Road Trip

Since it was the week of Thanksgiving, I decided to take a little break from school and go on a road trip! I've been keeping so busy since I arrived here that I haven't had the opportunity to get out of the city and sight see. So when a friend invited me to go out of town with her, I just couldn't say no. We traveled roughly 240 km to a village. It was close enough that we only had to spend one night there and we could return the next day. We left the city in the morning by car. The previous day we purchased bus tickets, but at the last minute we were offered a ride by an expat who had a car and was heading that way. This was great because the bus would take four hours, while the car only would take 2.5 hours. It was a very comfortable 2.5 hour ride with plenty of great scenery and conversation. Arrived at the village around noon. Over a simple lunch, my friend introduced me to one of her friends. Afterwards, my friend had to run off to her meeting and attend to her business for the rest of the day. I was in luck because my new friend had lived in this village for many years and spoke English, as well as the local languages. She gave me the grand tour of the town, complete with a history lesson and insider information. Then, took me to a local family's house to see their lifestyle and culture. Afterwards, we learned that this day was an auspicious day and there was to be a festival in the monastery within the center of town- which meant to me that I was able to freely walk around the monastery (versus buying a ticket to enter and having a tour guide show me around, which westerners usually have to do). I was also able to watch the traditional dances that only occur annually. After I got over the beauty of the art work and how the town was situated within the mountains, my next impression was for being such a poor village, the monastery was very rich. I just couldn't seem to understand why the people would offer so much food to be burned while so many people across the street were starving- it just didn't seem right. Then we went back to the house where my friend and I were going to spend the night. It was a beautiful house with most of the comforts of home, excluding running water. The heating was a coal burning stove. The bathroom was a carefully constructed Asian style outhouse. The water was carried in from outside and stored in a pitcher. My bed was comfortable with a huge stack of blankets to keep me warm. Caught the 9am bus the next morning. The bus took four hours to get back into town, as it had to stop very often to pick up passengers waiting alongside the road. It felt like the longest bus ride ever, but we eventually got home in time for lunch. Over all it was a great and relaxing trip!

Happy Thanksgiving

I had a great thanksgiving holiday. An American family invited about ten Americans to celebrate the holiday together, including Ben and I. A 10 lb turkey (imported from America) was served along with all of the proper fixings: green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, rolls, mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie, and a bunch of other dishes. Dinner was served early and the rest of the evening was spent playing games and hanging out. It almost felt like I was back in America!

Morning Exercises

yi, er, san, si, wu, liu, qi, ba......

On my way to class, I often hear large groups of people counting out loud and see them all doing group morning exercises. Everyone from small elementary school kids to grandmas and grandpas are out in the squares doing thai chi or other sorts of aerobics to start off their day.

But this morning was special. As the construction crew was busy preparing to start their day of work and surveying the large canal that was being dug, the backhoe was sitting still on the side of the road getting it's digging arm all warmed up and ready for the day. Like a hand, it was stretching, then curling, in a nice smooth motion, similar to what I often see the people doing in the square. It was the first time that I ever saw a backhoe doing morning exercises!

It's Cold

It's a weird feeling to have winter come so early in the year. It's only November and I already have my big down jacket and thick gloves on. It's already snowed here a few times. It all melted pretty quick in the city, as the pavement is pretty warm from the intense sunlight. But looking out to the hillsides, the peaks of the mountains are covered with snow. I've heard stories from travelers that the roads are icy and snowy, which caused long traffic backups. I also read a news story of nomads and their yak being stuck out in the grassland because the snow was so high; it was up to 130 cm. The common chit chat around town has been informing me that this is nothing yet, compared to how cold it will get in a few months. Thank goodness for good heaters!

Random Thoughts

It's been a while since I last posted, as I've been without internet for the past two weeks.

Some random thoughts:

1. Moved into a new apartment, that I will be able to stay in for as long as I want. The apartment is fully furnished too with really nice stuff! Very comfortable!

2. There was a 6.5 earthquake in a town northwest of me. It was far away enough that I didn't feel anything. But some friends who live on the 11th floor said their building swayed and dishes rattled. I don't think anybody was hurt by it.

3. My language class was too big, so it got split up into two classes. My new teacher is very good and makes us work very hard. I have learned more in one week than I have learned in one month in the other class.

4. Was invited to see a 'variety show' last weekend. It featured all sorts of traditional and modern music, dances, and fashion. Gave me such a good overview of the culture. I even got suckered into trying to dance the traditional dance on stage! Very fun!

5. My neighbor makes shortening (for pies) from scratch. I didn't quite understand the whole process, but she turns pork fat into shortening. I guess my theory about shortening growing from a can was incorrect.

6. I've been wondering how to cook a turkey for thanksgiving in my tiny toaster oven. Do turkeys come that small???

7. Even after all the eating that I'm doing, I seemed to have have lost 15 pounds in two months. I guess it's from all of the walking that I've been doing. I think I need to eat more so I won't have to get new clothes. Too bad the girls here are super duper skinny and I still wear XL in the size scale here!

8. When asking for the price, if you see somebody hold up eight fingers that means it costs 5 bucks and 3 cents...not 8 dollars. I tried paying 8 bucks but I only got laughed at and given my proper change. Number gestures. Very embarrassed.

9. My new apartment is the last building, located on the very edge of town. Very good view of the river and of trees and mountains. But the city is planning on expanding, so in a few years my apartment will be part of the really nice and trendy area. Much construction of roads and underground work is going on outside. One day it will be very convenient.

10. There is a nation wide contest for the cleanest city going on. The city I'm in is aggressively seeking to win this award. Many of the little street vendors have been closed down and moved into permanent shops. It's starting to look very clean!