Places I've gallavanted to recently
I went to Datong last weekend. Its around a 5.5 hour drive there, but on the way back the traffic extended the drive to 7.5 hours! Datong is an interesting place. With a history of 5000 years, it completely shames Canada's less than 200 years of history. Boy, do I feel for the Chinese youths majoring in history here! My Chinese friend who is an architecture told me that Datong boasts 70% of China's oldest building. Its famous Temple tower made it to the world's top ten great towers (others include Pisa and Eiffel) because it's an old structure (around 1000 years old), is completely made of wood and with its intricate craftmanship, uses no nails of any kind. The hanging monastary is also beautiful; built in the middle of a mountain, it was contructed by dangling workers from the top of the Heng mountain. Heng mountain is one of the five famous Dao mountains of China.
Other than being an architecture's dream come true, Shanxi (province) also has the idiosyncratic culture of drinking deadly bai jiu (Chinese vodka). I went to Datong with a group of older students (professors, doctors) from Shenzhen (city in Guangdong) and we were shown the city by the Heritage minister and his assistants. Every meal we had (except for breakfast, praise Zeus!) we had to drink a shot each time they insisted. My friend and I had an average of 6 shots at each meal which does bad for weak stomachs and livers. We soon came to the conclusion that only we, the foreign young females were given this grand honour. Chinese men indeed! Alas, the life of a lao wai is hard work. . .
Note: Bai jiu is so ingrained in the culture that it is made available in most if not all provinces of China especially in colder areas where it acts as a heating device. ex. Inner Mongolia and Xin Jiang. The interesting thing about Xing Jiang people drinking bai jiu is that most of them are Muslim and they treat bai jiu as a staple drink!
Cantonese 101!
A couple weeks ago, I called home and realized to my great horror and surprise that the words that came out from my mouth were not proper Cantonese or English, but a garbled form of a dialect that involved acrobatic tricks with Mandarin and Cantonese. As I recovered from my incoherant sobbing fit, it dawned on me that I needed to practice my Cantonese, since I've not been using it regularly. After forcing shot after shot of bai jiu into a classmate's mouth, I was finally able to successfully coerce her into introducing me to her Hong Kong neighbours.
I went with them to Simatai Great Wall last Saturday. The first time I did the Great Wall, I went to the Mutianyu site. But the scenery at Simatai is not to be rivalled. Looking at the rugged landscape and the towers that dot each rocky peak, I was mesmerised. I felt so small when I looked at the rolling hills and at the domino cascade of mountain range after mountain range.
My Epiphany
China is huge. No duh! But, even though Canada is bigger, there are only so many places inhabited by people and so many cultures, but China is different as you walk from one square meter to the next. So many dialects, so many traditions, so many accents and customs. I realised that I don't think I will be able to see the entire country and understand what life truly is like here! It's just beyond me, but meeting and speaking with Chinese who come here to study from other provinces, I'm starting to collect snapshots from various places of this country.
So what are my plans. I've decided to extend my study here in Beijing till end of January and travel a little. I know I'll be back to see other parts but now I'll take in what I can. But nothing is ever certain. With my unique personality as indecisiveness queen and life planner, I have now established a concrete plan: I am going to eat lunch soon cuz I'm hungry.
Thank you ladies and gentlemen!!!
