Monday, January 4, 2010 at 1:44PM 
One of the main reasons for starting the community forestry work in the Hukaung Valley (see Naw Aung and His Sagawa) is that a lot of the important subsistence resources for villagers, e.g. timber and rattan, are being harvested commercially and gradually depleted by outsiders. For example, the load of sagawa logs shown above being hauled across the Taron River to Tanai (see Crossing the Taron).
Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 12:33PM 
Apparently, I really like to take pictures of bo trees (see Bo Trees and Another Bo Tree). This one was tucked away in the back of the main pagoda in Myitkyina. Love the little statue. [NOTE: Was unable to find out if the tree came from a cutting from the "original" one at Bodh Gaya, but I'm inclined to think that it did. There are cuttings of cuttings of cuttings of the Bodh Gaya tree scattered throughout all of South East Asia].
Saturday, January 2, 2010 at 10:02AM We were standing on the Ledo Road measuring tree heights with a clinometer when two elephants with their mahouts came racing toward us. I was able to get some footage - but almost got run over in the process. [NOTE: Never found out where they were going. I think they were just having a race].
Friday, January 1, 2010 at 12:27PM 
By virtue of my merits,
May all beings everywhere,
Tormented by sufferings of body and mind,
Find physical comfort and mental joy.
-Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life
Shantideva (687-763 CE)
[NOTE: The beautiful Kuan Yin statue is from Myanmar. Best wishes for a healthy, happy, productive, and compassionate 2010].
