university buildings. Esther could have navigated in that section of the campus as well today as she did in 1924 or 1933. She is part of the heritage of medical training here.

Here are some then-and-now photos. You can also see the rest of my photos from our walk.

 

Replica of original gate

 

 

 

 

Original Administration Building

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

__________

If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

 

 

Esther Expedition: saved from the shredder

by noel.piper on March 17, 2012 in Asia with 2 Comments

Esther Expedition

Sorry to keep you hopping back and forth in our itinerary. Right now, I’m taking you to Zhaochang (which Esther wrote as Chow Chang). This is a small town outside Yibin. It took about 2 hours to walk between the two towns–or to be carried in a chair–when Esther lived there.

The Baptists’ Mingde school of Yibin was sent out to Zhaochang for a couple of years while Yibin was facing bombing from Japanese planes. In 1939-40, they were short of staff, so Esther was sent there to act as school nurse and to teach English.

We went out to Zhaochang, expecting nothing beyond seeing what the town looks like now and perhaps being able to see what’s built now where the school used to be.

If you’re ready for another God-incident, read Joann’s most recent post to see what actually happened.  (a few Zhaochang photos)

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

__________

If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

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