Tang Dynasty show and dumpling banquet

Xi'an (direct translation of the word parts means west harmony) is the historic and cultural capital of China, our city guide Judy told us.

This gracious performer greeted theatre-goers arriving for the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance show. We sat at tables to watch dancers and singers in exquisite costumes on gorgeously coloured sets. During the show, we were served an amazing variety of tiny and delectable dumplings. The sesame duck was modeled on that bird, and the goldfish dumplings had fan tails and green peas for eyes. Taste-wise, my fave was the purple sweet potato dumpling.

After performing in the choir with various musicians in five concert halls in five Chinese cities, it was a relief to sit in the audience for a change.

The Terracotta warriors of Xi'an

These authorized contemporary replicas of the terracotta army of Xi'an are made of clay, bronze and even jade. Today wealthy people can commission a statue with their own faces. Originally, the artists also based each figure on the face of a real man who lived back then. Many have open hands like the kneeling archer in the foreground; the warriors once carried real bronze weapons.

The clothing and hairstyles reveal the different ranks. For instance, the simple topknot worn by the ordinary soldier is positioned to give the right-handed archer (the majority) easy access to the arrows from the quiver on his shoulder. Generals wear beards, and body armour over cotton robes, square toed shoes and flat backward-sloping masses of hair. Chariot drivers wear special gauntlets as well as padded armour to protect their necks.

Enormous terra cotta army of Xi'an

The terra-cotta warriors of Xi'an were ordered by the Qin (Chin) emperor after whom the united China was named. Rank upon rank of cavalry, infantry and chariots were created to guard the emperor's privilege and power in the afterlife. It is estimated that it took 720,000 artisans forty years to create the terracotta men, weapons, chariots and Mongolian horses. Behind the haunting beauty of this art lies a story of profound violence. The Qin emperor was so cruel that he the killed the creators when their painstaking works were complete.

After his death, a general who had served him took revenge on the former boss who had put his father and son to death. The general first had his army take the real bronze weapons from the warriors. When they then attacked the tomb, figures were broken and the pit filled with ashes.

The first part of the tomb was discovered in 1974 by a farmer drilling for water, and the remainder came to light in 1976. The site was opened to visitors in 1979. Today, archaeologists from seven  nations work as teams in a few pits. It can take three archaeologists nearly a year to reconstitute a single statue and set it back in its original place. The relatively small number of figures in the photo have taken forty years to restore. Vast numbers of others remain untouched below ground.

Aboriginal women poets read at Canadian Authors event

In celebration of National Poetry Month, we heard readings by three poets, hosted by Kevin Spenst. Jonina Kirton's latest poetry collection, An Honest Woman, has just been nominated for the Dorothy Livesay Prize.

We sampled her wise words: "My turtle mind, slow, steady, walks me to the dance floor, where my snake self dances me," alluding to "a trail of marooned memories."

Joanne Arnott shared these deep truths: "Our bodies are what we are good at and unconscious of," and "Watching the earth breathe can become habit forming." She also made us laugh a lot, once with her quip, "I have poetic licence."

Joanne closed her presentation by singing an altered version of Rockabye Baby, with an ending in which the narrator promises to catch the baby and cradle, if they should fall. What a relief. I've always hated the brutal ending of that traditional nursery rhyme.

Wanda Kehewin shared work from In the Dog House, as well as her upcoming collection. "I heard the word forgiveness, and I asked myself, in what language does forgiveness begin?" A new poem, "My Brother," evoked the deep pain of an elder sibling's helpless concern for her brother in an abusive foster home. Moments later, Wanda's zany humour had her audience in stitches.

Though some poems carried sadness that was hard to hear, in other moments, poets and audience laughed together in joyful unity. Overall, a stellar evening.

The Lingering Garden in Suzhou

The Lingering Garden in Suzhou, China is a UNESCO heritage site. We were there at the best possible time, with magnolias, redbuds and other flowering trees in bloom. More time to linger would've been nice!

Remembering Dr. Hanna Kassis

This is what Dr. Kassis looked like when I met him in 1967. A seventeen-year-old from a small northern town, I was almost as fascinated by the crimp of my prof's hair and his foreign-accented speech as by his lectures and stories.

My residence buddy Rena recommended his class. I learned about the city from her, and she depended on me to keep pounding on her door till she rose for her 8:30 class. I was interested in archaeology, and she assured me I'd love Dr. Kassis's class. I did.

I learned eventually that Rena was Jewish; her mother had escaped from a death camp, and my friend kept putting off a promise to take me to her house for a visit because her mom was having another bad day.

Today the funeral of Dr. Kassis was held in the Anglican Cathedral on Burrard. I was surprised to learn he was a Christian. Back in 1967, I had only the sketchiest notion of the background of this Gaza-born Harvard-trained professor who went on to spend so many years teaching at UBC. A professor emeritus, he taught Hebrew language and Religious Studies as well as archaeology. He was a great member of the UBC and wider community, and will be sadly missed. An obituary by Douglas Todd in The Vancouver Sun calls him a "Canadian pioneer in Islamic Studies."

Rest in peace, Hanna Kassis.

In China motorcycles, not riders wear the biker jackets

In the Chinese cities we visited on our recent choral tour, many scooter and motorbike riders use these padded bike jackets to guard against cold and wind. They come in various patterns, including Hello Kitty (left). I saw one woman riding in heels and a short skirt. The wall of fabric in front of her knees kept her legs warm while protecting her modesty. Jackets are left unguarded with the bikes, as are the contents of bike baskets. Nobody seems to worry that others will take their belongings.