Briefing from the land of smiles

From the land of blocking, blogging is hardly possible. Facebook, youtube, blogs of any kind, sites with sensitive words (words you are not supposed to even think about, let alone mention them here), etc, etc are all blocked. For some of these, even proxy sites would not penetrate them. You are supposed to dig too deep to get around the great firewall for which I have no motivation nor time. That's the most obvious reason why this blog had been inactive for months now. Other reasons being busyness and laziness and writer's block (if a non-writer is permitted to have one).

H1N1 was a big concern and it scared us a little bit. But the trip's been planned and petitioned (upwards) for too long. Efforts to cancel turned out to be too mafan (that's troublesome for you), and off we went after consulting all sorts of people in the know practically from everywhere. Suvarnabhumi airport looked a little deserted at 2:20 in the am and we were rather happy about that. The visa fee had been cancelled till sometime next year and the immigration officials looked extra friendly and welcoming. After all we were among the few who dared to be in this land when every one else decides to stay out of trouble.

But what is this? Only very few people were actually wearing masks in the airport and we looked sort of out of place here with our masks on. We decided to take them off as well in the end. Airasia was giving some kind of promotional tour to some special guests. As we fly off to Chiang Mai with these special people we sat right behind the star of the group and the cameramen were all the time focusing on her moves. Nothing to make your heart skip a beat though.

I remember me six odd years ago, all impressed with the people who smiled at you and looked angelic in Bangkok, the city of angels (that's the meaning of the name). But I am now convinced people seemed to smile without actually smiling in their hearts.

Chiang Mai reminds us of home. Tin roofs, green hills, blue skies - they are all here. We begin to realise how deprived we have been. I love Thai food for one, seafood especially. Temples? Am not too big on it. Go to one, they're more or less the same. One is quite enough. Not even sure if we are going to any this time around. Let's just be here and enjoy and relax a little more before we get back to where you need to talk in tongues and hope someone outside would know how to interpret and get your message across somehow. The feeling of freedom in the air, the knowledge that you are not under the radar of anyone and the anonimity you have is sufficient to give you satisfaction and enjoyment in this land for now.

Khob kun krub and khob kun ka!

This is what one writes when he is too restless to sleep and uninspired to do any serious thinking. That's all for now. Yeah, non-sensical, isn't it?

Notes from the Middle Kingdom

Don't try this at home

You are on a busy Beijing street.  Everybody’s trying to go their own way, somehow.  You know from experience that if you don’t push your way a little you are never going to get there.  You know about courtesy; you know about politeness – yes you remember all your etiquette and manners but sometimes you have to get things done.  Getting things done, like crossing a road, may not be as easy as it sounds.  And if you are going to get there, you know you have to do so in a flash, and you may have to break a few rules here and there. 

The trick here, according to Dema, is to walk somewhere in the middle, among the milling crowd where you have the least chance of involving in an accident. You don’t have the time to die yet; and in any case if you happen to be the one among the millions, it's going to be too much of a coincidence.  You don’t want to help manufacture that coincidence, since it won’t be a coincidence anymore.   A single Mizo soul among a billion of them, come on, give others the chance!

Crossing the road, well, it’s not so mundane anymore.  Before you cross the road, your Singaporean friends most probably will confront you with the all important question of “Do you HAVE insurance?”  And that would surely give you some nerves.  The next big Q is, “Do I have the SOS card in my wallet?”  followed by others like “Is my phone number written down?”  “Am I safely tucked somewhere in the middle?” etc, etc.  Then you have to try and get across when everybody else is trying to do the same thing from all directions.  So, you throw courtesy and caution to the winds, and try to get to the other side.

Now, back to that busy street in Beijing.  You are waiting for the light and when it goes green you took the nearest hand to your right, where a moment ago was your better half.  Then you are practically on flight, trying to make it across, along with the crowd, somewhere in the middle.  You are tightly holding on to the hand.  You feel a tug here, a tug there, but you only have eyes for the other side.  Phew, you finally made it, and heave a big sigh of relief.  You manage to get your lady across yet another road; no small feat! 

Somehow, you wonder why the lady in question was trying to get her hand away so quickly.  She was frantically trying to pull her hand free from you!  Then you turn to her, surprised, and a bit annoyed.  Then she says “Hey, mister, what are you doing? Excuse me!” Then you find her turning red out of anger.  You have already released her hand when she said that as if you it were a live charcoal.

Now you realise that the hand you were holding a moment ago in fact was not your better half’s.  Somehow, she had been nudged away from your side, while you waited for the light.  You have taken a hand that never belonged to you since Adam!  Then it is your turn to blush and look stupid.  Fortunately she arrives by your side as you try to lamely explain yourself to the bemused lady.  Her mere presence by your side was a good enough evidence to back up your story that you have made a mistake.  Being away from her usually means trouble and ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone.  You are glad she arrives just on time. 

‘Her hand was very soft, by the way’, so you think!

HK Revisited

Night vision through the window

She thinks everything felt like a dream and to me it was more like a finely scripted movie.  After all we were headed for Hong Kong, the city of Wong Kar Wai!  In any case there was something surreal about the whole episode.  And no one could have scripted the drama and directed the whole play as well as He did and it was just thrilling to watch every scene as it unfolded before us.  It was like watching a master conductor conducting and orchestrating a symphony orchestra as they perform his magnum opus on one of those unforgettable and inimitable nights.  Just.  We were so privileged to have experienced and tasted his power, his love, his greatness and riches beyond measure.

View from Bishop Lei, Robinson Rd.

We feel covered and protected in everything and we just thanked him for his wonderful, wonderful outpouring of love.  A call here, a call there.  All things worked together perfectly and we lacked no good thing.  Not a single one.

Looking down upon Catholic Immaculate Conception Cathedral from Bishop Lei, just literally!

The sound of a 'medical emergency evacuation' can ring alarming bells to the ears but  there was peace in the heart which is truly beyond human understanding.  We felt covered by the love and prayers of good folks all around and it was almost physical in nature.  Hmm, how do you explain such an experience?

HK scene from Bishop Lei's at dusk

The trip's a sharp contrast to the one before.  Immigration came to the craft; and the paper works' all done in a flash.  No questions asked.  All the logistics taken care of and thank You for everything!

Recuperating in HK

Canossa Hosp.

Kunming and Lijiang: A Journey

We were expecting a pleasant weather, clear sunny blue skies in Yangshuo and Guilin but it was not to be.  It seemed as though we brought the cold wave with us down south.  It rained and drizzled for sometime and it was even colder indoor since there was no heating.  One day we decided suddenly and spontaneously to travel up to Kunming and to Lijiang, hoping for a better weather.

To travel within two days before the Spring Festival did not seem like a good idea but in the end it turned out that most people had already been home and we had a very peaceful and less crowded journey on the train.  Very unlike China during the season indeed!

We're thankful to Seki and his mates for their brotherly love.  Seki took care of our hotel and travel arrangement and made sure we had something to eat when every restaurant was shut down for the festival.  After celebrating the Chinese New Year (or enduring the firecrackers) at Kunming we decided to leave for Lijiang, 9 hours away by sleeper bus.

M&M and lovely Joana would not hear of us staying in a hotel.  They graciously opened their home and hosted us and it felt like home to be with this lovely family.  Really enjoyed the beautiful, clean and sunny Lijiang.  It's the home of a minority group, the Naxi.  Rich and interesting culture, and a beautiful and unique achitectural buildings of the old town, strong enough to withstand a powerful earthquake when modern buildings around the town simply collapsed like a pack of cards.

Lijiang's too nice to be true.  And like all good things, the stay must come to an end.  Kunming's wonderful too; we love it there every time we visit.  But as our friend David likes to point out, "Kunming's for wimps; real men go to Xi'an."  Lijiang's a journey, so is Kunming; not the destination.  We had to return to the good old grey Xi'an.

Here's a final installment of the photos:

Entrance to Lijiang Old Town

Water way

One of the small lanes at the old town

A lady striking a pose at the Old Town

The Black Dragon Pool

A quiet lane of a Chinese village

A view through the window

Minority Village, Kunming (and the back of Seki!)

Bamboo dance of the Jingpho (Courtesy: Sekibuhchhuak)

On to Yangshuo

The people at the China International Travel Service Counter, near the bus and train station at Guilin were friendly, spoke English and actually had useful information.  They were ready and willing to help even if you don't buy any of their services.  They offered us a hotel with a standard double room for 100 Renminbi a night at a 3* Hotel which would be no less than 400 RMB at peak season.  The Home Minister went up to check the room and after the inspection we managed to cut down the price to 90 RMB a night.

The West Street, Yangshuo

the photographer photographed

fellow cruisers from all over

a view of yangshuo township

.....and the bridge across the river

Three days at Guilin is quite sufficient if you are not in a hurry.  (You could do it for less, but more than three would be a day too many).  We then left for Yangshuo where the scenery is supposed to be much better.  The bus ride cost 15 RMB and an hour and twenty minutes but it was worth every minute.

Decided to try and follow Lonely Planet recommendation on accomodation this time around and went looking for Bamboo House Inn.  We were satisfied with the room, with a balcony and especially the soft bed.  The cosy atmosphere, the food, the setting, the readily available information, free internet (wireless included) and the service was superb and Bamboo House Inn did not disappoint.  We were extremely happy most of all for the friendly, English-speaking staff, which is a rare thing here.  We met interesting people there which I shall mention and talk about in some other appropriate place and platform.  And of course, the scenery was something that inspires and uplifts the spirit. 

Yangshuo fisherman

Yuval, an Israeli who arrived from India after spending six months there, came over to the Bamboo Inn and asked whether we'd be interested in doing a cruise from Yangdi, about 40 kilometres from Yangshuo.  Hiring a raft cost Y200.  If you get more people you can split between you and the price could be much cheaper that way.  In the end there were nine of us.  Two Chinese girls, an American couple, a German, an Israeli couple and us, the Indians.  We had the most beautiful day of our time.  The sun was up and it was really a perfect day as it rained the day before and the day after.

The cruise to Yangshuo from Yangdi on the Li river

This scenery is painted on the back of a 20 Renminbi bill

One of the clearest pics I could manage

limestone peaks reflected on a still lake

Glimpses of Guilin

Had to flee the cold, dry and grey Xi'an soon after the exams, hoping to enjoy a warmer weather down south.  However, we seemed to carry the cold wave and haze and fog with us as we arrived at Guilin.  The cruise along the Li river did not give us the scenery we had expected but it was still something to cherish.  Take a glimpse, if you will.  Hope to give you glimpses of Yangshuo which is much better than what you see here now.  Watch this space!

karst mountains reflected on the foggy Li river

Ah, the rafts!

Guilin city, behind the scene

A fisherman and his obedient and reliable cormorants

The karst mountains of Guilin, the Solitary Beauty Peak at the left

The Elephant Trunk Hill actually looks like an elephant

On Christmas and New Year

My mind was already switched on for the holidays since we had a team Christmas dinner on 19th December. The Foreign Exchange Department offered to take us out on a Christmas trip to a holiday resort a few weeks before Christmas. We saw Christmas decorations everywhere. Most restaurants wore Chrismas look and waiters were instructed to put on Santa's hat and are liable to be fined if they took them off.

You see Santa smiling at you in the supermarkets and shops but what you will not see is a scene of the Nativity. However, even a week after Christmas we still need to work, holidays have not come yet. It was hard to get back to work on Boxing Day after a hard-earned day off on Christmas Day, but only to be made up the next day. Here's a brief on what happened during the past two weeks:

Christmas at Xi'an

We are aware that it happened every year but we have never actually been there ourselves. So, we set out on Christmas eve to the Bell Tower, the city centre to witness the gathering of thousands of people to celebrate Christmas without knowing what it really means. We arrived at dusk but it was getting quite busy even then.

Many people did brisk business in the makeshift market on the sidewalk

We went looking for some gifts for friends and we dropped in at a book shop for about a quarter of an hour. When we emerged from the store the streets began to look really busy and it took us a long time to walk even a block because by this time the streets were absolutely crowded. The traffic was closed on all the four main roads leading to the Bell Tower at about 8 o'clock. The roads were jam packed all we could see was the back of the heads of people. A quiet corner was nowhere to be found and it became a bit suffocating in the end.

Christmas trees infront of Zhongda International on Nanda Street

We were fortunate to get a table in an Italian restaurant for our Christmas Eve dinner since every restautant was crowded (and the steak was scrumptious by the way). When we got back on the streets the party had already begun. Most people wore masks, Santa's hat, wigs or a lighted devil's horn or carry some Christmas balloons or other symbols. This is the time, it seems to me, when they mixed everything western together - Halloween, Yuletide, Valentine's Day etc, etc . Among the thousands (more than a million I reckon, actually) who thronged the streets what chances had we to meet any of my students? But we did, though some of them had been told not to venture out from their dormitories but the pull was too strong I guess.

Christmas revellers on the main streets of Xi'an

Most Chinese see Christmas as a time to have fun with friends and it is supposed to be very romantic. What they know about Christmas showed in the decorations they put up which include Santa Claus (who they call Christmas old man), Christmas trees, and mostly Santa Claus. Things are usually very quiet during the traditional festivals (except for the Spring Festival when they may gather again in the same scale). But even then things are not as spontaneous and as free-spirited as they are on Christmas Eve. Traditional festivals are reserved for celebration with families and relatives. China Daily reported that Christmas is big business in China - even during the global economic slowdown. Read a little more here:

What was once simply a foreign affair has not just grown in popularity, but morphed into a festival with Chinese characteristics. So many worshippers and visitors crowded the Northern Church, also known as the Xishiku Catholic Church, in west Beijing on Christmas Eve that traffic controls were needed. Wang Peng, 29, a stock broker, has experienced the festival in the church for the fourth year. Although not a Catholic, he said the church is the best place to feel the spirit of Christmas and get a taste of different culture. "You go to a library to read books and to a church to spend Christmas," said Wang, who attended the 5-pm Mass yesterday. "More people are coming here. They might not be religious people; they are here to relax and meet friends." Read more

We decided to head home at about 10:30 but we had to go outside the city wall to get any form of transpotation. Taxis and buses were too crowded and too hard to find we had to hire a tricycle in the end. It was a totally different and interesting experience and we have a feeling that there's so much that you can convey to people starting with what they already know. So we say, "yeah" for Christmas whatever that may mean to different people.

New Year

Never remembered when a New Year's day was of any significance here for they have their own Lunar New Year which happens to be the most celebrated and eagerly waited time for all people. But the New Year's day, or January the 1st had gained it's place and popularity among the people. A number of students sent us New Year's wishes which is a novelty. There was a TV show on CCTV 9, the only English Channel, to usher in the New Year along the lines of the Spring Festival TV Mega event but not as big which I can't remember watching in the past. Things are changing here and I believe that it is for the better.

The President's televised speech assured the people of the world that China's reform and opening, in it's 30th Year since Deng Xiaoping started it will continue in the coming years and it remains to be seen what that opening actually entails.

Many things happened in 2008 and what a year it had been for us! So, out we went, after the classes to celebrate the year that was, and to give thanks for his goodness. We chose the Small World Cafe along the city wall and had a quiet, wonderful dinner. The food, as always, was just so wonderful. We are looking forward to have a great year with his leading. Happy New Year to you.

Xi'an City wall on New Year's Eve