What would you want to ask or learn?

[philaw]

Hi all, this question is just for fun, really.

I'm heading back out to my favourite spot in rural China again tomorrow afternoon, and am pondering how to make best use of the time there. Here's the question: If you spent a week in isolated, mountainous, forested countryside, and could pay a local farmer to teach you something, what would you ask? That's pretty much where I'm at! It's almost too open. People there are brimful of bushcraft-type knowledge because they're still living it. My number one idea is to get someone to take me quail hunting with one of their black powder rifles, but that's probably not allowed. Shelter building and learning about local medicinal plants are other ideas. Axe work? The big question what skills are unique to that place, because they're the ones to learn.

Also, my mora will be left at home so that I don't have to carry two knives after I go straight to the blacksmith shop. Foxes aren't that cunning.

This was the first trip:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116723&highlight=guizhou

 

[Trojan]

Tracking Pandas?

 

[philaw]

With a black powder rifle? The market for that would be huge.

 

[bopdude]

Depends on how long your going to be there, the local basket weave, tracking or Karate

 

[Arya]

What about learning how to make your own tea?

 

[philaw]

Not sure i could learn cooking from anyone! Basket weaving is an idea, but first thing is i bought a knife blade from the blacksmith and hope to kill two birds with one stone by getting someone to make a traditional handle for it and let me watch them do it. If that happens will try to do a video clip and post it. One guy said they do it by heating the stick tang and poking it into a piece of wood. The sheath is also wooden, looks like two flat pieces carved out around the blade. Got a clip of an old timer sharpening a billhook and photos of carpentry hand tools, so doing alright so far. The answer to 'do you take clumsy looking 6'3" white guys hunting quail with you?' Was 'no'

 

[philaw]

They use baskets as sheaths for billhooks. Will get closeup pictures in case theyre useful to anyone