I'm Back!

I figured I'd better write something seeing that some people think I'm still overseas. I've been home since July 11th, the date I originally planned to return. It was an odd feeling when I returned. I wasn't quite ready to jump back into my American life full scale so I remained undercover here dabbling in the free summertime activities like listening to the orchestra in Central Park (despite the storm that completely soaked us). I thought I'd kiss the ground outside JFK Airport immediately upon arrival. This isn't to say that my experience in Asia was horrible. Someone stole my camera in Beijing, I developed food poisoning just as I was about to climb the Great Wall, encountered money withdrawal hardships in Narita Airport, and the isolation I felt wandering through Tokyo just all contributed to traveler's fatigue. I just wanted to be home and I wanted to stop carrying my six week backpack of a home on my back.

I did have fun in my final week though. I loved biking around Beijing with the locals, and especially around Tiananmen Square. It's funny...as I biked around the Square, Chairman Mao's portrait looming over everyone, I realized it was the Fourth of July back home. Everyone was celebrating freedom and liberty in the States while for me, a memorial to June 4th, 1989 would have had me escorted far from Tiananmen Square by undercover guards.

Tokyo wasn't too bad either, and Sophia Coppola picked the perfect city for her film, "Lost in Translation." One fun thing about Tokyo: I was homeless for a night so I slept in a park. Don't worry, it was fine and a bunch of other people did it to. The homeless men in Tokyo are still so traditional, they leave their shoes outside their cardboard homes, or underneath the park bench they'll occupy that night! And I can see why they're homeless. Tokyo is so unbelievably expensive. $17 for a cheap movie ticket? Japanese ATM machines are a nightmare.

Growing up in Wisconsin, I just came to know that the world is a big place and there's a lot to see out there. Despite knowing this, it still took a study abroad trip to Paris to truly comprehend this. My world didn't expand on this China trip, but it did teach me that growing up an American in the United States, I have come to know so little about the world. It seems to me that given our strong position in world affairs, all that matters is the U.S., and the rest of the world doesn't play in unless there's a horrible tragedy. I met so many people from other countries who knew so much about the U.S., and I in return couldn't tell them much about what I knew of their countries. Queen of the Netherlands? Didn't know she existed, but I did meet Dutch people who could provide a list of twenty U.S. senators, and which senators are going to have tough re-election campaigns this November. Can I name three territories or provinces in Australia? No, but many Australians I met knew exactly where Wisconsin was, and even what Wisconsin is famous for. Looking back, I remember looking at a list of the most populous Chinese cities, and only knowing three of them (Beijing, Shanghai, Xian). But what about Chengdu? Kunming? Who knew these Los Angeles and Chicago-sized cities even existed? So this trip has taught me to escape an America-centric existence, to make that extra effort to take notice of what's going on here, and abroad. I need a subscription to The Economist now...
China is a cool place, and I certainly want to return. I must return, especially considering I never quite made it to the Great Wall! I encourage everyone to see China. Don't worry about the language barrier. Just know the basics and be willing to get a little creative. The scale of some of the Chinese cities and the spectacular scenery in the countryside is something you don't want to miss. And if you have any questions about going, I'm willing to provide what I can. I want to thank my sister too for posting all my blog entries while I was abroad. The Chinese government apparently does not like blogs furnished by Blogspot, so it's censored. Who knew I was so controversial? I'd been e-mailing my entries to her and she posted them for me, so thanks Jane.
That said, I don't think I'll be writing in the blog regularly anymore. Its novelty has worn off for me. Maybe if I end up making a big move to Paris or something, I'll use this blog as a forum for communicating that. I wrote nearly 60 entries over the course of the year, and so I thank all the people who took the time to read it. Bye!

Oh My Gorge

It's so difficult to keep up on this blog when I am traveling so much. I must make this brief as I have a plane to catch to Beijing soon!
I hiked Tiger Leaping Gorge for two days last week. I am not sure what the difference is between a gorge and a canyon, but they are similar nevertheless. We started at the river level in the village of Qiaotou, and gradually hiked upward. Everyone I hiked with came from the guesthouse I stayed at, Mama's in Lijiang. Mama is something of a celebrity among Yunnan Province backpackers. She provided us with whatever help we needed, and when it came time to eat, the food just didn't stop. Even when everyone announced they couldn't eat anymore, Mama kept the food coming. And if you didn't eat any meat, she made you eat an egg for protein. Mama is cool too because she refers to herself in the third person. "Mama help you find train ticket," she'll say.
At Mama's, I saw many other travelers who were passing through Yunnan. Mama refuses to be listed in the Lonely Planet guidebook, and relies on word of mouth advertising. It works. Everyone seems to be on the same track, and I met my Dutch friend who I thought I had left behind in Dali so it was nice to see a familiar face, and meet some new ones too.
On the hike, Some locals followed us hoping that we would give in with exhaustion and hire their horses. No one in our group did. The hike started off under the hot sun, but as we climbed higher, the view of the mountains and river came into perspective. Very spectacular. Before reaching the top of the gorge (2600 meters, 8600 feet), we had to hike up the steep "28 bends." which are a series of trails that curve in and out upward. Once we reached the top, the terrain began to descend, and we finally reached our resting point, the Halfway House. The Halfway House is amazing because it is a lodge that overlooks everything because it is 2400 meters from sea level. The view from our balcony included the mountains across the river and the setting sun. The next morning, we woke up early and saw clouds pass slowly in front of us at eye level. Overall, the hike was not too difficult relative to other hikes one can do in China, but Tiger Leaping Gorge is certainly one of the most beautiful.
The next day we returned to Lijiang and biked to the small village of Baisha, home of the famous Dr. Ho. Dr. Ho became famous in the 1980's for his special Eastern medical practice. He examined me and recommended a tea mixture that will solve all of my medical woes.
After Lijiang, Nicole, my Dutch friend from Dali, and two French girls (I've been speaking French again...in China!) took a sleeper bus to some city, don't know where. The sleeper bus experience is wonderful. It's a coach bus, but instead of seats, is full of bunk beds! They cram 40 beds in this vehicle! We departed Lijiang at 6:00pm and arrived in the middle of the night. Our train to Chengdu did not depart until 9:00am, so we had to kill time by walking around this desolate city. The locals eyed us with curiosity and confusion. We ate street food with them and they laughed when we found the food to be especially spicy.
Now I am in Chengdu which has turned out to be actually pretty fun. I am not a fan of big Chinese cities, but this one is pretty laid back. We visited the Panda Breeding center yesterday and I saw the panda bears frolicking around their habitat. They're so cute, and it's unfortunate that there are only about 1.500 of them left in the world. Breeding them is a difficult task because pandas are very picky about who they mate with. We saw a video that showed a panda bear giving birth. Whoa Nelly, isn't that a sight! I suppose watching anything give birth is a sight in itself.
After the panda bears, we visited a large Buddhist temple. Buddhist temples are so beautiful and so serene. One part of the temple included a courtyard and we delighted ourselves by watching elderly Chinese folks playing checkers and mahjong.
After the temple, we walked to the city park where the people had set up speakers and a small orchestra. People danced in the afternoon sun without any worries on their mind. When they saw us foreigners, they insisted the girls in our party we dance with them! They dragged the girls out and everyone gathered in a circle clapping hands. Later, an accordion player started playing Dutch melodies, and the Dutch people in our group sang for the crowd. The Chinese laughed and grinned uncontrolably. They all said goodbye as we headed on our way. Later that night, we saw a Sichuan (the province I am in) opera. It was a variety show, all done very well. Watching the Chinese audience was a sight in itself. There are no prohibitions against flash photography, and people kept taking pictures. To westerners, this is annoying, but to the Chinese it is normal.
Okay, off to Beijing now! I'll be home in less than a week now!

It's Go Time

The train ride to Kunming wasn't too bad. The worst part was having to endure the loud Chinese top 40 music that is blasted throughout the train "as entertainment" until they turn off the lights at 10:00pm. The music is really loud, and because my bed was right next to the speaker, it was especially loud. The Chinese don't seem to mind listening to music or televisions at very high volumes. The next day though, I met a Chinese girl who was returning home one last time before she heads off to Michigan to do her master's degree. Her English was fantastic and she was just cool.
The weather in Kunming was lousy so I hopped on a bus and headed for Dali. When I arrived in Dali, I had been traveling for almost 30 hours so it was great to be rested. Dali is cool. It's a walled city at the base of a mountain and is next to China's 7th largest lake. I biked around the lake as much as I could before dying of exhaustion. Along the way,. I passed through villages and cornfields. All the kids yelled hello as I peddled along. On Monday, I went to Yunnan Province's largest market, the Shaping market. We didn't buy anything, but we did take many photos of the Bai people (the minority group in this region) and their wheelings and dealings. Need some meat? (picture above) Probably the highlight of the market was watching a little boy molding a building out of mud. When he needed more mud, he dropped his pants, pissed on the dirt, then started playing with the mud!
One night we stopped into a bakery for sweets and I did what I always do-point to what I want, ask how much it costs in Chinese, then pay. This time however, I noticed a sign next to the counter that stated that this bakery was owned and operated by deaf people. I started signing to the cashier and she signed back to me! Her mouth just dropped with surprise and excitement. We talked for about five minutes before saying good bye. I never did learn how she came to know American Sign Language.
Probably the highlight of the Dali though was meeting so many people in the city guesthouses. Sunday night, me, three Dutch people, an Australian, a Northern Irish girl, and the sassiest Scottish lass I've ever met sat in a cafe and chatted about everything. When the topic ventured towards world politics, everyone let me know that think George Bush is just the stupidest person and they cannot understand why he believes what he does. Nevertheless, they like America. I also learned that people in other countries know so much about the United States (our current events, geography, culture, etc.). I think it's pretty safe to say that most Americans have no clue about what's happening in other countries. Two of the Dutch people around the table will be going to North Korea for three days. They described the trip, and it just sounds unlike any trip I've ever heard. I'd want to check out North Korea for a few days, but I'm not allowed. I'm American!
Yesterday, I landed north in Lijiang. Beautiful old town charm, but flooded with Chinese tourists. I'm at a crossroads now because I need to make some decisions. I have less than two weeks here and I need to fit my plans in by then! Either way, Tiger Leaping Gorge is my next stop. I've never heard so many people describe a place as being so incredibly beautiful.

Time to Move On

My last night in Yangshuo, the place I have called home the last ten days, came to a close. After a night of World Cup soccer and drinking the local beer (what else?) with the other teachers, I looked up at the stars and thought about my time here. Teaching and getting to know so many smart students was a great experience. A part of me was sad to move on, but it was time.
I traveled to Longsheng with a fellow volunteer teacher named Ellieta who is from Amsterdam. We woke up at 6:00am to catch the bus to Dazai, home of the Yao minority group. The Yao women are famous for their long hair, so long that one of them holds the Guiness Book of World Records title for such long locks. They believe that long hair equates to a longer life. They cut the hair just once in their life when they turn 18. I think the Chinese in general believe anything long leads to life longevity. That is why they believe it is bad luck to break noodles before cooking them!
The Longsheng area is famous too for the terraced fields that line its hills. These fields are 800 years old and are quite an engineering accomplishment. The Yao have made the most of their land, and even today, the output is so low compared to other rice producing regions in China.
When we arrived, we were bombarded with Yao women asking us if we wanted to pay them to carry our backpacks to our destination. I can see why some people would pay for this service because the trek up to our lodge was SO LONG. There are no roads in the small village we stayed in because everything is built on the hill. Instead, there is just a bunch of stone steps that run throughout the village and surrounding hills. Climbing up them proved to be such an incredible physical challenge (I think I could have passed out if I didn't stop when I did), but the sense of accomplishment afterwards was pretty great. It's hard for me to convey just how high we climbed so take my word for it.
Our lodge was fantastic. The lodge's owner walked all the way to the village (30 minutes) to guide us, and again all the way up. We almost felt guilty paying 15 yuan ($1.88) a night for something that if located in Aspen or the Alps would easily go for $400 a night. The lodge was brand new, still with a fresh cedar scent. We couldn't understand how they could charge so little for such a nice place. Bonus: We were the only people staying there so we had the entire place to ourselves. We ate dinner there because we certainly were not going to walk all the way to the village. I ordered a pork dish. Later I saw the cook walk out of the kitchen into the neighboring stable, and emerge with a piece of meat that looked preserved in some strange way. I don't think I've ever ate food so close to the farm before.
Most of our time in Dazai was spent relaxing in the sun or hiking through the trails. At one point, we passed a parade of youth playing flutes, banging on cymbals, and lighting firecrackers every 200 feet or so. Also included in the march were two guys carrying a dead pig atop their shoulders on a gurney. As to what the procession was about, I do not know. We finished the evening off when a man on his porch invited us to sit with him. There was something a little off about him, but nevertheless, we sat on his porch, no words exchanged, watching the sun descend over the terraces. Strange too...He had some photographs taped to his window from the inside and I think one of the photos was of a stoop from Park Slope in Brooklyn! Tomorrow I set off for Yunnan Province to Kunming. This should set my personal record for longest train travel time-19 hours!

A Day with the Kids

I really shouldn't call my students kids because many of them are the same age as me. Anyway, the students and I biked to Moon Hill, a landmark in Yangshuo. We were pretty proud of ourselves after climbing the 1,400 steps or so. We met an old woman at the top who makes the trek up the hill every day. She knows that hikers who make it to the top need water, and she's right there to sell it to us. I already had my own water, but I did write a message in her little notebook. She asks foreigners to write whatever they wish in her book, and I authored a little note myself. I noticed the book contained messages from many places.
Afterwards, we biked to Mama Moon's Restaurant, a famous local place on account of its owner, Mama. Mama can speak basic phrases in at least eight languages. In my brief time with her, I spoke English, French, and Italian. The best Chinese food I've had in China (nothing resembling U.S. Chinese takeout) also was found here.
After the restaurant, we visited the water cave, an underground labyrinth of trails and rivers. We entered the cave by boat and the entrance resembled the phantom's underground lair in "Phantom of the Opera". The cave revealed humongous caverns, and the few lights inside cast our shadows against the walls as we climbed up and down the trails inside. Midway through the tour, we were greeted with the cave's main attraction, the mud math. The bath was so much fun, easily one of the most fun experiences I've had so far here. We played in the mud for about half an hour. The cool thing about swimming in mud is that you cannot sink, so we just floated on our backs with ease. After playing in the mud, we rinsed off in a waterfall that fell from a hole at the the cavern's top. The waterfall was about 150 feet high, and it did a good job cleaning us off.
We rode back into the city and headed to see a show called Impression, Liu Sanjie, a famous Chinese love story. The show is staged ON the Li River and involves over 600 performers each night. The score is beautiful (I bought it) and the lights involved to illuminate the surrounding hills and river were just incredible. Now my time in Yangshuo is winding down...

Tim the Teacher

I'm sitting in a computer lab and a brownout just occurred. Let's hope it does not happen again while I write this entry. I imagine the large cities get all the power first, and little cities like Yangshou receive what's left!
I've been living in Yangshou since Monday. Many foreigners come to Yangshou because it is breath of fresh air if you've been in the large cities. That, and because it is surrounded by these beautiful hills. I found a school that offers a volunteer program. In exchange for teaching two hours a week, I receive a room and meals. The feedback has already been positive so maybe there is teaching in my blood? My students come from all over China, and the average age is about 22. So much better than the noisy 2nd graders in Shanghai! We just converse about whatever. Favorite topics have included the marriage of my brother, growing up with deaf parents, and the strange foods I've encountered in China. I just found out that I ate pig's ear for the first time on Monday. Not too bad, but too rubbery as one would imagine. The students are just so talented and smart overall.
Yangshou is famous, not only for its hills, but for the trails that pass through the hills. I rode my bike for almost five hours yesterday with another volunteer teacher who is Dutch. Sore tush aside, it was so much fun. Sometimes the trail was paved, sometimes I was riding on a trail of rocks, and sometimes I found myself riding through rice paddies when the trail was unbelievably muddy and only 18 inches wide. At one point, a cow blocked the road and we had to shoosh it away with our presence. We biked through small villages (if you can even call them that) that looked like the kind of places only a few outsiders had ever visited. Still, so many of the people waved to us and said hello as we passed them. I saw chickens walking in and out of homes, buffaloes grazing along the road, and many a little elderly woman whose hunchbacked body carried heavy buckets of water from the well. After the bike ride, my legs and shoes were caked with mud. I will travel around Yangshou this weekend. Despite its size, Yangshou has a lot to offer so who knows what trouble I will get myself in.

Yes, I'm Still Alive

Whew! I am sorry to not write in such a long time. Once I reached Hong Kong, it was difficult to secure a computer. So I will just provide a quick summary of what I've been up to.

Shanghai: I liked Shanghai, but as my first city in China, I was not overwhelmed by culture shock. It's not Chinatown, but it's not too much different either. The views of the Bund (where the Europeans built their offices) and the views of Shanghai's new skyscrapers are amazing, though a little tacky because it was almost too much. Still, it was like a light show. Even brighter was Nanjing Road which has so many neon lights on the facades of its buildings, it puts Times Square to shame. My only regret is that I did not see Shanghai 20 years ago when it was a swamp. What was farmland is now an economic powerhouse. Someone told me that between 2001 and 2004, Shanghai was completing at least one 25 story plus skyscraper EVERY DAY. Of course, whether these buildings will even be used is another story...

Shenzhen: On May 31st, we flew to Shenzhen. Shenzhen too has been built up by the government. Fifteen years ago, it was a fishing village of 30,000. Now it is about 800,000 people! We stayed there just for the night, and now found ourselves in a subtropical climate so it was pretty hot and humid. We just walked around the streets and watched the teenagers who eat street food and talk on the sidewalks every night.


Hong Kong: The next day, we crossed the border into Hong Kong. I was amazed at how green the city is. It is a cosmopolitan city that borders hills lush with trees and plants. Hong Kong island is actually very similar to New York. Same pace, same variety of offerings, but still very Asian. The subway is great, trolley trams still glide down the street, and there are very few private cars by comparison zooming down the street. HK has the world's most expensive car fees. We rented a room from a very nice family. A small woman named Leeli held the nightwatch and she was so sweet tending to our every need. She grew up in Indonesia, but had moved around so much, she could speak some 10 languages. I visited a monestary on Landau Island, home to the world's largest bronze seated Buddha. Very tranquil place situated so high in the clouds, I was engulfed by fog. We looked at the fantastic skyline (easily the world's best) along the promenade on Kowloon. Afterwards, Anne and I found a skanky gay bar and got drunk. One day it rained terribly so we saw X-Men 3 on the biggest movie screen I have ever seen. Hong Kong would be a cool place to live, but I don't know if the hot humid weather would suit me. It is difficult to secure a work visa too.

Macau: Anne and Brett needed to depart back to Shanghai, so I was on my own. I boarded a turbojet ferry to Macau, 35 km from HK. Macau is cool because it is the first place settled by Europeans in China. And it shows. The architecture of the city center is so European, it felt like I was in Portugal, not China. The history of the island was great, complemented by the modern elements like Macau Tower, the 10th tallest structure in the world. Macau is home to a thriving gambling industry. MGM Grand and Steve Wynn have already constructed casinos here.

Guangzhou: After Macau, I took a bus to Guangzhou which used to be known as Canton. There is no doubt I arrived in the rainy season because it did not stop raining with the exception of a few hours. I managed to walk around the cute little island I was staying on, Shamian Island. I saw so many white people walking around with strollers and there were so many baby clothes stores. Why? This is where many westerners stay while they adopt Chinese babies!
The rest of Guangzhou was nothing to write home about. Maybe because it was raining, but maybe because the infrastructure was so poor. Just lakes of water everywhere with people on their toes trying not to soak their feet in dirty water. That reminds me, the Pearl River, kind of like a toilet. The sight of people selling fish laid out on the floor of the pedestrian tunnel didn't sit well with my stomach or nose.

Guilin: The next day, I headed to the train station for my first Chinese train experience en route to Guilin. I arrived at the station and I asked myself when the Red Cross would arrive. I can best describe the station as being what the Superdome probably looked like during Katrina. Food, trash, hot sweaty people sitting on the floor everywhere waiting for their train. Not sure why so many were waiting, but once I boarded the train, it was pretty nice. I befriended an English couple who have been backpacking since November starting in New Zealand. I then sat in the dining car and drank wine with a Belgium couple. I'll probably see both of them around the city, and when I go to the backpacker's haven, the city of Yangshou later.

That's all for now. I'll try to keep up, and I'll throw some pictures in too when I get a chance. The picture above is Hong Kong.

Hedonism, Bring it On

Pleasuring oneself is a bit cheaper in Shanghai than it is in the United States. Last Monday, Anne, Brett and I went to the massage parlor (not one with a pink light illuminated outside…) and we received foot massages. They work your feet for an hour, first soaking them in tea water. Then they begin massaging the feet using their palms, knuckles and fingers. Sometimes I winced in pain, or found myself suppressing my ticklish feet because I'm unused to having my sore feet rubbed. In the end, my feet felt so light and free, really like walking on a cloud.

The girls are fun too. Brett and Anne can understand what they say to each other. They often talk about us, then giggle like that one Seinfeld episode, most of the content surrounding our appearance. The girls call me a monkey because I have hairy legs. They do not hesitate to tell Brett he needs to dump Anne and find a Chinese girlfriend. They also think I should find a Chinese girlfriend soon because I am 27 years old.


We throw it back at them too. Pirated DVDs are everywhere here. And I'm not talking about the New York sit in a movie theatre with a camcorder quality DVDs. These are the actual DVDs and they sell for only 7 quai (88 cents) with a pretty large selection. Last week's Da Vinci Code is already everywhere. I bought "The Aristocrats" which is a documentary about an old classic Vaudeville joke that involves the dirtiest, raunchiest foul language imaginable. When it came out in the States, it received an X rating. I took my turn with the joke in front of the massage girls. If they only knew what I was saying… Our foot massage turned into a one hour body massage too. Total cost? 70 quai ($8.80) for two hours of bliss.


Later that night around midnight, I experienced another way the Chinese relax. The bathhouse! I've always imagined bathhouses as seedy places, but I was assured by Brett and his friend Zhang that this place was not of a shady element. Before I tell this story, be aware that this is very common in China.


When I entered, it looked like a hotel lobby. An overstaffed crew of at least ten people were on hand to prepare us for the experience. Actually, there were so many people working so late that night. I imagine there were more workers than guests in the place, and they do this because labor is so cheap here. So the crew removed our shoes and we were led to the locker room where we got naked. Then we proceeded to the bath area which is basically a huge indoor pool, but not in a YMCA pool kind of way, but wading pool with low ceilings, dimmed lights kind of way . I opted to sit in the whirlpool. Something about a milk bath just seemed unsettling. After I sat in the whirlpool, I was asked if I wanted a massage. Sure, why not? So I was still naked and I lied on my back while a 24 year old Chinese guy started drizzling my body with massage oil. It was being rubbed all over. Not in America I was thinking, or at least, not anywhere in America that would pass a health official's inspection! He then threw some salts on my body and began massaging me while exfoliating my skin. My skin felt so creamy and smooth afterward. After my massage (still naked) we went to a drying off place where two attendants patted me dry from head to toe, then dressed me in standard bathhouse garb, cotton shorts, a pajama top, and slippers. I played ping pong with Zhang in the game room. We later sampled the buffet, which because it was so late, had closed down for the most part. We entered a dimly lit hall full of about 150 to 200 chaise couches that doubled as beds. Each one had a TV attached to it. The people in there were sleeping, getting massages, lounging, reading. For many, the bathhouse works as a hotel room. In fact it's much cheaper than a hotel at a 39 quai ($5.00) entrance fee. The relaxation room was odd to me because it was almost like one giant slumber party. After the bathhouse, we went home, bought some beers and walked around the neighborhood drinking and talking. No open container laws here.


And that was my day of pleasure.