Back to Jamie. Back to China. Five years ago I did a city-hopping highlights tour with my Chinese teacher, and three years ago Jamie lived in Guangzhou and taught English. So this trip is a return for both of us.
We were the only white people on the plane from Bangkok to Kunming. The only white people on the crowded bus from the plane to the terminal. As I clung to one of the jungle gym straps from the bus ceiling, the perfumes of at least 10 different old ladies entered combat in my nostrils. I almost fainted, but then fresh air reclaimed its territory.
At the airport in Kunming, there was no time to impress Jamie with basic phrases like “Where is the bathroom?” or “I'm fine, thank you.” No, no. My Chinese skills were immediately put to the test:
1) finding a sim card for Jamie's phone
2) booking plane tickets from Kunming to Lijiang
3) explaining in situations 1 and 2 that we only had a credit card, no cash
After a decent performance, I asked Jamie, “What next, politics? car parts?”
Instead of giving an exact time of departure on the plane tickets, they ballpark it and tell you to listen for an announcement that the plane has arrived from somewhere else. It's a great system. So with time to kill, Jamie and I had our first Chinese meal and entertained ourselves with airport signs like “Rubbish Receptacle,” “Please take your baggage well,” and “No shitting on bathroom.”
There is slight tension between Jamie and I, however. In Guangzhou, Jamie had picked up some Cantonese; At Harvard-Westlake, I learned Mandarin. He refuses to accept that the majority of the population speaks my language (and those that speak Cantonese often also speak Mandarin). He's in denial. He'll say something in his crazy version of Chinese, and then I'll be confused, think for a second, and respond, “Oh, you mean ___ (in Mandarin).” I'm slowly changing his ways.
Once in Lijiang, we took a taxi to the old city and checked in to the Tea Horse Family Guesthouse, a charming little hostel in the center of town. When I told one of the owners that I'm only 18, she started calling me “didi” (baby brother). So I started calling here “nainai” (grandmother). The rest of the people I've met call me “Ma er wen” (a rough translation of Melvoin).
Today, Jamie and I explored the streets and the tiny shops that line them, cameras and wallets in hand. The intricate wood carvings, the slanted tile roofs with miniature ski jumps on the corners, the narrow cobblestone alleys, the quiet courtyards – a quaint mountain village like those in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (minus flying people). We hiked up to a towering pagoda with a view of the entire town, the sea of roofs with a shore of mountains.
The people are as nice as the landscape. I was taught a card game in Chinese. I was invited to join a family eating lunch when I entered their store. I've taken pictures with a bunch of people and showed my website to even more. They're all in need of an English teacher just as I'm in need of a Chinese one – it's a wonderfully convenient exchange.
I almost knocked out a few innocent strangers when I joined a badminton rally in the street, but other than that it was a harmless day of fun.
This entry was posted
on Saturday, September 24th, 2005 at 8:09 am in IV. China.
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Now when you find one of these little villages WITH the flying people, then I’ll know you’ve truly ventured into the trip of a lifetime! Loving the impressions, the sights, sounds, SMELLS, the whole picture. Love you! YGOP
September 24th, 2005 at 9:27 amYour trip sounds amazing and your post today was laugh out loud funny. I miss you so much and love hearing about your travels. My neighbor here in Boston checks your website everyday because I always tell him stories of what you are up to and so you now have a new fan who you don’t know. Fun, huh? I’m swamped with work here, enjoying playing with your bro and working to pay my bar tab - in other words, nothing new going on. Again, miss you tons and love knowing that you are doing so well.
Love,
September 24th, 2005 at 3:07 pmBecs
Sounds just great, Charlie! Tell our beloved son, delinquent in these things as he has been of late, to call his poor old parents in Hanoi. Or at least send us the new number! Have great pics of you all in Hanoi that we are just getting to download. Will send them along soon.
:)
September 24th, 2005 at 7:47 pmHi Charlie! I was just showing these two your amazing website and they wanted to post that they love it and its really really cool! We miss you!
September 24th, 2005 at 9:29 pmNothing to be in denial about, Cantonese is the way to go.
September 25th, 2005 at 7:23 amCHARLIE!!! now here i thought today was going to the worst day ever with the most work i’ve ever had when a call from China reminds me that i shouldnt give up hope that easily….hearing from you even motivated me to finish that 6 pages paper in less than an hour haha…but seriously, it was SO good to hear from you! such a treat, i couldnt believe it! thank you so so much for calling and i’ll continue to send you pictures…have so much fun in China and learn some really cool Chinese phrase to bring back to the states ok haha…miss you tons and thanks again! it was so good to hear from you!!
September 25th, 2005 at 9:21 amxoxoxo
con
Be careful, because pretty soon they might mistake you for one of them since your chinese skills are so good. And I know it must have been hard for you to follow that last sign you saw in the airport!
September 25th, 2005 at 12:41 pmSome of the Michigan guys were just here for the football game, but of course we WON! It was so much fun!
Miss you!
Surprise! Its Mary and Katie Handfelt!!! And we’ve commandeered your moms computer! Mom (mary) loves your writing. Do u have any good ideas for a science fair project?!?!?! (=
September 25th, 2005 at 2:46 pmHope to see u soon!!!
Hi Grandson,
September 25th, 2005 at 11:12 pmWhether Mmm Goy or Sheh sheh, it’s thank you for your continuing skill at bringing us with you (except, perhaps, in the bathroom).
Love,
Papa
Chazbo!
Sorry for the lapse in posts - as I said I was in New Hampshire this weekend and didn’t have access to a computer.
Great talking to you earlier tonight! You sounded tired, so I take it you’ve been keeping busy. New Hampshire was a lot of fun - trampoline, bonfires, hikes, kings… Have a lot of reading to do now that I’m back though, that’s never fun.
Anywho, sorry for the uneventful post - it’s late and I have a lot to do tomorrow (two classes, three meetings, exercise (we’ll see…)
Glad to hear that you’re safe, essay-posts will resume shortly, I promise. Lots of love!
-LB
September 26th, 2005 at 12:06 amhey charles!
sorry this is my first post on the site but Ive been real busy with school and just recently started reading all these truly unbeliebvable posts you’ve been writing. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are all extremely jealous of the trip you are having, it sounds nothing like anything ive ever heard. Im having an awesome time at mich and sure seems like you are having an amazing time traveling the world. I will be emailing to catch up on it all but just wanted to post here and say hi, miss you, and glad everything is going well…
September 26th, 2005 at 1:35 pm