Finished!

Team 2 is jubilant as they walk out of the forest after completing their 2000 m² rattan inventory transect (see Training in Lak Sao and Donsard). Counting rattans in forest growing on steep karst can be tedious. [NOTE: Love the field shoes - and the hat, and the victory signs, and the smile - on the young lady in front. I wonder who has the tally sheets?]  

Lion and Dragon Professionals

These fellows, a group of about ten including drummers, dancers, and dragon-costume wearers, were performing on the street for the bride and groom who had just walked out from their wedding. Was mid-morning in Hue, on one of the main streets running along the Perfume River. I was on my way to the Imperial City. Everyone seemed to be having a great time.

Tying the Knots

A key piece of my inventory protocol is to always correct for the slope the transect is running across. This is accomplished by using a special transect rope (see Field Equipment) that has knots tied in it to compensate for various slope percentages. This is what I am doing in the image above, i.e. measuring out and marking the knot distances to make transect ropes with a group of UNISUR students. [NOTE: Image was taken by Miguel Alexiades (thx, Miguel) in Santa Cruz del Rincon, Guerrero].

Morning In Khatakan Taung

Mid-morning in the village of Khatakan Taung in Sagaing Region, Myanmar showing the Lakyun Setkyar Buddha (see Lakyun Setkyar Buddha), the enormous reclining Buddha (at 91 meters long, said to be the largest in the world), the Aung Sakkya Pagoda, and the constant, yet rather low key, construction work in the region. [NOTE: I like the worker sitting on the coffee can while sifting the sand].

Nils Frahm

Something for Monday. This video is from a performance by the German pianist and composer, Nils Frahm, at the St. John-at-Hackney Church in London. The piece is entitled "Toilet Brushes-More" from his new release Spaces. I really love everything about this: the multiple keyboards, the loops, the digital manipulations, the way Frahm's fingers bounce and dance as he plays. A truly fantastic piece of music. I really got to know Nils Frahm during the 16 hour flight from Frankfurt to Singapore and then again from Singapore to Frankfurt. He feels like an old friend now.

[NOTE: I have never posted a 16:00 minute video before. If you don't have time to watch the whole thing, at least listen to the music as you go about your usual Monday workflow. Maybe you can watch it later. Full screen with volume is best].

[NOTE: Yes, he is hitting the strings during the first part of the video with toilet brushes].

Tomb of Khai Dinh

Also checked out the tomb of Khai Dinh, the ninth Nguyen emperor. Architecture here was quite distinct. Less color and more massive, intricate construction using dark stones. Whole thing reminded me of more the Pre-Columbian Maya than an Asian dynasty. Thought that converting my images to B&W gave a more evocative representation of this historical site. [NOTE: Love the eyes on the dragon].

Tomb of Minh Mang

Spent last Sunday visiting some of the royal tombs outside of Hue. Image above shows one of the main buildings at the tomb of Minh Mang, the second emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. Another riot of color.

Searching For Significance

Mr. Dong and Mr. Phuong struggle with standard errors and confidence intervals in the WWF-Hue office as they search for significant differences between the size-specific growth rates of Daemonorops poilanei. [NOTE: Statistical significance was nowhere to be found, but they promised to collect more data].

Imperial City Re-Visited IV

The lion guarding the entrance to the Imperial City. A faithful sentry for centuries. Certainly stopped me in my tracks. [NOTE: Off to Hanoi in a few minutes].

Imperial City Re-Visited III

You can't have too much color or too many dragons on a roof, I say. A small taste of the architectural exuberance on display at the Imperial City. Not sure which cluster of buildings this is. It's near the main entrance.