Doc Needles says "No Playing in the Panda Poop For You!"

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)


Six months after my trip to China and Taiwan, today I received the last of my Asia vaccines.  I guess I survived the trip and can safely return soon without the fear of catching some awful disease.

Eventhough my doctor gave me 10 vaccines, inoculating me from all kinds of fun things, he still put the kibosh on my "running with the pandas" in China.

While doing my pre-trip research, I thought about going to see those black and white big-headed cuties we know as pandas.  Yeah, I had seen pandas at the National Zoo when we lived in Washington, DC.

Old: Scan for film circa late 80s, early 90s.

Also, we saw a panda at the Memphis Zoo, when we lived in Memphis, just before moving to California.

I got me a big head!

But, seeing pandas actually in the wild in China sounded pretty neat-oh.  And no, I do not mean the wild of the Ocean Park Hong Kong.

I looked into going to Chengdu, which is known as the home of the giant pandas..  I found a tour where you actually go in-cage with the pandas and get to interact with them.  To do these things, not only do you have to pay the admission fee, you also get the privilege of helping clean up after the rolly-polly bundles of fun.

While I am pretty used to the whole pooper scooper, bag-over-hand or rake, crap clean up techniques, the idea of playing in panda poop (aka recycled bamboo) at least raised a red flag worthy of a second opinion.  My initial opinion was if it was not safe they would not offer it, would probably been seen as remarkably naive to most, especially with the stereotypical views most Americans have or experience on all things safety and clean in China. At times, I can be one naive attorney!

"Doc Needles" did not even pause to think about my plan when he told me this was not a good idea.  And, if I trusted him to give me over a dozen shots, I had to follow his kibosh on this.  So, I went to Wuhan with Raymond, a doctor approved trip.

As for the pandas, I still got to see some, though under less than great conditions.  All alone, I made my way across Taipei on the Metro, from my hotel to the Taipei Zoo, where it was unpleasantly overcast and raining on and off.  I made it over to the Taipie pandas, but they were behind a thick, green-tinted glass.  Not exactly a National Geographic photo opportunity, but I had to make due.

At Taipei Zoo - behind glass

Jews Visiting China Be Aware (not beware)...

by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)

Continuing with the Asian Leg of the "Shock Steve Tour -2012", I was walking around Taipei when I came across these Jew-jaw-cringing art works at two different Buddhist temples.  I knew that pre-Nazi era, swastikas where not associated with anything bad; rather, they were used worldwide and was regarded as a symbol of good luck and success.  Swastikas were even used by Native American cultures in the early eras.

It was the Nazis that evilly twisted the symbol into one of horror and hate. 

However, I never knew just how common swastikas are in Buddhist temples in China and Taiwan.  I do not remember seeing any during my 2008 trip to Asia.

It was pointed out to me that Buddhist swastikas are left facing while Nazi swastikas are right facing.  However, as that is not so obvious to viewers, it is startling for westerners to see swastikas on products originating from China and Japan.

To Buddhists, the swastika represents eternity.

So, to all my Jewish friends, feel free to visit Buddhist temples in Asia and do so with a feeling of genuine kindness.

In Longshan Buddhist Temple, Taipei.

Feel welcome to enter