So a new post was requested and I'm not really sure what I have to say. The last couple weeks have kind of been a blur of action and nonaction. Going from here to there and doing the same thing in an endless cycle. But then again, everything has been done with a different filter over the lens. Everytime I look at something, talk to someone, experience something...I wonder, "is this the last time?"
In four short days I will be leaving Guiyang. Though I don't plan on my goodbye to this beautiful city to be permanent, I have no idea what the future holds. I want more than anything to return here, even if its just for a visit. But still, the ever present thought of goodbye is really starting to wear me down. I walk down the hallways at school and half of my students get this little pouty face and just start saying "no" and a new wave of sadness washes over me.
I know everyone keeps saying "those kids love you. you've changed their lives" but all those people are wrong (well, maybe not wrong, but that's not the full story). I love those kids. THEY have changed MY life. Everything about this experience has made me a better person and now I am about to leave and I worry that everything will change. This person who I have become, who I love, will she go away when I leave? Over time, the memories will start to fade, the colors will all blur together, I'll forget my students names, what bus routes I rode regularly. I'll forget the silly songs I sing (I can only hope I forget some of them!) and I'll forget which doors creak, which doors don't stay closed unless locked. I'll start flushing my toilet paper again and using forks.
All of these things are going to change because of one word. "Goodbye" Its something we say all the time but rarely think about what it really means. And there is always the cliche, "It's not goodbye, it's see you later" but this time it really is a goodbye. Why is it that we only think about the truth of goodbye when it really is forever. When we have to say goodbye to someone who has passed away or is moving away. When people simply vanish from our lives it changes us.
And now I'm facing the most difficult goodbye I have ever faced. Sure goodbyes at deaths are pretty difficult, but there is always the thought and hope that that person is no longer suffering and in a better place. You aren't facing a goodbye in which you fear that person will continue on in life and eventually forget about you. The goodbye I must say to my students stings deep. I can't even really make comprehensible sentences right now because I just don't wan to think about it anymore. But it is now unavoidable.
None of this probably makes any sense. I probably shouldn't post this, but I will. The is the best I've been able to do so far at explaining how I feel about it. So yeah. In summary, goodbyes suck.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Explorations and Explanations
So two weekends ago I went to Nanjing. Yes, I have been so terrible about writing in my blog on a consistent basis if it takes this long, but whatever. All things take their due time to process in my mind and I am still trying to process all of what happened in Nanjing. And I guess I need to explain a few things as well.
There were a couple mixups here in Guiyang regarding what day we were going to finish teaching. Our original end date was June 14th...which would be the end of this week. When that was the case, Amber and I were going to travel around China a bit before heading down south to Vietnam. One of our stops was going to be Nanjing where we have a couple friends and I'll be living and teaching next school year. Well it turns out, we were supposed to be finished teaching in Guiyang until JULY 14th, which put quite a hamper in many of our plans. But a happy medium was reached and I'll be teaching in Guiyang until June 30th now. Amber and I canceled our travels in China (I mean, I'll have plenty of time for that next year anyway) but I still needed to find my way out to Nanjing to get my contract and finalize everything. So I just picked the following weekend and went. There is explanation part one.
Now on to the explorations. I was super excited to go to Nanjing. I would get to explore my new home even if it was only for a couple days and I would get to see a few friends (yay!) and I mean how is that anything but exciting. Well let me tell you how nerve racking it can be traveling in China by yourself for the first time. Actually, it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared it could be. By now I am used to taxi drivers going the wrong way on purpose and jacking up my bill, I've been in and out of the Guiyang airport enough times to be comfortable. But arriving in Nanjing was just a little...scary? I don't know. It was pretty late when I got in and it was raining. But I had no problem getting a taxi and he knew how to get me where I needed to go and he got there fast. Walking down a strange alley at midnight got my heart pumping a little bit faster...but I mean, I can hold my own. hah.
I fell asleep pretty quickly at my hostel (word to the wise...if you ever find yourself in Nanjing I would highly recommend Jasmine Youth Hostel...it was great. and that is a legit no strings attached recommendation). I was most excited for Saturday. I was going to hang out with Sarah all day and meet people from my new school and actually see my new school. But of course the rain tried to dampen (heh) my day. And of course I didn't let the rain ruin anything. I trudged around in that rain like a soggy successful mess. I'm not quite sure if I can label what the highlight of that day was. I mean, I played ping pong...pardon me, table tennis, ate so much cheese, had a starbucks, ate Mexican food (!!) and played a new board game (shout out to ticket to ride). So yes, it was a good, long, fun day.
Now comes explanations round two.
I feel like I need to be completely honest and admit how flippin' scared I was at this point in time. How much doubt and fear was swirling around my brain and suffocating my thoughts. When I arrived in Guiyang, it was an instant love affair with zero hesitation. When I arrived in Nanjing...not so much. As I was settling in on Saturday night, I couldn't help but think "maybe I'm making a mistake. maybe I made a mistake. maybe this isn't right. maybe it isn't what I want" Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. I swear, I thought I wouldn't get any sleep for tossing and turning and the endless thoughts racing through my brain. When I first came to China, I knew that I would have a good friend with me from start to finish. I knew that I would make good friends with the other two teachers placed in my city. I knew that I would never be alone. But now I'm setting off to go to Nanjing alone. Sure, I know people in the city. But they all know people. They all have people already. I'm going in blind. Nothing is really guaranteed. It is pretty nerve racking entering a city with millions and millions of people and not knowing if you'll find a friendly face. Not knowing if you'll like it, feel at home. So I was having a royal freak out session.
Sunday rolls around and I have to say goodbye to Sarah as she was leaving to head back to the States. That was pretty hard, more so for her, but hard enough for me. Sarah was a friend I wasn't expecting to make in China. We knew each other for all of what, seven days in Hong Kong before she went to Beijing and I went to Guiyang. But through our dear friend QQ, a great friendship was born and we discovered kindred spirits within each other. I mean, we are practically the same person. I feel so grateful, not only that I met her, but that the fates lined up and allowed us to see each other before she left China.
I also was treated to a wonderful afternoon in Nanjing by a friend who lives there. I talked about Ben way back when in Hong Kong the first time around. He is the father of a student of Brad...look at how this has all come full circle. I started my China adventure with the wonderfully dubbed hostel group, and I got to see some of them again. Well Ben took me out to a park in Nanjing, what he called the most beautiful place in the city and to the Sun Yat-Sen Mausoleum. The park was huge and was the first thing that I can say I truly loved about Nanjing. It was so green! There were trees everywhere! People were bike riding and walking and there were lakes and birds and kids and it was just so so great! I love seeing that side of China. Away from the tall buildings, busy people, and car horns. I love feeling like I'm part of something old and historic. I feel like I am in the real China when I am surrounded by nature and not skyscrapers.
Ben also took me to dinner which was incredibly nice and the food was so deliciously amazing I thought I had fallen in love. And I defnitely never thought I'd feel that way about fish, because I have never liked fish. The food in Nanjing definitely has a different flavor palate than Guiyang, and I can't say that I mind one little bit. After dinner we walked around the main downtown area before I headed back to my hostel. I went back to the hostel for bed that night with a fully belly and happiness in my heart.
Some of my uncertainties still remain about Nanjing. I don't regret any of the decisions I made. I don't regret signing on to live in China for another year. I don't regret making my new home Nanjing. I think maybe you can't enjoy everything to its fullest extent if it was all sunshine and daisies all the time. I've had my fair share of struggles getting to this place, getting this job, and fulfilling my newest dream to stay in China. I think my future appreciation for Nanjing will be that much greater because I've already experienced the doubt and fear.
We'll see what the future holds. I'm just as excited as you to figure it out.
There were a couple mixups here in Guiyang regarding what day we were going to finish teaching. Our original end date was June 14th...which would be the end of this week. When that was the case, Amber and I were going to travel around China a bit before heading down south to Vietnam. One of our stops was going to be Nanjing where we have a couple friends and I'll be living and teaching next school year. Well it turns out, we were supposed to be finished teaching in Guiyang until JULY 14th, which put quite a hamper in many of our plans. But a happy medium was reached and I'll be teaching in Guiyang until June 30th now. Amber and I canceled our travels in China (I mean, I'll have plenty of time for that next year anyway) but I still needed to find my way out to Nanjing to get my contract and finalize everything. So I just picked the following weekend and went. There is explanation part one.
Now on to the explorations. I was super excited to go to Nanjing. I would get to explore my new home even if it was only for a couple days and I would get to see a few friends (yay!) and I mean how is that anything but exciting. Well let me tell you how nerve racking it can be traveling in China by yourself for the first time. Actually, it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared it could be. By now I am used to taxi drivers going the wrong way on purpose and jacking up my bill, I've been in and out of the Guiyang airport enough times to be comfortable. But arriving in Nanjing was just a little...scary? I don't know. It was pretty late when I got in and it was raining. But I had no problem getting a taxi and he knew how to get me where I needed to go and he got there fast. Walking down a strange alley at midnight got my heart pumping a little bit faster...but I mean, I can hold my own. hah.
I fell asleep pretty quickly at my hostel (word to the wise...if you ever find yourself in Nanjing I would highly recommend Jasmine Youth Hostel...it was great. and that is a legit no strings attached recommendation). I was most excited for Saturday. I was going to hang out with Sarah all day and meet people from my new school and actually see my new school. But of course the rain tried to dampen (heh) my day. And of course I didn't let the rain ruin anything. I trudged around in that rain like a soggy successful mess. I'm not quite sure if I can label what the highlight of that day was. I mean, I played ping pong...pardon me, table tennis, ate so much cheese, had a starbucks, ate Mexican food (!!) and played a new board game (shout out to ticket to ride). So yes, it was a good, long, fun day.
Now comes explanations round two.
I feel like I need to be completely honest and admit how flippin' scared I was at this point in time. How much doubt and fear was swirling around my brain and suffocating my thoughts. When I arrived in Guiyang, it was an instant love affair with zero hesitation. When I arrived in Nanjing...not so much. As I was settling in on Saturday night, I couldn't help but think "maybe I'm making a mistake. maybe I made a mistake. maybe this isn't right. maybe it isn't what I want" Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. I swear, I thought I wouldn't get any sleep for tossing and turning and the endless thoughts racing through my brain. When I first came to China, I knew that I would have a good friend with me from start to finish. I knew that I would make good friends with the other two teachers placed in my city. I knew that I would never be alone. But now I'm setting off to go to Nanjing alone. Sure, I know people in the city. But they all know people. They all have people already. I'm going in blind. Nothing is really guaranteed. It is pretty nerve racking entering a city with millions and millions of people and not knowing if you'll find a friendly face. Not knowing if you'll like it, feel at home. So I was having a royal freak out session.
Sunday rolls around and I have to say goodbye to Sarah as she was leaving to head back to the States. That was pretty hard, more so for her, but hard enough for me. Sarah was a friend I wasn't expecting to make in China. We knew each other for all of what, seven days in Hong Kong before she went to Beijing and I went to Guiyang. But through our dear friend QQ, a great friendship was born and we discovered kindred spirits within each other. I mean, we are practically the same person. I feel so grateful, not only that I met her, but that the fates lined up and allowed us to see each other before she left China.
I also was treated to a wonderful afternoon in Nanjing by a friend who lives there. I talked about Ben way back when in Hong Kong the first time around. He is the father of a student of Brad...look at how this has all come full circle. I started my China adventure with the wonderfully dubbed hostel group, and I got to see some of them again. Well Ben took me out to a park in Nanjing, what he called the most beautiful place in the city and to the Sun Yat-Sen Mausoleum. The park was huge and was the first thing that I can say I truly loved about Nanjing. It was so green! There were trees everywhere! People were bike riding and walking and there were lakes and birds and kids and it was just so so great! I love seeing that side of China. Away from the tall buildings, busy people, and car horns. I love feeling like I'm part of something old and historic. I feel like I am in the real China when I am surrounded by nature and not skyscrapers.
Ben also took me to dinner which was incredibly nice and the food was so deliciously amazing I thought I had fallen in love. And I defnitely never thought I'd feel that way about fish, because I have never liked fish. The food in Nanjing definitely has a different flavor palate than Guiyang, and I can't say that I mind one little bit. After dinner we walked around the main downtown area before I headed back to my hostel. I went back to the hostel for bed that night with a fully belly and happiness in my heart.
Some of my uncertainties still remain about Nanjing. I don't regret any of the decisions I made. I don't regret signing on to live in China for another year. I don't regret making my new home Nanjing. I think maybe you can't enjoy everything to its fullest extent if it was all sunshine and daisies all the time. I've had my fair share of struggles getting to this place, getting this job, and fulfilling my newest dream to stay in China. I think my future appreciation for Nanjing will be that much greater because I've already experienced the doubt and fear.
We'll see what the future holds. I'm just as excited as you to figure it out.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Digging Deeper.
So over the past few weeks I have grown a little bit closer with China and some of my students. One of my favorite things about this whole experience has been when I'm walking home or just out on the streets somewhere and I see one of my students or hear a loud "Hellooooo Ash-a-leeey" or just get mauled by hugs from the back. It is always completely unexpected and a great treasure.
I recently started tutoring one of my students, a second grader named Nicole. One of the Chinese English teachers set it up and took me to Nicole's home for the lesson. Let my start by saying "jaw drop" because her home is B.E.A.UTIFUL. It is on the top floor (25th) of the building and is a split level apartment consisting of (I think) 3 or 4 levels. The apartment has a top notch view of dowtown Guiyang, including the signatuer Jiaxiu Tower, People's Square, and the Nanming River. I seriously couldn't believe it. She also has a pet golden retriever named Princess and an indoor swimming pool. Now, you may all appropriately let your jaws drop too.
So after I finish oggling at everything and playing with Princess I am brought drinks and snacks and fruit and they keep asking what else I would like and yada yada. And I'm all like "woah now. You've given me watermelon and yang mei (most delicious fruit ever) and crackers and yogurt and juice and water." They were so incredibly hospitable. And I was sitting on the couch next to the grandmother who didn't speak a lick of English but kept saying how beautiful I am and how nice my teeth are and my hair looks so nice and I thought I would die from cuteness overload of this grandma.
I then had a two hour session with Nicole which I'll kind of skip over because I mean really, who needs details of learning about the grocery store and labeling things in her play/study room. But I guess I should comment on some of the things in this study but really play room. The girl had a red Ferarri bike and a little motorized Harley Davidson bike. Oh, and two regular bikes too. The kid has it made. But you would never really know that because she is the sweetest thing and would rather play with the dirt then al her crazy gadgets. Only she does love to ride her bike. But only one bike. Its kinda crazy she has so many because she just rides the one. But she's super cute and I love her.
So we finish our session and I think I'm gonna go home. But no, they want to take me to their grandfather's house out in Huaxi district (very green and pretty and about 45 minutes from downtown Guiyang). So we drive out there (her parents, Nicole, Journey (my teacher friend), Journey's cousin Mason, and Nicole's sister Flower. When we get there, I'm offered even more snacks and drinks and the four "young ones" (Mason, Nicole, Flower, and myself) all get bikes and we go on a ride through this park near the house. So I finally fulfilled my dream of bike riding in China. And I was not disappointed. The bike path was along a river and every couple of yards there were wild orchids blooming sky high and trees of every shade of green. And that day was one of the most beautiful days we've had in Guiyang. Not a cloud in the sky, a nice light breeze and endless sunshine. I'm not even sure how long we rode the bikes but I wanted to freeze time and never let it continue. I was feeling so incredibly grateful and was in a state of pure bliss.
We took a short rest before heading back and you guessed it, they bought us more snacks and drinks. All over Guiyang, peope set up little stalls where they have buckets of hot coals and wire screens so they can cook little snacks. Most commonly they serve squares of tofu, sausages, and the ones near rivers have dried fish. So we got a little of everything and it was all so good. Mason also got me a local snack that he could only call "ice noodle soup" which basically describes it. It was a bowl with huge chunks of frozen clear noodles, ice, chopped up apple, sesame seeds, and other fruits and juices. It was sooo sooo good. And the perfect refreshment for a hot day. I was a little skeptical when I first saw it but I have lived by my "try everything" motto in China; usually that motto does me no wrong.
We biked back to the house where even more snacks were waiting for us. There was rose sugar candy (yes, made from real roses), these biscuit things made from peas, sunflower seeds...you name it. Well, actually, I can't really name most of it. And then within minutes dinner was ready. We set up a table outside and enjoyed the setting sun, good company, and good food. There were these delicious egg roll type things (not really eggrolls, more like a taquito actually but I wanted to never stop eating them...so good), rice, veggies, lentils, chicken (which happened to be alive before we left for the bike ride...I try not to think about these things though), soup, and potatoes. And another pleasant surprise showed up on the table. I once told myself trying it one time was enough to last the rest of my life. But when you are a guest in someone's home, you try everything at least once. So yes, I did eat pig kidney...AGAIN. I now think I have eaten enough to last a lifetime. Its not that they are even bad...I just can't seem to bypass the thought "you're eating kidney. you're eating kidney. you're eating kidney"
After dinner, I played basketball with Nicole but she got bored quickly and took off on her bike again. I then just relaxed as the evening cooled off and got to know my new friend Mason.
I am beyond grateful (I'm pretty sure I've already said that) for everything China has given to me. I seriously am in awe of how much I have gotten out of this experience. I never expected to make China a home. I never expected to fall so in love with the culture, the people, the food, the environment...with everything. I never thought I'd get the chance to become a part of a student's family. I never thought I would dig so deep into China. And I never thought it would dig so deep in to me. China has placed its everlasting roots into my heart and soul. I know I will never be the same.
I recently started tutoring one of my students, a second grader named Nicole. One of the Chinese English teachers set it up and took me to Nicole's home for the lesson. Let my start by saying "jaw drop" because her home is B.E.A.UTIFUL. It is on the top floor (25th) of the building and is a split level apartment consisting of (I think) 3 or 4 levels. The apartment has a top notch view of dowtown Guiyang, including the signatuer Jiaxiu Tower, People's Square, and the Nanming River. I seriously couldn't believe it. She also has a pet golden retriever named Princess and an indoor swimming pool. Now, you may all appropriately let your jaws drop too.
So after I finish oggling at everything and playing with Princess I am brought drinks and snacks and fruit and they keep asking what else I would like and yada yada. And I'm all like "woah now. You've given me watermelon and yang mei (most delicious fruit ever) and crackers and yogurt and juice and water." They were so incredibly hospitable. And I was sitting on the couch next to the grandmother who didn't speak a lick of English but kept saying how beautiful I am and how nice my teeth are and my hair looks so nice and I thought I would die from cuteness overload of this grandma.
I then had a two hour session with Nicole which I'll kind of skip over because I mean really, who needs details of learning about the grocery store and labeling things in her play/study room. But I guess I should comment on some of the things in this study but really play room. The girl had a red Ferarri bike and a little motorized Harley Davidson bike. Oh, and two regular bikes too. The kid has it made. But you would never really know that because she is the sweetest thing and would rather play with the dirt then al her crazy gadgets. Only she does love to ride her bike. But only one bike. Its kinda crazy she has so many because she just rides the one. But she's super cute and I love her.
So we finish our session and I think I'm gonna go home. But no, they want to take me to their grandfather's house out in Huaxi district (very green and pretty and about 45 minutes from downtown Guiyang). So we drive out there (her parents, Nicole, Journey (my teacher friend), Journey's cousin Mason, and Nicole's sister Flower. When we get there, I'm offered even more snacks and drinks and the four "young ones" (Mason, Nicole, Flower, and myself) all get bikes and we go on a ride through this park near the house. So I finally fulfilled my dream of bike riding in China. And I was not disappointed. The bike path was along a river and every couple of yards there were wild orchids blooming sky high and trees of every shade of green. And that day was one of the most beautiful days we've had in Guiyang. Not a cloud in the sky, a nice light breeze and endless sunshine. I'm not even sure how long we rode the bikes but I wanted to freeze time and never let it continue. I was feeling so incredibly grateful and was in a state of pure bliss.
We took a short rest before heading back and you guessed it, they bought us more snacks and drinks. All over Guiyang, peope set up little stalls where they have buckets of hot coals and wire screens so they can cook little snacks. Most commonly they serve squares of tofu, sausages, and the ones near rivers have dried fish. So we got a little of everything and it was all so good. Mason also got me a local snack that he could only call "ice noodle soup" which basically describes it. It was a bowl with huge chunks of frozen clear noodles, ice, chopped up apple, sesame seeds, and other fruits and juices. It was sooo sooo good. And the perfect refreshment for a hot day. I was a little skeptical when I first saw it but I have lived by my "try everything" motto in China; usually that motto does me no wrong.
We biked back to the house where even more snacks were waiting for us. There was rose sugar candy (yes, made from real roses), these biscuit things made from peas, sunflower seeds...you name it. Well, actually, I can't really name most of it. And then within minutes dinner was ready. We set up a table outside and enjoyed the setting sun, good company, and good food. There were these delicious egg roll type things (not really eggrolls, more like a taquito actually but I wanted to never stop eating them...so good), rice, veggies, lentils, chicken (which happened to be alive before we left for the bike ride...I try not to think about these things though), soup, and potatoes. And another pleasant surprise showed up on the table. I once told myself trying it one time was enough to last the rest of my life. But when you are a guest in someone's home, you try everything at least once. So yes, I did eat pig kidney...AGAIN. I now think I have eaten enough to last a lifetime. Its not that they are even bad...I just can't seem to bypass the thought "you're eating kidney. you're eating kidney. you're eating kidney"
After dinner, I played basketball with Nicole but she got bored quickly and took off on her bike again. I then just relaxed as the evening cooled off and got to know my new friend Mason.
I am beyond grateful (I'm pretty sure I've already said that) for everything China has given to me. I seriously am in awe of how much I have gotten out of this experience. I never expected to make China a home. I never expected to fall so in love with the culture, the people, the food, the environment...with everything. I never thought I'd get the chance to become a part of a student's family. I never thought I would dig so deep into China. And I never thought it would dig so deep in to me. China has placed its everlasting roots into my heart and soul. I know I will never be the same.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls
Ok. The title is a little misleading because I highly suggest you go chasing waterfalls. Especially if that waterfall is Huangguoshu in Guizhou. Way back when I learned I would be going to China, I dreamed about the location I may be living. Once I discovered that location, I did what any normal technology obsessed millenial would do and I googled the city. One of the first things I read about Guiyang was that it was close to a famous waterfall that is one of the top tourist desitnations for Chinese people. Ready, set, jaw drop.
How cool is it that I get to live somewhere that Chinese people go on vacation to? I mean, its awesome. I am so so lucky.
Anyway. Huangguoshu made it to the top of my list of places to go while living in Guiyang. And finally, two weekends ago (I know, I'm a little behind...) it finally came to be and we went, saw, and conquered that waterfall. What an experience it was too. Every time I think I can't possibly see a place more beautiful, I see a place more beautiful than anything I've ever seen before. The green trees, the blue waters, clear and sunny skies. Beyond words.
But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning.
Trains. I've already said how much I love trains and this was no different. Granted, the train ride is all of 1 hour so it wasn't too terribly exciting (just wait til I get to the train ride home!). But we arrived in Anshun kind of late and then had to make it to our hotel via taxi. I don't think any of us were prepared to hear that our hotel was an hour drive away and no one would take us there until the morning. How much does that stink!? So, with little options, tired feet, and annoyed minds we trudged across the train station parking lot to a hotel. We figured we would have to pay quite a bit but we were out of options. What we didn't know was that we were also paying the board for some unexpected roommates. Cockroaches. Tons and tons of cockroaches.
Now Zazu may have had a lovely bunch of coconuts, but we had a lovely bunch of cockroaches. There were big ones, small ones, and some as big as your head. Okay, maybe they weren't that big. BUT one did climb on my head.... I was already having a hard time sleeping regardless of our many legged friends because I was sick and we were sleeping on a wooden board, and Amber and I were sharing a teeny tiny bed. None of us wanted to change our clothes or take off our shoes because everything felt so dirty. So when I felt a little patter across my head at 3:30 in the morning, I sat up and just starting whimpering because I couldn't quite cry and I wanted to laugh. So at 3:30 I started my day. The others obviously woke up too, Amber couldn't quite sleep with a roach in our bed and Jake couldn't sleep because we needed him to kill the little bugger. So we watched Stuart Little (1 and 2...in Chinese), discovered Jake lost his wallet, found Jake's wallet, watched the sunrise, and tried my best to get comfortable without having skin contact with anything by my clothes.
The next great adventure came in the morning and trying to find the right bus to get to Huangguoshu, which actually wasn't too difficult at all. What was difficult was finding the entrance once we got there and bought our tickets.We discovered that we would each have to pay 50 RMB for a bus ride to the entrance which was only about 4 km away. So we said a big fat "yeah right" and walked. And of course we got so many extra lovely photo ops because of the walk. But let's try to remember really quick that 1) I am sick and 2) I had about 3 hours of restlessly broken up sleep. So yeah, I was kinda miserable and dragging my feet. But I knew that the end result would be worth it.
There were a couple different areas of waterfalls as well as gardens, ponds, bonsai trees, and karst rocks to check out as well so I pretty much had my camera ready at every single second. But obviously we were most excited to get to the main waterfall, Huangguoshu, and the Rhinocerus Pool (where the waterfall lands). We also discovered that you could walk in the caves behind the waterfall which was super cool and wet. But I am happy to announce that I did not once fall or slip or trip and nearly die. What a feat for me.
The waterfall was simply breath taking. So beautiful and powerful yet serene at the same time. It amazes me how much force is behind the water as it cracks into the surface of the pool below it. It actually kind of reminded me of the glaciers in Alaska. In a way, you can picture those frozen chunks of ice suddenly breaking free of their slumber and cascading down the mountain sides as waterfalls. You can equally picture the power of a waterfall coming to a defeaning halt as it freezes into a block of motionless force. Or maybe I'm just crazy and you really can't picture those things. Either way, it was awesome and life changing and awesome. I feel like I've used the word awesome too many times.
Because of the roach ordeal from our first night, we decided to head home on Saturday instead of staying until Sunday like originally planned. I wasn't as bummed because I really needed a good night sleep and I was pretty worn out from the whole day. My suggestion to any and everyone, try to stay healthy. Because when you are in China, being sick is a major downer.
And I almost forgot to mention the train ride home. How silly of me. So we went and bought train tickets and were really confused because we weren't given a seat number. We later discovered that meant we were supposed to stand, which shouldn't have been that big of a deal. I mean we stand on long bus rides all the time and those are far less stable and smooth than the train. But on the train people come by with little trolley carts. ALL. THE. TIME. I swear, we were on for only about 1 hour and we were passed by carts at least a dozen times. And when they only place for you to be is standing in the aisles, it can get annoying, fast. But for the last 20 minutes or so, someone gave up their seat and I sat down next to a little boy with a toy gun. So we started playing a little game. He would yell "pia pia!" and kill me. So I'd slump over dead. But when I woke up again, he would kill me again. And so on and so on until I didn't die anymore. So he would start banging on his gun trying to fix it. Once he hit it five times I would die again. It was all great fun until he accidently pistol whipped me in the face, which really wasn't that bad either. The kid was adorable. I fell in love.
How cool is it that I get to live somewhere that Chinese people go on vacation to? I mean, its awesome. I am so so lucky.
Anyway. Huangguoshu made it to the top of my list of places to go while living in Guiyang. And finally, two weekends ago (I know, I'm a little behind...) it finally came to be and we went, saw, and conquered that waterfall. What an experience it was too. Every time I think I can't possibly see a place more beautiful, I see a place more beautiful than anything I've ever seen before. The green trees, the blue waters, clear and sunny skies. Beyond words.
But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning.
Trains. I've already said how much I love trains and this was no different. Granted, the train ride is all of 1 hour so it wasn't too terribly exciting (just wait til I get to the train ride home!). But we arrived in Anshun kind of late and then had to make it to our hotel via taxi. I don't think any of us were prepared to hear that our hotel was an hour drive away and no one would take us there until the morning. How much does that stink!? So, with little options, tired feet, and annoyed minds we trudged across the train station parking lot to a hotel. We figured we would have to pay quite a bit but we were out of options. What we didn't know was that we were also paying the board for some unexpected roommates. Cockroaches. Tons and tons of cockroaches.
Now Zazu may have had a lovely bunch of coconuts, but we had a lovely bunch of cockroaches. There were big ones, small ones, and some as big as your head. Okay, maybe they weren't that big. BUT one did climb on my head.... I was already having a hard time sleeping regardless of our many legged friends because I was sick and we were sleeping on a wooden board, and Amber and I were sharing a teeny tiny bed. None of us wanted to change our clothes or take off our shoes because everything felt so dirty. So when I felt a little patter across my head at 3:30 in the morning, I sat up and just starting whimpering because I couldn't quite cry and I wanted to laugh. So at 3:30 I started my day. The others obviously woke up too, Amber couldn't quite sleep with a roach in our bed and Jake couldn't sleep because we needed him to kill the little bugger. So we watched Stuart Little (1 and 2...in Chinese), discovered Jake lost his wallet, found Jake's wallet, watched the sunrise, and tried my best to get comfortable without having skin contact with anything by my clothes.
The next great adventure came in the morning and trying to find the right bus to get to Huangguoshu, which actually wasn't too difficult at all. What was difficult was finding the entrance once we got there and bought our tickets.We discovered that we would each have to pay 50 RMB for a bus ride to the entrance which was only about 4 km away. So we said a big fat "yeah right" and walked. And of course we got so many extra lovely photo ops because of the walk. But let's try to remember really quick that 1) I am sick and 2) I had about 3 hours of restlessly broken up sleep. So yeah, I was kinda miserable and dragging my feet. But I knew that the end result would be worth it.
There were a couple different areas of waterfalls as well as gardens, ponds, bonsai trees, and karst rocks to check out as well so I pretty much had my camera ready at every single second. But obviously we were most excited to get to the main waterfall, Huangguoshu, and the Rhinocerus Pool (where the waterfall lands). We also discovered that you could walk in the caves behind the waterfall which was super cool and wet. But I am happy to announce that I did not once fall or slip or trip and nearly die. What a feat for me.
The waterfall was simply breath taking. So beautiful and powerful yet serene at the same time. It amazes me how much force is behind the water as it cracks into the surface of the pool below it. It actually kind of reminded me of the glaciers in Alaska. In a way, you can picture those frozen chunks of ice suddenly breaking free of their slumber and cascading down the mountain sides as waterfalls. You can equally picture the power of a waterfall coming to a defeaning halt as it freezes into a block of motionless force. Or maybe I'm just crazy and you really can't picture those things. Either way, it was awesome and life changing and awesome. I feel like I've used the word awesome too many times.
Because of the roach ordeal from our first night, we decided to head home on Saturday instead of staying until Sunday like originally planned. I wasn't as bummed because I really needed a good night sleep and I was pretty worn out from the whole day. My suggestion to any and everyone, try to stay healthy. Because when you are in China, being sick is a major downer.
And I almost forgot to mention the train ride home. How silly of me. So we went and bought train tickets and were really confused because we weren't given a seat number. We later discovered that meant we were supposed to stand, which shouldn't have been that big of a deal. I mean we stand on long bus rides all the time and those are far less stable and smooth than the train. But on the train people come by with little trolley carts. ALL. THE. TIME. I swear, we were on for only about 1 hour and we were passed by carts at least a dozen times. And when they only place for you to be is standing in the aisles, it can get annoying, fast. But for the last 20 minutes or so, someone gave up their seat and I sat down next to a little boy with a toy gun. So we started playing a little game. He would yell "pia pia!" and kill me. So I'd slump over dead. But when I woke up again, he would kill me again. And so on and so on until I didn't die anymore. So he would start banging on his gun trying to fix it. Once he hit it five times I would die again. It was all great fun until he accidently pistol whipped me in the face, which really wasn't that bad either. The kid was adorable. I fell in love.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Long Overdue... Hong Kong, Round Two!
So I'm actually going to make this brief. Only, I say that now and heavens knows I am a talker and when I write my blogs I basically just pretend that I'm talking to someone so I can go on and on and on.
So it probably won't be short, brief, or to the point. But you know what? Life isn't meant to be thought of as brief. I know so many people think a great motto for life is "Live like you're dying" or thanks to what's his name "YOLO" (bleh). But I think that if that is how you live, you'll be too focused on the present. Sure, the present is great and all. But sometimes its good to dwell on the past. Because your past is ultimately what brought you to your present and it is also what is shaping your future. And now that I have gone off on some crazy tangent that has nothing to do with Hong Kong, I feel like I should reel it in and come back to the purpose, if I can even remember what it is.
Right. So Hong Kong. (and please note that my title rhymes)
I fell in love with HK the first time I went there and I was extemely excited to have the opportunity to go back, even if it was only for 24(ish) hours and especially because my school took the tab. Another side tangent...(that was redundant) I am SO INCREDIBLY grateful to my school forever everything they have done for us. They take us to cool shows and give us free food and the teachers are all so so nice and give me medicine when I'm sick (which is practically always). And seriously, they booked us such a NICE hotel for HK. We told them to just get us a dorm room somewhere and it would be fine and dandy. But no, we get set up in a 5 star (maybe it was 4, but whatever) hotel with a BATHTUB. Oh man. So cool. So nice. I couldn't believe it.
They paid for our flights, gave us spending money. I mean seriously. We got an allowance. I mean, it was crazy and I just still a little flabbergasted. But okay.
The highlights of HK round two.
1) I was reunited with Starbucks...TWICE. And because I have an awesome mom, I used my iphone app to pay for one of my drinks with money she loaded on it. That's right, my momma treated me to a starbucks in HK.
2) I ate LASAGNA. That's right, you heard me. We decided no Chinese or Asian food of any kind. No rice, no noodles (okay, I guess Italian is noodles, but its different). So we spoiled ourselves on Western food. For dinner we went to the Spaghetti House and it was beyond delicious. I was drunk on lasagna and it was awesome.
3) We acted like annoying tourists. I mean, part of me was a little embarassed by it, because we were being so goofy (okay, I was being so goofy) but I couldn't help it. I was on a vacation and was full with delicious food and there were SO MANY white people and I felt like I didn't stick out as much and that was so nice and so I acted a little more like my crazy self...but of course that kinda made me stand out again. BUT THATS OKAY. I'm loud and crazy and I like to have fun and race Jake through the metro hallways and pose doing the YMCA in front of a sign for the HK YMCA and I like not stepping on the cracks even if it means I gotta walk really funny. And I like to sing out loud. So there. I'll be me.
4) The night market. No I didn't buy anything because I couldn't find what I wanted and no I don't want to talk about it because I'm still a little angry. BUT what was so amazing was that we stumbled upon a little street performance by some awesome hippy looking dude with a pony tail and he was singing "Heartache Tonight" and he saw a group of white kids come up and so of course he was all like "ooohhhh gotta get one of them up here" and of course Jake goes up. But does Jake know the song...noooo. But then I was seen singing in the audience. Next thing I know he grabs me by the hands and I'm sure my face was beet red but I grabbed the mic and belted out the rest of the song and danced around in a circle and I just felt so alive. And I never felt more like my father's daughter. That song will now forever hold a special place in my heart and I will probably never feel any heartache over it either.
5) The Avenue of Stars is always a fun area to walk around. I mean you have gorgeous views of Victoria Harbor and the HK skyline and there are tons of people from all over the world and it was just super cool just like last time.
6) I ate fish and chips. And get this. It was at an English pub called Bulldogs... Well, way back when my father was in the Navy and he went on a tour that stopped in HK...he went to a place called Bulldogs. OH MY GOODNESS HOW COOL IS THAT. Sure, it probably wasn't the same place, but it could have at least been related. And even if it isn't, I mean, we are still cool.
7) Just the fact that I was IN Hong Kong.
8) I took a bubble bath. While reading a book (well, a book on my tablet...not exactly the same thing but close enough).
9) I made a new friend. We realized while boarding our flight back to Guiyang there was another white guy on the plane and it is pretty rare that we see other white people in Guiyang so it was pretty exciting. Turns out he lives here and is playing soccer on a pro team in the city. I mean, how cool is that. Everything was just so so cool. We exchanged contact info and ended up going to his game the following weekend which was also incredibly fun. I didn't really realize how much I missed going to sporting events. I mean, probably half of my income goes to baseball and soccer games and so it was nice to be able to have a little part of myself here that I didn't think I'd have.
I wish I could think of a 10. It would make a lot of sense to have 10 top moments. But alas, I'm drawing blanks. Of course I'll probably think of something later and then it will be too late but bullocks who cares. Nine is a better number anyway.
So it probably won't be short, brief, or to the point. But you know what? Life isn't meant to be thought of as brief. I know so many people think a great motto for life is "Live like you're dying" or thanks to what's his name "YOLO" (bleh). But I think that if that is how you live, you'll be too focused on the present. Sure, the present is great and all. But sometimes its good to dwell on the past. Because your past is ultimately what brought you to your present and it is also what is shaping your future. And now that I have gone off on some crazy tangent that has nothing to do with Hong Kong, I feel like I should reel it in and come back to the purpose, if I can even remember what it is.
Right. So Hong Kong. (and please note that my title rhymes)
I fell in love with HK the first time I went there and I was extemely excited to have the opportunity to go back, even if it was only for 24(ish) hours and especially because my school took the tab. Another side tangent...(that was redundant) I am SO INCREDIBLY grateful to my school forever everything they have done for us. They take us to cool shows and give us free food and the teachers are all so so nice and give me medicine when I'm sick (which is practically always). And seriously, they booked us such a NICE hotel for HK. We told them to just get us a dorm room somewhere and it would be fine and dandy. But no, we get set up in a 5 star (maybe it was 4, but whatever) hotel with a BATHTUB. Oh man. So cool. So nice. I couldn't believe it.
They paid for our flights, gave us spending money. I mean seriously. We got an allowance. I mean, it was crazy and I just still a little flabbergasted. But okay.
The highlights of HK round two.
1) I was reunited with Starbucks...TWICE. And because I have an awesome mom, I used my iphone app to pay for one of my drinks with money she loaded on it. That's right, my momma treated me to a starbucks in HK.
2) I ate LASAGNA. That's right, you heard me. We decided no Chinese or Asian food of any kind. No rice, no noodles (okay, I guess Italian is noodles, but its different). So we spoiled ourselves on Western food. For dinner we went to the Spaghetti House and it was beyond delicious. I was drunk on lasagna and it was awesome.
3) We acted like annoying tourists. I mean, part of me was a little embarassed by it, because we were being so goofy (okay, I was being so goofy) but I couldn't help it. I was on a vacation and was full with delicious food and there were SO MANY white people and I felt like I didn't stick out as much and that was so nice and so I acted a little more like my crazy self...but of course that kinda made me stand out again. BUT THATS OKAY. I'm loud and crazy and I like to have fun and race Jake through the metro hallways and pose doing the YMCA in front of a sign for the HK YMCA and I like not stepping on the cracks even if it means I gotta walk really funny. And I like to sing out loud. So there. I'll be me.
4) The night market. No I didn't buy anything because I couldn't find what I wanted and no I don't want to talk about it because I'm still a little angry. BUT what was so amazing was that we stumbled upon a little street performance by some awesome hippy looking dude with a pony tail and he was singing "Heartache Tonight" and he saw a group of white kids come up and so of course he was all like "ooohhhh gotta get one of them up here" and of course Jake goes up. But does Jake know the song...noooo. But then I was seen singing in the audience. Next thing I know he grabs me by the hands and I'm sure my face was beet red but I grabbed the mic and belted out the rest of the song and danced around in a circle and I just felt so alive. And I never felt more like my father's daughter. That song will now forever hold a special place in my heart and I will probably never feel any heartache over it either.
5) The Avenue of Stars is always a fun area to walk around. I mean you have gorgeous views of Victoria Harbor and the HK skyline and there are tons of people from all over the world and it was just super cool just like last time.
6) I ate fish and chips. And get this. It was at an English pub called Bulldogs... Well, way back when my father was in the Navy and he went on a tour that stopped in HK...he went to a place called Bulldogs. OH MY GOODNESS HOW COOL IS THAT. Sure, it probably wasn't the same place, but it could have at least been related. And even if it isn't, I mean, we are still cool.
7) Just the fact that I was IN Hong Kong.
8) I took a bubble bath. While reading a book (well, a book on my tablet...not exactly the same thing but close enough).
9) I made a new friend. We realized while boarding our flight back to Guiyang there was another white guy on the plane and it is pretty rare that we see other white people in Guiyang so it was pretty exciting. Turns out he lives here and is playing soccer on a pro team in the city. I mean, how cool is that. Everything was just so so cool. We exchanged contact info and ended up going to his game the following weekend which was also incredibly fun. I didn't really realize how much I missed going to sporting events. I mean, probably half of my income goes to baseball and soccer games and so it was nice to be able to have a little part of myself here that I didn't think I'd have.
I wish I could think of a 10. It would make a lot of sense to have 10 top moments. But alas, I'm drawing blanks. Of course I'll probably think of something later and then it will be too late but bullocks who cares. Nine is a better number anyway.
I Love My Kids
So I am not entirely sure why, but today I started really thinking about leaving. Okay, I do know why but regardless of that it hit me kind of hard. Five more weekends are all I have left in this beautiful city with these beautiful people and doing some pretty amazing things.
But that also means, five more weeks. Actually, its less than that even. I have 26 more days left of school. That doesn't seem like very much time at all, and that's after a recent two week extension. I don't know what I'm going to do when it comes time to say good bye. Heck, I have a hard enough time saying bye to my kids on the weekends.
But now isn't the time to think about goodbye. Its a time to share all the love between me and 320 Chinese kids. I made a video for them that I will be showing them on the last day of class and it is something I'm going to share with whoever reads this thing now.
I'm not always good with words or my camera and certainly not a computer. But I know how to feel and so I tried to put that into my video. I tried to capture the very essence of my kids. I want you to be able to see through my eyes. Because, once you do, you'll see more love than you know what to do with.
Click here for the video, you won't regret it.
xox
But that also means, five more weeks. Actually, its less than that even. I have 26 more days left of school. That doesn't seem like very much time at all, and that's after a recent two week extension. I don't know what I'm going to do when it comes time to say good bye. Heck, I have a hard enough time saying bye to my kids on the weekends.
But now isn't the time to think about goodbye. Its a time to share all the love between me and 320 Chinese kids. I made a video for them that I will be showing them on the last day of class and it is something I'm going to share with whoever reads this thing now.
I'm not always good with words or my camera and certainly not a computer. But I know how to feel and so I tried to put that into my video. I tried to capture the very essence of my kids. I want you to be able to see through my eyes. Because, once you do, you'll see more love than you know what to do with.
Click here for the video, you won't regret it.
xox
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Holiday in Guilin
If you've ever been to China, you've likely heard of a lovely little place down south called Guilin. For our May Day holiday, we decided to venture to Guilin for a couple days. We were super excited because we had all wanted to go to Guilin and we were lucky enough to be placed in the city (of all the cities contracted with CH) closest to Guilin. You've already read about the adventure on the train to Guilin, so I'll begin my tale with the taxi.
When we exited the train station we were swarmed by bus drivers, taxi drivers, go kart drivers (okay, not really, but a ton of drivers nonetheless). We had already decided to go for the public bus because our hostel provided directions and we knew it was the cheapest option. But we stumbled upon an older-ish couple who were having trouble getting a taxi that didn't cost an arm, leg, and full head of hair. We started realized we were going to the same hostel, so we decided to just split the cost of a taxi and ride with them. What should have only been a 10 minute max drive took over 30 minutes, and the 12 yuan trip cost us 50 total. But, the couple is from New Zealand and we had quite a pleasant conversation covering topics as vast as the Spice Girls and Scottish food.
When we arrived at our hostel, Ming Palace International Youth Hostel, I fell in love instantly. It was filled with wood furniture, wood panels, wood floors...and it smelled like a forest. What I didn't love so much was that the ceiling in the lobby leaked and it took over 5 hours for our room to be ready. But, we were in Guilin, a dream vacation destination, so we really had no reason to complain. So we dropped off our bags in the luggage room and went out to explore. We quickly realized that our dream vacation would somewhat turn sour. The area had received a TON of rain the past few days and the river was overflowing and moving extremely fast. Some of the streets close to the river were also flooded, sidewalks were flooded. And most of the tourist attractions were flooded. But we were determined to not let any of this deter our fun.
We started walking through a mall like area that had quite a few fun looking shops. There were a ton of restaurants too. Then an extremely kind (cue red flag) man approached us and started asking us questions and talking to us and telling us all these wonderful stories. He was so grateful for us being English teachers and hoped we loved China and would tell our friends to come to China and all about his small village and tea farm and how he is teaching his whole village English and yada yada yada. When we told him we had to go buy our river raft tickets, he offered to show us to the closest ticket office. So we agreed. He then led us down an alley (cue second red flag) and then out into a pavilion and then into the office. In all honesty, I wasn't worried about his guy at all. I didn't think he was trying to scam us. The tickets were slightly less expensive than at our hostel so we decided to buy them. He then took us back to his tea shop, let us sample some very tasty tea, and wasn't even too mad or pushy when we wouldn't buy any.
Back to the hostel to finally check-in where we are informed all river rafts were cancelled due to the weather and the river being unsafe. Our dear tea farmer friend must have forgotten to mention that. Back to the ticket office, but no such luck on a refund, until we call our superhero liaison Daisy. She talked to the lady at the office and we finally learned that if in fact the river was still closed the next day, we would receive a refund. All was right in the world again.
And now a random interjection about our roommate Michael. Cate didn't come to Guilin and there was an empty bed in our 4 bed room at the hostel. Introducing Michael: a mid-20s year old European (I never did ask where he was from) who we rarely saw. He was always super nice though. We usually were in bed by the time he got back though I was still awake and he would joke with me how we sleep so early. Though I don't know much about Michael, I know he doesn't sleep much. Oh, and he wears cute, tight and white skivvies with cartoon characters. That's really all I wanted to share about Michael.
We spent the rest of the day exploring Guilin and walking around the endless pavilions, lakes, gardens, and along the river. As can be expected in a tourist location, everything was SO MUCH MORE expensive than Guiyang. We didn't end up paying to go into any of the major touristy spots because it was too much. But while we were exploring this time, we were approached by another very kind man (third red flag) who told us all about his small village and tea farming family and how he is trying to educate his small village. Been there, heard that, moving on.
The next morning, the ticket office lady came to our hostel and gave us our money back because the river was still unsafe. The river trip was supposed to take us to Yangshou, a town not too far from Guilin that is also very beautiful and touristy. Because we couldn't take the river, we decided to take a bus there. This was by far my favorite part of the trip. Yangshou was so beautiful and we were able to climb up some of the mountain/hills and could over look the city and river and surrounding mountains. It was extremely beautiful and peaceful and I felt so free. We decided to eat at a more "western" style restaurant since we were on vacation and you can only have rice so many times without wanting something different. So of course I got noodles. And a coffee milkshake!! I was so excited for my coffee milkshake. It was in an old fashioned style glass and everything and it was so deliciously hot. You heard me, hot. A hot milk shake. I guess they quite literally meant milk shake. Like coffee and milk....and then they shook it. Like shake shake shake, your booty. But not your booty...my coffee and milk. It was still good, just not exactly...well not at all what I wanted. There were also a ton of street stalls and shops and stores so I did a little shopping (yay scarves!) and then we settled on a bench to play cards before we took the bus back. Playing cards in public is one of my favorite things to do in China. You should see the crowds that gather around us while we play! Usually just the grandpas are out at the tables playing (or the younger guys gambling!) but it's so funny to see the questioning looks and the cameras come flying out whenever we play.
All in all, it was a nice vacation. It wasn't what I expected but I wouldn't change a thing. And beside, I now have an excuse to go back since I didn't get to go down the river. Guilin, until we meet again.
When we exited the train station we were swarmed by bus drivers, taxi drivers, go kart drivers (okay, not really, but a ton of drivers nonetheless). We had already decided to go for the public bus because our hostel provided directions and we knew it was the cheapest option. But we stumbled upon an older-ish couple who were having trouble getting a taxi that didn't cost an arm, leg, and full head of hair. We started realized we were going to the same hostel, so we decided to just split the cost of a taxi and ride with them. What should have only been a 10 minute max drive took over 30 minutes, and the 12 yuan trip cost us 50 total. But, the couple is from New Zealand and we had quite a pleasant conversation covering topics as vast as the Spice Girls and Scottish food.
When we arrived at our hostel, Ming Palace International Youth Hostel, I fell in love instantly. It was filled with wood furniture, wood panels, wood floors...and it smelled like a forest. What I didn't love so much was that the ceiling in the lobby leaked and it took over 5 hours for our room to be ready. But, we were in Guilin, a dream vacation destination, so we really had no reason to complain. So we dropped off our bags in the luggage room and went out to explore. We quickly realized that our dream vacation would somewhat turn sour. The area had received a TON of rain the past few days and the river was overflowing and moving extremely fast. Some of the streets close to the river were also flooded, sidewalks were flooded. And most of the tourist attractions were flooded. But we were determined to not let any of this deter our fun.
We started walking through a mall like area that had quite a few fun looking shops. There were a ton of restaurants too. Then an extremely kind (cue red flag) man approached us and started asking us questions and talking to us and telling us all these wonderful stories. He was so grateful for us being English teachers and hoped we loved China and would tell our friends to come to China and all about his small village and tea farm and how he is teaching his whole village English and yada yada yada. When we told him we had to go buy our river raft tickets, he offered to show us to the closest ticket office. So we agreed. He then led us down an alley (cue second red flag) and then out into a pavilion and then into the office. In all honesty, I wasn't worried about his guy at all. I didn't think he was trying to scam us. The tickets were slightly less expensive than at our hostel so we decided to buy them. He then took us back to his tea shop, let us sample some very tasty tea, and wasn't even too mad or pushy when we wouldn't buy any.
Back to the hostel to finally check-in where we are informed all river rafts were cancelled due to the weather and the river being unsafe. Our dear tea farmer friend must have forgotten to mention that. Back to the ticket office, but no such luck on a refund, until we call our superhero liaison Daisy. She talked to the lady at the office and we finally learned that if in fact the river was still closed the next day, we would receive a refund. All was right in the world again.
And now a random interjection about our roommate Michael. Cate didn't come to Guilin and there was an empty bed in our 4 bed room at the hostel. Introducing Michael: a mid-20s year old European (I never did ask where he was from) who we rarely saw. He was always super nice though. We usually were in bed by the time he got back though I was still awake and he would joke with me how we sleep so early. Though I don't know much about Michael, I know he doesn't sleep much. Oh, and he wears cute, tight and white skivvies with cartoon characters. That's really all I wanted to share about Michael.
We spent the rest of the day exploring Guilin and walking around the endless pavilions, lakes, gardens, and along the river. As can be expected in a tourist location, everything was SO MUCH MORE expensive than Guiyang. We didn't end up paying to go into any of the major touristy spots because it was too much. But while we were exploring this time, we were approached by another very kind man (third red flag) who told us all about his small village and tea farming family and how he is trying to educate his small village. Been there, heard that, moving on.
The next morning, the ticket office lady came to our hostel and gave us our money back because the river was still unsafe. The river trip was supposed to take us to Yangshou, a town not too far from Guilin that is also very beautiful and touristy. Because we couldn't take the river, we decided to take a bus there. This was by far my favorite part of the trip. Yangshou was so beautiful and we were able to climb up some of the mountain/hills and could over look the city and river and surrounding mountains. It was extremely beautiful and peaceful and I felt so free. We decided to eat at a more "western" style restaurant since we were on vacation and you can only have rice so many times without wanting something different. So of course I got noodles. And a coffee milkshake!! I was so excited for my coffee milkshake. It was in an old fashioned style glass and everything and it was so deliciously hot. You heard me, hot. A hot milk shake. I guess they quite literally meant milk shake. Like coffee and milk....and then they shook it. Like shake shake shake, your booty. But not your booty...my coffee and milk. It was still good, just not exactly...well not at all what I wanted. There were also a ton of street stalls and shops and stores so I did a little shopping (yay scarves!) and then we settled on a bench to play cards before we took the bus back. Playing cards in public is one of my favorite things to do in China. You should see the crowds that gather around us while we play! Usually just the grandpas are out at the tables playing (or the younger guys gambling!) but it's so funny to see the questioning looks and the cameras come flying out whenever we play.
All in all, it was a nice vacation. It wasn't what I expected but I wouldn't change a thing. And beside, I now have an excuse to go back since I didn't get to go down the river. Guilin, until we meet again.
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| That's about 3ft of water that isn't supposed to be there. |
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| The two towers. |
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| halfway up |
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| My milkshake... |
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| In Yangshou |
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| View from the top. |
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| water water, everywhere. |
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| the Li River |
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| Everything here was something. The benches were pigs. |
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| Under the stairs in the hostel. |
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| And our hostel! |
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