Thoughts:
Many different ideas stream through the brain as the days go by. Also good advice is heard and should be recorded. I figure here is the best place since all those little pieces of paper seem to get misplaced.
A friend recommended that if we see something unique to take a picture of it then. The next time we see it, it may not seem very unique and almost appear normal. This is true especially as we start to travel the same roads and pass the oddities regularly.
I saw a shirt today that was interesting. Interesting because it was in English and that they were actual English words. Many of the clothing we see will have English sounding words but not make sense at all. The shirt said, 'An ounce of practice is worth a pound of theory." I should have taken a picture then, but am culturally aware enough to know that photographing a random woman's chest is not allowed.
We continue to be amazed at how poorly the local towels and sponges absorb water. I used to think it would be impossible to actually make a 100% cotton towel not absorb water. The sponges work if there is enough surface area to spread out the spilled water until it no longer exists, but Chinese sponges do not actually hold onto water. Our new analogy: Li is learning Chinese. Her parents are also learning and their brains are like a Chinese sponge.
Activities:
Returned to Baisha past weekend (10/14) and found those amazing frescos that we missed the first time. Visited a big temple that a local ruler built for his Mom. Do not know what he made for her on her next birthday. Timed the lunch and coffee while it poured rain. The streets were almost dry again for our bike ride home.
Earlier we posted a picture of Li next to the Chinese character for her name. Li's name has the same character as in our town, LiJiang, Beautiful river. Li means beautiful.
That is all.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Pandas, The Opera and a $2 Haircut
We and about 500,000 of our closest friends chose Chengdu, Sichuan Province as our travel destination during the Chinese National Week. We were allowed to take 7 days off because we made up Thursday and Friday's classes the previous Saturday and Sunday (the entire country does this) which completely messes up which class is getting which lesson but no one else really seems bothered by this. National week celebrates the day China became a republic and adds the American "Day after Thanksgiving" element of a huge shopping holiday (remember, China is working on its market economy). Fortunately we found ourselves a nice guest house tucked in an alley to escape the hoards of people at the end of each day.
One of the undoubted highlights of our trip was a visit to the Panda Preserve. It's hard to understand why watching 4 large bears lounge against a log and eat massive quantities of bamboo is so enthralling, but it truly is, even in a downpour. I realize I can see that kind of mess made at breakfast time right in my own apartment, but somehow it is not the same. The seven baby pandas in a crib were remarkably helpless and darn cute.
As indicated in the title, we also found our way to the Sichuan Opera which combines acrobatics, elegant costumes, vaudeville, and some astounding musical solos on the Chinese Erhu (2 string)-which should put the players of 4 and 6 stringed instruments to shame. Li liked the fact that they gave a 4 inch cushion to sit on so she could see!
We decided to travel to LeShan one day to see the famed Giant Buddha since we couldn't quite imagine what 71m of carved godlike creature might look like. It's not that we didn't remember it was a holiday week, but our brains couldn't grasp the enormity of the crowds. We had a quintessential Chinese experience of "standing" in line for hours. As we discovered, the Chinese are incapable of waiting for anything. So though we were in a narrow line with metal railings, you had to guard your position fiercely lest the people behind you elbow their way past you to get a few spaces ahead in a 3 hour line! It was both amusing and annoying. So we simply began to rest our hands on the railing on either side of us to prevent people from pushing past us-this made us unpopular, but gave a brief respite from the constant shoving and pushing from behind.
Most of the rest of our week we spent wandering the streets of Chengdu and stumbling on adventures like the Chengdu Amusement Park. We went there looking for a geocache, which was no doubt removed when the overgrown bamboo was cleared away, but enjoyed ourselves on vomit inducing spinning cars and a log ride. We spent a lot of time in the parks people watching and holding tight onto our backpacks. Our map wasn't exactly to scale so we also spent a lot of time bribing Li to keep walking "just a bit more" to find a bus stop or a destination. She averaged 4-5 miles a day of reluctant walking. One day we ended up in the center of the city when the fountains began their dance choreographed to music under the watchful eyes of the Mao statue. Though there were hundreds of kids, Li was the only one soaked by the end of it. Her fatigue dissipated as she twirled and sang and jumped among the water spray, until the walking resumed that is.
We ate Sichuan hot pot, giant fruit cake, burgers at our guest house, and admittedly, drank some Starbucks (same prices as the US!). One night the owner of the guest house took us and two Danish families out to dinner at a local restaurant (8 adults versus 9 children, you guess who won). We saw Buddhist and Taoist temples. We all acquired a few new clothes and purchased the first Harry Potter book to begin reading to Li. And of course we people watched.
Shana got a haircut the day were were departing. For $2 I got a 10 minute head and scalp massage, two kinds of shampoo and conditioner, 4 "stylists" talking about what to do with me, a 45 minute haircut of incredible detail and precision, lots of photos taken by the stylists and more attention than I have ever had in a beauty salon. I may end up bald by the time I come home just to keep getting the scalp massages! Steve meanwhile, unwilling to give up more hair, read Chinese beauty magazines and watched the soap opera and infomercials on TV. Li watched the stylists.
The pictures tell the rest of the stories.
No vacation for another three months-it just doesn't seem right!
One of the undoubted highlights of our trip was a visit to the Panda Preserve. It's hard to understand why watching 4 large bears lounge against a log and eat massive quantities of bamboo is so enthralling, but it truly is, even in a downpour. I realize I can see that kind of mess made at breakfast time right in my own apartment, but somehow it is not the same. The seven baby pandas in a crib were remarkably helpless and darn cute.
As indicated in the title, we also found our way to the Sichuan Opera which combines acrobatics, elegant costumes, vaudeville, and some astounding musical solos on the Chinese Erhu (2 string)-which should put the players of 4 and 6 stringed instruments to shame. Li liked the fact that they gave a 4 inch cushion to sit on so she could see!
We decided to travel to LeShan one day to see the famed Giant Buddha since we couldn't quite imagine what 71m of carved godlike creature might look like. It's not that we didn't remember it was a holiday week, but our brains couldn't grasp the enormity of the crowds. We had a quintessential Chinese experience of "standing" in line for hours. As we discovered, the Chinese are incapable of waiting for anything. So though we were in a narrow line with metal railings, you had to guard your position fiercely lest the people behind you elbow their way past you to get a few spaces ahead in a 3 hour line! It was both amusing and annoying. So we simply began to rest our hands on the railing on either side of us to prevent people from pushing past us-this made us unpopular, but gave a brief respite from the constant shoving and pushing from behind.
Most of the rest of our week we spent wandering the streets of Chengdu and stumbling on adventures like the Chengdu Amusement Park. We went there looking for a geocache, which was no doubt removed when the overgrown bamboo was cleared away, but enjoyed ourselves on vomit inducing spinning cars and a log ride. We spent a lot of time in the parks people watching and holding tight onto our backpacks. Our map wasn't exactly to scale so we also spent a lot of time bribing Li to keep walking "just a bit more" to find a bus stop or a destination. She averaged 4-5 miles a day of reluctant walking. One day we ended up in the center of the city when the fountains began their dance choreographed to music under the watchful eyes of the Mao statue. Though there were hundreds of kids, Li was the only one soaked by the end of it. Her fatigue dissipated as she twirled and sang and jumped among the water spray, until the walking resumed that is.
We ate Sichuan hot pot, giant fruit cake, burgers at our guest house, and admittedly, drank some Starbucks (same prices as the US!). One night the owner of the guest house took us and two Danish families out to dinner at a local restaurant (8 adults versus 9 children, you guess who won). We saw Buddhist and Taoist temples. We all acquired a few new clothes and purchased the first Harry Potter book to begin reading to Li. And of course we people watched.
Shana got a haircut the day were were departing. For $2 I got a 10 minute head and scalp massage, two kinds of shampoo and conditioner, 4 "stylists" talking about what to do with me, a 45 minute haircut of incredible detail and precision, lots of photos taken by the stylists and more attention than I have ever had in a beauty salon. I may end up bald by the time I come home just to keep getting the scalp massages! Steve meanwhile, unwilling to give up more hair, read Chinese beauty magazines and watched the soap opera and infomercials on TV. Li watched the stylists.
The pictures tell the rest of the stories.
No vacation for another three months-it just doesn't seem right!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival
Tuesday night all of China celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival. Traditionally this day, which occurs on August 15 of the lunar calendar, celebrates the harvest. It is also associated with a legend about the beautiful Change E who drank a potion to become immortal and she flew to the moon where she lives forever with her white rabbit. The reasons she drank the potion vary depending on the legend, but they all revolve around the fact that her husband Hou Yi was never home and she was tired of being alone. It doesn't seem like it really helped her much as there is not much entertainment on the moon. Mid-Autumn Day is similar in many ways to our Thanksgiving. Families travel from far distances to their homes to be together, eat a large meal and then spend the evening outside making wishes on the full moon and eating beautiful mooncakes and fruit. Our small apartment is overrun with both items at the moment. If I only had an oven or sugar and cinnamon I could do something with 10 pounds of apples. We find the moon cakes hit or miss-a bit like Bertie Bots Every Flavor Jelly Beans. Sometimes you bite into one and it is sweet bean paste with an egg, other times meat other times mint. I have to admit to being a bit gun shy!
We celebrated the Moon Festival by venturing into the other old town and having dinner. After dinner we joined the crowds (many of them our students) dancing around the bonfire in the main square. It was part primitive and part U2 concert.
Happy Mid-Autumn Day, and we thought of you all under the full moon.
We celebrated the Moon Festival by venturing into the other old town and having dinner. After dinner we joined the crowds (many of them our students) dancing around the bonfire in the main square. It was part primitive and part U2 concert.
Happy Mid-Autumn Day, and we thought of you all under the full moon.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Don't Be Fooled by the High Heels
When our liaison Barbara invited us on a hiking trip on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain we thought sure, what a great way to see the mountain and to get to know more of the Chinese teachers. How hard can it be? They wear stockings and high heels everyday and shade themselves from the sun with an umbrella. As we were soon to learn, Barbara is a hiking machine, even in a nice sweater with faux pearls on it!
Our party of seven took off from a small Naxi Village at about 8,800 feet. We were passed by a string of chain smoking Chinese tourists riding donkeys. Their guides, also smoking, seemed rather bored of the trek. There were a few resting places along the way where the horses and tourists could get a break from one another. We doggedly climbed our way through the forest until we were funneled past some small shacks where the locals demanded our 100 Yuan entry fee (each). Being local teachers helped cut the price a bit and Barbara's fluency in the local Yunnan dialect helped even more. After 5 minutes of heated exchange we paid 20 Yuan total-a far better deal than 700 Yuan.
From here we made our way up above treeline. Our next resting area was a small stone hut littered with garbage and used oxygen bottles. These small portable bottles are sold all over and are generally right next to the large surplus Army parkas that are rented to climb the mountain. At this point our party divided in its goals. Steve, Li on Steve's back, Barbara and I humped our way up some steep alpine terrain and called 13,198' (Just over 4,000m) our summit for the day. The mountain exceeds 18K. We were happy no one incurred grievous injury on the steep descent. Finally, after 9 hours of hiking, 9.2 miles and 3637' of gain, we have learned that looks can be deceiving. Never underestimate a woman in heels.
We also learned that the best thing to have for dinner after such a day is a recently slaughtered chicken in a pot of bubbling broth-also known as a traditional hot pot dinner. If you could get over the "parts" floating in the broth, it was wonderfully delicious. Barbara and our companion Judy both complained that they do not like to buy chicken at the market because they cut the feet off and they love the feet. They also both agreed that the stomach was by far the best part. We were generous enough to let them have those delicacies and the heart and the liver and...
Today, we rested.
Our party of seven took off from a small Naxi Village at about 8,800 feet. We were passed by a string of chain smoking Chinese tourists riding donkeys. Their guides, also smoking, seemed rather bored of the trek. There were a few resting places along the way where the horses and tourists could get a break from one another. We doggedly climbed our way through the forest until we were funneled past some small shacks where the locals demanded our 100 Yuan entry fee (each). Being local teachers helped cut the price a bit and Barbara's fluency in the local Yunnan dialect helped even more. After 5 minutes of heated exchange we paid 20 Yuan total-a far better deal than 700 Yuan.
From here we made our way up above treeline. Our next resting area was a small stone hut littered with garbage and used oxygen bottles. These small portable bottles are sold all over and are generally right next to the large surplus Army parkas that are rented to climb the mountain. At this point our party divided in its goals. Steve, Li on Steve's back, Barbara and I humped our way up some steep alpine terrain and called 13,198' (Just over 4,000m) our summit for the day. The mountain exceeds 18K. We were happy no one incurred grievous injury on the steep descent. Finally, after 9 hours of hiking, 9.2 miles and 3637' of gain, we have learned that looks can be deceiving. Never underestimate a woman in heels.
We also learned that the best thing to have for dinner after such a day is a recently slaughtered chicken in a pot of bubbling broth-also known as a traditional hot pot dinner. If you could get over the "parts" floating in the broth, it was wonderfully delicious. Barbara and our companion Judy both complained that they do not like to buy chicken at the market because they cut the feet off and they love the feet. They also both agreed that the stomach was by far the best part. We were generous enough to let them have those delicacies and the heart and the liver and...
Today, we rested.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Jade Belt Walk
We decided to test our language skills by purchasing bus tickets and heading south for the weekend. Luckily Steve managed to buy tickets for the right bus on the right day to get us to Dali on Friday afternoon. The bus ride was in and of itself an experience. Our driver must have been paid more to arrive early because he spent the three hour drive passing every car, bus or object on the road with great vigor and liberal use of the horn. Most of the time you couldn't tell if there was oncoming traffic in the other lane because of the sharp corners on the mountain roads-I suspect he figured we had the mass to win whatever collision we sustained. Li vomited twice.
We arrived in Dali in a downpour and the moment we walked away from the bus we were hounded by people trying to get us into their taxi or wanting us to stay at their guesthouse. This is ubiquitous in Dali. As foreigners we were magnets for people trying to sell us things. It was fairly unpleasant and made us reluctant to spend much time wandering the streets. After a 30 minute walk in the rain through town we found our quaint guesthouse and had a nice quiet meal and a well deserved rest.
Dali is nestled at the foot of the Cangshan mountains-a spectacular series of sharp peaks and steep valleys full of waterfalls. We were able to take a chairlift (Made in the USA) from town up to the Zhonge Temple on the mountain. From here we walked 10K along a path known as the Jade Belt Walk. I still cannot fathom how this path was constructed. The terrain is ridiculously steep and muddy. This walk took us in and out of the valleys. It was a misty day so the clouds played up and down the slopes and occasionally we would get a peek of Dali below us. At the halfway point we found a group of Chinese tourists at the Seven Maiden Dragon Pool. This is a series of seven clear pools set in the bedrock. The granite slopes are steep and wet, so steps have been chiseled into the rock to provide purchase. Nevertheless we saw a woman in three inch spike heels trying to jump across a small waterfall. She missed and was only kept from sliding down the falls by three people who caught her. We decided we should leave before more interesting things happened.
The hike ends at Qingbi stream which forms the "Grand Canyon" of the Cangshan mountains. Li walked all but the last mile! From here we took the Gondola (made in Austria) to the base of the mountain. After being pursued by a van driver for 10 minutes we walked down to another Temple 45 minutes away. This Temple is built around a large stone. Legend has it when Dali was being invaded the Goddess of Mercy turned herself into and old woman and appeared before the invading army carrying this large stone. The army panicked and retreated thinking that if the old women were this strong, the men must be ferocious. Needless to say we all slept well after a long day of hiking and exploring.
On Sunday we braved the markets and the hawkers buying some small pieces of local Dali marble. More interesting are the thick city walls which surround the old town and the gates that guard the entrance. The most prominent local ethnic minority group are the Bai people. Li was very excited to buy some traditional clothing as a souvenir and didn't seem to care as much as I did that it was white!
Our bus driver on the way home was clearly in league with our first bus driver, but Li only vomited once. Steve did have to help the woman sitting next to him who was very green and sweaty and was trying hard to avoid using the "motion sickness" bag he offered her.
We called the weekend a success.
We arrived in Dali in a downpour and the moment we walked away from the bus we were hounded by people trying to get us into their taxi or wanting us to stay at their guesthouse. This is ubiquitous in Dali. As foreigners we were magnets for people trying to sell us things. It was fairly unpleasant and made us reluctant to spend much time wandering the streets. After a 30 minute walk in the rain through town we found our quaint guesthouse and had a nice quiet meal and a well deserved rest.
Dali is nestled at the foot of the Cangshan mountains-a spectacular series of sharp peaks and steep valleys full of waterfalls. We were able to take a chairlift (Made in the USA) from town up to the Zhonge Temple on the mountain. From here we walked 10K along a path known as the Jade Belt Walk. I still cannot fathom how this path was constructed. The terrain is ridiculously steep and muddy. This walk took us in and out of the valleys. It was a misty day so the clouds played up and down the slopes and occasionally we would get a peek of Dali below us. At the halfway point we found a group of Chinese tourists at the Seven Maiden Dragon Pool. This is a series of seven clear pools set in the bedrock. The granite slopes are steep and wet, so steps have been chiseled into the rock to provide purchase. Nevertheless we saw a woman in three inch spike heels trying to jump across a small waterfall. She missed and was only kept from sliding down the falls by three people who caught her. We decided we should leave before more interesting things happened.
The hike ends at Qingbi stream which forms the "Grand Canyon" of the Cangshan mountains. Li walked all but the last mile! From here we took the Gondola (made in Austria) to the base of the mountain. After being pursued by a van driver for 10 minutes we walked down to another Temple 45 minutes away. This Temple is built around a large stone. Legend has it when Dali was being invaded the Goddess of Mercy turned herself into and old woman and appeared before the invading army carrying this large stone. The army panicked and retreated thinking that if the old women were this strong, the men must be ferocious. Needless to say we all slept well after a long day of hiking and exploring.
On Sunday we braved the markets and the hawkers buying some small pieces of local Dali marble. More interesting are the thick city walls which surround the old town and the gates that guard the entrance. The most prominent local ethnic minority group are the Bai people. Li was very excited to buy some traditional clothing as a souvenir and didn't seem to care as much as I did that it was white!
Our bus driver on the way home was clearly in league with our first bus driver, but Li only vomited once. Steve did have to help the woman sitting next to him who was very green and sweaty and was trying hard to avoid using the "motion sickness" bag he offered her.
We called the weekend a success.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Your Daughter is Beautiful, Only 100 Yuan for the Bracelet Please
The theme of our last two adventures is the incessant aggressiveness of the local vendors trying to sell us everything from jade jewelry (which Li loves and wants) to pomegranates (which Li also loves and wants). Lijiang has become such a tourist attraction that a large part of the local economy is built upon the tourism trade, specifically the souvenier side of things. Though we are being increasingly recognized around our local shops as here for the duration, when we go into town we look just like all the other foreign tourists who couldn't possible live without scarves and bracelets. (That's not to say we won't end up with scarves and bracelets of course!) Li's insightful comment was, "I think that man wants you to buy everything on the table."
We spent many hours last Friday wandering the streets and alleys of the Old Town. Lijiang is divided into two distinct halves, the Old Town cobblestone lined streets made with traditional mud brick construction (that survived the 1996 earthquake remarkably well) and the new town which is a rapidly expanding sprawl of concrete buildings. The Old Town is full of delightful restaurants, guest houses and small shops. It is easy to wander for hours. Li is an immediate attraction to many people and we are becoming more adept at explaining that she is our daughter, she is 5 and she was born in Guilin, Guangxi. Li is usually very shy during these interchanges. One of the women merchants tried to coax her 6 year old son out of the back of her shop to say hello to Li and he insisted on hiding under a blanket and peering out occasionally. I guess we are not the only parents forcing our children to do things they don't like!
On the weekend we pedaled our bikes 5K to BaiSha, a small traditional Naxi village. Somehow we missed all the touted sites, like the BaiSha Frescoes, and instead found ourselves pushing our bikes along muddy tracks in search of an elusive temple. At one point we were "redirected" by two stern looking Naxi women, we were clearly on a path towards someone's home! We finally called a halt to our search when faced with miles of uphill switchbacks on our one speed bikes. We retreated back to the village and bounced our way along cobblestones through multiple small villages until returning back to our apartment. Having missed the main sights and having been unable to find the old landing field used by the Flying Tigers (my grandfather was a supply office with the Flying Tigers) we have decided BaiSha merits a return trip.
We spent many hours last Friday wandering the streets and alleys of the Old Town. Lijiang is divided into two distinct halves, the Old Town cobblestone lined streets made with traditional mud brick construction (that survived the 1996 earthquake remarkably well) and the new town which is a rapidly expanding sprawl of concrete buildings. The Old Town is full of delightful restaurants, guest houses and small shops. It is easy to wander for hours. Li is an immediate attraction to many people and we are becoming more adept at explaining that she is our daughter, she is 5 and she was born in Guilin, Guangxi. Li is usually very shy during these interchanges. One of the women merchants tried to coax her 6 year old son out of the back of her shop to say hello to Li and he insisted on hiding under a blanket and peering out occasionally. I guess we are not the only parents forcing our children to do things they don't like!
On the weekend we pedaled our bikes 5K to BaiSha, a small traditional Naxi village. Somehow we missed all the touted sites, like the BaiSha Frescoes, and instead found ourselves pushing our bikes along muddy tracks in search of an elusive temple. At one point we were "redirected" by two stern looking Naxi women, we were clearly on a path towards someone's home! We finally called a halt to our search when faced with miles of uphill switchbacks on our one speed bikes. We retreated back to the village and bounced our way along cobblestones through multiple small villages until returning back to our apartment. Having missed the main sights and having been unable to find the old landing field used by the Flying Tigers (my grandfather was a supply office with the Flying Tigers) we have decided BaiSha merits a return trip.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
The Scent of China
I think my enduring memories will ultimately be the rich and varied aromas of China. Some come from the restaurants, some from the streets, some from the people, but the most interesting ones come from the grocery store. I had to resist the temptation to buy garlic scented dish soap and hand lotion fragranced with the smell of sheep placenta. Yes, I sniffed it, and it didn't smell too bad.
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