Notes from a journal…post offices in China

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“…bought a picture for Jo’s birthday in Xi’an.  A colourful couple facing each other, a framed pair of shadow puppets…wandering streets of market stalls, watching and then eating peanut crackle and spicy potatoes prepared at the side of the street.

An exercise in international parcel delivery and Chinese post offices to get said framed picture back to the UK for birthday. What an impractical present to buy…Very efficient system of boxes and packaging, however, with many people offering assistance and instruction. Many forms to fill out. Different tasks to be completed at different windows. It’s a morning’s work.

…I like Xi’an, it’s described to me today as the ‘roots’ of China, Beijing as the ‘leaves’ and Shanghai the ‘flowers'”.

Tuesday, 22nd October

Bali & breadcrumbs.

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Bali, and Nusa Lembongan particularly, remains a very special place filled with incredible memories. As such, several crochet pebbles were left here along my ‘Trail of Breadcrumbs’. Learning to dive I discovered a new country and a whole new world. Overcoming fears and seasickness, living on the beachfront and spending time watching seaweed farmers and exploring mangroves, this was how I started 2014. 

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Nusa Lembongan, Bali (Louise Kenward, 2014)

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‘Breadcrumb’ replaced in wall of coral pebbles washed up from the sea. Louise Kenward, 2014.

A volcanic island, there were few pebbles. Sand beaches were scattered with lava and coral pebbles washed up from the sea. The washed up corals and the volcanoes on the horizon, a reminder of the fragility of the environment. 

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View for pebble breadcrumb. Nusa Lembongan, Bali (Louise Kenward, 2014)

 

 

Notes from a Journal…Arriving in China

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Friday 18th October

“Waking up in China to a densely built up landscape. Gone are the forests of Siberia and the golden plains of Mongolia. It is autumn again, time goes backwards and we briefly travel through more familiar pine forests and woodland. Auburn leaves cling stubbornly to branches. It is rocky and flat alternately. There is evidence of agriculture with ploughed fields, the first since Siberia. The view is changing much more quickly now. Inhabited to wild, agriculture to city scape. House construction is different, older properties with tiled roofs. Evidence of man is more frequent here…”

It felt like I’d been cocooned by the train, my home for a full 7 days and nights of the three week journey. I have come to the end of my Trans Siberian/Trans Mongolian train journey. Nearly three weeks after leaving Moscow I am about to arrive in Beijing, leaving my new family behind as we all take our own paths onwards…

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Last morning on the Trans Mongolian train, dawn slowly brings China into view, Louise Kenward (2013)

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My view has been framed in this way for such a long time, I will miss the train. Louise Kenward (2013)

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Arriving in China, Louise Kenward (2013)

Next steps…proposal writing (planning for time with Annie).

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For the completeness of the blog I thought I would share my reflections on the next stages of this project. My plans were always to ‘revisit’ Annie, spending time at Bexhill Museum with some of the objects she brought back from her travels, with space and time to reconsider my relationship with her, the letters I’ve written and places we have both visited. This is something I have been really looking forward to and I hope will round off my journey by returning to the place it started and the person who played such a key role, as companion and inspiration.

With this intention made there are various hoops to jump before this can take place. Most importantly the demanding and gruelling task of applying for funding…the words that strike horror and awe in equal measure. The rarity of getting something supported by public funding at all, let alone in this current climate, has made it an increasingly demanding process. It is enormously time consuming, time that must be given freely.

So I am boldly embarking on a quest to apply for funding. Preparing and writing proposals is demanding and requires a lot of planning and research. It has taken much of my time since returning to the UK, in meetings, discussions, writings and phone calls. It requires a good deal of patience and commitment, as well as copious amounts of tea. It is a lengthy and tedious process at times, requiring incredible detail and foresight. Each time, successful or otherwise, however, it has been a useful process. It makes me think about what I am intending, why and who it is for. Each new conversation raises something I hadn’t thought of, or brings a new perspective. It forces me to write in a different way, for a different audience. It brings a new light to the work and opens up new directions. Proposal writing is an art in itself, and one that develops my thinking and my work. This makes it a valuable experience, whatever the outcome, but ideas and thoughts about the project have moved on. I hope I have the chance to share my ideas and plans. Fingers crossed…

Croatia

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Arriving at Split by ferry was such a great way to start my journey through Croatia. The sun had only just come up as I left the boat, so I missed the view of the beautiful Dalmation coastline but it was a great start to the day. A huge ship, travelling from Ancona in Italy, there was only a couple of dozen of us on it. It seemed a little excessive but I was grateful it was still running. Many have stopped at this time of year. My next mission to find the train station was not difficult, I crossed the road, it was not much further than that, stumbled upon as I made my way towards the city centre. Train tickets through Croatia cannot be bought online so with great relief I finally was able to arrange my trip to Budapest, with an unexpected afternoon in Zagreb as there are no night trains currently. This has now stripped my time in Budapest back so far I have only one day there. The journey during the daytime will give me chance to see much more of the countryside though.

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Split, Louise Kenward 2014

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Advent celebrations in Split, Louise Kenward 2014

A UNESCO heritage city, Split is (as you might expect) beautiful. The old town, the palace, is a maze of narrow paved streets with towering walls filled with peoples homes, shops, restaurants and cafes. Interspersed with squares where advent is in full swing, with Christmas lights, decorations, music and market stalls. The Riva (waterfront) is filled with people visiting the Christmas markets and enjoying drinks overlooking the harbour. The water is so still it is the ‘wateriest’ water I have seen. At dusk the lights skip across the ripples like a three dimensional impressionist painting.

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Split waterfront, Riva (Louise Kenward, 2014)

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Split sunset, Louise Kenward (2014)

Of my three days here, I spent a morning in Trogir, another UNESCO heritage site, another town filled with tiny streets and tall walls of shutters and terraces. Bridges link the town across the water that surrounds. I would have loved to take the ferry back to Split, but the trouble with travelling in low season is that many things like this are closed. The coastline is pretty and there is chance to island hop in the warmer months. I shall have to make do with my views from climbing the hill at Split for now.

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From the top of the hill, overlooking Split (Louise Kenward, 2014)

The sun has been an unexpected welcome addition to my few days here, with the introduction of the ‘Bora’ I have enjoyed blue skies and sunshine. The ‘Bora’ is the cold north wind that is said to make people a little crazy…there is apparently a law in Dubrovnik that renders people only 50% culpable of any criminal act during the Bora! I am still not 100% certain Lana is not pulling my leg.

Leaving Split I must be still half asleep on the train, having dozed off I wake to thick white fog and dustings of snow on the trees. I feel I am still dreaming, it is a fairytale land of almost monochrome. I can see nothing else but more of the same. Travelling out along the coastline and up through mountains we have gone from island views and seaside beauty to rocky barren splendour into a wilderness of winter wonder. The journey has been worth the 200 kuna for the sightseeing alone, a beautiful journey. Most of the trip lacking any evidence of dirty industry or paths of human existence in many places at all. We stop occasionally at apparently abandoned train stations where occasionally someone gets on or off, each promptly manned by smartly dressed attendants in red peaked caps.

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Split to Zagreb train journey, Louise Kenward 2014

It more than makes up for the lack of refreshments available which has meant I’ve broken into one of my trays of sweets for taking home…

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Split to Zagreb train journey, Louise Kenward 2014