Lorrie's Thoughts

It has been such an honor to be a chaperone on the trip to Southeast Asia with the fellows. When I first read over the itinerary for the trip, it seemed unbelievable. Now, looking back on everything that I got to see and experience, it has been more than unbelievable…it has been the trip of a lifetime!

The gardens that we got to visit were breathtaking. All I kept saying was, “This is so beautiful.” I cannot wait to show everyone at Longwood my pictures, and believe me, there are many of them (so you all are forewarned).

Aside from the gardens, the cultural experiences that we had were just as thrilling. We got to visit local landmarks and learn about their importance to the country, eat authentic food that we all enjoyed (even the more spice-sensitive of us), we got to meet the local people and learned about their customs and traditions.

We had a lot of laughs together and learned so much about each other. Some things that come to mind about the trip are Barnabas’s love for shopping, scooter racing on the sidewalks, Jackie’s willingness to try anything, tuk-tuks, the hunt for a durian, the silk rug store, and our ride with the elephants.

Thank you Matt, Dan, Jackie, and Barnabas for planning such a wonderful trip. You were a great group to travel with and it has been such an honor to be your chaperone along the way.

Lorrie

A-Mazing Tweechol

Check out our adventure in the Syzygium Maze at Tweechol Botanic Garden!





Barnabas, Dan, Jackie, Lorrie, Matt E., Matt Q., Yoko

Botanical Gardens of Chiang Mai

Today we all had a great time in Chiang Mai visiting not one, but two of the regions largest horticultural attractions. We also visited a local market which sold produce and cut flowers, and we officially celebrated Barnabas’s Birthday by going out to eat at a Chinese Restaurant!

The first garden we visited this morning was Tweechol Botanical Gardens. We began our visit at the garden’s informational museum, which housed some local artifacts. Next we took a tour of the grounds by golf cart. The topiary at Tweechol were amazing, there were dragons, gorillas, dolphins and dinosaurs that were very accurate! The garden also had very interesting collections of tropical “house” plants, cacti, orchids and anthuriums. Tweechol also housed the first rose garden that we have seen all trip; the climate in Chiang Mai is much cooler than the other places we have visited, which allows the opportunity to grow a different selection of plants.

Our next stop of the day was Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens. We were met by Dr. Prachaya Srisanga who initiated our visit with an informational video, that gave us a great introduction to the garden. He then gave us a tour of some of the glasshouses of the upper garden, and answered many of our accumulating plant questions! We were so impressed with Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens that we decided to return to the gardens following lunch so that we could have more time on our own to walk around the lower portion of the gardens. This was a wise decision as we ended up enjoying a beautiful stroll through the garden’s arboretum and fern grotto.

As mentioned earlier we ended our day with a visit to a local market, where we bought some dried fruits and fresh flowers. Our evening went well with dinner for Barnabas, and some shopping at the local night bazaar. None of us knew what an incredible haggler Barnabas could be with souvenir prices!

I would also like to add that tonight was our last night of competition in the groups “Survivor Challenge”. I don’t want to toot my own horn but yours truly, (Jackie B.), has shot up through the ranks to take this honor home. Mom, I’ve visited Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand- but most importantly I’ve won first place against the other fellows and chaperones with my incredible shopping, drawing, spelling, clapping, object searching, and fortune telling talents. I hope you’re proud!

Barnabas, Dan, Jackie, Lorrie, Matt E., Matt Q., Yoko

Discovering Nong Nooch

Check out our video highlights from Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden and Resort!

Barnabas, Dan, Jackie, Lorrie, Matt E., Matt Q., Yoko

Suan Luang Rama IX Public Park and Kasetsart University

After a wonderful two-day visit to a truly unique botanical garden, we traveled by car from Nong Nooch to Bangkok for another set of important visits. Reaching Bangkok, we drove directly to Suan Luang Rama IX Public Park for a meeting with several members of the park’s governing body, Suan Luang Rama IX Foundation. The public park was built to honor HM the King of Thailand, on his 60th birthday and was completed 05 December 1987. Khunying Suchada Sripen, Vice Chairman of the Suan Luang Rama IX Foundation Executive Committee, gave a warm welcome to the group and also reviewed some details of the park’s operation and development. The Suan Luang Rama IX Public Park is composed of several distinct sections, including geographic gardens and display beds, for the visitor to experience independently. The garden also contains an impressive collection of bibliographic artifacts representing the life of the King in Rajamangkala Hall. During 2007, this prominent piece of architecture was slated for renovation to celebrate the King’s 80th birthday.

The Fellows and chaperones then toured several areas of the public park with members of the Foundation. Together we took several opportunities to stop and stroll around important plant collections and display areas, and the group took advantage of the time to discuss maintenance and management related issues with the park’s professional staff. The visit ended with refreshments and the exchange of business cards before leaving this wonderful public park given for the people of Bangkok.

After a wonderful lunch at a local restaurant provided by our guide, Mai, the group continued to our next appointment with the Department of Horticulture at Kasetsart University. That afternoon Dr. Poonpipope Kasemsap, explained the structure of Kasetsart University, its history, and current operation. Dr. Kasemsap also explained the various academic programs and curricula within the Faculty of Agriculture and the Department of Horticulture at Kasetsart. After our introduction, Associate Professor Alisara Menakanit was present to highlight a unique, newly established masters program in landscape architecture. The program combines the strengths of both the landscape architecture and horticulture departments to educate the latest group of Thai landscape architects. We enjoyed a tour of several landscapes designed by graduates of the program with Dr. Menakanit after the meeting. The students employed wonderful plant combinations with striking design elements in several public spaces around the Kasetsart University Library, and it was obvious that the university community benefited greatly from their education and work.

At the end of the afternoon, we were all happy to have added these two establishments into our professional network and look forward to furthering our interaction. That evening we dined at a European restaurant in Bangkok (our first in weeks!) and rested for another day of touring in Thailand.

Barnabas, Dan, Jackie, Lorrie, Matt E., Matt Q., Yoko

Keeping it Moving in Kuala Lumpur!

Check out our video highlights from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! 

Barnabas, Lorrie, Dan, Matt Q., Matt E. (Producer Extraordinaire), Jackie, and Yoko

Nong Nooch-errific

     Upon our arrival in Thailand, we were greeted at the airport by our wonderful guide Mai. We made a quick stop at the local 7-Eleven (Ha!) before heading straight to Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden and Resort. We relaxed in our adorable bunaglos and called it an early evening.

     I don't think that any of us expected the gardens that were in store for us at Nong Nooch. Saturday morning Mai took us on a general tram tour of the gardens and resort. There are incredible European style gardens with collections of palms, cycads, bonsai, and topiary Bouganvilleas mixed between. We were all astounded to see the French Garden; it is a space larger than a football field filled with incredibly manicured parterre hedges, large central topiaries, and over 6,000 bright pink bouganvilleas in two gallon sized pots!

     In the afternoon we were able to meet with employees of Nong Nooch, Mr. Thonglee Sittichiangpin and Mr. Somchai Sae-Yang, who were able to answer the barrage of questions that we had after our morning walk. We learned that there are over  1,000 gardeners that work on grounds and that all of the hedges and topiaries are trimmed every 15 days! There is an incredible amount of work that goes on here at Nong Nooch!

     As far as the group goes, we are all doing quite well. Sunday we had another day off, and, after enjoying the morning together, we split up and enjoyed Nong Nooch on our own. We have begun a "Survivor" type game in the group where each person has a question and answer period for one day, and this same person must also pick a challenge at the end of the day for the group to partake in. So far we have had "J-Day" (for Jackie) and "The Lorrie Story," we are about to do our next challenge to figure out whose day is tomorrow, so I better go...

Barnabas, Dan, Jackie, Lorrie, Matt E., Matt Q., Yoko

Putra Jaya, Malaysia

January 17, 2008

Today’s activities centered around the new capital district of Putra Jaya, just outside of Kuala Lumpur. Before writing about our day, I wanted to provide some context for our destination, especially for those history and political junkies out there. Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy, consisting of thirteen states, but its royal system is rather unique in the world. Rather than having one royal family over the entire country, ten of Malaysia’s states have their own royal families, each led by a sultan. However, every five years, the ten sultans meet and choose from among themselves a king to rule the entire country. This creates a system of stable monarchical transition at the national level and is inclusive of the states that do not have their own royal families. Interestingly, the current king was chosen last year and his home state is now technically ruled by his eight-year old son, who was elevated to the position of sultan in his father’s stead.

About a decade ago, a new capital district was created to house the national government and ministry buildings in one centralized location. This location, Putra Jaya, is where we toured today. We began our day at Putra Jaya Botanic Garden. Just like the rest of the new capital district, the garden is relatively new, but well-built and beautiful. Indicative of the garden’s age, the collections still convey the sense of being newly planted, but they are immaculately cared for, clearly labeled, and will no doubt only increase in beauty as they mature. We were impressed by the number of workers we saw tending the garden in the few hours we visited. In the afternoon, we toured Putra Jaya, viewing many buildings, including a large mosque, the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister’s Residence, Deputy Prime Minister’s Residence, and new King’s Palace, among others. Each building was beautiful and many were perched atop hills with commanding views.

Our final destination for the day was a visit to the Putra Jaya Wetland Reserve, which is the largest, constructed, freshwater wetland in the tropics. Our guides, Wadi and Zaza explained that the wetlands were a catchment basin for storm water and served as a biological filter to purify the water before it drained into the large lake at the center of the district.Below are some pictures of the day. Until next posting ~Barnabas

The Fellows and Chaperones at Putra Jaya BG

The Prime Minister's Office (L) & Large Mosque (R) from Putra Jaya Botanic Garden

The New King's Palace














Flamingos at the Putra Jaya Wetlands













Barnabas, Dan, Jackie, Lorrie, Matt E., Matt Q., Yoko

Rimba Ilmu at the University of Malaya

Today the Fellows and their new chaperones traveled to Rimba Ilmu Botanic Garden at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. The Garden is located within the Institute of Biological Sciences at the University, and many of the garden's functions serve the needs of the university community surrounding its borders. The garden has 15 staff that serve all of the gardens operational and educational priorities. In the morning we met with the interim director, Mr. Sugumaran, and a representative from the Malaysian Nature Society, Mr. Shanmugaraj. The Malaysian Nature Society cooperates to develop educational programming and arrange sources of private funding for the Garden. Mr. Shanmugaraj explained the role of the Society serving both Rimba Ilmu in Kuala Lumpur and several other environmental organizations throughout Malaysia.

The group first toured a rainforest ecology exhibit produced and promoted by the staff at Rimba Ilmu. The exhibit covered many topics of the Malaysian tropical rainforest including ecological structure, plants of special interest, and pressure from development. The group then toured the rare and endangered plant house with Mr. Sugumaran where the Botanic Garden displays plants for ex-situ conservation as well as education. The plant house was magnificently maintained and organized with several unique species including several Begonia sp. and various orchids.

The Fellows and chaperones then toured the grounds of Rimba Ilmu and viewed several impressive collections including the bamboo and fruit tree collections. We briefly stopped in a shade house to view a wonderful collection of ferns and tropical plants arranged around a covered streambank. Inside the house everyone was amazed by the very large fern species, Angiopteris angustifolia.

After the tour of the plant collections we viewed the Rimba Ilmu Herbarium. In the herbarium, several staff contributed to collections development driven primarily by their individual research interests and specialties. The mounting tables and storage cabinets were very impressive and extensive!


In the afternoon, the group met with members of the Kuala Lumpur City Council. These members discussed the development of Kuala Lumpur and their strategies to beautfiy the urban landscape. Their efforts to improve Kuala Lumpur's landscape and develop a city in a garden of lights are extremely ambitious and extensive. Each member of the group enjoyed listening to the Council's presentation and comparing their progress to other urban centers. The location of our afternoon meeting was surrounded by several landscaped parks and gardens, and we took part of the afternoon to visit the National Orchid Garden and National Hibiscus Garden before returning to our hotel.

That evening, the group dined at a wonderful buffet dinner and cultural show in Kuala Lumpur. A dance performance influenced by regional Malaysian communities was presented at the end of the dinner, and a few members of our group even joined the show to learn some Malay dance steps!

The Fellows, their chaperones, and Mr. Sugumaran at Rimba Ilmu.

Barnabas, Dan, Jackie, Lorrie, Matt E., Matt Q., Yoko

January 15th: FRIM(Forest Research Institute of Malaysia

After the car ride we experienced last evening our group enjoyed a relaxing morning, sleeping in and gorging on yet another breakfast buffet. We were able to cross paths with Lorrie and Matt, who arrived safely in Kuala Lumpur, before heading out to FRIM (Forest Research Institute of Malaysia). Lorrie and Matt stayed at the hotel to recuperate after their flight, and were able to sneak in a quick afternoon tour of the city!

Upon arrival to FRIM we met with Anis Nadhirah who was our guide for the day. She took us to meet with Dr. Saw Leng Guan, the Director of the Tropical Forest Biodiversity Centre. During lunch we discussed generalities regarding FRIM, and were delighted to hear about the FLORA of Malaysia project that is in progress.

After lunch, Mr. Adnan Mohamad arranged a canopy tour for our group, which was led by Anis. Anis gave us great information about common plants and animals of the region along our route. The hike to the base of the canopy walk was amazing in itself, but nothing prepared us for the views from the top of the Malaysian Forest Canopy!

As we continued our afternoon we were met by Elango Velautham and Norsham Suhaina Yaahob. We visited FRIM’s amazing Dipterocarp Arboretum, which included some of Malaysia’s oldest and rarest trees. These trees are native to the regional forests and set seed sporadically every few years in result of only the perfect climatic conditions. They are very special trees and they were a treat to be able to learn about!

Next we visited Denai Razak. Denai Razak is a handicapped accessible garden that is the first of its kind in the region. It has just opened, and is already in use by many of the citizens of the surrounding community. It is a beautiful walk that is planted with native Malaysian plants. Palms, gingers, alocasia, and orchids to name a few, filled the under story of this garden. It is a testament to the hard work of the people that created this garden, that although only 2 years in the making, the walk is already full of lush and healthy native plants.

As our afternoon became evening, we quickly made our way to visit the incredible nursery of the Biodiversity Centre before heading back to the hotel. We were very happy to have met our new friends that worked for FRIM- Elango and Norsham are doing incredible work, and Anis was a delightful guide throughout the entire afternoon.

Barnabas, Bob, Dan, Jackie, Lorrie, Matt E., Matt Q., Yoko

Friends, Penang Botanic Garden, and KL

On Sunday, we had the opportunity to rest and recharge from our first leg of the trip. Time to relax by the pool or soak up the sun on the beach was enjoyed by all and many took advantage of the resident reflexologists to sooth our sore feet. That night we went out for one last dinner with Dr. Lyons as he was to return to Delaware the next afternoon. After dinner we explored the local markets on the street for any last minute souvenirs from Penang.

Monday, we spent the morning and early afternoon talking with the Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens Society. The Friends (FOPBGS) are a non-government organization started in 1995 with the aim of increasing public awareness of plants and the environment. They provide many educational programs throughout the year for school children, special interest groups, and anyone of the Penang community concerned with caring for the environment. With only one paid staff member, they were truly an inspiration to us. They shared stories of their struggles and successes in there short twelve year history and showed us around the Botanic Garden. We learned of the newly planned Bamboo Garden and other renovations scheduled for the next few years. We also saw some unique plants of the region. For many of us, it was the first time to see these plants. The Cannonball Tree, Couroupita guianensis, with its fruit and flower emerging directly from the lower trunk was particularly amazing. The garden had display houses like most botanic gardens, but unlike conservatories in North America full of glass and cooling equipment, these were merely cages to protect the plants from the monkeys and shade the tender plants from the intense sunlight. We took a short break at the garden shop and enjoyed a cool drink. Some even tried a tea made from the Cat Whisker plant (Orthosiphon stamineus). After the short break at the garden shop, our time in the garden to quickly came to an end. As we were going to the van, we were sent off by a small troop of monkeys by whom many of the locals know the garden as Monkey Park. It was a fitting end to a great morning. We could not have asked for a better host and guide to show us around the Penang Botanic Garden.

We left the gardens and headed for the airport to drop Dr. Lyons off for his flight home. We said our goodbyes and had lunch that had been arranged for us at the hotel. After lunch we learned that our exciting train ride had been switched to an "exciting" ride in a van to Kuala Lumpur (referred to as KL by the locals). We took it in stride and reminded ourselves that things happen and "Hey, we're in Southeast Asia!" No one was upset about that. Those who could sleep made the most of the five hour drive while those who were not able to grab a nap had a great view of the oil palm plantations that seemed to endlessly line the sides of the highway. After the five hour trip we were greeted by the Petronas Towers as we entered KL and were happy to find our Royal Bintang Hotel and its welcoming beds. The final picture of the slideshow was taken from one of our hotel rooms the first morning in KL. The life of a Longwood Fellow is a hard one at times...that morning was not one of those times. We all send our greetings and wish you could be with us on this amazing journey.



Barnabas, Bob, Dan, Jackie, Lorrie, Matt E., Matt Q., Yoko

Penang, Malaysia

View Larger Map

Upon our arrival in Penang, Malaysia, we settled into our hotel, the Bayview Beach Resort, and took an afternoon tour of the island. I’ve included a map to help you visualize our location during our stay in Penang. We stopped at the Tropical Spice Garden, a local Batik fabric enterprise, the Penang Butterfly Farm, and Penang Hill all in one afternoon! The last stop at Penang Hill was a perfect finish to the day. We rode a cable train up a steep slope to the 2,000 ft. summit for several breathtaking views as the sun set. You will find several photographs of these locations in another slideshow below.

Barnabas, Bob, Dan, Jackie, Matt Q., Yoko

Our Final Day in Singapore

Hello LGP IE Blog regulars! As I post, it is 11:37 p.m. on Sunday evening on the beautiful, picturesque island of Penang, Malaysia. We arrived safely yesterday morning after departing Singapore very early. I’ll talk about our first day in Malaysia a bit later. For now, I want to give you some of the details of our last day in Singapore.

On Friday we spent some more time with professionals at the Singapore National Parks Board Headquarters. In the morning Mr. Yeo Meng Tong briefed us on the development of Singapore’s waterways and canals, public transportation corridors, and other publics land into a park connector network. The park connector network will increase the accessibility of Singapore’s public parks for its 4.5 million citizens, and will enable pedestrians and bikers to utilize many additional kilometers along beautifully landscaped pathways. We were all very impressed by another project contributing to Singapore’s comprehensive greening initiative.

Soon after our first meeting we discussed Singapore’s Community in Bloom initiative with Mr. Simon Longman. The project aims to support the development of community gardening in Singapore, and the total number of community gardens has increased to 250 since the program’s inception in 2004. Mr. Longman and six supporting staff provide information for the gardeners and also advocate their presence throughout the community.

Following a delicious buffet lunch, we heard about Singapore’s Garden City Fund, a fundraising effort that supports capital development projects within the National Parks Board. Next Mr. Yong Fook Chyi delivered a synopsis of the Center for Urban Greenery and Ecology’s (CUGE) efforts to develop and support private landscaping firms in Singapore. Mr. Yong discussed contracting procedures that provide incentives for capital investment and employee education. He also outlined several training programs offered by CUGE for landscape technician professional development.

We also spoke with Mr. Bian Tan, Southeast Asia program coodinator of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). Mr. Tan explained BGCI’s role in connecting botanic gardens with plant conservation occurring around the world. His organization focuses on education, conservation, networking, and capacity building for their members and stakeholders.

The afternoon was capped with a tour of several Singapore community gardens given by Mr. Simon Longman. We visited a community that had planted the roadside area with masses of ornamental plants and another garden located within a heavily populated residential area. Everyone on the tour was equally impressed by the obvious gardening enthusiasm expressed by several groups of Singaporeans.
















Jackie Bergquist observes a Singapore community vegetable garden.





















Propagation bed at Singapore community vegetable garden.





















Fellows, Dr. Lyons, Yoko Arakawa, Simon Longman, and local Singaporeans in front of a community garden.


Barnabas, Bob, Dan, Jackie, Matt Q., Yoko

Sungei Buloh & HortPark

We have been very busy meeting with our new friends in Singapore from the National Parks Board. We were delighted yesterday to receive a in depth tour of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve by Ms. Sock Ling Ng, Assistant Director, and James Gan Wan Ming, Senior Conservation Officer. We were also joined by the Director of Conservation for the National Parks Board for an enlightening discussion.

Later, we had the opportunity to visit the Horticulture Park (HortPark for short) which is a newly created center that will serve as a resource for both the industry and gardening public. We were also briefed on the exciting new project that is the Gardens by the Bay.

View the slideshow on your right for some photos of the day's adventures.

We will blog next from Penang, but until then, here is an interesting link for one of the organizations hosting our trip in Singapore. Our visit has been highlighted on their website:
http://www.cuge.com.sg/

Barnabas, Bob, Dan, Jackie, Matt Q., Yoko

Director's Thoughts To Date

The National Orchid Garden

To say that our visit to Singapore has been surprisingly eye-opening would be an understatement. We all pushed ourselves through the jet lag following our marathon travel experience, jumping right into our meetings with Singapore officials who could not have been more gracious in greeting us. As we head into the final day of our visit, I count no fewer than a dozen business cards in my possession from newly made friends from Singapore National Parks (NParks), with more to come. Their openness, candor, and enthusiasm for their country’s “green” efforts were obvious, as evidenced by the many and varied programs to which we were introduced. The lush appearance of some of the most urban areas, the colorful roadway medians and mature trees, the concern for internal waterways and fragile natural areas, were obvious to us all, as well as to the more than 4 million in population. The general public and commercial landscape industry were important audiences for the government efforts, as we witnessed in the mission of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Hort Park, and CUGE (Center for Urban Greening and Ecology) efforts. The LGP IE is off to a great start! Bob….

Barnabas, Bob, Dan, Jackie, Matt Q., Yoko

Singapore Botanic Garden and National Parks Board

Picture at the Entrance

Hi everybody at home! Today was a great start to our botanical journey throughout Southeast Asia. We began the morning at CUGE(Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology) where we discussed the many aspects of horticulture in Singapore’s society with an overview by Dr. Teva Raj. We then ventured to the Singapore Botanic Garden (SBG) where we received a delightful tour from Dr. See Chung Chin, the Director of SBG.

At the Botanic Garden, Dr. See Chung Chin gave us a personalized tour of the grounds aboard a stretch golf cart. We spent an extended period in the Evolution Garden, a collection organized chronologically beginning with primitive plants and ending with flowering plants. Dr. Chin also took our group through an economic collection, entrance plaza, and the National Orchid Garden while speaking about their development and maintenance. After the tour, we dined at a local shopping center on authentic Thai cuisine. At the restaurant we were joined by Mr. Felix Loh, Director of Resource Management at the National Parks Board, Ms. Juliana Ho, and Mr. Yong Fook Chyi. The food was spicy, yet delicious, and we all enjoyed getting to know each professional and their role in making Singapore a true city in a garden.

Following lunch, we returned to SBG where we engaged in a discussion regarding the management and organization of the botanic gardens with its General Manager, Dr. Wei-Har Wong, and Director, Dr. Chin. During the networking tea following the discussion, business cards were exchanged and we were pleased to present a copy of Longwood’s plant exploration book to Drs. Wong and Chin as representatives of the Singapore Botanic Garden.

Group shot after tea

As our time with Dr. Chin and Dr. Wong came to a close, they showed us around the newly renovated Library of Botany and Horticulture. After seeing both the public and reference collections with scientific and trade journals from around the world, Dr. Chin took us to the rare book collection housing many fascinating books, some dating back to the 17^th century. Dr. Wong graciously presented us with 1001 Garden Plants in Singapore, a book published by the National Parks Board of Singapore. We said goodbye to our hosts for the day and look forward to learning more about the many great programs of Singapore.

Barnabas, Bob, Dan, Jackie, Matt Q., Yoko

现在我们在星加坡了 (We Have Arrived in Singapore)

After more than 20 hours in the air, we have now safely arrived in Singapore. Upon arrival, we took note of the gorgeous airport with live orchids, palms, and Heliconia galore. We have met our new friend David who will serve as our tour guide during our time in Singapore. At the moment, our first priority is recovering from our jetlag. Stay tuned for more updates shortly!

Until next time, enjoy the photos.















JFK Mafia















Singapore Airport (photo taken by Yoko)















兰花 (Orchid Display at the Singapore Airport)

Barnabas, Bob, Dan, Jackie, Matt Q., Yoko