Chuck Rides A Rickshaw in Hutong District of Beijing

Rickshaws lined up and ready to go in Hutong District, Beijing 

Let me make this perfectly clear.
        Riding in a rickshaw down narrow, historic streets in Beijing, China, was not Chuck’s idea.
People may consider riding in a rickshaw fun.  
Cats consider it one unholy nightmare.
Cramped inside my smart bag, allowed to peek out only when we’re well on our way, careening around corners and such, Chuck, no doubt, assumed he would get sick.   
I felt sorry for the kid for being so pessimistic.    
While Chuck moaned and groaned as we made our way to where the rickshaws were being kept, I reveled in the fact that first, I was in China, which is no small feat for a girl from Jersey.  Second, I was in the Hutong district of Beijing, much of which had been destroyed in the last ten years or so to make way for new construction.  And third, and I guess this was the obvious part, I was about to ride in a rickshaw, an authentic Chinese rickshaw, a mode of transportation that pre-dated the turn of the century.  
I was curious to know what that would be like. 
If you read my blog, you know I do my homework.  Of course, I’d researched the history of the rickshaw, and to keep Chuck’s mind off his impending feelings of doom, I
began to explain just what an historic means of conveyance he was about to ride in.
“Chuck,” I said, “the rickshaw is almost always made of bamboo so it’s light in weight.  Nowadays it’s outlawed in most countries due to concern for the workers.”
        Here, I had to admit, I was concerned.  China didn’t have a good human rights policy, and I was anxious not to be part of a group which exploited Chinese workers.
I needn’t have been concerned.  The worker assigned to pull our rickshaw was smiling.  He was happy to have a job. 

Our runner for our rickshaw, happy to have a job in Beijing

  
“Rickshaw comes from a Japanese word meaning ‘human powered vehicle.’”  I explained to him that the word first appeared in 1887 in the Oxford English Dictionary.  There was some dispute as to the real inventor.  Some say it was an American blacksmith by the name of Albert Tolman who invented the rickshaw in 1848 for a missionary.  Others dispute that claim.   
“The first rickshaw was seen in Japan in 1868, but by 1872 there were over 40,000 of them in Tokyo.”  By 1914 the Chinese applied for permission to use rickshaws to transport passengers.  Being a runner for rickshaw was often the first job for a peasant migrating to a big city. 
Chuckie listened intently to all I said.  “So, what do you think?  Are you ready to ride in a rickshaw?  It could be fun.”
He shook his head no.
“Chuck, c’mon.”
They’ve never made a cat more stubborn than Chuck.
“Then keep your eyes closed.  It’ll be over before you know it.”
Bob and I climbed into the rickshaw, and I put my smart bag between us.  One by one the rickshaws took off down the street.  We were traveling at a stready pace on a level street.  After a minute or two, I glanced over and noticed that Chuck couldn’t resist peeking out and looking around.  Then he inched out a bit further.  The slight breeze ruffled his whiskers.
Was the Chuckster actually enjoying himself?
Everything was rolling along fine UNTIL we started going down hill.  The speed picked up.  We transitioned from a wide main street into narrower streets that truly define the nature of the Hutong district.  We passed Chinese houses and small shops.  

Typical Chinese houses and shops in Hutong District

        The wind velocity increased. The turns became sharper.   A few times we almost tumbled out of the rickshaw into the street below.  I grabbed the one side of the rickshaw with my right hand and my smart bag with the other and clung tightly.  
This rickshaw ride was beginning to feel more like an adventure ride at an amusement park.

The streets started whizzing by faster and faster

The blood drained from Chuck’s whiskered face.
His worst case nightmare was unfolding before his very eyes.
“It’ll be over soon,” I whispered to him, like a mantra, more for myself than him. 
But the rickshaw wasn’t stopping.  
Our runnner made a sharp left.  We squeezed down a narrow lane, which reminded me a bit like being shoved down the chute of a cannon.  Suddenly, the momentum building, we shot out of the lane down a cobblestone street.  The rickshaw bumped up and down, and we bounced UP AND DOWN.  
“Hold on.”
A lake appeared on our right.  
For a split second, I had this horrible thought that the rickshaw, our rickshaw, would suddenly careen out of control and topple straight into the lake.

The lake where we almost ended up in . . .

I turned to Chuck--trying to make eye-contact, but he was gone.  My bag was there, but my cat was gone.
IN THE LAKE?  ON THE STREET? 
“Bob, where’s Chuck?  He must have . . .”
Panic closed my throat.  
“Bob, I think Chuck . . .”  But I couldn’t finish the horrible thought.
Bob reached over and grabbed my hand.  “He’s okay.”
“But--”
“He’s in your bag.”
“What--”
Sure enough.  Chuck--my not so fearless cat--had crouched way down into my smart bag.  
By this time, the ride was over.  We came to a halting stop.
My knees were still shaking as I climbed out of the rickshaw.
Chuck gave me his usual Chuck look.  I told you so. 
I turned to Bob. 
“This was a lot of fun,” he said.  “A lot of fun.”


 To read more about Chuck and his adventures, log onto www.katelutter.com.  


Wild Point Island, my paranormal romance, is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.  Recently it was rated 5 Stars by The E Book Reviewers, who said, "At the very core . . . is a multi-level mystery, with plot twists and turns that you never expected. And there is a deep touching love story that grasped my heart and never let go.  This is one book you must go buy now; once you start reading, you won’t be able to put it back down."  
       

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Chuck Strolls Down the Sacred Way and Almost Flies a Kite

The Sacred Way to the Ming Tombs in Beijing, China

“Are we there yet?”

That’s what Chuck would have asked, if he could have talked.

Instead, he meowed and gave me that typical Chuck look.

The kid likes to go on long walks, but I have to admit that the Sacred Way that leads to the Ming Tombs does seem to go on and on forever.

  I wasn’t quite sure if Chuckie knew where we were going when we started walking.  We were outside of Beijing, it was a hot afternoon, and luckily the place was not crawling with tourists.  All Chuck knew was that I’d said something about flying a kite and that sounded like fun to him.  

It was true.  At the end of what would turn out to be a very long walk--fascinating, but long--we would reach the Dragon and Phoenix Gate, which leads to the Tombs (which we had no intention of actually seeing--I’ll explain why later) and there, it seems to be always windy and the perfect place to fly our official Chinese kite.

We hadn’t realized that the Chinese were so “into” kite flying.  

I was noticing with appalling frequency that whenever there seemed to be a wind and a way to climb high, you could spot someone flying a kite.  Not like here in America.  Here you must be in a park or some kind of recreational place and usually children are involved.  But in China, the adults seem more into “kite flying” than the kids.  

Nevertheless, I’d shoved a kite I’d received as a special gift into my bag and was carrying it as we entered through the huge stone memorial archway, the entranceway to the Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs.

Of course, I’d done my homework and discovered that this Sacred Way was built as a road centuries ago to lead the Chinese people to one of the tombs built here.  Ironic, for this place was, indeed, a cemetery for thirteen Emperors from the Ming Dynasty.  It covered an area of 80 kilometers or approximately 50 miles. This cemetery had taken around 200 years to build, beginning in 1409 and ending in approximately 1644, when the Ming Dynasty fell.  I’m always amazed by these big numbers when I do research into Chinese history. 

So as we strolled along the the Sacred Way, which means, incidentally “the road leading to heaven,” I let Chuck scamper in front of me.  This road is not your typical road lined with bushes and shrubs.  The Sacred Way is lined with larger than life stone statues.

The Mythical Beast - The Qilin

In the beginning you pass 24 animal statues--of lions, camels, horses, elephants . . . and there’s even a Qilin, a mythical beast that is composed of parts from a number of different animals.  Chuck was very curious and I could tell he wanted to leap on top and give these statues a good sniff.

The Camel

The Horse

But I’m a bit superstitious.  

The design of this Sacred Way and, in fact, the entire Ming Tomb complex follows the Feng Shui principle--in an effort to keep the evil spirits out.  If Chuck jumped on a statue, I think the spirits might just try to get even.

After the animals, we passed the human figures--the guards--meant to guard the tombs.  

Finally, we reach the Dragon and Phoenix Gate, walked through this magnificent structure to the other side, and sure enough--I realized that we’d been walking up hill and had landed in the perfect spot to fly our kite.

The Dragon and Phoenix Gate at the entrance to the Ming Tombs

A Chinese kite is not just one kite but a series of kites all strung together, connected by line.  Flung into the air, and held up by the wind, the kite makes quite an impressive sight in the air.  The trick is to hold the kite out in front of you, catch the breeze that is blowing and then manipulate it so that it unfolds and flies higher into the sky.

I hadn’t flown a kite in years.  

Chuck had never flown a kite.

In fact, at that moment when I held out the kite to my fearless cat, I realized that he wouldn’t be able to do it . . . unless he clutched it in his teeth.  Chuck seemed to instinctively know it was “mission impossible.”  He stepped back. 

“Sorry, bud, I thought . . .”

He shrugged.

“Do you want to watch?”

He settled down in the shade, near the Dragon and Phoenix Gate.  

Okay, then.  

After a few minutes of fumbling around, the kite seemed to take on a life of its own.  Like a bird, it lifted itself on a breeze and began to go higher and higher.  The string began to uncurl faster and faster.  

A close -up view of our Chinese Kite

I was flying a kite.  

Chuck stood up, his gaze glued to the sight.  I was happy that he was enjoying himself.  So he didn’t seem the least bit disappointed that he wasn’t able to fly a kite.  I tried to catch his eye.  “Chuck,” I yelled.  “Hey, Chuck.”

Suddenly, he turned toward me.  Then he started running, past me, toward  . . .

In my preoccupation with Chuck’s feelings, I’d taken my attention away from the kite, and it had crashed to the ground.  

Chuck stood over the kite, sniffing.  

“Sorry . . . I didn’t mean to crash the kite.  Do you want me to try again?”

But it was time to go back to the hotel.  

I noticed some tourists were wandering over to the Ming Tombs.  Three are open to the public, and I saw them the last time I visited China, but frankly there’s little to see.  Unfortunately, the tombs that have been opened have not been well preserved.  Items have been removed to the museum, or they were damaged by weather.  At this time, the Chinese Government is not opening any more of the tombs. 

I picked up my broken kite.   It was fun while it lasted.  

 

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THE HUMAN REALM, HIS BATTLEFIELD.

Asar, the Egyptian God of the Underworld, has been tortured and left soulless by a malevolent goddess, relegating him to consume the very thing he was commissioned to protect. Human souls. Now an empty shell of hatred, Asar vows to kill the goddess and anyone involved in her release, but fate crosses his path with a beautiful blonde huntress who has a soul too sweet to ignore.

DEADLY SECRETS BETTER LEFT UNEARTHED.

Lilly, fearless commander of the Nehebkau huntresses, is the only thing standing in the way of the goddess' undead army unleashing hell on earth.  But Lilly has a secret—one she is willing to sell her soul to keep. If the Underworld god discovers her role in the dig that released the goddess, she will lose everything, including his heart.

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NEW RELEASE  JULY 2, 2012

DENIED 
SHADOWED LOVE, BOOK TWO

    When invaders brutally massacred the women and children of the Varner, Caleb witnessed loss and destruction on a scale few can comprehend. As the leader of a race on the brink of extinction, his only hope for survival is gaining acceptance into the Shadow Shifter Kingdom. Struggling with new customs, he meets Tabitha, a woman who challenges his limits.

Refused the right to join the king’s guard because of her gender, Tabitha must be stronger than the men to prove she deserves to be the first accepted female Warrior in the kingdom. She believes Caleb will help improve her abilities, until she learns her goals conflict with the foundation of his culture.

When the realm is attacked, Tabitha and Caleb must come together not only to fight, but to find the strength to win against an evil with the potential to destroy everything they revere most--including each other.

Add DENIED as To-Read on GoodReads!

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    Kinley Baker is the author of the fantasy romance novel, Ruined. She read her first romance at the age of thirteen and immediately fell in love with the hero and the genre. She lives with her husband and her dog, Joker, in the Pacific Northwest. As a firm supporter of all supernatural lifestyles, she writes fantasy romance, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy. You can find Kinley at www.kinleybaker.com.

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Chuck And the Dragon Lady

View of Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill (Summer Palace)

         Occasionally, the Chuckster surprises me.  He hears a story on the nightly news when he’s lounging in front of the TV or he spies a photo in a magazine and suddenly he gets a yen to go somewhere and see something.  
    That’s what happened when we were traveling around Beijing, China recently.  
    Chuck overheard our guide Julia talking about the Dragon Lady--code name for the Empress Dowager Cixi--and he became obsessed with seeing the palace she reconstructed and enlarged at the turn of the century---yes, the infamous Summer Palace--because her selfish efforts to make her summer resort more comfortable almost brought down the Chinese empire. 
    Well, not exactly, but it’s a fascinating story of how one high-powered and spoiled woman can cause so much damage.
    Chuck became fascinated by the story and demanded to see the palace.    
    It seems that the Dragon Lady wasn’t happy with the run-down condition of the Summer Palace, her summer resort, and truth be told, the palace and surrounding landscape was in poor shape when the Dowager Empress first arrived.  So she decided to divert funds that were supposed to go to the Chinese Navy.  These funds were the equivalent of thirty million taels of silver.  A tael is a unit of measure used to weigh silver, and by today’s standards, each tael would be equivalent to approximately 4,000 Chinese yuan or $666.00.  Now take that amount TIMES thirty million.  You do the math.  This decision cost China dearly and is said to have caused the loss of the First Sino Japanese War.
    Reconstruction of a summer resort versus national security?
    Today, when the average tourist comes to pay a visit, one can’t help but marvel at the opulence of the place.  The grounds are magnificent, covering an area of 1.8 miles, three quarters of which are water.  In fact, the first thing you notice is Kunming Lake, the MAN-MADE lake that is said to have been built by 10,000 laborers.  It is difficult to imagine that this lake that stretches as far as the eye can see was dug by man and so many hundreds of years ago--dating back to 1755.  The dirt from the lake was used to make Longevity Hill.  On top of the hill sits the Tower of Buddhist Incense . . .
    You can wander around the Summer Palace for hours.  There are palaces, gardens, a pavilion, a bridge and architectural structures.  Dragon Lady and the Emperors and Empresses before her always had quite a staff, and they needed places to live.  
    I came to the Summer Palace to see the Long Corridor, a covered walkway that runs along the lake, originally built in 1750 for the then Emperor’s mother so that she could stroll along the water edge even when it was raining outside and not get wet.  The corridor is uniquely decorated with paintings depicting all aspects of Chinese life.   What is absolutely amazing about this corridor is that it is decorated with 14,000 paintings!  The corridor was damaged but rebuilt in 1886.  As you walk along the corridor, which stretches for what seems like a mile, you can’t believe the wealth of paintings.  I was impressed but . . .

The Long Corridor with 14,000 paintings

   Chuck came to the Summer Palace to see the infamous marble boat in the lake, not the paintings.     
    I know what you’re thinking.  A MARBLE BOAT IN A LAKE?
    But it was never designed to sail.  How could it?  Rather it was built as a decoration, part of a classical garden.  

The Marble Boat in Kunming Lake

     
    Originally built in 1755 and called the Boat of Purity and Ease, the boat was revitalized by the Dragon Lady in 1893, following a Western design. 
    Chuck wanted to see the marble boat, and I think, he actually half hoped the Dragon Lady would be sitting there, sipping tea. 
      Amazingly enough, with all the tourists who had come to visit the Summer Palace, we were standing on the edge of a kind of pier, staring at this marble boat, and we were alone.   I glanced around, but there was no one else near us. 
    And the boat sat just close enough to land to entice Chuck.
    But this time, I was one step ahead.  
    “No way.  You hop on that boat, and you’ll be arrested by the Chinese police and taken away, and we’d never see you again.  And for what?  So you can say you were on a marble boat?  It’s not worth it, Chuck.”
    Chuck let out one of those sighs.  He was not a happy camper.  
    He was also walking around in a circle.  Very restless.  And I was not entirely convinced that he was not going to do something impulsive or reckless.
    “Come on.  I think we might be able to at least see a photo of the Dragon Lady.  Would you like that?”
    In the photo the Dragon Lady--Empress Dowager Cixi--is seated, wearing a fancy dress, very impressive, very stilted.  
     

Dragon Lady

     


    I don’t know what Chuck expected to see--a lady who looked like a dragon?  You never know how cats process things.  They do see the world slightly tilted.  
    I’m sure, at this point, that Chuck expected to see the Dragon Lady on the boat.  
    When we returned to our hotel in Beijing, I’ll admit I gave the Chuckster extra snacks that night.   To make up for his disappointment.  


     To read more log onto: www.katelutter.com

        My first novel, a paranormal romance, Wild Point Island, is now available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.  

     


THE CHUCKSTER AND I WISH YOU AND YOURS A VERY HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!  
        
    

Chuck Visits the Forbidden City

    Chuck knew next to nothing about the Forbidden City when we arrived in Beijing, a city of 25 million people.  All he knew when we landed in China was that I had a list of places I intended to see and no amount of meowing was going to talk me out of it!

    The Forbidden City--the Chinese Imperial Palace located in the middle of Beijing--has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and is the largest collection of ancient wooden structures in the world.

    The size of this walled city is staggering.

    I think this is something Chuck should see.

    Chuck has this heartfelt sigh that he lets loose when he knows he’s defeated.  That sigh only makes me more determined to make Chuck want to see this impressive piece of history.

    When the day arrives, we walk through Tiananmen Square on our way to this home to the Chinese Emperors for over 500 years.  My plan is to WOW him with facts.

    “Chuck, this city was built primarily of wood and marble.”

    He seems determined to ignore me.

    “Chuck, construction of the Forbidden City was started in 1406, but it took fourteen years to complete and required over a million workers.”  I know these facts but as I say them, I’m amazed myself.

    “The City contains 980 buildings and 9,999 rooms.”

    I see the look in Chuck’s eye.  He’s wondering if we’re going to have to visit the close to ten thousand rooms.

    “Unfortunately, we can see only a small portion of the city now because they’re still in the process of renovating.”

    No reaction.

    “Chuck, 24 emperors have lived in the Forbidden City.  The last one was evicted in 1924 after a coup.”

    By this time we’ve reached the impressive wooden gate that we must pass through along with the thousands of other visitors.

    From then on, there’s a lot of walking, a lot of people, and way too much to see.  Despite the haze that seems to always hang over China--the government refers to it as clouds--the sun still manages to break through.

    “Chuck, there is something up ahead I think you’re going to want to see--a genuine throne.  Where the Emperors used to sit.”

    Chuck looks interested.  And, of course, that’s where everyone seems to want to go.

    There is no way you can go into the “throne room.”  You must stand outside the very large opening that allows you access to the room, shove your way through the crowds, and then peer in.  It would seem almost mission impossible to get Chuck close enough and high enough to see without being seen and then to get a photo of the throne myself, but people are amazingly oblivious to their surroundings as they, too, struggle to find the best place for their shot.  No one notices Chuck, or if they do, no one reacts.

    Maybe it’s because only eight years before when I visited China for the first time--without Chuck--the Chinese were allowed no pets--no cats, no dogs--only birds.   Now, because their economic situation has improved, the government restriction has also let up.  Each family may have one dog.  There are no restrictions as to the number of cats.

    The place is jam packed.

    Chuck is really into the throne, and as I boost him above my head so he can see it (Bob is snapping the photo), I feel a wiggle and know exactly what Chuck is thinking.

    He wants to sit on that throne.

    King Tut.  King Chuck.

    Is he crazy??

    In China?

    I grab hold of him tighter, my hands clutched like a vise, but he wiggles out of my grasp and lands on the ground with a thump.

    The worst case scenario pops into my mind.

    Chuck leaping up and over, through the enclosure, and then racing to the throne.  Sniff.  Sniff.  And by the time he’s ready to ascend the throne, the Chinese police would have the poor kid in handcuffs and off to the pokey.

    I shout out, “Help.”

    Strong hands pull Chuck up and shove him back into my arms.  A fellow tourist, a complete stranger, assessing the situation, rescues my cat from a certain fate.

    “Cats are not allowed here,” he says.

    I’m so mad I can’t even look at Chuck.  Instead I turn to Bob.  “Did you get the picture?  Of the throne?”

    He nods.

    Then we both give Chuck a dirty look.

    The Chuckster.  He’ll never change.  Not ever.  

    Wild Point Island, my paranormal romance, is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.  Recently it was rated 5 Stars by The E Book Reviewers, who said, "At the very core . . . is a multi-level mystery, with plot twists and turns that you never expected. And there is a deep touching love story that grasped my heart and never let go.  This is one book you must go buy now; once you start reading, you won’t be able to put it back down."