Okay, I made it safely back to my city from New Zealand.
It was INCREDIBLE. I'm not sure I can even properly convey in words how awesome it was!
I will post pictures and describe the trip one day at a time here (maybe also on Xanga; still deciding).
"Aotearoa" is the Maori name for New Zealand. Maoris are the indigenous people; they're a little like Hawaiians in a way. Both come from the same original Polynesian people group, I'm pretty sure. Anyway, it means "Land of the long white cloud" because that's what NZ looked like to them when they first arrived there.
The one thing that I can say in this little post right now is this: I absolutely fell in love with the place. It's funny...New Zealand was never at the top of my list of places to go. I pretty much want to go just about everywhere, so when the opportunity arose I thought it would be a great thing to check off the list. I was unprepared for how awesome it was going to be. I think part of my regard comes from the fact that I've been in China, so I was able to appreciate some of the less significant differences between the countries (for example, being able to drink unboiled tap water, no spitting on the street, no kids peeing in random places, flushing toilet paper instead of throwing it in the trash, speaking the language...). In and of itself, though, New Zealand is a gorgeous country with a rich history. I don't really know what exactly did it or when or how it happened, but I would definitely say that I seriously fell in love with the country. I want to go back. I fervently want to go back. I used to have a similar feeling about Germany, wanting to go there and wanting to go back so badly. Somehow this seems even more heightened and intense this time.
I know that they are constantly looking for teachers, so there might be a real possibility of going back for an extended period of time. :)
Okay I'm going to stop going on about it for now. I found my little piece of paradise, and I'll tell you all about it little by little as I get the pictures. I'm still going home in the summer, so no worries, I'll see you all! :)
Love to all of you! Thanks for still reading!
(oh, and seriously - if you want to know why I've started protecting my sites more, e-mail me and I'll tell you) :)
10 February 2007
18 January 2007
Bet you thought this was what China is like....
Just to whet your appetites a little more, here are some more random photos....
After Allen went home, I went up north to visit a friend of mine and a pretty famous tourist attraction. I have to admit, despite the cold, it was definitely worth it! This is the Harbin Ice Festival....
And just to let you know how cold it was, I was wearing 5 pairs of socks and my feet were still cold. I had to resort to those little "foot warmer" things. Hey, they work! :-)
Also it was so cold that after a while the batteries in my camera couldn't keep it on long enough to record the pictures I was taking.
For those of you who might actually still be reading this blog, I apologize for not having written anything in such a long time. :)
(Christine and Amanda, I hope this includes you! Xanga hasn't been working recently, and for some reason Blogger is. I can't figure out this country!) :)
Recent fun things:
My brother Allen came to visit for Christmas....
19 June 2006
Return to Neverland
This is a twofold purpose post.
A few weeks ago I went back to the States for about a week to play the piano at my friends' wedding. It was so great being able to see them (and other friends) again and just be in a place where I felt like I could let down my guard a bit. No one stared at me. I was in a familiar setting. I could speak English to anyone, with relative certainty that I would be understood.
I love flying. I love taking off and landing, and I love being able to see the ground from the air. A few fun flying things that I enjoyed on this trip were: MOUNTAINS. I flew from Beijing to L.A. and as we were flying down the CA coast, we could see the Rockies over to the East. Wow!!! It was really amazing. As we were approaching L.A. (from Beijing, and from Pittsburgh on the way back) I got to see how the city was laid out around, in, on top of, and anywhere else related to the mountains. I never knew.... Probably the coolest thing for me involving mountains, though, was the flight back to Beijing. We arrived in Beijing at 4:30 a.m. (Yes: very, very a.m.). The great thing was that as we were approaching the city from the north, we were flying over the mountains. Just imagine: the light of early morning, no sunlight yet, but that light blue-grey, and mountains shrouded in early morning mist. This is the stuff of paintings. Now you could really see the inspiration for Chinese artwork. What could I say? I wanted to sing, but couldn't think of a song that adequately fit my mood. So I just sat, speechless, contemplating the wonder of God's creation.
Before I left I met a friend of mine in Beijing. We were talking about how interesting it is going back and forth between the countries, like Peter Pan going to Never-never-land. You don't feel entirely at home in the States - too much has happened to you, you've experienced too much and been too influenced by another country to not be affected in some way. At the same time, you grew up in the States. It's your home and what you've been used to most of your life. You don't feel entirely at home in the other country either. Too much is different. Too much just doesn't quite fit with what you're used to. You're the foreigner, the outsider, and no matter what, you will never fit in entirely. At the same time, this has been your home for the past amount of time. No one except the people with you will really be able to understand fully what you've experienced here.
I think this whole experience, going back and forth between places, just reinforces in me the feeling that "this world is not my home". I have a better thing coming, but I still have to wait a while for it. It's not a bad feeling. Just kind of matter-of-fact or something. I think really I've always felt this way. I went to three different high schools. We only moved twice in my life, when I was a child and then between my sophomore and junior years of high school, but somehow those moves also have created in me this feeling of longing for my true country.
One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes, which I think really applies to how I feel is this:
"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world."
That's not to say that I don't love the world I live in or the people in it by any means....
All that is to say that, very soon, I will again be returning to Neverland. My brother Ronnie will be getting married in just under two weeks, and I will be going home to celebrate and take part in it. So again, I get to be reminded that I was made for another world, and to not give up longing for my true country.
To all my friends and family back home: I Love you all and I look forward to seeing you again very soon!
A few weeks ago I went back to the States for about a week to play the piano at my friends' wedding. It was so great being able to see them (and other friends) again and just be in a place where I felt like I could let down my guard a bit. No one stared at me. I was in a familiar setting. I could speak English to anyone, with relative certainty that I would be understood.
I love flying. I love taking off and landing, and I love being able to see the ground from the air. A few fun flying things that I enjoyed on this trip were: MOUNTAINS. I flew from Beijing to L.A. and as we were flying down the CA coast, we could see the Rockies over to the East. Wow!!! It was really amazing. As we were approaching L.A. (from Beijing, and from Pittsburgh on the way back) I got to see how the city was laid out around, in, on top of, and anywhere else related to the mountains. I never knew.... Probably the coolest thing for me involving mountains, though, was the flight back to Beijing. We arrived in Beijing at 4:30 a.m. (Yes: very, very a.m.). The great thing was that as we were approaching the city from the north, we were flying over the mountains. Just imagine: the light of early morning, no sunlight yet, but that light blue-grey, and mountains shrouded in early morning mist. This is the stuff of paintings. Now you could really see the inspiration for Chinese artwork. What could I say? I wanted to sing, but couldn't think of a song that adequately fit my mood. So I just sat, speechless, contemplating the wonder of God's creation.
Before I left I met a friend of mine in Beijing. We were talking about how interesting it is going back and forth between the countries, like Peter Pan going to Never-never-land. You don't feel entirely at home in the States - too much has happened to you, you've experienced too much and been too influenced by another country to not be affected in some way. At the same time, you grew up in the States. It's your home and what you've been used to most of your life. You don't feel entirely at home in the other country either. Too much is different. Too much just doesn't quite fit with what you're used to. You're the foreigner, the outsider, and no matter what, you will never fit in entirely. At the same time, this has been your home for the past amount of time. No one except the people with you will really be able to understand fully what you've experienced here.
I think this whole experience, going back and forth between places, just reinforces in me the feeling that "this world is not my home". I have a better thing coming, but I still have to wait a while for it. It's not a bad feeling. Just kind of matter-of-fact or something. I think really I've always felt this way. I went to three different high schools. We only moved twice in my life, when I was a child and then between my sophomore and junior years of high school, but somehow those moves also have created in me this feeling of longing for my true country.
One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes, which I think really applies to how I feel is this:
"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world."
That's not to say that I don't love the world I live in or the people in it by any means....
All that is to say that, very soon, I will again be returning to Neverland. My brother Ronnie will be getting married in just under two weeks, and I will be going home to celebrate and take part in it. So again, I get to be reminded that I was made for another world, and to not give up longing for my true country.
To all my friends and family back home: I Love you all and I look forward to seeing you again very soon!
09 April 2006
Lost and Found
I'm often not very good at expressing myself, so I like to let others do it for me.
Here is one of my favorite authors (C.S. Lewis) saying some things that were recently on my mind for reasons I will explain at the end of this blog....
Men are reluctant to pass over from the notion of an abstract and negative deity to the living God. I do not wonder. Here lies the deepest tap-root of Pantheism and of the objection to traditional imagery. It was hated not, at bottom, because it pictured Him as man but because it pictured Him as king, or even as warrior. The Pantheist's God does nothing, demands nothing. He is there if you wish for Him, like a book on a shelf. He will not pursue you. There is no danger that at any time heaven and earth should flee away at His glance. If He were the truth, then we could really say that all the Christian images of kingship were a historical accident of which our religion ought to be cleansed. It is with a shock that we discover them to be indispensable. You have had a shock like that before, in connection with smaller matters - when the line pulls at your hand, when something breathes beside you in the darkness. So here; the shock comes at the precise moment when the thrill of life is communicated to us along the clue we have been following. It is always shocking to meet life where we thought we were alone. 'Look out!' we cry, 'it's alive'. And therefore this is the very point at which so many draw back - I would have done so myself if I could - and proceed no further with Christianity. An 'impersonal God' - well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth and goodness, inside our own heads - better still. A formless life-force surging through us, a vast power which we can tap - best of all. But God Himself, alive, pulling at the other end of the cord, perhaps approaching at an infinite speed, the hunter, king, husband - that is quite another matter. There comes a moment when the children who have been playing at burglars hush suddenly: was that a real footstep in the hall? There comes a moment when people who have been dabbling in religion ('Man's search for God!') suddenly draw back. Supposing we really found Him? We never meant it to come to that! Worse still, supposing He had found us?
So it is a sort of Rubicon. One goes across; or not. But if one does, there is no manner of security against miracles. One may be in for anything.
So a few days ago I lost my ring. I was SOOOOOOO upset when it happened. This ring is very special to me. I've had it for years, my parents gave it to me....I just really like this ring. I'm always deathly afraid of losing it, so I try to keep it extra safe. Part of my way of "keeping it safe" means that I usually take off my rings before I go to the bathroom. I have this irrational fear that they're going to fall off of my fingers into the toilet. Now if any of you have been to China before, you know that anything that goes into a squatty is never coming back. So I took off my rings in my office and put them on my desk. I had to meet someone so when I came back I put them into the pocket of my sweater (my hands were still wet) and took off. As I was walking along to meet my friends, I took my rings out to put them back on. Slight problem: I only had two of my rings (I usually wear 3). So I spent a few minutes looking for it, backtracked a few times, and was getting more and more upset by the minute (we're talking a big area to cover here between my office and the place I was meeting my friends). After I met my friends, we all spent a considerable amount of time scouring the ground for a sign of my ring. I checked my pockets, I checked my purse, my friend checked my pockets. No ring. We asked some other students to let us know if they saw anything. We decided to put up a notice in case anyone saw anything, but I was quickly losing hope of ever getting my ring back. All this time I keep thinking, "this is such a small thing. I hate wasting my friends' time like this," while at the same time praying, "LORD, this is such a small thing, but You know how important it is to me. Please, please let me get my ring back!"
Well, eventually we had to go our separate ways (home), and it was starting to get dark which meant less chance of seeing a small, shiny, silver ring on the ground. I visited with some of my neighbors (foreigners) for a while, and told them about my disappointing day, how I was sure I would never see my ring again, before going back home to hit the hay. Now, understand that this whole time we have been moving around....when I got home, I kind of threw my stuff on my bed as I usually do, and I started getting ready to go to sleep. So guess what happened next....God always surprises me. I should just expect surprises by now, but then I guess they wouldn't be surprises. Well, I dropped my cell phone and empty pack of kleenex on my bed, and just a few inches away was, yes, my ring. The one I lost at school. Don't ask me how it got on my bed; I have no idea. Truthfully, I don't even care how it got on my bed. The point is, I prayed that God would help me find it, and He did. It was such a small thing, but God still cared enough to help me out when I asked Him. Wow. I just have to brag on Him for that. And that also calls to my mind something else that C.S. Lewis said....
All prayers are heard, though not all prayers are granted. We must not picture destiny as a film unrolling for the most part on its own, but in which our prayers are sometimes allowed to insert additional items. On the contrary; what the film displays to us as it unrolls already contains the results of our prayers and of all our other acts. There is no question whether an event has happened because of your prayer. When the event you prayed for occurs your prayer has always contributed to it. When the opposite event occurs your prayer has never been ignored; it has been considered and refused, for your ultimate good and the good of the whole universe. (For example, because it is better for you and for everyone else in the long run that other people, including wicked ones, should exercise free will than that you should be protected from cruelty or treachery by turning the human race into automata.) But this is, and must remain, a matter of faith. You will, I think, only deceive yourself by trying to find special evidence for it in some cases more than in others.
P.S. I am working on possibly posting a few scattered pictures here and there on this site. I hope it will work, but as I can't see the results of what it looks like actually posted, I will just have to rely on you to tell me if it looks awful. And, incidentally, I also cannot read anything anyone else posts on here. That's what I get for living in a country that screens e-mails and blocks certain websites....(as a side note, the next few blogs may be slightly out of order)
Here is one of my favorite authors (C.S. Lewis) saying some things that were recently on my mind for reasons I will explain at the end of this blog....
Men are reluctant to pass over from the notion of an abstract and negative deity to the living God. I do not wonder. Here lies the deepest tap-root of Pantheism and of the objection to traditional imagery. It was hated not, at bottom, because it pictured Him as man but because it pictured Him as king, or even as warrior. The Pantheist's God does nothing, demands nothing. He is there if you wish for Him, like a book on a shelf. He will not pursue you. There is no danger that at any time heaven and earth should flee away at His glance. If He were the truth, then we could really say that all the Christian images of kingship were a historical accident of which our religion ought to be cleansed. It is with a shock that we discover them to be indispensable. You have had a shock like that before, in connection with smaller matters - when the line pulls at your hand, when something breathes beside you in the darkness. So here; the shock comes at the precise moment when the thrill of life is communicated to us along the clue we have been following. It is always shocking to meet life where we thought we were alone. 'Look out!' we cry, 'it's alive'. And therefore this is the very point at which so many draw back - I would have done so myself if I could - and proceed no further with Christianity. An 'impersonal God' - well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth and goodness, inside our own heads - better still. A formless life-force surging through us, a vast power which we can tap - best of all. But God Himself, alive, pulling at the other end of the cord, perhaps approaching at an infinite speed, the hunter, king, husband - that is quite another matter. There comes a moment when the children who have been playing at burglars hush suddenly: was that a real footstep in the hall? There comes a moment when people who have been dabbling in religion ('Man's search for God!') suddenly draw back. Supposing we really found Him? We never meant it to come to that! Worse still, supposing He had found us?
So it is a sort of Rubicon. One goes across; or not. But if one does, there is no manner of security against miracles. One may be in for anything.
So a few days ago I lost my ring. I was SOOOOOOO upset when it happened. This ring is very special to me. I've had it for years, my parents gave it to me....I just really like this ring. I'm always deathly afraid of losing it, so I try to keep it extra safe. Part of my way of "keeping it safe" means that I usually take off my rings before I go to the bathroom. I have this irrational fear that they're going to fall off of my fingers into the toilet. Now if any of you have been to China before, you know that anything that goes into a squatty is never coming back. So I took off my rings in my office and put them on my desk. I had to meet someone so when I came back I put them into the pocket of my sweater (my hands were still wet) and took off. As I was walking along to meet my friends, I took my rings out to put them back on. Slight problem: I only had two of my rings (I usually wear 3). So I spent a few minutes looking for it, backtracked a few times, and was getting more and more upset by the minute (we're talking a big area to cover here between my office and the place I was meeting my friends). After I met my friends, we all spent a considerable amount of time scouring the ground for a sign of my ring. I checked my pockets, I checked my purse, my friend checked my pockets. No ring. We asked some other students to let us know if they saw anything. We decided to put up a notice in case anyone saw anything, but I was quickly losing hope of ever getting my ring back. All this time I keep thinking, "this is such a small thing. I hate wasting my friends' time like this," while at the same time praying, "LORD, this is such a small thing, but You know how important it is to me. Please, please let me get my ring back!"
Well, eventually we had to go our separate ways (home), and it was starting to get dark which meant less chance of seeing a small, shiny, silver ring on the ground. I visited with some of my neighbors (foreigners) for a while, and told them about my disappointing day, how I was sure I would never see my ring again, before going back home to hit the hay. Now, understand that this whole time we have been moving around....when I got home, I kind of threw my stuff on my bed as I usually do, and I started getting ready to go to sleep. So guess what happened next....God always surprises me. I should just expect surprises by now, but then I guess they wouldn't be surprises. Well, I dropped my cell phone and empty pack of kleenex on my bed, and just a few inches away was, yes, my ring. The one I lost at school. Don't ask me how it got on my bed; I have no idea. Truthfully, I don't even care how it got on my bed. The point is, I prayed that God would help me find it, and He did. It was such a small thing, but God still cared enough to help me out when I asked Him. Wow. I just have to brag on Him for that. And that also calls to my mind something else that C.S. Lewis said....
All prayers are heard, though not all prayers are granted. We must not picture destiny as a film unrolling for the most part on its own, but in which our prayers are sometimes allowed to insert additional items. On the contrary; what the film displays to us as it unrolls already contains the results of our prayers and of all our other acts. There is no question whether an event has happened because of your prayer. When the event you prayed for occurs your prayer has always contributed to it. When the opposite event occurs your prayer has never been ignored; it has been considered and refused, for your ultimate good and the good of the whole universe. (For example, because it is better for you and for everyone else in the long run that other people, including wicked ones, should exercise free will than that you should be protected from cruelty or treachery by turning the human race into automata.) But this is, and must remain, a matter of faith. You will, I think, only deceive yourself by trying to find special evidence for it in some cases more than in others.
P.S. I am working on possibly posting a few scattered pictures here and there on this site. I hope it will work, but as I can't see the results of what it looks like actually posted, I will just have to rely on you to tell me if it looks awful. And, incidentally, I also cannot read anything anyone else posts on here. That's what I get for living in a country that screens e-mails and blocks certain websites....(as a side note, the next few blogs may be slightly out of order)
06 April 2006
Psalm 121
And if these mountains had eyes, they would wake to find two strangers in their fences, standing in admiration as a breathing red pours its tinge upon earth's shore. These mountains, which have seen untold sunrises, long to thunder praise but stand reverent, silent so that man's weak praise should be given God's attention.
It is a wonder that those exposed to such beauty forfeit the great questions in the face of this miraculous evidence. I think again about this small period of grace, and thank God for it, that if only for a season, I could feel the why of life, see it in the metaphor of light, in the endlessness of the cosmos, in the miracle of friendship. And had these mountains the ability to reason, perhaps they would contemplate the beauty of humanity, and praise God for the miracle that each of us is, pondering the majesty of God and the wonder of man in one bewildering context.
Their brows are rumpled even now, and their arms are stretched toward heaven.
--Excerpt from Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller
Mark 10:15
For such is the Kingdom....Sometimes while I'm driving
Trying to find my song
Looking for the answers
And where I do belong
Finally the children are
Bringin' me back home....
Oooh Oooh Oooooh
Is there anybody out there? Does anybody care? Are the people really there?
Oooh Oooh Oooooh
Is there anybody seeking? Does anybody see? Or are they deaf and dumb like me?
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."
-- Matthew 18:1-6
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
-- Matthew 19:14
We met this beautiful little girl on our trip to the Mandian Waterfall in Yunnan. That's her house she's standing in. Yes, she lives there. And she's one of the happiest, friendliest, most beautiful little girls I've met in a long time. Oh, for the heart of a child.....
I feel so alive
Every day is a new day
I'm thankful for every breat I take
I won't take it for granted
So I learn from my mistakes
It's beyond my control, sometimes it's best to let go
Whatever happens in this lifetime
So I trust in love
You have given me peace of mind
I feel so alive for the very first time
I can't deny You
I feel so alive
I feel so alive for the very first time
And I think I can fly
Sunshine upon my face
A new song for me to sing
Tell the world how I feel inside
Even though it might cost me everything
Now that I know this, so beyond, I can't hold this
I can never turn my back away
Now that I've seen You
I can never look away
- P.O.D.
P.S. -- actually posted 4/16/06 ~ Easter Sunday morning
22 March 2006
“What is that word when a bunch of guys are after you?” "Prostitute..." "I was thinking more along the lines of 'Debutante'." --Sabrina
One of my friends made a comment a while ago that I thought was interesting.
You know, here it is so hard to know if people are interested in you because they really want to know you or just because you're white and they think they can get something from you. They don't necessarily want to build a relationship. Of course, this whole society is kind of built on the maxim, "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." Everything seems to come with a price. Someone takes you out to dinner, you can bet (and win) they're going to ask you to teach English to their two-year old, or they'll ask on behalf of their uncle's best friend's cousin whether you would like to teach English at their school in another city on Saturdays and Sundays. It seems like most people just look at your white face and see dollar signs or something else they can get out of you, rather than seeing another person.
My friend Andy commented something to the effect of: "I wonder if that's ever how God feels with us?" You know, it is so easy for us to just turn to God when we need something, like He's just a Mr. Fix-it or a Genie we can call up at will, rather than the living, breathing, personal Creator of the universe who loves us in spite of our indifference. Here I get annoyed with people who constantly want to talk to me, because I feel like I'm a scratching post or something -- there out of convenience, and there for anyone to come and practice on. I forget - all too often - that I often do the same thing with God. I don't always just want to talk to Him purely for the pleasure of hearing His voice. I don't always want to just stand in awe of Him and in reverence to Him. I treat Him like I can put Him into a box and take Him out whenever I need something. And I'm sure that causes Him pain and frustration, just like I get frustrated when people do that to me (except He has more reason to feel that way).
That's just something I've been convicted of a lot recently....
You know, here it is so hard to know if people are interested in you because they really want to know you or just because you're white and they think they can get something from you. They don't necessarily want to build a relationship. Of course, this whole society is kind of built on the maxim, "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." Everything seems to come with a price. Someone takes you out to dinner, you can bet (and win) they're going to ask you to teach English to their two-year old, or they'll ask on behalf of their uncle's best friend's cousin whether you would like to teach English at their school in another city on Saturdays and Sundays. It seems like most people just look at your white face and see dollar signs or something else they can get out of you, rather than seeing another person.
My friend Andy commented something to the effect of: "I wonder if that's ever how God feels with us?" You know, it is so easy for us to just turn to God when we need something, like He's just a Mr. Fix-it or a Genie we can call up at will, rather than the living, breathing, personal Creator of the universe who loves us in spite of our indifference. Here I get annoyed with people who constantly want to talk to me, because I feel like I'm a scratching post or something -- there out of convenience, and there for anyone to come and practice on. I forget - all too often - that I often do the same thing with God. I don't always just want to talk to Him purely for the pleasure of hearing His voice. I don't always want to just stand in awe of Him and in reverence to Him. I treat Him like I can put Him into a box and take Him out whenever I need something. And I'm sure that causes Him pain and frustration, just like I get frustrated when people do that to me (except He has more reason to feel that way).
That's just something I've been convicted of a lot recently....
14 March 2006
MELITA
O Master of the waking world,
Who hast the nations in Thy heart,
The heart that bled and broke to send
God's love to earth's remotest part
Show us anew in Calvary
The wondrous power that makes men free.
We hear the throb of surging life,
The clank of chains, the curse of greed,
The moan of pain, the futile cries
Of superstition's cruel creed;
The peoples hunger for Thee, Lord;
The world is waiting for Thy Word.
Thy witness in the souls of men,
Thy Spirit's ceaseless, brooding power;
In lands where shadows hide the light,
Await a new creative hour:
O mighty God, set us aflame
To show the glory of Thy name.
21 February 2006
There's No Place Like Home
Day 21: Hui Jia (Return Home)
Journey's End
It is nice to be back home. A little weird, after 3 weeks of being away, but very nice. As a side note, all told we saw a total of probably 3 western toilets on our trip. Just FYI. If the Chinese can do it, so can foreigners!! (As I told my Dad, learning to use a squatty is pretty much a pass/fail course) The biggest adventure this morning was catching the train. So we figured we would have plenty of time to get there if we left an hour before our train. What we weren't figuring on was the amount of traffic. After a harrowing 50-min. taxi ride to the train station, we got in and booked it to the waiting room with just a few minutes to spare. Goodbyes had to be hasty, unfortunately, but we did make it onto the train. This was Mei's first time in a hard seat so I think she was a little surprised by how crowded everything was. I've seen worse. The ride itself wasn't bad, only about 4 1/2 hours. We got to Jinan and were going to find me a train back to Tai'an from there but I don't think they could've fit many more people into the ticket booking hall if they tried, and this is in China! They were valiantly making an effort at lines, though, so I applaud them for that. We opted instead for a bus, since the "long-distance" (p-shaw) bus station is just across from the train station. So after a little over an hour on the bus, I was finally back in Tai'an!!! It felt so good to be back. The only thing that really irked me was all these people coming up to me saying, "hello! hello!" "Tai Shan?" "Taxi?" Even when I said I didn't want it, they didn't leave me alone. I was getting so fed up with that, having put up with more than normal amounts of it for the past 3 weeks, that I just about lost my temper and started going off on them. Or swinging my suitcase or something. That would've taken them. But I controlled myself, even though I just about starting spouting off in English. I just walked to our little bus station (public transportation....gotta love it) and took the bus back to my apartment. It is really good to be back home.
And thus ends my lovely adventures in Yunnan, China, with a semi-eventful trip back to the cold air of the North. Ahhhhhhhh...... (that was a sigh, not a scream)
Journey's End
It is nice to be back home. A little weird, after 3 weeks of being away, but very nice. As a side note, all told we saw a total of probably 3 western toilets on our trip. Just FYI. If the Chinese can do it, so can foreigners!! (As I told my Dad, learning to use a squatty is pretty much a pass/fail course) The biggest adventure this morning was catching the train. So we figured we would have plenty of time to get there if we left an hour before our train. What we weren't figuring on was the amount of traffic. After a harrowing 50-min. taxi ride to the train station, we got in and booked it to the waiting room with just a few minutes to spare. Goodbyes had to be hasty, unfortunately, but we did make it onto the train. This was Mei's first time in a hard seat so I think she was a little surprised by how crowded everything was. I've seen worse. The ride itself wasn't bad, only about 4 1/2 hours. We got to Jinan and were going to find me a train back to Tai'an from there but I don't think they could've fit many more people into the ticket booking hall if they tried, and this is in China! They were valiantly making an effort at lines, though, so I applaud them for that. We opted instead for a bus, since the "long-distance" (p-shaw) bus station is just across from the train station. So after a little over an hour on the bus, I was finally back in Tai'an!!! It felt so good to be back. The only thing that really irked me was all these people coming up to me saying, "hello! hello!" "Tai Shan?" "Taxi?" Even when I said I didn't want it, they didn't leave me alone. I was getting so fed up with that, having put up with more than normal amounts of it for the past 3 weeks, that I just about lost my temper and started going off on them. Or swinging my suitcase or something. That would've taken them. But I controlled myself, even though I just about starting spouting off in English. I just walked to our little bus station (public transportation....gotta love it) and took the bus back to my apartment. It is really good to be back home.
And thus ends my lovely adventures in Yunnan, China, with a semi-eventful trip back to the cold air of the North. Ahhhhhhhh...... (that was a sigh, not a scream)
17 February 2006
The Road Goes Ever On and On
Day 20: Kunming
The sleeper bus was interesting. I think I prefer sleeper trains to sleeper buses, but it was an experience. Trains just stay on the tracks. Buses follow the roads. And sometimes roads are windy, bumpy, scary. We had seatbelts. On our beds. It was lots of fun, though and I did sleep. The thing was, as soon as I fell asleep the first time I woke up because the bus stopped and the driver turned on the light. Some people were arguing. It turns out that this guy was demanding to get off the bus and walk the rest of the way to Kunming (keep in mind it's a 12 hour bus ride) because he thought the driver sucked. The driver explained to the guy that he couldn't let him off because it was against company policy. Eventually the guy went back to sleep, but it was pretty heated. So the next time I fell asleep I was again awakened by the bus stopping, the lights coming on, and some guy yelling. This time we were apparently at a checkpoint and everyone had to show their ID and get their luggage out. You just can't win around this place! So after we finally got back on the road (after 45 min.) I was able to sleep soundly until we arrived safely in Kunming. I know I was sleeping, because I know I was having dreams. I didn't feel very rested though....(I think I was dreaming about moving in a vehicle along a bumpy, windy road....)
In Kunming Connie checked into a hotel room -- much nicer, with it's own shower!!! Her plane leaves on the 17th, while Mei's and mine leaves today. Anyway, Mei and I took advantage of the shower before we all walked around town for a while. We went to a park for a while -- GREEN LAKE park, I'd like to add. (Just when you think you've gotten far enough away from home....) ;) It was a nice park, but it wasn't as clean as some of the others we've seen. The water left something to be desired. There were lots of seagulls. Go figure. After the park we were walking back to the hotel when we discovered the "old town" in Kunming. I didn't even know this place had an old town. We walked down just a few streets (it was really small) and decided to eat there. I wasn't all that hungry, but I helped the girls eat some of their food. ;) And my most recent food adventure: apparently "pig's blood" is a common thing to eat here. It's like these blocks of congealed pig's blood or something...??? Connie & Mei have had it several times. I vowed I would never touch the stuff, but I finally gave in and took a bite. It was....different. It didn't taste like you would think blood would taste like. I can't really describe it though. Probably won't try that again. We walked down the main drag of town, too, where everyone like to hang out and go shopping. Apparently it's a big thing in China to have these "walking streets" -- basically it just means a large pedestrian area with a lot of stores. It's okay I guess. Apparently Tai'an is even getting one put in. By the time we got back to the hotel we had to high tail it to catch the bus to the airport. I love flying!!! :) Hee hee. This plane ride was interesting, because we had a layover in Changsha (Hunan province). We had to get off the plane even though we were flying on, and then we all had to get back on into our own seats for the rest of the flight to Tianjin. The name of the airline we were flying with??? OK Airways. Not kidding. It was...okay! I really liked the flight attendants' outfits, though....(I'm such a girl!)
When we got to Tianjin, Mei's friend was waiting for us. She let us stay the night at her place and she had purchased the train tickets back to Jinan for us. It was really nice to meet her, and she had done the same trip we did so we got to talk about the fun things we saw and stuff.
The sleeper bus was interesting. I think I prefer sleeper trains to sleeper buses, but it was an experience. Trains just stay on the tracks. Buses follow the roads. And sometimes roads are windy, bumpy, scary. We had seatbelts. On our beds. It was lots of fun, though and I did sleep. The thing was, as soon as I fell asleep the first time I woke up because the bus stopped and the driver turned on the light. Some people were arguing. It turns out that this guy was demanding to get off the bus and walk the rest of the way to Kunming (keep in mind it's a 12 hour bus ride) because he thought the driver sucked. The driver explained to the guy that he couldn't let him off because it was against company policy. Eventually the guy went back to sleep, but it was pretty heated. So the next time I fell asleep I was again awakened by the bus stopping, the lights coming on, and some guy yelling. This time we were apparently at a checkpoint and everyone had to show their ID and get their luggage out. You just can't win around this place! So after we finally got back on the road (after 45 min.) I was able to sleep soundly until we arrived safely in Kunming. I know I was sleeping, because I know I was having dreams. I didn't feel very rested though....(I think I was dreaming about moving in a vehicle along a bumpy, windy road....)
In Kunming Connie checked into a hotel room -- much nicer, with it's own shower!!! Her plane leaves on the 17th, while Mei's and mine leaves today. Anyway, Mei and I took advantage of the shower before we all walked around town for a while. We went to a park for a while -- GREEN LAKE park, I'd like to add. (Just when you think you've gotten far enough away from home....) ;) It was a nice park, but it wasn't as clean as some of the others we've seen. The water left something to be desired. There were lots of seagulls. Go figure. After the park we were walking back to the hotel when we discovered the "old town" in Kunming. I didn't even know this place had an old town. We walked down just a few streets (it was really small) and decided to eat there. I wasn't all that hungry, but I helped the girls eat some of their food. ;) And my most recent food adventure: apparently "pig's blood" is a common thing to eat here. It's like these blocks of congealed pig's blood or something...??? Connie & Mei have had it several times. I vowed I would never touch the stuff, but I finally gave in and took a bite. It was....different. It didn't taste like you would think blood would taste like. I can't really describe it though. Probably won't try that again. We walked down the main drag of town, too, where everyone like to hang out and go shopping. Apparently it's a big thing in China to have these "walking streets" -- basically it just means a large pedestrian area with a lot of stores. It's okay I guess. Apparently Tai'an is even getting one put in. By the time we got back to the hotel we had to high tail it to catch the bus to the airport. I love flying!!! :) Hee hee. This plane ride was interesting, because we had a layover in Changsha (Hunan province). We had to get off the plane even though we were flying on, and then we all had to get back on into our own seats for the rest of the flight to Tianjin. The name of the airline we were flying with??? OK Airways. Not kidding. It was...okay! I really liked the flight attendants' outfits, though....(I'm such a girl!)
When we got to Tianjin, Mei's friend was waiting for us. She let us stay the night at her place and she had purchased the train tickets back to Jinan for us. It was really nice to meet her, and she had done the same trip we did so we got to talk about the fun things we saw and stuff.
Everywhere I go I see You....
Day 19: Bamboo Raft/Botanical Garden (Xishuangbanna)
Today we went to another town nearby and took a bamboo raft down a river. It was a little bit of a let down for the money we paid. It was neat, though. It's supposed to be a trip down the river and some shows, but I think our guide kind of wanted to rush us through a little. We stopped at this place where they gave us some food. It was good, and guess what I ate -- whole fish. Yep, bones and all. These fish were only a few inches long, so it was okay. I didn't eat the heads though. I should've, just to say I did. Anyway, we got to see a few minority people singing to us and dancing and stuff. I felt sorry for some of the girls, though, because their paid to take a bath in the river in front of the tourists. They had their backs turned, but I know that I would've hated being those girls. After that we went to this awesome botanical garden. I saw it was awesome, and that's what I mean. It was a loooooong walk in, but I think it was worth it. And finally we found a place where we could get a discount with our foreign experts cards!!! YES!!! So it was a hot day, and the first place we went was designed after a tropical rain forest. Dad, you would've LOVED it. I did. It was so cool, and it just smelled very green, earthy, and alive. There were really neat trees and it just felt so good. I could live in a place like that. For a while. ;) Then we went through the rest of the garden kind of quickly because we had to get back to town. But my favorite thing to do in the rest of the garden was take off my shoes and walk barefoot in the grass. I didn't realize how much I had missed that until then! The rest of the garden is kind of a research center for all kinds of plants, but it's beautiful to walk through, too. Mostly a lot of trees that I don't know, well spaced. There was also a place with like 100 different kinds of bamboo. Who knew? Anyway, it was way cool and I thought of Dad a lot. :)
After eating we hopped on our sleeper bus to Kunming for our last day together.
Today we went to another town nearby and took a bamboo raft down a river. It was a little bit of a let down for the money we paid. It was neat, though. It's supposed to be a trip down the river and some shows, but I think our guide kind of wanted to rush us through a little. We stopped at this place where they gave us some food. It was good, and guess what I ate -- whole fish. Yep, bones and all. These fish were only a few inches long, so it was okay. I didn't eat the heads though. I should've, just to say I did. Anyway, we got to see a few minority people singing to us and dancing and stuff. I felt sorry for some of the girls, though, because their paid to take a bath in the river in front of the tourists. They had their backs turned, but I know that I would've hated being those girls. After that we went to this awesome botanical garden. I saw it was awesome, and that's what I mean. It was a loooooong walk in, but I think it was worth it. And finally we found a place where we could get a discount with our foreign experts cards!!! YES!!! So it was a hot day, and the first place we went was designed after a tropical rain forest. Dad, you would've LOVED it. I did. It was so cool, and it just smelled very green, earthy, and alive. There were really neat trees and it just felt so good. I could live in a place like that. For a while. ;) Then we went through the rest of the garden kind of quickly because we had to get back to town. But my favorite thing to do in the rest of the garden was take off my shoes and walk barefoot in the grass. I didn't realize how much I had missed that until then! The rest of the garden is kind of a research center for all kinds of plants, but it's beautiful to walk through, too. Mostly a lot of trees that I don't know, well spaced. There was also a place with like 100 different kinds of bamboo. Who knew? Anyway, it was way cool and I thought of Dad a lot. :)
After eating we hopped on our sleeper bus to Kunming for our last day together.
14 February 2006
For such is the Kingdom....
Day 18: Xishuangbanna -- Mandian waterfall
You all know that I love waterfalls. I love finding them in the middle of a forest or jungle. I just think they're really beautiful. In fact, I love just about all running water. Lijiang had a lot of streams running through the city, and I loved that too. So today we went to a popular waterfall in the middle of a jungle. Getting there was an adventure. I don't know if I've ever been on a bumpy road for so long. We were in this little van (called "bread vehicle" in Chinese because it's shaped like a loaf of bread....clever language!) with a couple from Sweden. So one of the things about this area that's unfortunate is that the government has redirected a lot of the water that used to go to the falls into a power plant or something. The prices we pay for development.... so we arrived in the village where we were going to get the trail to the waterfall, and as we were trying to find it we saw some village girls and waved at them. They started "leading" us to the falls, and Connie and Mei ended up talking to them for a while (I was only able to ask them if they were tired). These girls were absolutely precious. I can't even begin to describe them. I'll try to post a picture of them on my other site. They're in 3rd grade, I believe, and they were just beautiful. They were so sweet. They've been going to the falls everyday during their vacation, so this hike was nothing for them. They were running on this slippery, muddy dirt trail that was only a foot wide and played in the trees like monkeys. The hike to the waterfall lasts about an hour, and you're really walking through the jungle. I loved it. I loved the hike, I loved putting my feet in the water, I loved the girls. The falls were neat, but I could tell it must've looked much better before the water was diverted. I had my swimsuit on because I was planning on getting actually under the falls. But the water was a little deeper than I thought it was going to be, and the girls said there were snakes in the water. I could only think of copperheads (yeah, I know I was in China) so I decided not to chance it. Instead we just settled for sticking our feet in the water and taking lots of pictures with the beautiful little girls. After a while we went back to meet our driver (who was really nice and didn't even smoke during the drive there or back). When we got to the village, one of the little girls (my favorite) invited us into her home. So, we did get to see the inside of a Dai home. It was really eye-opening for me to see it. I think I'd like to live in one of those homes for about a month, but then I'd want to go back to my old comforts. Once you go up the steps, there's this long hall with a long wall on one side. On the other side of the wall is the living area. Basically it was one big room. You could see where they cooked their food. There was a cabinet in one corner and a TV in another. There was a blanket on the floor in front of the TV and a smaller wall at that end of the room. On the other side of that wall were the beds. They were all together, but divided by mosquito nets. The thing that was so striking was that these girls were just so excited to have these new friends coming into their home. (the parents were away) They were so hospitable and so....happy. I just wanted to stay with them. Connie wanted to stay and teach at their local school. In the Bible, Jesus says, "let the little children come to Me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these." That could be easily seen in these girls.
That night we went to another show in a nearby park. We bought the tickets and walked around. It was a really neat park. They had this cage with a lot of peacocks in it, and some of them had their feathers spread when we were there. The thought that came into my mind was that guys are so similar, even across species. :) They'll do just about anything to impress the girls and get their attention. The funny thing was that this was even played out during the show we went to. The show was alright. It was really similar to the one we saw in the park yesterday, but it was a bit nicer. They even had dinner included in it. One of the dances (going back to my point about guys) was about one of the minority groups where the guys actually go looking for their girls at night and "catch" them. It was really funny, because they pulled volunteers from the audience. I didn't understand anything they were saying (all Chinese), but you could still get the general idea. :) It was a great way to spend Valentine's Day -- dinner and a show with two Valentines. ;)
Culture shock: I had to shave my legs, so after my shower I went outside and tried to find all the spots I missed. These little girls who also probably lived in the hostel started watching me. Up close. That was a little unnerving. They left after I wouldn't let them touch my razor. Go figure.
You all know that I love waterfalls. I love finding them in the middle of a forest or jungle. I just think they're really beautiful. In fact, I love just about all running water. Lijiang had a lot of streams running through the city, and I loved that too. So today we went to a popular waterfall in the middle of a jungle. Getting there was an adventure. I don't know if I've ever been on a bumpy road for so long. We were in this little van (called "bread vehicle" in Chinese because it's shaped like a loaf of bread....clever language!) with a couple from Sweden. So one of the things about this area that's unfortunate is that the government has redirected a lot of the water that used to go to the falls into a power plant or something. The prices we pay for development.... so we arrived in the village where we were going to get the trail to the waterfall, and as we were trying to find it we saw some village girls and waved at them. They started "leading" us to the falls, and Connie and Mei ended up talking to them for a while (I was only able to ask them if they were tired). These girls were absolutely precious. I can't even begin to describe them. I'll try to post a picture of them on my other site. They're in 3rd grade, I believe, and they were just beautiful. They were so sweet. They've been going to the falls everyday during their vacation, so this hike was nothing for them. They were running on this slippery, muddy dirt trail that was only a foot wide and played in the trees like monkeys. The hike to the waterfall lasts about an hour, and you're really walking through the jungle. I loved it. I loved the hike, I loved putting my feet in the water, I loved the girls. The falls were neat, but I could tell it must've looked much better before the water was diverted. I had my swimsuit on because I was planning on getting actually under the falls. But the water was a little deeper than I thought it was going to be, and the girls said there were snakes in the water. I could only think of copperheads (yeah, I know I was in China) so I decided not to chance it. Instead we just settled for sticking our feet in the water and taking lots of pictures with the beautiful little girls. After a while we went back to meet our driver (who was really nice and didn't even smoke during the drive there or back). When we got to the village, one of the little girls (my favorite) invited us into her home. So, we did get to see the inside of a Dai home. It was really eye-opening for me to see it. I think I'd like to live in one of those homes for about a month, but then I'd want to go back to my old comforts. Once you go up the steps, there's this long hall with a long wall on one side. On the other side of the wall is the living area. Basically it was one big room. You could see where they cooked their food. There was a cabinet in one corner and a TV in another. There was a blanket on the floor in front of the TV and a smaller wall at that end of the room. On the other side of that wall were the beds. They were all together, but divided by mosquito nets. The thing that was so striking was that these girls were just so excited to have these new friends coming into their home. (the parents were away) They were so hospitable and so....happy. I just wanted to stay with them. Connie wanted to stay and teach at their local school. In the Bible, Jesus says, "let the little children come to Me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these." That could be easily seen in these girls.
That night we went to another show in a nearby park. We bought the tickets and walked around. It was a really neat park. They had this cage with a lot of peacocks in it, and some of them had their feathers spread when we were there. The thought that came into my mind was that guys are so similar, even across species. :) They'll do just about anything to impress the girls and get their attention. The funny thing was that this was even played out during the show we went to. The show was alright. It was really similar to the one we saw in the park yesterday, but it was a bit nicer. They even had dinner included in it. One of the dances (going back to my point about guys) was about one of the minority groups where the guys actually go looking for their girls at night and "catch" them. It was really funny, because they pulled volunteers from the audience. I didn't understand anything they were saying (all Chinese), but you could still get the general idea. :) It was a great way to spend Valentine's Day -- dinner and a show with two Valentines. ;)
Culture shock: I had to shave my legs, so after my shower I went outside and tried to find all the spots I missed. These little girls who also probably lived in the hostel started watching me. Up close. That was a little unnerving. They left after I wouldn't let them touch my razor. Go figure.
Clarification:
I haven't been posting dates for everything, so here's what's been happening when:
Day 1: Arrival in HK (Jan. 28)
Day 2: Train from HK to Guangzhou to Kunming (Jan. 29)
Day 3: Arrival in Kunming (Jan. 30)
Day 4: Kunming -- Xi Shan (Jan. 31)
Day 5: Kunming -- Shi Lin (Feb. 1)
Day 6: Kunming to Dali (Feb. 2)
Day 7: Dali -- Er Hai lake (Feb. 3)
Day 8: Dali to Lijiang/Lijiang old town (Feb. 4)
Day 9: Lijiang -- Yulongxueshan (Feb. 5)
Day 10: Lijiang -- Black Dragon Pool -- to Xiangelila (Feb. 6)
Day 11: Xiangelila -- monastery -- to Qiaotou (Feb. 7)
Day 12: Day 1 hiking through the gorge (Feb. 8)
Day 13: Day 2 in the gorge -- down into the gorge (Feb. 9)
Day 14: Day 3 in the gorge and Daju (Feb. 10)
Day 15: Daju and return to Lijiang (Feb. 11)
Day 16: Lijiang -- Bai Sha/Shu He -- and arrival in Xishuangbanna/Jinghong (Feb. 12)
Day 17: Xishuangbanna -- Galanba/Dai park & villages (Feb. 13)
Day 18: Xishuangbanna -- Mandian waterfall and show (Feb. 14)
I'm posting new updates as fast as I can, but obviously I can't always get to a computer. So, sometimes you will be reading about an event several days after it occurred (and you have more exciting events to look forward to reading about!). :)
Day 19: Xishuangbanna -- Bamboo raft and Botanical Garden (Feb. 15)
Day 20: Kunming to Tianjin (Feb. 16)
Day 21: Back to Tai'an (Feb. 17)
[Yep, now I'm back in my own city trying to finish writing about all my adventures]
Day 1: Arrival in HK (Jan. 28)
Day 2: Train from HK to Guangzhou to Kunming (Jan. 29)
Day 3: Arrival in Kunming (Jan. 30)
Day 4: Kunming -- Xi Shan (Jan. 31)
Day 5: Kunming -- Shi Lin (Feb. 1)
Day 6: Kunming to Dali (Feb. 2)
Day 7: Dali -- Er Hai lake (Feb. 3)
Day 8: Dali to Lijiang/Lijiang old town (Feb. 4)
Day 9: Lijiang -- Yulongxueshan (Feb. 5)
Day 10: Lijiang -- Black Dragon Pool -- to Xiangelila (Feb. 6)
Day 11: Xiangelila -- monastery -- to Qiaotou (Feb. 7)
Day 12: Day 1 hiking through the gorge (Feb. 8)
Day 13: Day 2 in the gorge -- down into the gorge (Feb. 9)
Day 14: Day 3 in the gorge and Daju (Feb. 10)
Day 15: Daju and return to Lijiang (Feb. 11)
Day 16: Lijiang -- Bai Sha/Shu He -- and arrival in Xishuangbanna/Jinghong (Feb. 12)
Day 17: Xishuangbanna -- Galanba/Dai park & villages (Feb. 13)
Day 18: Xishuangbanna -- Mandian waterfall and show (Feb. 14)
I'm posting new updates as fast as I can, but obviously I can't always get to a computer. So, sometimes you will be reading about an event several days after it occurred (and you have more exciting events to look forward to reading about!). :)
Day 19: Xishuangbanna -- Bamboo raft and Botanical Garden (Feb. 15)
Day 20: Kunming to Tianjin (Feb. 16)
Day 21: Back to Tai'an (Feb. 17)
[Yep, now I'm back in my own city trying to finish writing about all my adventures]
13 February 2006
When life gives you pineapples....
Day 17: Xishuangbanna (Galanba -- Dai minority village/park)
First I need to explain something. Originally we were planning on doing this trek here through these minority villages and jungle etc., which I thought would be totally awesome (albeit expensive) and was looking forward to. Well, once we got here and started looking at our options we started thinking about doing other stuff. I was a little put off at first, because I had been expecting to do that. But everything has worked out. I think we were all too tired to go trekking for 20 km each day. So even though I was a little disappointed at first, I think this plan has been better. Today we went to a small town hoping to hike around to some minority villages anyway. We went instead to this "park" -- basically a bunch of minority villages clumped together with a ticket booth stuck at the entrance. You have to pay to get in, but it was worth it. We (Connie, Mei, and I -- both Connie & Mei speak Chinese) walked around for a while. This minority group is called the Dai minority. Does it sound like "Thai" maybe? Yep, they're closely related. They have these neat looking houses. It looks like it's on stilts with the whole bottom just open, stairs going up to the second floor, and the living area on the second floor with a triangle roof. So we walked around for a while, saw some temples, tried some good food (my favorite was this barbecued tofu with onions and some pork in it). We got this gigantic pineapple to split between the three of us. I usually don't eat lots of pineapple, but this one was pretty good! at first.... by the time I got to the end of it, though, it had turned from really sweet to sour and highly acidic. It was so acidic, in fact, that my tongue and mouth were tingling for several hours afterward. We made our way down to a beach on the Mekong River. That was awesome! We stuck our feet in the water and pretended we were on a beach in Thailand. We saw this little dance show that they put on -- not very authentic, but entertaining. After that they have this daily "water-splashing festival" at this big fountain in the middle of the park. It was fun! (I didn't really participate because I was wearing a white shirt) ;) I really wanted to get in on the action, but mostly we just watched. After that we went back to our base of operations (Jinghong) and had a great Dai-style massage before heading to bed.
Interesting sight today: in one of the temples there were these bright flashing Las Vegas-style lights behind one of the Buddha statues. Maybe it's just me, but it seemed kinda out of place.
First I need to explain something. Originally we were planning on doing this trek here through these minority villages and jungle etc., which I thought would be totally awesome (albeit expensive) and was looking forward to. Well, once we got here and started looking at our options we started thinking about doing other stuff. I was a little put off at first, because I had been expecting to do that. But everything has worked out. I think we were all too tired to go trekking for 20 km each day. So even though I was a little disappointed at first, I think this plan has been better. Today we went to a small town hoping to hike around to some minority villages anyway. We went instead to this "park" -- basically a bunch of minority villages clumped together with a ticket booth stuck at the entrance. You have to pay to get in, but it was worth it. We (Connie, Mei, and I -- both Connie & Mei speak Chinese) walked around for a while. This minority group is called the Dai minority. Does it sound like "Thai" maybe? Yep, they're closely related. They have these neat looking houses. It looks like it's on stilts with the whole bottom just open, stairs going up to the second floor, and the living area on the second floor with a triangle roof. So we walked around for a while, saw some temples, tried some good food (my favorite was this barbecued tofu with onions and some pork in it). We got this gigantic pineapple to split between the three of us. I usually don't eat lots of pineapple, but this one was pretty good! at first.... by the time I got to the end of it, though, it had turned from really sweet to sour and highly acidic. It was so acidic, in fact, that my tongue and mouth were tingling for several hours afterward. We made our way down to a beach on the Mekong River. That was awesome! We stuck our feet in the water and pretended we were on a beach in Thailand. We saw this little dance show that they put on -- not very authentic, but entertaining. After that they have this daily "water-splashing festival" at this big fountain in the middle of the park. It was fun! (I didn't really participate because I was wearing a white shirt) ;) I really wanted to get in on the action, but mostly we just watched. After that we went back to our base of operations (Jinghong) and had a great Dai-style massage before heading to bed.
Interesting sight today: in one of the temples there were these bright flashing Las Vegas-style lights behind one of the Buddha statues. Maybe it's just me, but it seemed kinda out of place.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)