tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3482390721636462512024-03-05T15:26:58.304-06:00a hydrophilic mission<i>breaking away to serve and discover through water volunteerism overseas</i>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-45696044963490324392011-12-21T10:17:00.001-06:002012-04-14T03:06:42.956-05:00Home, Finally.<i>You haven’t heard from
me, due to some Self-Induced Writer’s Block (do not try this at home). I spent
months overcoming it, and here’s what has passed since.<o:p></o:p></i><br>
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<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DfxsKbsOuhoHpnA1jpjAxEO3ffcLnr_FLJqdgkN5FlSG5XgnobHbyB-Rwd83N85dIKNIt7pabOXOi1fFLd9ANdphtiEV2vwpEKFilQZMU4BXc9MtepU5mHj9jjoH2DDStSezQ7TEcxI/s1600/RuthPhilip-1867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DfxsKbsOuhoHpnA1jpjAxEO3ffcLnr_FLJqdgkN5FlSG5XgnobHbyB-Rwd83N85dIKNIt7pabOXOi1fFLd9ANdphtiEV2vwpEKFilQZMU4BXc9MtepU5mHj9jjoH2DDStSezQ7TEcxI/s320/RuthPhilip-1867.jpg" width="209"></a>Panic and nausea, fear and self-loathing, confusion and
despair. Today, I finally take up the pen (keyboard?) again, and I am paying dearly
with my feelings for a mistake I made. My trip was completed back in May, and for
over half a year, I’ve left faithful readers hanging with the story unfinished.
Upon returning to the U.S., there seemed to be too much to do! Besides, I
convinced myself, writing a dazzling and accurate conclusion meant time was
needed to organize my notes. So I deliberately induced writer’s block, and put
off writing for reasons that seemed permissible at the time:</div>
<br>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/12/home-finally.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com1Orange, CA, USA33.7877944 -117.8531118999999933.750895400000005 -117.93722089999999 33.8246934 -117.76900289999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-24879109019058548182011-07-03T22:01:00.004-05:002011-07-03T22:13:23.306-05:00Part 3 - How the Day was Saved (by a drowning fly)<div style="text-align: center;">
<em> “Glass, china, and reputation are easily cracked, and never well mended.” – Poor Richard</em></div>
<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkdOriUSaK85nSQ8ewtwZQ5ZVpXb67fS5lnqRK6eFwuVDdm7pa6hpyqmnaupSkua-1fvH5FuETA_-tEp1xi9HiAoYDNJoBeb7oKAqObUmsyRHlEvF7_YNVF44VkFkOqLy4GsBNQkyMnY/s1600/broken+china.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkdOriUSaK85nSQ8ewtwZQ5ZVpXb67fS5lnqRK6eFwuVDdm7pa6hpyqmnaupSkua-1fvH5FuETA_-tEp1xi9HiAoYDNJoBeb7oKAqObUmsyRHlEvF7_YNVF44VkFkOqLy4GsBNQkyMnY/s200/broken+china.jpg" width="200"></a>When tested against all other vendors, the water from our system is the safest to drink. And at 25 cents for 20 liters (approx. 5 gallons), it is by far the most affordable. Money earned goes back into maintaining the system, and nobody makes a profit. Though these are facts, they are easily trumped by stubborn ignorance, which puts our reputation in peril. The reputation of Agua Muisne is something to be guarded with constant vigilance, especially in small towns where gossip is the only thing that travels quickly. A simple scare story could deal a significant blow to public health. In one instance, the day was saved by a drowning fly:<br>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/07/part-3-how-day-was-saved-by-drowning.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-12110169037905909052011-06-27T13:52:00.000-05:002011-06-27T13:52:28.824-05:00Part 2 – Men of Estero! Where are You?!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i>One problem we faced was getting the local men to volunteer. Interestingly, this was never a problem in China. I tried to get to the bottom of this.</i></div>
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The Foundations of Agua Muisne and Yanapuma were determined
to partner in building a water treatment system in the town of Estero de Pl<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">á</span>tano. This determination was a mistake. The
decision to build should have been conditional on the townspeople’s
understanding and commitment to the project. On Day 2 of construction, I
noticed these were both lacking in the community. But it was already too late: materials
had been purchased and work had begun. Nik and Allie were long term North
American volunteers established in the community, and together we hastily created
a presentation and held a village-wide meeting to remedy the problem. I cannot
say we were successful. We may have called to attention the importance of clean
water and garnered a few volunteers, but if we could have halted the project right
then, we would have. The money was there, the ball was rolling, and we could
only forge ahead and deal with the fallout later, sure to come.</div>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/06/part-2-men-of-estero-where-are-you.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-30462666653261608992011-06-24T20:00:00.003-05:002011-06-24T20:01:42.957-05:00Social ChallengesPart 1 - Grappling with a Colonial Animal<i>Please excuse my one month hiatus. I trust you'll believe me when I say it was for good reason. </i><br>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To understand the challenges of working in Estero de Plátano, you must first understand
something about small towns. The following two paragraphs come from Steinbeck’s <u>The
Pearl</u>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRtioTD_B8wv5s2jPiFxVRYet5EKMviYUwxmmp0lsUWJevv_Hi2fWXIEE1GeVlx4JbTKZGioSSZR30nflfseh4I6c9HIjsBFNVY6er7vvWMM-dD_oWzHFUivhnLfedefCRudJrkIvPTw/s1600/the-pearl-john-steinbeck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRtioTD_B8wv5s2jPiFxVRYet5EKMviYUwxmmp0lsUWJevv_Hi2fWXIEE1GeVlx4JbTKZGioSSZR30nflfseh4I6c9HIjsBFNVY6er7vvWMM-dD_oWzHFUivhnLfedefCRudJrkIvPTw/s1600/the-pearl-john-steinbeck.jpg"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br>
<i>A
town is a thing like a colonial animal. A town has a nervous system and a head
and shoulders and feet. A town is a thing separate from all other towns, so
that there are no two towns alike. And a town has a whole emotion. How news
travels through a town is a mystery not easily to be solved. News seems to move
faster than small boys can scramble and dart to tell it, faster than women can
call it over the fences.</i><br>
</div><a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/06/social-challenges-part-1-grappling-with.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-78943945513187346782011-05-06T13:21:00.004-05:002011-05-06T13:38:07.685-05:00In Four Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEh2f0QXIwSMxAyRsqgewtOyqyw0jGwVqz_2q3kdbYGW4GBzwise_Z7SMbW2QxvAtLkqxQAN5fVFbyhS_ABe60Vd6Qh1Fzfi2S_fpQJ2RjZXioFrfuNcKPGmwzVuGUuDTKc2vwHxsJZnk/s1600/Copia+de+IMG_1133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEh2f0QXIwSMxAyRsqgewtOyqyw0jGwVqz_2q3kdbYGW4GBzwise_Z7SMbW2QxvAtLkqxQAN5fVFbyhS_ABe60Vd6Qh1Fzfi2S_fpQJ2RjZXioFrfuNcKPGmwzVuGUuDTKc2vwHxsJZnk/s400/Copia+de+IMG_1133.JPG" width="400"></a></div>
In four weeks, we built this water purification system for the town of Estero de Plátano. <br>
<br>
I made the design and was in charge of all construction, testing, and promotion. Workers included the two maestros we hired, volunteers from other organizations, surfers, my visiting fianc<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">é</span>, and various men, women, and children of Estero. Funding came from Fundaci<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">ó</span>n Agua Muisne and Fundación Yanapuma.<br>
<br>
Enjoy the photo report below; I'd be happy to answer your questions!<br>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/05/in-4-weeks.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com9Estero de Plátano, Ecuador0.77289581171390187 -80.089887478124979-2.8820296882860981 -88.797390478124981 4.4278213117139016 -71.382384478124976tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-49915702636231057532011-04-09T07:33:00.003-05:002011-06-27T14:01:37.146-05:00You Know You Love Your Work When...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><span style="color: orange;">Due to a hard to come by internet connection today, this post and the previous one combine for a first time ever DOUBLE POST!</span></i></div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWqhq4qvZ398Vbii6ArIRAr6Pn3HyAp-V9bYafQkGFrFJoFL0gjVoxr_P2EcJAo2vTdcU4M6lyC-atl4yhblOfYtfU7JyFK6pAtjs3aAKRcADKAz899rb01pGk9uNCIV2G3ff6k8bLCI/s1600/IMG_3645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWqhq4qvZ398Vbii6ArIRAr6Pn3HyAp-V9bYafQkGFrFJoFL0gjVoxr_P2EcJAo2vTdcU4M6lyC-atl4yhblOfYtfU7JyFK6pAtjs3aAKRcADKAz899rb01pGk9uNCIV2G3ff6k8bLCI/s320/IMG_3645.JPG" width="320"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Tucked away in a
little cove is a small town called Estero de Platano, population 400, where I am charged with the task of implementing the
first water treatment system.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spent a week and a half planning and designing the system,
and have since worn many hats. On site, I am the design engineer and
construction manager. From there, I frequently switch between plumber,
construction worker, community organizer, and educator. I saw a lengthy YouTube
video (which I can't find right now) that hits the nail on the head: "beyond simple tasks, for work to be enjoyable and productive, money ceases to be a
motivator. Interestingly, it has been shown that an increase in money earned results
in a decrease in productivity. People are actually motivated by 1. Being
Challenged, 2. Feeling Useful, and 3. Having Self Direction."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those factors
are quite general, so to be more specific: <b>You know you love your work when… </b><br>
<b><br></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/04/you-know-you-love-your-work-when.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-85710829842307925032011-04-09T06:06:00.000-05:002011-04-09T06:06:09.034-05:00New Settings: Time, Place, Etc.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubVS-06QmimotOGKLVV8LwENAcsJsg0WFQh34fbVWGuySEQmeFiLsXXWywZtY5XfguGGeiMW4tlqwo_4QATZsjFFbbsxScASEmsB58ZwYbmWoUet75xTcwlgRthONJVAxfbPecwvTU_U/s1600/IMG_2222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubVS-06QmimotOGKLVV8LwENAcsJsg0WFQh34fbVWGuySEQmeFiLsXXWywZtY5XfguGGeiMW4tlqwo_4QATZsjFFbbsxScASEmsB58ZwYbmWoUet75xTcwlgRthONJVAxfbPecwvTU_U/s320/IMG_2222.JPG" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filling jugs of water at Agua Muisne in Cabo San Francisco</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I had loose plans to
work in Guatemala for my 3<sup>rd</sup> and final leg of this hydrophilic
mission, but the project wasn’t right – too short and not sustainable. I
respectfully declined, and trusted something better would turn up. Turn up it
did in no time at all, with help from my observant girlfriend and a stroke of
luck. Following a chance sighting at a bulletin board posting and a few emails,
a volunteer placement for me was devised. It is with a foundation called Agua
Muisne and turning out to be a perfect fit<br><br> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We learned in English class to lead with the setting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-settings-time-place-etc.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-54115265113365132352011-03-08T13:46:00.000-06:002011-03-08T14:51:47.062-06:006 Ways to Deal with Shock<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK6IO_53gpKP8Ah46ckL1STIuBg8GnTtp9FaubVe14_9tjcq1HOSwGDKQi0lVp24Hoj5ff7Tx_dkuZd1crO1Z1ipg5SainNBsb0AFnQRuz8__RrVD1JzBBMGO8goRI8DOcjvbMOkmfb8/s1600/shock.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK6IO_53gpKP8Ah46ckL1STIuBg8GnTtp9FaubVe14_9tjcq1HOSwGDKQi0lVp24Hoj5ff7Tx_dkuZd1crO1Z1ipg5SainNBsb0AFnQRuz8__RrVD1JzBBMGO8goRI8DOcjvbMOkmfb8/s200/shock.gif" width="200"></a></div>
<em>Long distance travel by flight is a relatively recent phenomenon. Certainly the human being never evolved to deal with the changes that happen when he or she magically spans three continents within a week. All sorts of shock can happen in such a week, so I’ve prepared this guide for you.</em></div>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-deal-with-shock.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-16594877405251512562011-02-26T21:04:00.001-06:002011-04-16T16:57:02.592-05:00Tale of Two Villages - Part 5 (Final)<i>If you've made it this far in the series, I'm thoroughly impressed. Posting weeks later from Ecuador about China (and America), it’s definitely time to wrap this puppy up. </i><br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YQVpsJ4Rg_dG_iohsZ8QkPKm3lkZI30sRc3pFQC9pfhxQrLrAoJniNN6dbjZtzbr9azQkbV1zwyj1IlSl1BfmG4awvqhVkPqy6LP0uuZjJhw0O3cdFaViBZXH_nOvLBgiDIaAg5PMxA/s1600/IMG_0908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YQVpsJ4Rg_dG_iohsZ8QkPKm3lkZI30sRc3pFQC9pfhxQrLrAoJniNN6dbjZtzbr9azQkbV1zwyj1IlSl1BfmG4awvqhVkPqy6LP0uuZjJhw0O3cdFaViBZXH_nOvLBgiDIaAg5PMxA/s200/IMG_0908.JPG" width="141"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilecQ1kHcvrjJMwlxUTJSXABPHvV6D6lKGn4LXi9CPr-u9ucNCy4ynTQwyyznl7XqX4jZZW-EAtMReJlUMY1JTSeZWd5Qvb4EJyEaAKeitWFZzE1XRmBtcNObH88Edw8w2fzfXddCAkQc/s1600/DSC_9432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilecQ1kHcvrjJMwlxUTJSXABPHvV6D6lKGn4LXi9CPr-u9ucNCy4ynTQwyyznl7XqX4jZZW-EAtMReJlUMY1JTSeZWd5Qvb4EJyEaAKeitWFZzE1XRmBtcNObH88Edw8w2fzfXddCAkQc/s200/DSC_9432.JPG" width="142"></a>Where Yuan Jiang is dark and in a cloud, Mo Jiang is warm and bathed in light. One place is foolish and full of despair; the other wise and full of hope. Where one is incredulous, the other believes.<br>
<br>
So what accounts for the obvious disparities between the two villages? Again, causes of observed effects can be difficult things to pinpoint, and impossible to say with certainty. But we can hypothesize!<br>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/02/tale-of-two-villages-part-5-final.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-68250587982431124602011-02-18T10:37:00.000-06:002011-02-18T10:39:31.447-06:00Tale of Two Villages – Part 4<br>
<div class="Default">
<i>For the second time, Mo
Jiang was a wonderful change. I first noticed that the drive up the mountain
was quick and smooth - roads had been filled in and flattened since our last
visit. The villagers had been hard at work.</i></div>
<div class="Default">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtKPw5kc-oFuKxnkfsA1QVG4tgQMGrcZLaI0NBtmiQl2XtuWxO43J9kZGXfKi_kF44fKP5QYZIr8-DxqLW1ne-38F6_OKPIaZt6sGQjU4EeSMNHBmtw7rIuHi_ucwO-GiuEjqGRNSqFk/s1600/IMG_1234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtKPw5kc-oFuKxnkfsA1QVG4tgQMGrcZLaI0NBtmiQl2XtuWxO43J9kZGXfKi_kF44fKP5QYZIr8-DxqLW1ne-38F6_OKPIaZt6sGQjU4EeSMNHBmtw7rIuHi_ucwO-GiuEjqGRNSqFk/s200/IMG_1234.JPG" width="200"></a><i> </i></div>
<div class="Default">
Our moods lightened immediately. Jokes flowed again, and the
way we were received let us be ourselves. It seemed every villager we spoke to
trusted that we had their best interests in mind, so discussions never became arguments.
At some point on our trip, my guys made me their leader, and the villagers
treated me as such. The nights we stayed, Village Leader Zhou gave me his bed
and I felt honored.</div>
<div class="Default">
</div>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/02/tale-of-two-villages-part-4.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-83066836780197509112011-02-11T06:49:00.000-06:002011-02-13T22:32:07.840-06:00Tale of Two Villages – Part 3<div style="border: medium none;">
<i>After returning from my visa run, a week of snow and ice kept us grounded. I busied myself around the office, and prepared for a new project by studying hydrogeology, aquifers, cones of depression, and well physics. By midweek, I was really itching to get back to the two villages.</i></div>
<div style="border: medium none;">
</div>
<div style="border: medium none;">
<br></div>
<div style="border: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xEOYGQK8l6kZKTRvytldF1_03_SBWnOXdmqjaGknYsrC7c0nkUkAwMJJ82R05SJYaOJYdO_w32FGOqz4VNTjIKgc2f7i636KeuBEUo0qCkFDqtzBLd-6_AUPx09kGAiRTFcNkINFEbc/s1600/IMG_0884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xEOYGQK8l6kZKTRvytldF1_03_SBWnOXdmqjaGknYsrC7c0nkUkAwMJJ82R05SJYaOJYdO_w32FGOqz4VNTjIKgc2f7i636KeuBEUo0qCkFDqtzBLd-6_AUPx09kGAiRTFcNkINFEbc/s200/IMG_0884.JPG" width="200"></a>I organized and led a full day's worth of training for the entire organization, and by the end of it, we had factory workers wanting to make village trips. When the freeze let up, we went down to Yuan Jiang, and I brought along four others – two from the factory so they could put what they learned into practice. Mok was unable come with us, so all the driving fell to me. The trip was full jokes and laughter, and of course some game planning.</div>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/02/tale-of-two-villages-part-3.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-51641397164236400232011-02-05T11:28:00.000-06:002011-02-06T08:06:26.435-06:00Intermission: Thailand, and Getting There<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2HDpi94fqRyNbtF3uQahXZzqC8uGL0NK7ghkU1sPTO20_raZuFJQu3URntAl4uIp4ttaQBHc_XdnRfqGTiUczW-UVuggx56aT6dqyxtWL9X9hwORb9FHMBZ7FMc7nn9rYqQIO28Eid8/s1600/IMG_0642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2HDpi94fqRyNbtF3uQahXZzqC8uGL0NK7ghkU1sPTO20_raZuFJQu3URntAl4uIp4ttaQBHc_XdnRfqGTiUczW-UVuggx56aT6dqyxtWL9X9hwORb9FHMBZ7FMc7nn9rYqQIO28Eid8/s200/IMG_0642.JPG" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't ask me who the guy is</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="Default">
<i>A quick 15-minute break
from my Tale of Two Villages. </i><br>
<br>
<i>There really is nothing like an American
passport. Just a simple looking book with U.S.A. stamped on the front, it acts
as gate key to most of the planet. Leaving for Thailand was as easy as leaving
for the bathroom, and required about as much planning. </i><br>
<br>
<i>Okay enough italicized text for one post! To Thailand!</i></div><a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/02/intermission-thailand-and-getting-there.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com0Thailand15.870032 100.9925415.3575110000000006 86.0511345 26.382553 115.9339475tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-90376011390708156472011-02-01T10:36:00.000-06:002011-02-05T15:12:24.732-06:00Tale of Two Villages – Part 2<br>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>continued from Part 1</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOwfVRZXVlaGBfq30SoeEazKIvzlTvjTZmmsIaq8E7qaSy_esik8QpjkdpiAhvs4o4ZrsAVBbNa5dQp2ijQCLkCcj1Qnlv1eswbqUXUJq0YFepm82BJEOHG4zQYIQPhy-BLDXSBisY0M/s1600/DSC_9390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOwfVRZXVlaGBfq30SoeEazKIvzlTvjTZmmsIaq8E7qaSy_esik8QpjkdpiAhvs4o4ZrsAVBbNa5dQp2ijQCLkCcj1Qnlv1eswbqUXUJq0YFepm82BJEOHG4zQYIQPhy-BLDXSBisY0M/s320/DSC_9390.JPG" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Following Village Leader Zhou up to his village</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After leaving the village in Yuan Jiang, we were spent. To
avoid middle-of-the-night driving on terrible mountain roads in a terrible
Chinese vehicle, we slept (terribly) in the car. But I was rejuvenated during the next day’s
drive. The temperature became warmer, and banana and mango trees began to
appear. We passed countless Hani rice terraces, which are famed in their
beauty. The landscape started to become what I had always imagined Thailand to
be like. This made sense, being halfway down to Xishuangbanna, which is like a
mini-Chinese-Thailand. We paid our respects to a couple smokey Mo Jiang country
government officials before taking the country roads up to the village in the
hills.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div><a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/02/tale-of-two-villages-part-2.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-28708087392876873142011-01-25T10:23:00.000-06:002011-01-26T03:56:55.415-06:00Tale of Two Villages – Part 1<br>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpq7tsTTTGixWccpJS1l_R10KQCPV27MGAdida2cYzxouSIy7MrTwq4AhUkcCgGsu1eyG6UHfTGNe1__TT9xE7xhVvhUsehq-JN7aIJKpwxv30Wpg9oghVGcf6-UX9rrvMLfWA1fbrbv4/s1600/IMG_0232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpq7tsTTTGixWccpJS1l_R10KQCPV27MGAdida2cYzxouSIy7MrTwq4AhUkcCgGsu1eyG6UHfTGNe1__TT9xE7xhVvhUsehq-JN7aIJKpwxv30Wpg9oghVGcf6-UX9rrvMLfWA1fbrbv4/s200/IMG_0232.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuan Jiang, above the clouds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Still playing
catch-up, this tale begins a month ago. </i><i>My
heart, mind, and fitness were put to the test </i><i>as I traveled south to work on two
village projects: the first in </i><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 汉鼎简中楷;">邓耳下寨</span><i> in Yuan Jiang county (</i><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 汉鼎简中楷;">元江</span><i>), and the second in </i><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 汉鼎简中楷;">密切地村各界组</span><i>in Mo Jiang</i><i> county </i><i> (</i><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 汉鼎简中楷;">墨江</span><i>). I have just returned from the second of two trips - each was about a week in length, and I visited both
villages each time. <br></i></div><a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/01/tale-of-two-villages-part-1.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-68155841861478954132011-01-11T07:25:00.000-06:002011-01-14T00:36:59.621-06:00Clay Run (And a Sincere Apology)<i>Three weeks without a
post and I’m sure I’ve lost some of you.
It really is bad form for a blogger to write nothing for so long. I sincerely
apologize for the hiatus and for leaving you hanging. I must backtrack about a
month to catch you up – but what a month it’s been!</i><br>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A combination of becoming
suddenly very busy, passing the holidays, and making a visa run to Thailand had
put me into some kind of writing slump. Writing requires digestion. When a
person is too distracted to reflect, nothing of value can be written. It’s as if
I’ve been eating and eating, but never digesting. Now that I have had some time
to digest and write, you can read the crap that comes out!<i></i></div><a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2011/01/clay-run-and-sincere-apology.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com5Jianshui, Honghe, Yunnan, China23.634744 102.82658823.005703500000003 101.89275 24.2637845 103.760426tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-22713181642088059942010-12-17T03:50:00.000-06:002011-01-11T07:42:18.285-06:00December's Work, in Pictures<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFwNzXueRILR06yIN2Dxzwa5hyphenhyphenZQSN-Syw9vWdzaKF6hcMF6INikpGL7lSwcQuO5i7eM9uUYb3paBgMukuQ26bNc0W4cbjdumc_DOF36ES5jhn9DCd-Yuz-9kJys4NnZlSOTDc4LMVtk/s1600/DSC_1753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFwNzXueRILR06yIN2Dxzwa5hyphenhyphenZQSN-Syw9vWdzaKF6hcMF6INikpGL7lSwcQuO5i7eM9uUYb3paBgMukuQ26bNc0W4cbjdumc_DOF36ES5jhn9DCd-Yuz-9kJys4NnZlSOTDc4LMVtk/s320/DSC_1753.JPG" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the official way to join two pipes... but it does work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Two weeks ago I joined up with Mok and his team. Right away, I was given charge of designing a system to bring springwater up to a village. We also took trips to and stayed at a few other rural villages around Yunnan. For one, we investigated a water resource system needing replacing. At another, we evaluated the results of a past water project, and brought government officials along. Then at two others, we interviewed villagers to see if starting a biogas project would be suitable.</i><br>
<br>
To write about it all that has happened on these trips would require thousands of words. I've been told that pictures are worth about that many, so today I'll use them to tell my story. The following pictures are in chronological order.<br>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2010/12/decembers-work-in-pictures.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-72095106149421266042010-12-08T08:27:00.001-06:002011-04-16T16:58:15.427-05:00The Water Here - Part 3: In the City and In the Air<br>
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<b>Water in the City</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvfEJLOkQtc8w2f5q5SCHRbJfFzRUEEXuub9bL8NSqzVhx6i5YVWPpIbSs7VYhW82HPdd9B3hT53S-F1Xq9qIY7AE7iV6BZFer2hRrs4S99uG6oxWhCHr7oe8ZnrxIxz-04LYOYvSzeA/s1600/IMG_9405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvfEJLOkQtc8w2f5q5SCHRbJfFzRUEEXuub9bL8NSqzVhx6i5YVWPpIbSs7VYhW82HPdd9B3hT53S-F1Xq9qIY7AE7iV6BZFer2hRrs4S99uG6oxWhCHr7oe8ZnrxIxz-04LYOYvSzeA/s200/IMG_9405.JPG" width="200"></a></div>
One Saturday morning, I walked to the edge of the village,
flagged down a bus, and was smuggled into the city. I don’t think I have ever
been ‘smuggled’ anywhere before. It is a law that every passenger has a seat on
the bus in order to pass the city gates; otherwise heavy fines are given to the
bus operators. When my fellow workers and I got on the already full bus,
instead of refusing paying customers, the driver’s wife pulled out short stools
and had us sit, packed in the aisle, all squatting. Our heads only came up to
the seated passengers’ shoulders, and in this way we were secretly transported
past security and into the city.</div>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2010/12/water-here-part-3-in-city-and-in-air.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-76118599016656853982010-12-05T05:56:00.000-06:002010-12-05T06:01:00.800-06:00The Water Here - Part 2: At the Factory<div class="Default" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
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<span style="color: #00000a;"><em>My first two full weeks here were spent at the Ceramics Water Filter factory, in a small village about half an hour outside of Kunming City. This post describes the water situation there, and what I've learned.</em></span><br>
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<span style="color: #00000a;"><strong>Water at the Factory</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000a;"> Our tap water comes from a neighboring village higher in elevation, at the foot of Xi Shan, or West Mountain. It is operated manually, so the hours are inconsistent and vary widely. I guess when we have water depends on projected usage, time of year, amount stored at present, and how much the pump operator had to drink the previous night. To mitigate this, we have a unique water system of our own design.</span> </div>
</div><a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2010/12/water-here-part-2-at-factory.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-46808235433569245312010-12-03T03:36:00.000-06:002010-12-03T03:43:33.573-06:00The Water Here - Part 1: Green Paint<style type="text/css">
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<i>Having been here a few weeks, I can
now start to paint you an accurate picture of the water situation...
in <span style="color: #38761d;">green</span>!</i></div>
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<b>A Lake of Green Paint</b></div>
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The first encountered, most well known,
unavoidable and shocking water feature here is Dianchi, the enormous lake downstream of Kunming City. It struck me as odd when I saw it on
Google Maps before coming here, but I dismissed it, thinking it was
just poor image processing. No way could the lake be that color. I
was right – Google's sky pictures show a dull, hazy green; in
reality, it is a vivid, sickly green. Seen from a satellite, neither the thick viscosity nor the odor is communicated. <i>see pictures below</i></div>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2010/12/water-here-part-1-green-paint.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-68358759003918547662010-11-24T18:39:00.000-06:002010-11-24T18:40:25.485-06:00You Make Me Sick<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXh_wBqaIM-mYISHKY07q91COik8jkb94T6sCBCaWYIs2zIvA_4JCyPR1s7Fpq3U3CLJr8hcDKZDTQ3qqFyHMUhDxKuiqcf4OxHO7OzJ6Z64g84Rm6TQblx1WHrEOu7CNhLjvm7QH4EI/s1600/HandTurkey-thumb-249x311-265959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXh_wBqaIM-mYISHKY07q91COik8jkb94T6sCBCaWYIs2zIvA_4JCyPR1s7Fpq3U3CLJr8hcDKZDTQ3qqFyHMUhDxKuiqcf4OxHO7OzJ6Z64g84Rm6TQblx1WHrEOu7CNhLjvm7QH4EI/s200/HandTurkey-thumb-249x311-265959.jpg" width="159"></a></div>
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You make me sick. Homesick that is… I know you lucky bums
are getting excited about Thanksgiving right about now. You’re probably all ready to fatten yourself up
for the coming winter. I can nearly hear you going turkey crazy, bragging about
how much
you eat every year, and how you fall asleep immediately after feasting
HAHAHA.
Some
modern jackass will say it’s due to the trypto-whatever that makes you
sleepy. How impressive. Another will say trypto-whatever’s in chicken
too, so we eat it all the time, duh. Well you know what? The thought of you is making me homesick! And
my writing this is making me hungry!</div>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2010/11/you-make-me-sick.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-7998367840783801452010-11-22T06:06:00.000-06:002010-11-22T06:06:13.522-06:00Made In China - Part 2<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmkXj-mR-1QACr2jsugj_veYM_HPJ3s34AeweA3XV1AhRWkbxIxZgcbEHllNuuYz3E_yTn6cIERSqT0OaSK6V8KkIi9xzWnzSClH_8NhGgbYfHCrq_tRwhYPUXlOlBsppzdXuQhQHai0/s1600/IMG_9257.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmkXj-mR-1QACr2jsugj_veYM_HPJ3s34AeweA3XV1AhRWkbxIxZgcbEHllNuuYz3E_yTn6cIERSqT0OaSK6V8KkIi9xzWnzSClH_8NhGgbYfHCrq_tRwhYPUXlOlBsppzdXuQhQHai0/s1600/IMG_9257.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmkXj-mR-1QACr2jsugj_veYM_HPJ3s34AeweA3XV1AhRWkbxIxZgcbEHllNuuYz3E_yTn6cIERSqT0OaSK6V8KkIi9xzWnzSClH_8NhGgbYfHCrq_tRwhYPUXlOlBsppzdXuQhQHai0/s1600/IMG_9257.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmkXj-mR-1QACr2jsugj_veYM_HPJ3s34AeweA3XV1AhRWkbxIxZgcbEHllNuuYz3E_yTn6cIERSqT0OaSK6V8KkIi9xzWnzSClH_8NhGgbYfHCrq_tRwhYPUXlOlBsppzdXuQhQHai0/s1600/IMG_9257.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmkXj-mR-1QACr2jsugj_veYM_HPJ3s34AeweA3XV1AhRWkbxIxZgcbEHllNuuYz3E_yTn6cIERSqT0OaSK6V8KkIi9xzWnzSClH_8NhGgbYfHCrq_tRwhYPUXlOlBsppzdXuQhQHai0/s1600/IMG_9257.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmkXj-mR-1QACr2jsugj_veYM_HPJ3s34AeweA3XV1AhRWkbxIxZgcbEHllNuuYz3E_yTn6cIERSqT0OaSK6V8KkIi9xzWnzSClH_8NhGgbYfHCrq_tRwhYPUXlOlBsppzdXuQhQHai0/s200/IMG_9257.JPG" width="200"></a></div>
<i>(cont. from Part 1)</i><br>
</div><a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2010/11/made-in-china-part-2.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-46495029298904818442010-11-21T07:48:00.001-06:002011-07-28T00:40:04.177-05:00Made In China - Part 1<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i>Temporarily living the life of a Chinese factory worker, my first week in China has been one filled with hard, rewarding work that will directly give clean water to people. I have been happy to help solve some problems with practical engineering, and have also learned much. At the end of the week, I became ill and had no spirit to write. Now that I am alive again, and able to get around the Great Firewall of China using a VPN, here is my first post since leaving Taiwan.</i><br>
<i></i><br>
</div><a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2010/11/made-in-china.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-78715177259209073112010-11-14T20:24:00.001-06:002011-04-16T16:59:55.822-05:00End of Chapter 1I awoke with a sense of surprise; this day had come too soon. I should have known - days like this have a tendency to come too soon. My things were packed, and I was up ahead of the sun as planned. I was well prepared, but didn’t feel ready to take on my final day in Hualien. I like my days to be full, but this full day was one to be taken on because it would require careful reflection of my time here and many goodbyes. The reflection I can handle; it’s the goodbyes that get me. <br>
<a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2010/11/end-of-chapter-1.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-10407675278555535522010-11-03T02:28:00.000-05:002010-11-07T22:37:18.560-06:00Safety First!<i>Following up that lengthy previous post with a brief(er) one about dangers and safety. Also included are some completely unrelated photos, for your viewing pleasure - finally got my camera fixed.</i><br>
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<div>"<span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 汉鼎简中楷;">安全第</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 汉鼎简中楷;">一</span>!" (Safety first!) is something many people here have been saying to me. However, it seems they do not very well follow their own advice...<br>
</div><a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2010/11/safety-first_03.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348239072163646251.post-25815048221671585742010-10-22T06:26:00.000-05:002010-11-03T02:38:58.939-05:00Friday Morning Dumplings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3w5NhBskcWLtLFYUwo3mVUveNYDizOimDyEL_wwR-bDC_WwwCUxML5oTgj5D9asrKGVFZNFH3uJDBNM8bXN7nnymJGX5vNMTpPC4gJL0aYnCPs4KazucGPmMxRrHXJLJOX65zY3MQPhY/s1600/Dumplings+%5B50%25%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3w5NhBskcWLtLFYUwo3mVUveNYDizOimDyEL_wwR-bDC_WwwCUxML5oTgj5D9asrKGVFZNFH3uJDBNM8bXN7nnymJGX5vNMTpPC4gJL0aYnCPs4KazucGPmMxRrHXJLJOX65zY3MQPhY/s1600/Dumplings+%5B50%25%5D.jpg"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Do you like dumplings? Hope so – I’ve got some big fat ones for you. To cover a wide range of topics, I will serve it all up to you in the form of Friday Dumplings! (Like Mike Fisher’s Donuts over at dallasbasketball.com) </i><i> </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br>
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Read on to hear about some overdue bad luck, another typhoon, some educational field trips, a new way of dealing with mosquitoes, identifying poisonous leaves using water, and more…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br>
</div><a href="http://hydrophilicmission.blogspot.com/2010/10/friday-morning-dumplings.html#more">Read more »</a>Philip Kaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726450558374557507noreply@blogger.com0Hualien County, Taiwan23.7568986 121.354163123.1284391 120.4203251 24.385358099999998 122.28800109999999