African elephants are being slaughtered for their ivory at a pace unseen since an international ban on the ivory trade took effect in 1989. But the public outcry that resulted in that ban is absent today, and a University of Washington conservation biologist contends it is because the public seems to be unaware of the giant mammals’ plight.

The elephant death rate from poaching throughout Africa is about 8 percent a year based on recent studies, which is actually higher than the 7.4 percent annual death rate that led to the international ivory trade ban nearly 20 years ago, said Samuel Wasser, a UW biology professor.

A fully skinned Elephant being tanned.

A killed elephant with its tusks removed and the body left to rot in the wild.

Read the full article about elephant poaching here

Above: Ralph Lauren, inventor of Polo, Water Polo and Cool Water Polo, disappointed he didn't think to include an alternate pachyderm insignia design on his iconic pull-overs...

Yesterday, my colleague SpiralFlag wrote an article in which he enlightened us to a sport he stumbled upon called “Octopush.”

I took this to heart and told myself, “Self, you should make more of an effort to talk about sports most people don’t care about.” With that objective in the forefront of my mind, I traversed the bowels of the internet (more colloquially known as “Google News”). Nothing interesting on tennis. Already did boxing yesterday. Golf’s media gold now with Tiger Woods plowing everything except the snow on my sidewalk.

And then I stubbed my proverbial big toe on something so remarkable I wish Jodie Foster discovered this for me so she could wish that a lyrical wordsmith could have discovered it for her: POLO WITH ELEPHANTS.

[[Editors note: yes, you read that right.]]

How the hell do you play this, you ask? It’s polo, except with elephants. How do you play polo? Like everyone on the planet, I haven’t the foggiest, but here’s what I can tell you:

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!

The game is played on a field (or “pitch”, as it’s quaintly called in the rest of the world) roughly the same size as football field. Everyone gets four players, (though this rule is not strictly adhered to; a cursory look at the teams listed with the World Elephant Polo Association has team Queen Victoria’s Own with five players, the British Ghurkas have ten, and National Parks is just a lone dude named Ram Pritt… he’s the team captain). This isn’t even the strangest thing about the sport. What is strange is that elephant polo has been around for over two decades and I’ve only just found out about it.

You may even be surprised to learn that there’s a US team: New York Blue. You may even be more surprised to learn that said New York team won the silver trophy in last year’s world championship.

Of course, it’s not a perfect game like baseball or hot dog eating, for example.

It’s still a game Prince Charles picks up women at, and (presumably because the pachyderms will go pachy-apeshit) games are limited to twenty minutes. On the other hand, it has elephants, and—and—the rules have no restrictions on the weight or height of said elephants. I applaud these fine folks for taking initiative in making a dull high-society sport into something less equestrian and more elephantine. I bet you anything ESPN would cover a wider variety of sports if—fucking, I don’t know—soccer teams were allowed to have a tiger or two on the field pitch per team. I guarantee ratings and a menagerie of complaints from PETA (and if you don’t think being on PETA’s hit list will improve your career, think again).

Put your hand down.

For more information on this sport, check out the World Elephant Polo Association web site or visit your local library…’s internet-enabled computer.

As you can see, in this photo, there are two modern sang de boeuf vases with the classical and traditional chinese shape. These come form the chinese province of Henan.
In my opinion these vases are so beautiful, the colour is so charismatic and it works perfectly with dark furniture and gold details.
The lamp in the middle is made in wood, glass, and rice paper; it is a handmade lamp decorated with floral ornaments on the basement.
Tow elephants, made in wood, located in the foreground come from the Shanxi (it means “at west of the mountains”) province. An important detail are the glass eyes.

My favorite cheap plastic toy. And it actually walks.

Walking Elephant

I thought I’d try on-demand publishing by reprinting a small children’s book from the 1840s on elephants.

The History an…

Description of the…

By S. Babcock

Book Preview

“What is a bai?

“Bai” is the generic name that the pygmy people of the Congo Basin give to various types of clearings in the forest. Bais often have seasonal or year-round watercourses running through them, but vary from swamp-like flooded meadows, to mostly dry pans, to something not much more than a widening of a riverbank. There are many bais in the Congo Basin rainforest. Most of them are difficult to access; indeed many have probably never been visited by humans. Some of the larger bais, such as the one in the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park and Special Reserve in the Central African Republic, attract more than 100 elephants at a time, while others may have no more than one or two elephant families at once, or only a solitary bull.

What’s the attraction?

Forest elephants are just one of many visitors to bais. Other mammals include forest buffalo, lowland gorillas, various antelope such as bongos and sitatungas, and red river hogs. The open water also attracts many birds. Flocks of African Gray Parrots are commonly seen. It’s possible that the grazing and browsing of the animals causes the formation of the bais. Forest elephants, feeding along the edges of the clearing and pulling down small trees and digging under their roots, certainly keep the space open and probably enlarge the bai over time.”

Source Cited: www.birds.cornell.edu

The home page for the Elephant Listening Project (ELP), is the place to find reports on their studies of elephant behaviors, environments and ecosystems. If you’re interested in elephants check out more information and some amusing videos by ELP.

Have you come across any interesting words this week? Do tell!

There was a lion. He used to get up early in the morning. On completing its sleep, used to have breakfast first of all. Then he went outside in the jungle and used to play with elephants. On their way they saw a rabbit. The lion caught the rabbit and ate it.

The lion met another lion and also played with him. He climbed up a wall and saw another rabbit sitting there. The lion caught him and ate him too. Thereafter he played a lot with other lion and went to their houses just after evening while saying to each other, “ok friend we will meet again”.

This photograph of an elephant calf dozing while supported by its mother’s legs was highly honoured in the recent Nature’s Best Photography competition in the United States. It was also one of the most popular and best selling images at my ‘Living Luangwa’ exhibition. Limited edition prints are still available and you can order them online from my website by clicking here. I have also recently updated my gallery so there are a number of new prints available for purchase. Click here to take a look.

Secure

The image is included in this year’s Nature’s Best portfolio – there are 138 images selected from over 20,000 entries from 56 different countries. The portfolio is published in a collector’s edition of Nature’s Best magazine. Click here if you would like to order a copy.

Content Copyright Patrick Bentley Photography

I met Shane in the summer of 2003 when a crew of like-minded Boulder kids pilgrimaged out to Kensington, PA, to see the Simple Way and learn a new way of living.  It was still so fresh to that community, a beautiful messy attempt at life…we spent a week of absorbing and being challenged.

And it’s been beautiful to see the faithfulness of Shane in his pursuit of people bear fruit not only in the lives of his friends and family but in his writing, speaking, and inspiring of a generation.  I’ve been able to cross paths with him at different conferences and universities and I feel fortunate to have been imprinted so early in my art by him and his community.

The video is done by Travis Reed at The Work of the People for the people at Relational Tithe – they used the music from an Elephant song, “Won’t Stop.”  Travis just sent me a note and I’ll include a bit of it cause it made me feel so good!

“your work is beautiful Kingdom soul glue. your music makes editing more like the communion of the saints.”  :)

In July 2008 a severe persecution of Christians broke out in the Indian state of Orissa. A 22 year old nun was burnt to death when angry mobs burnt down an orphanage in Khuntpali village in Barhgarh district, another nun was gang raped in Kandhamal, mobs attacked churches, torched vehicles, houses of Christians destroyed, and Fr. Thomas Chellen, director of the pastoral center that was destroyed with a bomb, had a narrow escape after a Hindu mob nearly set him on fire.  The end result saw more than 500 Christians murdered, and thousands of others injured and homeless after their houses were reduced to ashes.  Recently a strange and dramatic event took place in Orissa, which has many people talking and wondering.

In recent months, herds of wild elephants have begun to storm villages that are home to some of the worst persecutors of Christians during the troubles.  In one village, where in August a year ago the Christians had to run for their lives while their homes were being destroyed by rioters, a herd of elephants emerged from the surrounding jungle exactly one year later, in July 2009, at the same time of the day of the attack.

These elephants first attacked a rock crusher machine owned by a key leader of the persecution movement.  They then went on to destroy his house and farms.

Hundreds of villagers have been forced to take shelter in camps in the Indian state of Orissa after repeated attacks by a herd of elephants.

Seven people have been killed and several others injured in attacks by a herd of 12-13 elephants over the past few weeks in Kandhamal district.

Over 2,500 people living in 45 villages have been affected by the attacks, district chief Krishen Kumar said.

Submitted by Bob Stanley

There is no finer way to be awoken than the gentle call of a man telling us that our coffee is waiting outside. The girls had hot chocolate and we had hot coffee while we gently wiped away the sleepy dust and prepared for breakfast. The birds were having some major debate between their nests and the river was running wild and furious. To perfect matters even further two elephants were frolicking and tousling in the river, quite obviously revelling in the refreshing cool water.  After a breakfast of fresh pineapple and poached eggs we were ready to climb aboard the safari truck, once again.

Morning in the park is different from sunset. The animals all seemed frisky and we were greeted by a spectacular flock of crested crane. We crossed our fingers for lion but didn’t hold out too much hope after the few cars we passed told us that they has seen nothing. The amazing thing about this park is that most of the time we are all alone. 3 vehicles is considered a traffic jam. After three hours of driving we were heading back to camp after an wonderful morning of elephant sightings and we were slightly disappointed about the lack of lions, but still feeling satisfied with our first safari experience. All of a sudden, my eagle eyed husband spotted something in a tree. Could it be?

We pulled out the binoculars and confirmed that it was indeed lions and as a bonus the tree where they were lying was right on the track. We slowly approached, with warnings to the girls not to squeal or make any sound. What we discovered was not just lions, but two females and a male. Male lions generally never climb trees, it is too cumbersome for them as they weigh too much and are not as agile or lithe as their female mates. Here was a male in a tree and Dave, our trusty and informative guide expressed some amazement, having never seen this before. Once we came close to their tree the male spotted us and started to come down. At this point my heart started beating. It was one thing to know where he was but once he was on the ground and hidden by bush, he could jump out and chase us at any time. Our truck had no walls, doors or windows and we were highly exposed. With his foot remaining just above the gas pedal, Dave waited while I took photos from my perfect spot just below the lioness. After some moments observing and snapping away we drove off amazed and grateful for our luck.

On the way back to camp, with our hearts full, we came upon a group of 8 elephant bulls. We stopped for awhile to watch and as we did they slowly approached us until they were a mere 20 feet away. Before we knew it they were ambling with their heavy gait towards our car and before our widening eyes they crossed the road infront of us.

It was a privilege to have had such close access to magnificent wild animals and we returned to camp knowing full well that our luck had turned.

Before we went on safari to observe animals in the wild, we visited two animal orphanages in central Nairobi.  The first was the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust which cares for orphaned baby elephants and rhinoceros. 

Our first visitor who inadvertantly walked through the parking area was a giant rhinoceros.  Most of the people in our group were a bit nervous that this giantic beast was approaching our cars.  Perhaps naively, I nonchalantly assumed that this massive vegetarian was just taking a short cut to some good eats nearby and wasn’t remotely interested in goring anyone with his deadly horn.  In a few seconds, one of the caretakers managed to maneuver the gentle giant into the bushes and all was well again.

First, the baby elephants under one year old marched out for a public feeding.  The babies were actually quite shy when greeted with a chorus of cooing and oohing, and some hung onto their caretakers with their trunks the way I probably tightened my grip on my mother at age 2 when strangers tried to say hello to me. 

The most moving part of this visit was hearing about how the caretakers are constantly in the company of the babies. Baby elephants need to be fed every three hours, so the caretakers sleep with the elephants and provide the same intimate companionship, protection and nourishment that they would normally get from their mothers.

Each baby elephant had a name and a story.  Most of them had fallen into water holes and were stranded, often saved by rangers.  One orphan with tattered ears was being attacked by a pack of hyenas when a ranger saved her.  After two years of age, the elephants are ready to be released back into the wild.  No doubt, it’s a tearful parting for the caretakers who spend so much time being substitute mothers to these precious babies.

After the babies were fed, the teenager elephants (over a year old), marched in for their feeding.  Far less shy and far more precocious than their younger counterparts, the older elephants wasted no time eating and playing.

A group of local schoolchildren also showed up for a visit to learn about orphaned elephants.

To learn more about orphaned elephants in Nairobi, visit the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust here.

Crows’ nest is just a few dry sticks and leaves, somehow arranged on the small branches of tall trees. From the terrace of a five storey building I used to watch it from very close. There is a saying in Malayalam: like a crow’s nest.

Then there is the nest of the tailor bird. Now I do not see it. It is something of a marvel. Hanging from the branch of a tree, it is safe from snakes etc. which eat the eggs. Inside the chamber, it is furnished with soft material like feather etc. Even in rain and wind, the young ones are well protected. I wonder if we can imitate it, with artificial materials for our stay in forests, infested with elephants etc.   We can comfortably watch tigers and bear etc from close quarters.

Narayana pakshi, I think it is the swallow, makes its nest inside the room in old houses. It brings a small ball of mud and sticks it on the roof (ceiling. Then it goes out and brings another which is attached to the first one. Slowly and patiently, it goes on doing it, keeping in its mind the final shape of the nest, with a window one side ! Such architectural skill, similar to the tailor birds’, with very strong structure, is something to wonder at  !

MOREMI: WHERE THE ELES AND ANTELOPE PLAY.

START:

It was sundowner time – that precious moment on an African safari where the gin and tonics come out, along with the nibbles and the camp chairs., and the adventures of the day are over and those of the night have yet to begin.

On our table beneath the shade of a mopane tree beside the reed-fringed hippo lagoon, overlooked by covetous hornbills, were canapés; crabmeat on crackers with spiced mayonnaise and lemon wedges, pungent stringy strips of impala biltong (the African version of beef jerky), a mash of avocado dip (the avocados had pretty much mashed themselves courtesy of potholes and a long drive over uneven track), pimento stuffed olives with small shards of glass in the juice, cheese straws and malformed curried eggs.

Not a bad little spread given that we were three hour’s drive from the nearest supermarket. All that was needed now was a neat twist of a Gordon’s gin bottle cap, that deliriously cool fizzing noise of tonic frothing, the clink and tinkle of ice, and no gate crashers.

“Elephant!”

“What?”

“Get in the car!”

“The G and Ts! The crab!”

“The car! Now! ”

Watching elephants while enjoying a sundowner is magical. If they are, for example, a fair distance away.  Crossing a river, say, or tossing dust over their backs at a waterhole and generally not getting their seven tonnes of tusk, bone and body weight in your face.

Watching an elephant amble right up to your sundowner table and then stop, deposit sufficient fertilizer to keep the plants of Kew Gardens growing for a month, then not go away until a voracious flock of opportunistic hornbills has eaten all the cheese straws and crapped in the avocado dip is less of a treat.

But that’s Moremi Game Reserve for you. This 8250 km2 national park in northern Botswana is renowned for close encounters of the wild kind.

Moremi is a relaxed sort of national park. This could explain why it is potentially so stressful. There may be a rule that says you can’t wander around wherever you want but you can. And people do. The wildlife certainly does. The elephant that staked out our sundowner table and benignly oversaw the hornbill looting of our nibbles (they even ate the crab! The banana nosed bandits! I’d been looking forward to that crab! Dreaming of that crab! That crab cost a fragging fortune!) was just the first in a series of visitors.

We watched a silky-furred horde of vervet monkeys unpack a neighbouring camper’s provisions while the poor fool was taking a shower. I suppose we should have intervened but, you know, it was quite funny to watch.

A hippo arrived after darkness fell and delicately trimmed the grass with tusks that looked designed to dismember a brontosaurus. He took exception to torch lit inspection.

“Turn that thing off! And don’t use the camera! The flash will startle him!”

Sound words. Good advice. Don’t flash a hippo.

At regular intervals he broke into a chorus of hippo-ish chortles; a burst of throaty “hurr hurr hurr”s that made the tent poles thrum. They were answered by his fellows who were crashing about in the reeds. He now sounded close enough to touch and if we’d been dumb enough to leave our tent again we probably could have done just that. Then he would have bitten us in half.

Hippos may sound like fat men laughing but don’t be fooled by the jovial chuckle of the river God. Humanity excepted, hippos kill more people in Africa each year than any other mammal on the continent. Their jaws are sufficiently strong to crack iron wood canoes and although grass is their dietary preference in times of nutritional crisis they have been known to eat antelope. Perhaps for the calcium in the bones.

Another elephant reappeared just before midnight disproving the theory that gently smouldering elephant dung repels elephants. He decided to stand several inches from our tent. And stay. For hours he entranced us with the rumble and gurgle of his digestive process. Elephants consume a wide range of plants ranging from delicate flowers to tree trunks.

An adult needs 190 kg of fodder a day. From the volume of the borborygmus beside the tent it was clear that our flatulent visitor had opted for tree trunks rather than delicate flowers.

Morning broke and with it arrived a new species of animal. A white South African outdoors man.

“Ach, man!” he whispered at us. “Cheetah spoor! The cat’s just there. In the bush. Lekker!”*

And so it went on. There were crocs in the crystal clear tributaries of the Khwai river, impala bounded through our camp – we were staying at Xakanaxa because the first camp site we tried was over-run by thieving baboons – and although no lions turned up we heard their distant roaring.

An increasing number of southern African national parks restrict the movement of visitors. In the interests of safety they are not permitted to leave their vehicles on game drives. Camp sites are fenced. Night driving is prohibited. If walking is permitted armed escort is mandatory. And so on.

Such measures certainly reduce the tourist body count. And, let’s be honest, a lot of people want to enjoy their safaris in safety. Why not?

But they also partially disinfect the safari experience.

Moremi reinfects it. The tracks are lousy going on impassable in the rains. There are some road signs but not enough of them to let you know where you are or where you are going next. Many signs are enigmatic and can be pushed over by elephants. Or rearranged by jolly pranksters. It’s quite easy to get lost.

Moremi conserves a large part of the Okavango delta and water is permanent which explains the density and diversity of wild-life. Tourists by contrast are thinly spread. Most opt for one of the five (rather expensive) private lodges in the park. They zoom in on light aircraft, they are cosseted and taken on game drives and mokoro (dug out canoe) trips and they have a hell of a good time.

The camping option is much cheaper. But of course you are on your own if you camp and self drive. You have to lay on your own sundowners.  And you never know who or what will turn up.

It has been a very busy month for me but my exhibition has now come to an end and things are quietening down just in time for Christmas. The exhibition was a great success – it was titled ‘Living Luangwa’ and featured 50 of my favourite images from my last 4 years work in the Luangwa valley. Here are a few of the most popular photographs although seeing them at web size doesn’t do them justice – printed large, framed and lit well makes all the difference..

Hollywood

Clash of the Titans

Kaingo

Broken Mopane

Kakuli

Milky way

Making waves

Geronimo!

Wet feet

Lashes

Skimming

Content Copyright Patrick Bentley Photography

Apu: I have come to make amends, sir. At first, I blamed you for squealing, but then I realized, it was I who wronged you. So I have come to work off my debt. I am at your service.
Homer: You’re…selling what, now?
Apu: I am selling only the concept of karmic realignment.
Homer: You can’t sell that! Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos. [slams the door]
Apu: He’s got me there.

I’m not sure if I believe in karma—at least as a universal law—but the problem, I was to discover as I embarked on a journey to a local elephant sanctuary in the hills surrounding Chiang Mai, Thailand, is that I’m pretty sure karma believes in me. So, as our van trundled along the serpentine, pothole-laden road, I had no notion about the lessons the universe would teach me that day. It’s just too bad those lessons would hurt so much…

  The concept of karma has always fascinated me. The idea that the effects of the thoughts I think, the choices I make, and the actions I take will be returned to me often makes me think twice about what I’m doing. While I don’t believe in any notion of reincarnation, as taught by most Eastern religions, I do think that the Buddha was on to something when he articulated the cause-and-effect nature of the cosmos. When we act, if those actions bring happiness or pain, we will have to endure those same results. So, if I act in a way that brings you pain (like the pain you’re experiencing now as you read my blog) I eventually will have that pain returned to me (oh god, please don’t make me read your blog!). Now, the Buddha noted that this karmic kick-in-the-ass was almost never instantaneous, and the deleterious results of one’s actions would reverberate through many future lifetimes, but nevertheless, I tend to think that for those lessons to stick, one’s penance must be paid immediately. 

   …After what seemed like an eternity, we finally arrived at the elephant sanctuary for Thailand’s unemployed elephants; victims of rapid industrialization, their cost and lack of utility sadly often resulted in abuse and neglect. It is at these rescue centres that tourists can both learn about this plight of the pachyderm in the modern world and also enjoy a jungle excursion on elephant-back. It is also here that I met my elephant, Lucy.

She waited patiently beside a tall, wooden platform, eager to begin her daily journey. Her wizened eyes conveyed a sense of wisdom and calm not often seen in the animal kingdom, she had clearly done this before. Her mahout (handler) encouraged me to purchase some food for Lucy before I got on so that she would have incentives to keep her going throughout our long trip. However, having already paid $15 for the hour and being the chintzy, tight-fisted bastard that I am, I opted not to purchase a $0.20 bag of bananas. There’s a whole jungle of free food out there, I thought, she’ll have plenty to eat. It was a decision I would come to regret. So, with that, I climbed up on Lucy’s back and off we went.

 As she traipsed down the narrow trail Lucy would frequently swing her trunk around, rubbing against my leg in anticipation of the treats she thought were sure to come. You might think I would have been moved by such a display, but alas her pleas fell upon deaf ears. Again, I thought, the plants are plentiful. It was as I pondered the availability of the jungle foliage that Lucy had her revenge….

Her trunk lashed out quickly, grabbing a young, leafy, Pilang sapling that grew along the trail. Although young, this tree was already tall and had vicious thorns covering its branches. Tempted by the sumptuous leaves, and with very little effort, she uprooted the tree, pulling it down on top of me. Her mahout was able to get out of the way, but karma had other plans for me. The thorns immediately tore through my exposed flesh, raking long scratches down my arms and legs. I grabbed the branches to keep them off my face but was pierced by several malevolent barbs. In an apparent act of cosmic cruelty, the process of chewing continued to sweep the tree across me, whipping about like a torturous cat o’ nine tails. Then, as quickly as it started, it was over, as she dropped the tree and continued her journey undaunted, no doubt with a satisfied smirk on her face. The entire right side of my body was bloodied and bruised, my clothes scratched and torn, and, without wanting the universe to think I hadn’t learned my lesson, I quickly bought Lucy some bananas.

1 hour elephant ride: $15
1 bag of bananas: $.20
Karmic realignment: priceless

Laos is landlocked and lies between Thailand, Myanmar, China, Vietnam and Cambodia. The Mekong River forms the countries western border and the Anna Mite Mountains form its eastern border with Vietnam.

The total land area is approximately 237,000 sq km. An area similar to that of the United Kingdom. The main features of the country are its mountains and the Mekong River valley.

Laos has a monsoon climate of a dry and a wet season. The dry season lasts from November to May with the cooler period in December and January. At its coldest, the temperatures can fall to as low as 15. The cold periods tend to be at night and early morning with colder temperatures at higher altitudes. During the hot period of the dry season, between March and May, temperatures can reach the high 30s. The rainy season is a lot cooler, and rainfall varies according to altitude. Generally speaking, the monsoon season produces severe rain that lasts for short periods of time. The wet months vary according to location, in Vientiane, they are from May to September, in Luang Prabang, and August is far wetter than any other month.

Parts of the Anna mite chain are covered with tropical evergreen forest, where rainfall is highest and in the south, tropical pine forests can be found.

Laos, the land of a million elephants and one of the last places to see old Indochina. The pace of Laos is slow and its people relaxed and friendly.

There are 68 official ethnic groups in Laos, belonging to three main groups.

For much of its history, Laos has been under the thumb of its neighbours at various times the Cambodians, Burmese, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Siamese. The result is that Laos has experienced great difficulty in establishing a national identity.

Laos folk music uses the Khen a set of pipes. Lam Wong is a popular folk dance where couples dance in circles to Lam Vong music.

It has a large number of animal species, including as many as 500 different birds. Reptiles include many snakes, including king cobras. There are a large number of lizards. Mammals include wild cats, bears, leopards and tigers. There are up to 500 wild elephants, although more than twice those numbers are in captivity. There are a number of rare species which include rhinos and wild cattle.

The Lao language is a member of the Tai language group, sometimes known as Tai Kadai or Kadai.

WOAH! 

its like, a desert man with shiney glasses, on the moon and fergies having a lay down in the jungle, and then there’s a moon elephant a space ship and a shiney prism, and then the scary man is not in it and you think, well where is he? and then it turns out hes singing at the SUN!

what more could anyone want? i love music videos

HX (thanks eliza!)

A tourism and culture week themed “Legend of the Central Highlands Elephant” opened at Buon Ma Thuot City Square in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on December 16.

Elephant parade in the opening ceremony of the Buon Ma Thuot – Dak Lak tourism and culture week on December 16. (photo:TTO)

The opening ceremony began with a special performance featuring contemporary and Highland music by gong troupes from the ethnic Ede, M’nong, and J’rai groups. More than 500 artists and dancers took part in the show.

Earlier in the day, cultural activities kicked off including a food fair, street festival, and photo exhibitions titled “Highlands – Past and Present” and “Lyric Highlands.”

The “Highlands – Past and Present” display introduces viewers to 150 pictures of Highlands culture and people from the colonial past to the present. The “Lyric Highlands” exhibit, meanwhile, showcases 52 works by photographer Lam Tu Khoa taken over eight years.

Other events happening throughout the week include a wood carving contest, trade fair, elephant race, and folk games.

The event aims to honor elephants, the most important animal to the Highlands people.
 
A project undertaken by the Dak Lak elephant preservation center will be implemented from 2010 to 2014 at a total investment of around VND58 billion (US$3 million), the provincial People’s Committee announced at a seminar on December 15.

Under the project, the preservation center will care for elephants; launch policies to encourage and help elephant breeders in parturition; cooperate with international organizations to update technology; and train officials in preserving and taking care of elephants. The center is situated on more than 200 ha in YokDon national park.

The tourism and culture week marks the 105th anniversary of the establishment of Buon Ma Thuot City and is a chance for the province to introduce its achievements, tourism potential, and socio-economic development. The festival will run until December 20.

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1. dreams:
sun on wood
golden sap forest smell
writing

5-6 people
asleep
under a patchwork
of blankets and sleeping bags
on a huge bed
like the one we built ourselves
inside the strawbale structure
of the skunkhouse

my dance moves
in window reflection

running
along ocean
before we shimmy up
over rock formations
and hit
flat shallow water
that goes on for miles
and there is a dog
and a leather black jacket
and i wave
akwardly
not expecting
to see you/be seen by you
across that liquid expanse

joanna’s collapsed lung
resultng in
fake thyroid scars

2. all the trainwhistle sounds
these ears (a museum) have collected
over the past 8 years
in this city
a river based city
a cooking city
and still
still
still
the noise
crawling across night
from tracks
to wherever i am
reminds me

2. running on rainwet sidewalk
an alarm
going off
inside a house
i wonder
if it will still be ringing
when i pass again
on my way back

3. sun
exploding gray monotony
to bits
for 5 golden minutes

5. white board note
in red ink
daring me
to eat
breakfast leftovers

6. corinne telling me
if we ever would have
i would have treated you like a prince

corinne telling me
about elephants wearing pink eyeshadow

corinne telling me
something about someone being infinitely lame

corinne telling me
how she reduces stress
by reducing her needs
during visits home

corinne reporting via text
how i have offered
to be the towel boy

corinne
gets it just right
when she talks about
preemptive missing

7. a rolodex so heavy
it could never be exhumed
alongside a reclamation
like a knife
sharp
and catching light
on its blade
before throwing it back

8. as the saltwater poem
begins dreaming
i roll my gold filigree sleeves