prrrrl

In no particular order... Today's events
Beijing, China
Why do we take pictures? To remember an event? To document atrocities? To sustain awe of beauty? Why did the fluent English-speaking Chinese gentleman clandestinely take mine after helping me decipher which subway stop would bring me close to the wholesale tea market? Surely with his language skills he had talked to foreigners before. If only he had silenced his smart phone I would have never known.
written by  prrrrl on September 25, 2013 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013

Rhymes with 'new spagetti.'
Dumaguete, Philippines
I passed through Manila briefly and have spent an entire week in Dumaguete City, Negros Island. [For pronunciation, see title of this entry!] Been a little bit lazy but not enough. Been a little bit adventurous and it's been great. This place makes Beijing look expensive!
Too hot to stay in this internet cafe!! Later!
written by  prrrrl on March 27, 2011 from Dumaguete, Philippines
from the travel blog: Philippines!

Holiday!
Beijing, China
Today is communist labor day. Long slow lines into the zoo. I did not go to the zoo. I was riding the bus giving me a viewing Vantage point unavailable on the subway, the latter being partially closed today. Inconvenient for me! Buses are slower.
written by  prrrrl on May 1, 2015 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Beijing 2015

It's merciful I'm not dancing tonight
Beijing, China
A menu with no pictures - what's a functionally illiterate girl to do? Ask for old favorites. But which ribs? There ate three on their menu. I opt for the mid priced one with the recognized 'fragrant' in the title. "How do you want your spinach stir fried? I recognize and go for garlic. Yum! Turns out the fragrant spare ribs are smothered in crispy garlic. Aren't you glad I'm not dancing with you tonight!
written by  prrrrl on March 11, 2011 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Beijing 2011

Here we go again
Toronto, Canada
The mostly empty airport lounge is most encouraging. Three seats to myself would be the cat's meow, the apex, the cream of the crop, the to die for of economy tickets. I haven't enjoyed that in years. But my optimism might be too soon. I hope there's not a plane load of Beijing bound from Quebec connecting soon. Sigh.
written by  prrrrl on February 21, 2012 from Toronto, Canada
from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012

Frying pan into the fire Frying pan into the fire
Lijiang, China
Going to Lijiang to escape Beijing's bitter cold winter is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Or rather like jumping from the refrigerator into the freezer. No central heating anywhere! It's COLD at night here. The night was saved, however, by a heated mattress pad. Cozy! Can I see the Sunrise from my bed, please?
written by  prrrrl on March 1, 2012 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Yunnan, China

Beijing Dance Mama
When I first went into her store about 4 years ago she eyed me skeptically. Her employee loved me. I was buying dance shoes from a shop that specializes in dance gear for the Chinese dancer: minority costumes, cloth squares to twirl, tamborines, feather fans and more western toe shoes. The smiling employee helped me order custom shoes to fit my wide feet. She looked leery.
But I kept going back and I kept ordering shoes. The employee was missing, I noticed after a few years.
Monday I went there and manager saw that I had used packing cord in my fleece hood as a draw string. She thought this unrefined. She took two shoe laces, tied them together to make a long cord, cut the packing cord from my hood and with a safety pin threaded the black shoe laces through the hood of my white & blue fleece.
She took care of me! Now I know she's really lost her skepticality of this old foreign woman who keeps coming to buy dance shoes.
[And this trip I ran into her smiling employee who's jumped ship and working at a shop 3 doors down. It's a small world.]
written by  prrrrl on March 19, 2012 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Beijing 2012 II

Catching up... From the top!
It's Hot in Beijing Aug 25, 2009 2:27 pm
I'm here. It's 2:20am Beijing time and I'm wide awake. I cannot get on Facebook - it must be blocked by someone/thing. I have a lot to do this week and am hoping I will adjust quickly to my new time zone.
The air is thick & white - smog! That's one thing I could do without when I visit!
I am the house guest of a wonderful lady who is very kind. It will be hard for me to not just spend time with my old friend when I should be working. :-S
Blog luxury Aug 26, 2009 6:09 am
I am sitting in a restaurant on the west side of Beijing having just finished a large bowl of Korean style noodles blogging on my new iPhone. The wifi is free, the chair is cushy... Nice!
Taking Matters Into My Own Hands Aug 26, 2009 5:58 pm
My life philosophy is to change rather than complain. Is the picnic area littered? Don't complain, clean it up. Is the budget accomodations too hot? Don't complain, buy a fan.
As I type I have a fan on me. I hate being hot & sticky. Oops - I just complained!
A Great Trip! Aug 26, 2009 6:00 pm
After less than 36 hours I already had a great trip! First, my shins got dinged on the taught chain suspended low and not visible in the dark. Then my hand got bruised and clothing smeared with Beijing 'uck' as I rolled on the ground on the other side. Then my ego got bruised as I saw that four locals saw me, the 'Big Nose' sprawl so. It was a great trip!
Shin-cerely Dangerous Aug 27, 2009 3:07 pm
My current accomodations have me in a small room with a large bed. Instead of having recessed legs so I don't stub my toes [ remember when I built my third platform bed - I had finally learned to place the legs in from the edge to avoid toe boo boos? ] Well, this bed's manufacture hasn't learned that lesson. But it is not my toes that are getting bumped repeatedly by my shins at about the same level as the chain that tripped me the other night. No shorts for me! Good thing winter is coming...
Sounds weird to say that about winter but here in Beijing there will be a few weeks of beautiful weather in October and then it quickly gets cold. Because of the shape of the land features across China, weather is very predictable and varies little from year to year. North American land features cause just the opposite with wide variations causing Americans to always be talking about the unpredictable weather. Because most other countries have much more consistant weather patterns weather is not a 'hot topic,' and foreign learners of English puzzle over our fascination with weather! Can any non-North Americans confirm my observations???
I am heading to part of China that has been in the news of late because of riots. When a concierge at a fancy hotel here heard of my plans he asked me why I would go there - 'many generals,' he said. He meant to say 'soldiers.' Twould be worth going to see thousands of men highly decorated uniforms manning bus check points.
Grammar Police Strikes Again! Aug 28, 2009 4:49 pm
Chinglish: "We are now arriving at Guo Mao Station" comes over the loudspeaker after the subway train stopped. Grrrr... And the Chinese says, "We have arrived at Guo Mao Station."
We Haven't Got a Failure to Communicate Aug 28, 2009 4:57 pm
I wanted to have an eyemask made - ya, know the kind you wear at night to keep light from bothering your sleep? Well, I stepped into the tailor shop and realized that I had the fabric but an eyemast to copy. Could I explain the details in my limited Chinese?? I got out pen & paper and began drawing throwing in guessed measurements. I'm sure she has never made one before and probably never seen one. I explain the function getting the Chinese for 'eye' mixed up with the Chinese for 'sun.' Hey, it's been 18 months since I was last here!
Well, it worked. The eye mask is a tad wider than necessary but well worth it. And I now know how to say 'ruffle' in Chinese!
And she did it on the spot. Usually I have to drop off tailoring a pick it up 2-7 days later.
Good deal!
For the Few Who Care: The Modern Art Scene in Beijing Aug 29, 2009 5:06 pm
There are oft repeated themes of obscure juxtaposition [ giraffe, machine gun, baby on a skate board ], and large head-small body portraits. Not much in the way of abstract.
Um... I suppose now you are you wish you hadn't cared! Boring post!!
written by  prrrrl on August 29, 2009 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: China 2009

Yuan Ming Yuan or Old Summer Palace
They've fenced it off! The elaborate European style surviving archways and the clam fountain. No more thousands of feet climbing over the 250+ year old ruins. Good plan! I did enjoy climbing on the in the past but fencing off will preserve this historic site much better/longer.
written by  prrrrl on March 10, 2010 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Beijing, 2010 or Liaoning, 2013. They are appear to be mixed up!

Feed Me!!!!
First meal: Hot Pot. A plate of something mammalian, stibbly* and slimy was brought to the table. I had asked for mushrooms, I thought, but my Chinese is rusty. I sent it back.
Might my new word make the dictionary in 2011??? It means piliated in my mind...
Second meal: garlic sprouts with pork and a tofu dish.
Third meal: pick your own boil. Somewhat similar to hot pot but they cook it for you. You choose from a refrigerator of skewered tofus, green leafy vegatables, squid arms, various unidentified meat balls, mushrooms, and even identifiable veggies such as broccoli and cauliflower. Spicy & good!
from the travel blog: Beijing, 2010 or Liaoning, 2013. They are appear to be mixed up!

Beijing Syndrome
Less than 24 hours after landing I developed the Beijing Syndrome - a clear the mucus from my throat cough. It will be so nice to leave this air and head to Xinjiang!
Yesterday my friend & I strolled through the art district. Very strange smells were heavy in the air making breathing difficult.
My first thought was oil paint odor or other art supply. But neither smell was familiar and I've done multiple art mediums including the chemical heavy photo developement.
My second thought was chemical warfare gas attack. I would have been doomed! There was lots of remodeling going on but the smells did not fit that activity, either.
Regardless, I made it out alive!
written by  prrrrl on August 29, 2009 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: China 2009

Digesting is so over-rated...
Since I've been eating again, post fever-induced forced fast, I'm tired. Digesting is hard work!
[And it's time for dinner...]
from the travel blog: Beijing 2012 II

Rat in maze test 1: FAIL!
Lijiang, China
Lijiang's Old Town is a maze of narrow curving alleys criss-crossing up a River bank. I'm dropped off at the edge and told to go down then turn left. It's 9:30 in the evening and very dark. Hmmm... I had picked the Panba Hostel for several reasons, one being that it was one of the few accessible by car in the Old Town. Since I knew I'd be arriving at night that feature was very attractive to me. Now I was set adrift in the maze in the dark. There was more than one way to go down. Would there be more than one way to turn left? I asked directions two times - itself astonishing as the streets were nearly deserted at that hour - the second being the most helpful. I'm blogging from the Panba right now. Phew!
written by  prrrrl on March 1, 2012 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Yunnan, China

Over enthusiastic... toilet
Toronto, Canada
Usually TMI toilet stories are about the primitive or surprising facilities in developing areas. Not mine, today. The Toronto Pearson Airport restroom toilets are self flushing via motion sensor. In this case any motion gets the swirling waters. Hey! Let me finish my business, please! Your First World TMI of the day. You're welcome.
written by  prrrrl on February 21, 2012 from Toronto, Canada
from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012

Stopover in Canada
My ride was probably losing hope.  So many people waiting, so many bags not making it off the luggage go round.  Those waiting with me trickled down from a full Boing 747 to three.  Lost?  The couple in front of me at the lost luggage counter were joyfully reunited with their bags.  The third person persisted at the carousel.  I was told my clothes, toiletries, sandals, gifts, snorkel gear and Chinese English dictionary were in Toronto.  Bagless, I was pleased to find that my ride waited still, "Jan Tu" sign in hand just past the 'nothing to declare' lane.  William and his wife graciously wisked me to an ATM machine and then my guest House.  So far, so luggageless...
from the travel blog: Beijing 2011

Dive! Dive! Dive!
Dumaguete, Philippines
I did my first negative buoyancy dive from a boat today. Scary in that I did not drop like a stone as I was suppose to. I drifted into the boat. The boats are well designed, fortunately, with the propeller at the back and the dive platform at the front. The dive master grabbed me and helped me start my descent.
The current was very strong - great if you know where you are going and want to get there fast. Bad if you're a new-again diver and have never seen the route before. I just kept a close eye on the dive master.
In my three dives I saw wiggling fish [more than just a general observation - it was two particular fish and it was probably a communication behavior], zig-zag gaping clams [a personal favorite of mine], spiraling yellow 'Christmas tree' coral filtering mouths pull in quickly to their rock like base when I passed over, a large polka dot fish that had small polka dots in the large polka dots, zig-zag topped fish, one highly venomous [making rattle snakes seem like wimps] sea snake, shrimp smaller than a pea. Some fish were super bright; others were highly camouflaged. All were very interesting.
written by  prrrrl on March 28, 2011 from Dumaguete, Philippines
from the travel blog: Philippines!

When not to discuss WWII?
I had a nice discussion with my two hostel roommates on various China travel destinations. They brought up Japanese atrocities against the Chinese. I brought up how the US ended WWII. Oops! They're German.
written by  prrrrl on September 25, 2013 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013

I amuse easily
Shenyang, China
Cities in China can be very crowded. Qing palaces on holidays can be crazy crowded. How to not get separated from your travel buddy? "Marco!" And I wait for the, "Polo!" How appropriate to play that in China! And I find that highly amusing.
(The Mukden Palace is a smaller but beautiful complex of buildings with not only dragons for decoration but wonderful cranes, too.)
written by  prrrrl on September 25, 2013 from Shenyang, China
from the travel blog: Liaoning, 2013

My First Pedicure!
Dumaguete, Philippines
There's a salon in town that caters to locals, not tourists. I enjoyed their $4, one hour massage the other day. Yesterday I went back for the $2 pedicure, my very first. My toe nails are now a strong tangerine orange.
They took forever to dry I had a nice conversation with my pedicurist. She is almost 29 and not married. I showed her pictures of my travels in her country, I showed her pictures of my family. Unlike locals I met in Jordan and Madagascar, she did not ask me to bring her to the States.
written by  prrrrl on March 28, 2011 from Dumaguete, Philippines
from the travel blog: Philippines!

blog 2?
I spent all of Friday thinking 'tomorrow is a ((comes)) Chinese holiday, everything will be closed. I am staying near Tienanmen ((Quarter)) ((quart)) Square,I should spend the day people watching there.' Well, I missed it. I spent the day getting documents laminated, finding and giving clothes that needed altering to a tailor, ((pasted)) paying bills online and shopping for dance accessories. After a tasty dinner of garlic sprouts, a favorite of mine but not ubiquitous - so I was pleasantly surprised to find them upon my first inquiry - I returned to my room to find out that today was the holiday. ((Is)) Oops! No wonder the line at the zoo was so thick, long and slow!
written by  prrrrl on May 1, 2015 from Beijing, China

When free is expensive
Excited to do one more Facebook post before being blocked in Beijing I never put my phone down while in Toronto's airport. Unfortunately there are other ways for an iPhone to leave one's hand. Slipping onto the tile floor is one of them. The previously one simple cracked screen shattered into a cobweb of fissures. Tiny splinters peppered my fingers for the next 24 hours. The replacement took about half an hour and cost Beijing bundle. But it's fixed and I now hunt & peck glass shard free.

Arrived! (Econo-luxury flight a reality)
Dream became reality! Apparently, few people want to enjoy a bitter cold Beijing winter. It's not that cold right now but the wind is strong. I had several naps across the mostly flat bed of three seats. Thank you, Air Canada! I'm mostly settled into my super cheap but pleasant enough dorm. Now to find head scratch and dinner.
written by  prrrrl on February 22, 2012 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012

Rat in maze test 2: SUCCESS!
Lijiang, China
Eat a hostel breakfast? Not if I can help it. Bad American food is not my idea of a fun time. I took off through the alleys and to stay returnable to my cozy mattress pad, I decided to go straight. That went through the market square, clear across Old Town to a tri-belief temple turned function hall. I explored the NW corner of Old Town with a 'turn right at each intersection' plan so i could retrace my steps with a series of left turns. I started recognizing alleys and could forego the retrace. I did find breakfast along the way, an egg pancake sprinkled with diced scallions. When I came upon Naxi dancers in the Market Square I was excited. My camera can take video! Then the battery died. No more alley exploring till I can record my cool finds!
written by  prrrrl on March 1, 2012 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Yunnan, China

Doggie condo
Today I happened upon a doggie retreat on the streets of Beijing. There was a small 3' wide x 1.5' high cupboard raised up on bricks on the sidewalk. One door was ajar revealing dirty cushions. On top was a generous section of corragated fiberglass over hanging the open space to the left of the cupboard. To the left of the this sheltered space was an open air cushion. On top of comfy pad was the resident dog. The most worried looking pooch was tethered by chain to a stake in the Center of this set up. Above the doggie retreat was a communist patriotism mini mural giving the whole scene a rather surreal look. Picture coming soon!
from the travel blog: Beijing 2012 II

Authenticity
I just ordered take out from a restaurant I was walking past. There was live entertainment - patrons on stage with ethnically garbed dancers. I'll take a wild stab that they were representing a minority from Qinghai provence.
They wore striped turbans and long robes. Towards the end of the circular dance a bubble machine spewed it's contents into the mix. How authentic is that???
written by  prrrrl on August 30, 2009 from Beijing, China
from the travel blog: China 2009

Tour Guide of the Year!
That's what taking my friend to the gaudiest costumes for post Big Day bridal photos mall will get ya. Don't understand? Think many small shops carrying lens, cameras, reflectors, back drops, bags, tripods and such filling the first floor of a maze-like building that fills a quarter of a city block. Then imagine walking upstairs and seeing plaid Marie Antoinette ruffled and hatch-laced costumes for eight year old girls, stores that sell black angel wings and make up displays with deep oranges, bright yellows and vivid reds out numbering the flesh-tones, looping ribbons over sequin bodices atop poofy skirts all in one gown... Ah, Chinese aesthetics!
from the travel blog: Beijing, 2010 or Liaoning, 2013. They are appear to be mixed up!

Turn right on the Building, go to Street 206
It's been 18 months since I was last in China. My first order of business after getting my luggage upon arrival at the airport last week was to get to my friend's apartment. I had the directions all written out - in English. I would have to translate to get the driver to take me to the right place.
Problem is the word for 'street' is very close in sound, at least to Western ears, to the word for 'building:' lu verses low.
It's been 5 days. I'm better now.

Rat in maze test 3: FAIL!
My routine is to get up early to wander the maze, getting pictures before the crowds descend. I stop for breakfast early in my wanderings and stop for lunch at the end. Breakfast - check! Wandering - check! Lunch - no check. Where are the restaurants?? Not find a restaurant in China? Weird! I finally stop a smiling gentleman and ask him. I also tell him I prefer cheap, having heard earlier that the restaurants in this World Heritage Site are pricey. He suggests some snack eateries and even walks me to the street as that's the direction he's headed any. Perfect! I enjoy a nice lunch in a local eatery, not a tourist trap. Now to find my way back to my hostel. I think I'm south of the Old Town and my temporary abode is on the east side. Just walk northeast, right? I walked & walked and was eventually totally outside the Old Town. Oops! I can either back track or go around this huge athletic Field. I go around hoping I can reenter Old Town on the other side. Despite one dead end alley that I had retrace my way out of, it worked, obviously, as i'm here to type my Story. But I put many kilometers on my new hiking boots that day.

Got an image to maintain
I'm a white ghost, a big nose. I have scary looking round blue eyes. I get stared at. But Beijingers are getting used to my strange 'condition' so I need something to keep the stares coming. I have my ski gloves dangling from strings threaded through the sleeves of my huge periwinkle down coat. Funny thing is even other white ghost, big noses are staring at me, too! ;-)
written by  prrrrl on February 23, 2012 from Beijing, China

Comments are disappearing
People are leaving comments - all two of them! Cool! But I can't find them anymore. :-( What's with Blogabond?? If you need to contact me, best use my email address. Don't know it? Sorry, don't feel like sharing it here on a public site. Just be aware I'm not ignoring you, I just can't get back to the comments for some reason. :-/
written by  prrrrl on February 23, 2012 from Beijing, China

tired but speaking
(Comment on Instgram (prljan), or to tujan@yahoo.com, or to Blogabond.com (Prrrrl). Comments to FB cannot be seen behind the Bamboo Curtain!)
(Words in double parenthesis are courtesy of auto correct and left in for your amusement.)
I was extremely tired when I landed in Beijing Thursday afternoon. With an aching head I endured until 10pm, slept great and have no jet lag Friday. I don't have a good sense of time, however. First meal in China was my leftover snacks packed for the airport and mealless flight. So glad I ordered ((British)) vegetarian! The standard airplane food did not look appealing.
Hotel reception personnel are low on English skills. Since they know I can speak a little, they ((all)) ask me to use Chinese.
written by  prrrrl on May 2, 2015 from Beijing, China

Sock buying vocabulary intact
Beijin, China
Though pleased that long haul trans-polar flights are not sweat inducing, the more fresh clothes I have, the better.  On the flight I had attempted to eavesdrop on two mandarin speakers and was perturbed that I couldn't even get the gist of their conversation.  On the streets of after dark Beijing I came upon a socks out of a box vendor.  I purchased 4 pair.  You'll be happy to know that my sock buying vocabulary is most satisfactory.  Yao wadzi ma.  They were obviously not discussing footware on the plane.  If you ever are in China and have a sock emergency I'm the translator for you!
written by  prrrrl on March 14, 2011 from Beijin, China

Slow down!
One often sees cautionary road signs. "Slow down, construction zone." "Slow down, school zone." "Slow down, congested area ahead." But, "Slow down, fish vendor ahead?" We were traveling too fast for me to snap a photo of it but it was there, trust me.

"Please get ready for rival"
Vowels are not given much consideration.  Consonents often come preloaded with a vowel sound. Children are not taught, 'b', 'p', 'm', 'f' but 'baw', 'paw', 'maw', 'faw'.  Ns come preloaded  with a leading 'i' so that a word spelled, 'tun' is pronounced, 'twin'.  What I heard on the bus: "Please get ready for rival". Turns out it was not an invitation to spar but lack of respect for the lowly first letter of our alphabet which, when preceding 'rival' helps us not miss our bus stop.

Not From Your Chopsticks, I Won't!
Free taro! The hostel sells bottled water for 5 quai. The convenience stall just steps away sells the same for 3 quai. I'm accustomed to speaking Chinese when shopping so even though the people ther know sufficient English to sell to us White Ghost, they'll speak Chinese with me. The old lady gets a kick out of the fact that I can speak her language, so much so that this morning when buying my day's h2o supply she offered me pickled vegetables from her bowl with her chopsticks. Um... I waved the offering off. But then she offered me a whole, unbitten taro root. That I happily accepted with much gratitude. It was the size of an egg - a good sampling size. I like tubers.
written by  prrrrl on September 25, 2013 from Beijing, China

Test Step
I bought new dance shoes here. They got their first test run last night at a weekly ballroom dance. Good thing I like Salsa as I think that's the only dance I'll find at a high level here. A bit surprised at that - the low proficiency of the other dances, I mean. Did I say that out loud???
Remember, I cannot take comments here as hoped. You'll have to scrounge up my regurlar email address. :-/

Five on a bus
Palled [pal-ed?] up with a gang of other solo travelers to bus to Bai Xia, rent bikes and explore the villages & remote temples. Once in Bai Xia, a quaint little village with many shops selling Chinese handicrafts and antiques [making me feel like I was in Beijing at the Dirt Market] we hunted for a bike rental. Despite assurances back in Lijiang that there were such establishments, there were no bikes for let to be found. Now what? We had endured standing room only on a very tightly backed bus for a trip several villages outside Lijiang. Hike? Just one sight was 8 kilometers out so we would only have time to see one thing. Rent a mini [as in smart car size] van for half the day seemed the best solution. We tried. The hostess at a cafe tried. No mini vans for hire. Now what? We decided to take the bus to the last stop and walk 2 kilometers to a 'sight'; I'm not sure if it was going to a temple or village. But, travel such as we do rarely goes entirely as planned: we met a senior citizen on the bus that was Naxi minority from Lijiang but currently living in the US. He showed us his Missouri Drivers License. He told us that he was going to see a temple with great views. We tagged along with him. He hardly spoke any English but all but one of our five solos turned group could speak Chinese to varying degrees. The bonus was he sort of knew where he was going and could speak the local Naxi when directions were needed. The first temple was nice, free to enter, small and gave me several good pictures. The second involved slogging up a hill & through some woods only to find out there was an exorbitant entrance fee of $17. We took pictures of the outside with its Tibet style banners and hiked on to a near by lake. Only the lake was not so near by. A second[third] attempt to hire a vehicle also proved futile and we walked back to the bus stop. This time we actually got seats. Well, three of us did. Back to Lijiang for dinner. Not the most effective touring day but pleasant none the less.

Mini Huskster
There are street vendors everywhere. You can buy hair accessories, chipmunks, socks, stationary, kites, underwear, rabbits, fans, roasted sweet potatoes [yum!], counterfeit receipts, quilts and so much more as you walk along the sidewalks of this city.
Today I passed a sliced melon vendor. He was three feet tall and a force to be reckoned with - a Chinese Billy Mays Mini-Me. Even the locals were looking & smiling as he singled out my big nose in the passing throng for extra adjectives of enticement.
I passed.
[Something about Beijing smog all through the air & Beijing grime on all surfaces, including people, make most sidewalk foods unappetizing.]

But equal?
Manila, Philippines
Did you know that there are two lines for security screening at the Manila Airport? One for men and one for women. I did not notice until I told a man that 'last call' for my flight had been announced and could I cut in the block long line to the metal detector. He directed me to the women's line. All were very polite and understanding of my rush.
written by  prrrrl on March 30, 2011 from Manila, Philippines

This flight is sponsered by...
Manila, Philippines
They managed to serve beverages and sell snacks despite the non-stop ads over the plane's speakers. And then they announced a contest! I remember friends telling how they onced vied for a bottle of wine offered by flight attendants pre-takeoff. Cool! The first question i don't remember. "Can you show us a family photo with all your family members?" To the second question my hand shot up. The flight attendant saw me first! I pulled out my iPhone, tap open the photo icon and voilà, I'm a Winner! Bottle of wine? Free snack? No. Two multi-vitamins and a seven day pill dispenser. Just another ad.
written by  prrrrl on April 1, 2011 from Manila, Philippines

Well Fed
I love restaurant service here. No tipping and consistantly great service. Sunday I dined at a Korean restaurant. I orded two dishes - more than enough for one person. But I forgot that the Korean tradition includes small appetizers at even the littlest, low budget restaurant. They gave me four, no extra cost. But this was high end-ish in China which meant they also gave me fresh fruit for dessert, no extra cost. Then they followed that with a small scoop of ice cream, no extra cost. Lastly they gave me two sticks of gum with my receipt. That's a first for me in China. Still no extra cost.
Well, I"m sure they figure all this in to their pricing. The seafood crepe and sweet rice dumplings cost me $6.50.
How's that commercial go? Seafood crepe, $4. Sweet rice dumplings, $2.50. Four appetizers, fresh fruit, ice cream and gum? Priceless.

Tiger Leaping Gorge! Or, the near perfect day
Qiaotou, China
So much to catch up on...
Day One: Just about ideal. 9am bus, not too early, came right to our hostel so no sloshing to the long distance bus station and all for only 5rmb [81 cents] more than the public bus.
Bumpy ride to be expected in this part of the world. Mei ban fa [nothing I can do about it.]
Short walk from drop off point [that doubles as a bag storage service] to local restaurant for very good meal with two as yet unknown to me vegetables. [In this part of Yunnan, menus are rare. A refridgerated display case holds tubs of veggies that you point to then discuss how it is to be cooked. I do not understand all the cooking methods. When I don't, that's the one I pick!]
Hike started in perfect weather with sunny skies and fluffy clouds. Mountains visible from the start. We make the Naxi Family Guesthouse in 2 hours, the posted time.
Naxi family almost ignores us but does serve us Yunnan tea with a fresh mint leaf for a very nice flavor. They are in the process of giving a baby a bath. That involves heating the water over a fire, putting out interlocking foam pads on the concrete courtyard floor, and having clean blankets & clothes nearby. After rub down [what the pads & blanket were for] baby gets dressed and wrapped in a Naxi back carrier. It looks like a quilted blanket but there is a head rest sticking up from the center of the top and two very long straps off each of the top corners. It takes two adults to get the baby in place. Baby is wrapped in the quilt then the straps, that are now crossing infront of the baby, are draped over an adult's shoulders, then crisscrossed over the adult's chest making a big letter X. The straps are now at the adult's waist level where they are wrapped at the adult's waist to the back becoming a seat for the baby. One adult needs to hold the baby in place while all this wrapping is done. When done the adult walks the baby to sleep, the little baby butt sticking out over the waist wrap. Very clever!
written by  prrrrl on March 8, 2012 from Qiaotou, China

Bad is unusual
Usually my restaurant experiences in China are great. Service is usually great [even back in the days of transitioning away from the communist system towards free markets - man, do I have some stories to tell from back then!]. Food is usually great even at low end establishments. Last night was truly the exception. I order three dishes. Two showed up within the usual 10 -15 minute time frame. The reataurant was very busy so I understood the wait for the last dish. But after 40 minutes I called the wait staff over. They put the order in a second time. I waited again. Finally the floor manager came over to see why my last dish had not arrived now over an hour after first ordering. I waited a third time. Still nothing. For the first time ever in a Chinese eatery I walked to the desk and said enough! I paid for the two & left still hungry at 1:20am. So rare in China!

Priceless scene!
The child had run into traffic of the foot kind in the very crowded morning market. Vegetables, fruits, dentistry, clothing, fabrics, cookware, goldfish, salted fish, dried fish, fresh fish, breakfast, socks, gloves, hair pins, shoes and much more being hawked in the narrow alley. The mother reached out to pull her young one from trampling danger. The feet the child had run in front of? A tall white ghost [caucasian], an uncommon sight in these parts. The mom glanced up, her eyes widened in amazement. Or was it amusement? She half smiled. Child was safe. White ghost moved on.

But, but, butt....
Garner, United States
Yea, google voice for translating a butt dial of rustling clothes, footsteps in dirt, a starting car (BMW?) and Diane Reemes into a boy band song. If only I could copy & paste here. Trust me, it was funny!
written by  prrrrl on March 15, 2011 from Garner, United States

blog 3?
Hotel reception personnel are low on English skills. Since they know I can speak a little, they ((all)) ask me to use Chinese.
My second meal in China was more leftovers. Gotta finish the perishables! And I did. Third meal in China wasa disappointment. Great, by my standards, ingredients (mushrooms, bean thread noodles, dried tofu, cabbage) but bland broth. Second meal, which I am just finishing now, was great: ((win)) squid, cauliflower, eggplant, Chinese chives, mushrooms and quail eggs on skewers.

blog 4?
It was the wrong #2. There's a #2 bus that stops right ((infringe)) ((inferring)) in front of my hotel so when I saw a #2 bus pull up to the bus stop I thought I had it made. All this time I've been walking 4 blocks to the bus stop or subway. Because of the holiday on Friday the subway stop is closed ((over)) I've been taking the bus more. Buses are ssssssllllllooooowwwwweeeeerrrrr..... Especially past the zoo on a holiday ((when's)) weekend. I had the brilliant idea of taking the subway past the zoo then a bus to my station. Buses 4 & 2 showed up at the Sam time. #4 hours to my station four blocks from my hotel. Bus#2 sous in front of my hotel. Bus #2!!! Out did not so in front of my hotel. Apparently there are more than one route per number. :-/

Phew!!!
I JUST learned that the Philippines is home to chocolate production. All will soon be right with the world... I ran out of my S. American slavery-free chocolate yesterday. Only 48 more hours of forced withdrawal symptoms. (One symptom: bad spelling. Trust me, that's the obvious cause...)

I'll take the one at the back, please.
I was once surrounded by a dozen water vendors. The ones that pressed in close were animated and loud, waving the bottles in our faces. The ones at the back were quiet. I chose a vender at the back. Succumbing to the pushy tactics breeds more pushiness. It's like rewarding a puppy when they are well behaved rather than punishing them when they are naughty. On a similar note, I like to find the shop that is out of the way and not on the main drag. Those back shops appreciate their customers, are friendlier and tend to give better prices.
Yesterday I learned there was a wholesale tea market. How did I not already know that?? Even with a time crunch of having to get my buddy to the airport, I made a side trip to the tea market. The shop I selected was the last one behind down a short alley and not even visable from the street. The two women were very friendly and poured me lots of tea. I bought $100 worth of tea! It's enough to last me a while, though. It's definitely a neighborhood & shop I'll be returning to.

Want to see where I'm staying?
Google: yonghegong haina hotel, beijing, china
Zoom in on the alleys. Not all show up as some are only as wide as a sidewalk.

Rewriting history or PREwriting history???
Many of the subway stations walls are covered in revenue producing ads (at one time the station by Tian An Men Square had huge posters featuring my daughter's then boyfriend) but a few of the original stations (the subway system has about quadrupled since preparations for the '08 Olympics began in 2000) have real artwork on there walls, each of the artful stations having their own theme. Line 2 at Jiang Guo Men? They had a beautiful mythical ancient 'sports' in tile behind trains heading North opposite modern [real] sports in tile behind trains heading south. I haven't headed south yet so I have not studied it's changes, if any, but the North bound? What was once ancient Tang Dynasty, floating through air spirit - like supernatural practitioners of kong fu with a backdrop of celestial bodies now has Chinese landers on the moon, rocket launch towers with ascending space vehicles and man-made satellites among the real celestial bodies. I do not Admire the art as much now. I will have to study the opposite wall even if I don't need to travel south. I miss the pure whimsey of their ancient 'sports.'

TLG II Or, my lack of skill stays hidden
Qiaotou, China
They do not speak English at the Naxi Family Guesthouse. Go, but be prepared. Naxi Ma Ma was waiting outside my door one time because she wanted me to translate a phone call for her. But when she called the number the person was not there. Phew! My skills go unchallenged!
written by  prrrrl on March 8, 2012 from Qiaotou, China

On the Menu
It's been said that the only 'legged' thing the Chinese will not eat is a stool. Snakes have zero legs. Snails & clams have one leg. Primates have two legs. Stools have three legs. Most mammals have four legs. Sea stars have five legs. Insects have six legs. Sea stars have seven legs. Spiders have eight legs. Sea stars have nine legs. Crabs have 10 legs if you count the claws. I suppose we will the sea star from now on for all the uneven numbers!
Yesterday I stopped at a restaurant that had crocodile in pumpkin on the menu. I passed.
[Although I have eaten alligator. And yes, it tasted like chicken!]

You Say Northeast, I say Eastnorth
So I'm telling the taxi driver which gate to enter at the compound I'm staying in. In my mind it faces east and that is what I tell him. He gives me a puzzled head cock [I can't see a puzzled expression from the back seat - I like a drive who keeps his eyes forward where the road is!] and says there isn't any east gate. We dicker and dispute until we get to the gate that is not what I want. What I call the South Gate he says is the west gate. Oh, well. I have him drive me around the corner to the gate I want - his south, my east.
I have found that it is always good to have the confirmation of two witnesses regarding any fact in China. I ask the gate guard which gate he is controlling entry to and he says, "South." Me? Wrong???!!
The next time I am giving a taxi driver directions I acquiesce and tell him to take me to the South Gate. He gives me a puzzled head cock. I guess two witnesses are not enough! Well, I just happened to have a compass. Once level, it indicated the gate faced.... southeast.

Quaint shopping mall
Shuhe, China
Shuhe is touted as the quieter Lijiang. I suppose it is but as I don't wander Lijiang's Old Town in the afternoon or evening I don't see the crowds that are so dense, passage is difficult. Shuhe is one of three remaining cities that dotted the Tea Horse Road [I think also called the southern Silk Road]. I was disappointed to find that it was a touristy open air shopping mall, buildings still lovely if they could be seen behind the signs, lights, banners and products. I suppose it's better than it being torn down in the quest for modernization.
written by  prrrrl on March 3, 2012 from Shuhe, China

TLG VI Or, it's the pictures that count
Qiaotou, China
It gets windy. Water drops occassionally from the sky. We press ever downward.
Tina's is bland but has nice views from the restaurant. It's hard not to have nice views in this gorge so that's not saying much. We're REALLY tired. Maybe Corey not so much as he is half my age - if I shave a few years off mine. [Youngins!] Eat & crash. What was suppose to be only a mildly challenging day has turned into a near disaster.
But I've got great pictures!
written by  prrrrl on March 8, 2012 from Qiaotou, China

Maintaining my image, part 2
So, this getting stared at thing - I'm pretty good at it. Another way I make sure the stares continue is conducting my training for a two day hike by walking up the stairs when exiting subway* stations. Most if not all stations have escalators up but not down. I find this to be hard on the knees and lax on the heart - seemingly easiest way but in the long run harmful to humans. But enough of my editorial! I hope to hike Tiger Leaping Gorge next week and ignoring the escalators is my training regimen. There I am, slowly slogging up 3 to 6 flights of stairs with this handy conveyance right beside me. Do they think I don't recognize escalators? Do they think I'm technologically illiterate? I don't know. But they still stare. Mission accomplished!
On printed signs here in Beijing, 'subway' means a tunnel walkway that goes under the street to offer safe passage across broad avenues. I'm not sure how they translate the underground trains.
FYI comments to my Blogabond posts are disappearing. I am not ignoring you! But it's best you comment to my regular email address. Sorry! I just tried to find a new blog site but apparently Blogabond is acceptable to the Powers that be here but the others are not.

My Fault!
Shenyang, China
It would have been my fault. I would have rear-ended the car in front of me. The thing is, I wasn't driving. I was walking. The traffic was so bad the cars had taken over the bike lane. The "parking lot" was the side walk. So where do I stroll? I'm walking in the bike lane, distracted. I look up just in time to not walk into the car in front of me. Ssssllllooowwww traffic!
written by  prrrrl on September 26, 2013 from Shenyang, China

sightings
Pajamas are comfy. Pajamas have pretty prints. Pajamas are now everyday men's wear. I see a man in pjs walking down the street just about everyday here. They are not chasing a ((burger)) ((Butler)) ((their)) thief. They are not fleeing a burning building. They are not fetching the morning paper. They are just going about their everyday business in a ((precollegiate)) precoodinated outfit.

Not here, not now!
Manila, Philippines
I was the passenger every one hated: opening my barf bag to have at the ready. But not for upchucking into - for sneezing into. I wouldn't have wanted to sit next to me.
written by  prrrrl on April 7, 2011 from Manila, Philippines

My entourage
A head cold [that made me the most avoided passenger on the airplane] was keeping me out of deep waters. With a stuffy nose one cannot equalize pressure in one's ears. Snort! So I snorkeled instead. The guest House was offering a trip to a local island and I signed up. We had two guides from the guest House, both men. We were a group of 5 of which I was the only female.
:-D
written by  prrrrl on April 8, 2011 from Dumaguete, Philippines

Hiqh Quality
Xingcheng, China
"Please be careful to wet up and down steep slopes," read the sign. Chinglish at it very best!
[Sign posted at the entry ramp to the ancient city wall of Xingcheng, one of only four remaining Ming Dynasty walled cities.]
written by  prrrrl on September 26, 2013 from Xingcheng, China

Maintaining my image, part 3
Another way to keep the locals staring at me is to do solo videos. I turn the camera on, hold it at arms length pointing back and me and talk away. I often rotate in a Circle so the video will pick up people, actions and objects behind me. This method worked extremely well last night at a crowded restaurant. Crazy big nose...

Not waiting for the bus
Mini vans, and I mean Smart Car size mini, wait at depots and will not leave until full. There will be a line of maybe 8 vans waiting their turn to wait for 7 passengers. I arrive at the depot and am fortunate to be passenger #7 meaning immediate departure. Bonus is as the last person in I don't have to squeeze into the narrow back row and I get to be the first one out. The front passenger seat is probably the the first seat taken as it is also easy in, easy out. But they have the longest wait. I'm happy to be the last in the front bench seat. This is how I got to and from Shuhe from Lijiang. My return journey I was also passenger #7 [not counting lap children]. Only 33 cents.

TLG III Or, the not so perfect day starts
Day two in the gorge seems so long ago... Today is Thursday, Day two was Tuesday. The plan was to hike to the second guest House away, a 4.5 hour hike that we had all day to do. No rush. Noodle soup for breakfast [I've stopped ordering noodles here as they really are a northern specialty, the noodles down here are just packaged pasta - not the homemade yumminess that they serve in Beijing.] Now for the most challenging part of the hike: 28 Bends, two dozen plus four switch backs [I did not count to confirm] with significant elevation gain. They were not the most fun for me, mostly because I had brought a chest cold with me and the air in my inhalations, under extra pressure of high elevation and under the weight of a backpack, were not finding the membranes of my aveoli as usual. Cough, cough, hack...
I was a bit dismayed to find that when we had accomplished this infamously toughest portion of the trail we immediately descended in altitude. All that gain in elevation was for naught? The rest of the hike was much easier. We made the first guest House [Tea Horse GH] hoping to stop for the hour Thai massage. It was closed! They served us complementary tea and we pressed on.

TLG IV Or, the not so perfect day gets worse
We had a small lunch of Naxi Ba Ba [the local flat bread] and deep fried bananas. Had we known what was coming we would have loaded up some energy. But we thought we just had 1.5 hours to go to Halfway GuestHouse. We did. But the 1/2 Way had a school group and no en suite rooms. No heating pads on the beds, either. Noisy & cold was not appealing. The beds sans heat pads were in a room with breezy gaps in the windows. The non en suite toilets were down the hall, down the concrete steps and around the corner from the sinks. They were open air squatty potties with awesome views of the moutains [and completely private unless the Mountain goats have binoculars]. Pretty to see but cold to use on a windy Mountain night. We decided to press on 1.5 kilometer to th next guestHouse. We're tired but what's 15 more minutes?
Five Fingers GuestHouse was up - yes, UP off the trail. Stiff legs, just one more hill. We climb to the GH and it looks abandoned. We call out for humans. One responds. Can we have a room? Nope, too busy. To busy with what? Not a single guest there. Not a single remodeling project, though needed, in process. Not a single sound of industry anywhere. I tell her I'm old [I'm past the age of mandatory retirement in China] & sick [cough, cough, hack...]. She refuses to House us.
Go back 15 minutes to the noisy cold place?

2/1500000
One of my five room mates is a girl from Latvia. Now I know 2 of only 1.5 million Latvians on the planet. I took her through the maze-like alleys not realizing it was her first daylight look at the country as she had arrived just after midnight. Might as well jump in to the culture!

Spider Wall
Xingcheng, China
I was so excited to see large argiope spiders in three consecutive battlements of the Ming Dynasty wall! I took many close up pictures! Then I kept walking... and counting... and there were about 20 consecutive battlements with argiope spiders. Must be favorable winds facing south. Spider Row!
written by  prrrrl on September 26, 2013 from Xingcheng, China

In No Particular Order...
Xinjiang, China
[somewhere between Urumqi & Kashgar]
The Great Un-Escape
Man, that bus stopped frequently! At first I availed myself of every pit stop - just in case. But after awhile I disembarked when I actually needed. And in retrospect I've learned that on these mega journey's one stop is extra long for ordering food. I had so many snacks that was not necessary even for this 24 hours plus journey, my first upon arriving in Xinjiang. At the extra long stop I did not get off at first. Then we were stopping so long I decided I might as well. But when I went to the front of the bus the door was closed. No pushing of strange buttons with no English labels was the 'open sesame' I needed.
I sat on the floor next to the driver's seat, hopelessly locked in. Where, oh, where was the operator??? The driver did not come to my rescue.
Finally someone pointed out that there was a door half way back on the right hand side that was wide open.
Silly me.
written by  prrrrl on September 26, 2009 from Xinjiang, China

In No Particular Order, II
Lost in single product malls:
Beijing has these niche malls that are dazzling in their expanse and repetition. There is one devoted to wedding photos meaning they sell both camera gear, professional make up kits and bizarrely ornate costumes for all ages. This mall has several camping/outdoor gear store fronts. I haven't yet figured the connection yet. Maybe after the marriage and after the photos are 'published' glossy ad style, the actual photo shoot often coming months after the ceremony, someone feels the need to disappear in the wilderness?? Anyhoo, these are vastly outnumbered by the former three. Now, these malls are rectangular/square buildings of simple concrete. Straight halls lead past myriad small shops or stalls pretty much selling the same thing and thus being indistinguishable from each other save for the Chinese multi-slash stroke characters that are also rather indistinguishable to me at a glance. If I perchance enter a stall will I remember upon leaving that I entered from the right or the left? Was I heading for white wall with the red sign or was I heading for the white wall with the red sign? I try to have a plan like keeping something in the hand of the direction I should turn at the next T intersection. This worked well for the quilt, button, zipper, elastic, shoulder pad, fabric market, the quilts, buttons, zippers, elastic, shoulder pads, and fabrics each having their own indistinguishable sections. This market is in sections and I have to remember if I am in the first, second, third or fourth set of hallways, some sets big enough to fill a basketball court others to fit a soccer field.
Subway ticket quintuple fare:
Beijing subways now have ticket dispensing machines. Apparently they run out of change quickly. They also do not take one quai bills, only coins. Coins are rare these days possibly because they are sitting inside all the subway ticket dispensers. The smallest bill they will take is five times the fare. To save time I decide to get it over with and buy five tickets. I pocket my four surplus, assuming I can skip the machine on my next subway ride and descend to the platform. All is cool… Until I try to use an excess ticket on my next ride two hours later. Expired!! I wasted on those four extra tickets...... $1.25.
Blue sky dry ground:
I am deep into cavern four of the fabric, bedding, elastic, zipper, button, shoulder pad mall maze when I hear rain on the corrugated roof. It pounded hard! When I emerged from the maze less then an hour later the ground was dry. Was I dreaming? No. Just Beijing dry air working it's evaporation magic.

Chaoyang bound?
Xingcheng, China
We were at the Xingcheng train station ticket window having just bought our soft seats for Chaoyang [only $10!] when the Drama began. I attempted to make a follow on request for two tickets to Beijing from Chaoyang. Having been told by a nation-wide reservation service that no hotels in Chaoyang were cleared for accepting foreigners, we intended to choo choo in & out on the same day. But all soft seats were sold out! My western sensibilities would not tolerate a hard seat for 13+ hours. Now what? Back to the hotel where Internet access will help us scheme. There we contrives plan B. back to the train station to impliment it. Stand in line again. Get to the same ticket agent again. Show her plan B. No go. Rinse and repeat. After our third round trip still no ticket! On the knowledge that there are buses and the nation-wide reservation service could be wrong, we choo choo to Chaoyang the next morning, no firm, guaranteed plan in hand. Seat of my pants travel!!!
written by  prrrrl on September 27, 2013 from Xingcheng, China

Endangered words
In Mandarin there is greater variety of titles for family members. In stead of 'brother,' 'sister' or 'sibling' there's big sister [jie Jje], little sister [mei mei], big brother [ge ge] and little brother [di di]. They are cute designations of relativity to relatives. When my dorm mate said her mei mei was coming I thought nothing of it except, 'how sweet.' But later I realized that those words are rarely used here as a nation of singletons does not have a ge ge or jie jie; there's been a one child policy in place since the '70's. My roomie doesn't look old enough to predate that rule. Is she a twin? Does she belong to a minority ethnic group that allows acceptations to the rule? Were the parents natal outlaws? None of the above. In reality she was a cousin. Mei mei still sounds better to me.

TLG V Or, what a kick!
Corey [my new buddy & temporary travelmate] prefers to press on, on TWO MORE HOURS, to the last guest House, Tina's. I'm tired, I'm sick. I can do it! It's mostly down hill which is a killer on my knees. I don't remember if we made in 'time' or not. We crossed a Waterfall and were immediately met by a donkey. No, make that two, no, thre... Six? Several had bridles. All, I hoped, were not kickers as there was no space to get out of their way. We were up against The Rock wall, they were next to the drop off. I used my Uyghur, 'Chuh,' hoping they are multi-lingual. They peacefull marched in single file across the wettened by Waterfall trail. We were not kicked. Downward to Tina's!

Rat in maze test 4: FAIL!
I found the street with restaurants! I made a mental note of where to find the alley that lead to them. Later I suggested to some friends I made at the hostel that we should go for 'barbecue' as that's the local specialty. [Note to US southerners: But do they use vinegar???] They agreed. Two Americans, a Canadian, an Austrian and a Chinese go to dinner. I find the alley that I remember. We walk a ways but don't see any restaurants. We back track to the main alley and continue west. We come to the main square [Market Square complete with a plaque explaining why an odd shaped public space is called a square lest a mathematical object]. Ack! We've gone too far. I was right the first time. We opt to be bold and wander down a new alley that hugs one of the small canals that stripe the city.
We sample deep fried Naxi cheese [it has sugar sprinkled on top], Naxi stewed vegetables, barbecue fish [no vinegar, no tomato based sauce - sacrilege!], Naxi tofu, Naxi crispy yak with mint and other dishes. Apparently here barbecue means salted & dried.

TLG VII Or, Hot Pot, ya'll??
Southern Hot Pot! Why order off the menu when the staff is eating wonderfully warm hot pot one table over. We only get spicy dipping sauce, not the sesame and/or spicy they offer in Beijing, the home of hot pot. [I'm guessing on that one but it is a Northern dish.] Veggies and organs are washed & chopped and in tubs on one of the restaurant tables, of these we can help ourselves. We are given the choice of Chicken, bones in, or beef for the stock. No lamb? We are definitely not in the North! The green veggies are numerous but the scallios disappear before I can grab a plateful. There are glass noodles, too - a favorite of mine. We eat till stuffed. Aaaaahhhh....
Here, rice is rarely served in individual bowls. A wooden bucket, or large bowl of rice is placed on the table for all to share family style. I like it.

Out numbered
I have four roommates. I am the lone non-Chinese - very good for practicing my limited language skills. They set the bar very low for Big Noses, everyone marveling at my Mandarin. Very friendly and helpful roommates but... they give me reason to use earplugs at night! I feel like I'm in a college dorm.

Wow! Talk about living up to its name!
The first time I passed that corner I thought, 'Open sewer?' The second time I thought, 'Industrial spill?' The third time I paid attention to the recorded sales pitch blasted endlessly to passers-by: "Chou Dofu!"
Stinky tofu!
I'll pass!

Breakfast Bonanza!
It's so popular I can't get any service. It's a breakfast restaurant with indoor seating, hard to find, and it serves many more breakfast options than most. Usually a breakfast place offers only a few things. This places serves fried sticks (a fave of my kids but an unsweetened greasy donut does not appeal to me), tofu soup (another that does not suite my taste buds), stuffed buns (too doughy), dumplings (yum!), millet porridge (bland but not objectionable), pickled radish (okay in tiny amounts), tea eggs (I've eaten lots of these this trip), tofu jelly with sauce (the Beijing smokey flavor I try to avoid) and wonton soup (great breakfast with lots of little shrimp eyes looking up at you before you eat them). I've written (hunt & peck) most of this after ordering twice and before receiving any food. That's busy!
written by  prrrrl on October 2, 2013 from Beijing, China

In No Particular Order, part III
Ticket not on packing list:
Some prep work on my part. In my free moments riding the subway or dining solo I made a packing list for my foray to far west china. So organized, I am! The night before departure I am all packed by 11 pm - very reasonable, I say. Morning arrives after a sleepless will I miss the alarm and miss my flight night but that is not new for me. A bummer but not new. I do my final prep but am very relaxed 'cause....
My list has been all checked off - I am ready! 15 minutes before my scheduled hail a taxi time I realize I forgot to pack my plane ticket. :-0. I rip every bag & pocket I have open looking for that ticket three times never finding. While I'm on the phone finally connected to a person my friend, Stasia, looks in the first place I looked, the place I designated for the important stuff, and produces the ticket. "May I help you?" in strong Chinese accent, I hear. "Thank you very much," I reply. Click.
Lost cane:
I almost lost my walking stick at the Urumqi airport. I was about to get on the shuttle to city center when I remembered I had hung it on a hook on the toilet (word of advice: do not use the term 'restroom' overseas, you will get a blank stare). I had to show my passport to the soldier guarding the door then explain to airport personnel to let me in backwards through security. It worked. They let me flow up stream.
'Generals' at airport:
Just a smattering of soldiers.
Aviation Modernization:
Air travel in china used to be novel in that they handed out gifts like silk ties and had decent meals. Alas, apart from the flight attendants bowing to the passengers at the beginning of the flight they have 'caught up' with the western world in no longer handing out trinkets & having bad food just like the big guys.
What's in a name??
Clio coddle. Clio codile. Cliocodile. Clocodile. Crocodile. Oh! That's what the 'Clio coddle' next to the Izod symbol meant!
I am 'street performer' for elderly Uighur couple in Urumqi:
I think the airport to city center bus driver just wanted to get rid of me. He asked where I wanted to get off. I gave him store & street name. He just dumped me down town several kilometers short. Oh well. An elderly Uighur couple spied me and approached me, eyes wide. They walked around me as if I were a statue and by viewing me up close from several angles would get a better idea of the artist's intent.
Over hang n build across buildings in Kashgar old city:
It appears that the Uighurs built one story houses by stacking bricks, one horizontal layer parallel to the wall the next layer perpendicular to the wall. These layers are the covered with a mud/straw plaster. Neighbors' homes abut one another so from the alley it is difficult to see where one home starts and another finishes. Then later maybe they add a second story. That second story might be flush with the first, extend over the alley by a couple feet or reach all the way to the other side shading the already dim, narrow street. Now how to get INSIDE one of these lovely homes....
Acidophilus, Anyone?
I was served a lovely yogurt with my first meal in Xinjiang. In Kashgar I assumed it would be easy to find more. Not so. The mounds of white goop for sale at sidewalk stalls that I thought was pure white sour milk is really some sweet pastry filling or topping. Yuk!
In my element in Kashgar:
I left Urumqi in haste. I arrived in Kashgar very late. My first morning of being on holiday came two days after my departure from Beijing. And oh what a feeling of being 'home' by being someplace far flung. :-)
Austrian men & skivvies:
What is it with Austrian men stripping to their tidy reddies & tidy blackies when sharing a dorm room in guest houses??? [I averted my eyes...]
Sequin city/dental city:
Kashgar is sequin city. Any time of day women of all ages & sizes can be seen wearing dazzling neck to ankle sparkles. Cool. The ubiquitous store front other than bread is dental services. There might be 6 dentists on one block often next door to each other. I see plenty of little old men that don't stop there. I don't see many little old women. Hmmmm....
Set breakfast asking for little
Xinjiangers are night owls. Little is happening before 11am, 9am Xinjiang time. So my early start for the tomb was not passing me by many breakfast options. And the down town area seemed to be mostly China Mobile outlets. Around the block I trod at 11am hoping for a sit down but not uber fancy restaurant. I finally found one open n already serving customers. They asked me if I wanted big food or little food. I assumed this meant breakfast or lunch considering the hour. I said little thinking I'd get the breakfast menu. Nope. It was a set meal of soup with spongy tofu bean threads mustard greens & gritty meat balls, two large steamed buns one flavored with herbs the other with hot pepper a small dish of pickled veggies and a large kettle of tea. All for ten quai - $1.50.
Foot hicky
Do you know what cupping is on Chinese medicine? My foot masseuse did it to my feet. He poured propane on a fire eater type puff, lit it, placed a fish bowl shaped glass just bigger than a golf ball over it briefly and then immediately applied it to my foot, the cooling air forming a vacuum. A foot hicky! [No red marks were formed on my feet - I'm just being silly. He moved the glass bowl too quickly.]
Consistency:
15 years ago my children attended a Chinese school in Beijing. The walls through out were white washed green on the bottom half n white on the top. You'll be delighted to know that as of 2009 nothing has changed in terms of school décor, country-wide.
What I Cannot Photograph:
Clubs; semi automatic machine guns; circular barriers under stand alone awnings; fatigue green jeeps; medics; riot face shields; riot shields; combat ready troops in line for toilet; talkless soldiers sitting on the ground under shade trees; convoy trucks; five soldiers per stand, one stand per street corner in Urumqi; marching past old city wall in Kashgar.
Otra dohblay:
Any Uighur speakers out there who can tell me if I was propositioned with that phrase? I've got to stop smiling at male hotel guests.
Unaware:
According to my map the international bus station was just after the river which is where I was. And there was a bus behind a gate. But one does not enter the bus station through the driveway. The pedestrian entrance had to be close. Since all I saw were shop fronts I asked the fruit vendor who happened to be in front of the driveway complete with parked bus. He asked his friend. The bus was just yards away yet neither knew where this bus station was.
Racial Profiling:
There is a Uighur night snack market in Kashgar. Is it safe for a solo female such as myself?? I ask the hotel's cafe manager/travel expert who happens to be Han Chinese. Her answer? "It is safe for you but not for me."
No smile boy takes us to bazaar:
Instructions from more than one source were wrong. There we were, far from our goal - the Sunday animal market - and not knowing what to do. My Chinese should come in handy at this point. Dong wu shi chang. One person pointed south. Three people pointed north. A young man volunteered to take us. North. It took two buses and never a smile to go to... The Sunday bazaar. No animals. I think my Chinese was good enough. It's just that foreigners are not believed. They think all wai guo ren want the Sunday bazaar. We did make it. The one who pointed south was right.
If you want me to like you:
Turn off the car alarm and the incessant sales pitch! I do not have the tolerance for noise that most Asians seem to have.
I can't loose a thing!
I thought I lost my ticket. No. It was on the first l place I checked. It just took four looks with much tearing apart of other places in between those four looks to find it. I couldn't lose my passport either. I tore apart every pocket of every bag I had three times before remembering that it was in the safest place possible - attached to me! Ah, the secret pocket...

Vagabonds & Time Tables
Xinjiang, China
A. Just 19 & traveling across Asia alone. Half German, half Chinese she could have been my daughter. She warned me that the southern silk road was boring.
G. Only had three cigarettes to his name and he swore they would be his last. At least he smoked outside the dorm room. Keep your pants on, Man!
E. Her hair was so short when I first saw her sleeping at midnight when I was let into the dorm I assumed she was a guy. She gives me hope. She is 11 years older than I & still probing remote locales solo. Go, E, go!!
Hurry Up & Wait:
I hurried to catch the noon bus to Pakistan... that left at 1:19. Silly me. There was a stepped platform that allowed them to load cargo atop the bus. Inside there was more cargo than passengers. The hour+ delay meant we arrived at my drop off point on time!
written by  prrrrl on September 28, 2009 from Xinjiang, China

Eight by Nine
I'm a happy clam! Or should I say mussel since it is their product I'm here to buy. The hostel up-graded me to a two person dorm from a six person dorm - big improvement! And better yet, the other bed is empty giving me a private room. For the time being. There have been nights where I woke up with more roommates then then I went to bed with the night before. (Please don't read that the wrong way!). I can crank down the AC (mostly to rid the room of excess moisture), I don't have to share the bathroom with anyone and I don't have to be super quiet day or night (the lad I thought was going to be my roommate ignored his morning alarm forcing me to zip, wad and Groom a la the proverbial mouse). I've got 5 days here. How long can I enjoy the solitary??
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written by  prrrrl on October 3, 2013 from Beijing, China

Timing
Raining! They seeded the clouds too late. Usually they engineer a bright sunny day for Oct. 1. (By mid-afternoon it was beautiful out.)
written by  prrrrl on October 1, 2013 from Beijing, China

I feel gritty!
Everybody sing:
"I feel gritty! Oh so gritty! I feel gritty and pity and fright!"
That's life in a very polluted city with very dry air and very little precipitation. Leaving it all behind tomorrow!!!
Busy day packing, shopping & cleaning up. Tailor needs to be visited now so clothes will be ready when I return from my time in the south.
If you're not in Beijing: enjoy the clean!!

TLG VIII Or, big savings!
Time to go to Tiger Leaping Rock. Down! We bypass the sky ladder and opt for the safe way down. It is morning and the trail is empty. Most hilkers come from Halfway Guesthouse in the morning and add this bit on in the afternoon before hopping the bus to Lijiang or Shangri La. Tuesday totally shattered by 'take it nice & slow' approach to the trek but today should be better. It is windy and cloudy but no rain.
We see people at the bottom already! They are on the large, jutting rock on the left. We explore The Rocks on the right first. A mightly powerful River through the gorge! The group on the large rock leave. We make our way over. A woman sits by the path up The Rock. She wants 10rmb from us. I had asked in advance where exactly we were suppose to pay as locals like to set up signs and road blocks and illegally collect 'passage fees.' If the information I gathered was correct, we do not have to pay her. I tell her so and walk right past her. Corey is too polite. She grabs her cell phone & calls. For back up? For police? For muscle? We'll see. I enjoy the views. Corey pays the fee. I over hear her give a sigh of resignation. Whomever she called did not make her emboldened to confront me. After a bit I leave. She does not follow; back up, police and muscle do not arrive.
I saved myself $1.61.

TLG IX Or, no could do
Sky ladder! A scary ladder that is about 3 stories high at an angle of 89 degrees, or almost vertical. The rungs are a reach even for me and my long legs. How does the typical Chinese do it? At least the treads are deep. Now I can say I did it.
Back at Tina's level we decide to have an easy horse back riding afternoon. The trail we want to do is called the Bamboo Forest. It is suppose to be a highlight of the Tiger Leaping Gorge experience. First we are told 'no can do' because of the Bridges & wind - not safe for horses. We end up at a very pleasant looking Tibet Guesthouse for lunch. We inquire about horses again. Sure, they can take you through the Bamboo Forest & back to Tina's. Perfect!
No could do. The Bridges & wind really didn't allow. We ended up going through Walnut Garden to a very nice look-out high above the gorge. Sure wish I had seen walnut cakes on one of the menus.

Miscalculation multiplied by Tu
I packed an old pair of boots on purpose. I thought I could use them for a hike then leave them behind in China giving me more more luggage space for my return trip. WRONG! They are LL Bean boots meaning I can return them at ANY TIME, in any condition for a refund. But I can't return them if I leave them behind in China. That was miscalculation #1.
Miscalculation #2? [Tu?] They are crumbling under foot and I haven't even started the hike. I took them to a local shoe repair man and he did a great job getting the tread under the toe to re-adhere but the right boot is loosing chunks of the sole from the side & under the heal, not the bottom sole, the cushion between the sole and foot part. Not fixable, he said.
There are actually not that many Miles on these boots. I used them to tramp in Australia & New Zealand [down under 'hiking,' if I remember correctly, is thumbing for a ride and 'tramping' is a walk in nature], hike in Chile and not much more. I think my longest hike/tramp was 80 kilometers in 6 days. Sneakers work fine for most of my woods walking.
Any hoo...
Now I need to run out and buy new hikers before I fly to Yunnan tomorrow AND decide if I want to lug the faulty boots back to the US for the money-back guarantee. :-/

Salt air!
We had traveled by bus, train, subway, several types of motorized pedicabs, taxi, bench seat bike, foot and now ferry. It was a slow ride to the island that was faded in polluted-view but not far off shore. I mistakenly purchased the all inclusive ticket which would take us by bus around the island to three sites of interest to Buddhists and sinophiles. Though RJ leans towards the former, for him one old red tile-roofed building looks like all the other old red tile-roofed buildings. We skip the pre-paid tour and take the advice of an Aussie dude and his companions suggested: a small fishing village on a small beach. The pre-paid tour does get us the short distance to the other side of the island on the local bus. A very short walk brings us to the shore. The fishing vessels look heavily weathered as if abandoned but apparently not as we see several in active use. Then I spot a old favorite: rocks along the shore perfect for climbing on. We pass locals gouging oyster-like mollusks, dislodging the top shell, harvesting the meat and leaving the bottom glued barnacle-like to the rocks. Low tide is what reveals their quarry. The un-seaworthy looking boats put on the water make a pretty sight with their red Chinese flags flapping in the breeze.
We climb the bank towards a road when we are surprised by a donkey. Or did we surprise it? Its ears were standing straight up as it stared intently at us. Is it tethered? Is it territorial? We're to far to determine the former and too cautious to test the latter. We proceed slowly with jackets in hand to swing at it if necessary. But not necessary. We follow the road back to the village and are pleasantly surprised to find a restaurant overlooking the little bay. Seafood with a view!
It's not tropical Philippines. It's not primitive Borneo. It's not fascinating Kenyan coast. It's not picturesque Bali. It's not perfect Thailand. It's not gorgeous Samoa. But it is a nice day trip off the gray, dusty mainland.
Now if only we had a cart to hitch to that donkey to add to our list of transports...
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written by  prrrrl on October 3, 2013 from Xingcheng, China

Ready, set...
Am packed and ready to end my late summer adventure in China. I hope to be in my home 24 hours from now. Wishful thinking? probably. The airport is closed down during the Chinese National Day parade [live on the TV right now] and close to 200 fights need to be squeezed into the afternoon when mine is scheduled. Sigh...

In no particular order and written three weeks ago during the internet block out
Xinjiang, China
Ran out of gas to Kashgar:
My 26 hour long distance escape bus to Kashgar ran out of gas in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. Has the driver not done this trip before?? It gave me a chance to find an unlit stone on a slope to hide behind. It was a girl's powder room outing as Mihray suggested we plunge into the darkness together.
Zyear 16 Jimish 51 Gooli 18 Kyrgyz:
Zyear said I was beautiful. Ha!! Hormones of a sixteen year old?? Jimish was a petite woman with a high voice. Her children angered her some how and she grumbled intermittently. She even started to kick Zyear but halted – foot raised - looked over at me and laughed nervously. Gooli had the indoor work cooking cleaning and bed making/unmaking. Mom had more livestock care though Gooli did some too. I didn't see Zyear do any work other than soliciting my patronage. Gooli had her eyes glued to her cell phone when not working. And she liked only a few Kyrgyz pop tunes she kept hitting replay replay replay replay replay replay on.
I half mooned a Kyrgyz woman:
The toilet was behind a stone corral in full view of a public boardwalk and the neighboring yurts. So I half mooned the distant neighbor lady. Did I have a choice??
Snow camouflage for mountain peaks:
It was hard to tell where the clouds stopped n the snow draped peaks started.
What a sight!
A shooting star, the silver lining over the peaks & under the clouds of an impending moon rise, snow draped peaks, innumerable stars and the Milky Way all in one expansive glance.
Stone room:
The family asked if I wanted to sleep alone or if they could stay in the yurt. I think I would have been afraid to spend the night there alone. I asked which was more comfortable for sleeping. Fortunately for me the stone room was not. I looked kind when I said they could sleep in the yurt, too.
Talking in middle of night:
Maybe I should have conquered my fear of being semi alone in the wilderness (there were other yurts nearby) in an area known for tribal leaders strong arming families that take in sojourners like myself. My three hosts chatted intermittently all night. If I was awake to document such I was not sleeping. Earplugs to the rescue the next night!
Piles of quilts:
Two homemade quits for a mattress two more above for warmth, the first being folded underneath along both sides before the foot was folded under to form a ‘sleeping bag.’ They slept side by side on one quilt spread sideways with an extra quilt strip along the bottom for under their feet. They each had their own folded cocoon quilt without the extra layer that I had. Each morning all quilts are exactingly folded and stacked against the cross bars of the yurt and then covered with a beautiful cloth that looked like a Persian rug and strapped into place with two cords waiting for the time 14 hours later when they will again be brought out.
Son, 16 year old Zyear, leaves for long periods during the day and likes to listen to music late into the night.
Shoes off at door inconsistent:
At the door, or should I say layered drape of bamboo screen and quilt that flapped in the wind and must be lifted to enter or exit, shoes are USUALLY removed. So yak, goat and human dung USUALLY was not tracked in.
Tuuk is something you yell at farm animals in Kyrgyz
Bring it on!
September is cold in the mountains! But two pairs of pants, four shirts, one pullover, a shawl and a rain jacket worn layer upon layer do.
written by  prrrrl on September 30, 2009 from Xinjiang, China

Children and dogs...
On the subway I started playing peek-a-boo with a curious toddler sitting one lap over. What else would I do when a small child stares at my blue eyes and then covers their brown beauties. But this game did not end well. I smiled upon reappearing from behind my hands. He cried. Scary foreign ghost!
In Xingcheng I took an early morning solo stroll down modern city allies to the ancient city wall. I made it inside before the kitschy shops opened and the noisy crowds gathered - ah, peace! Down one what we might call an alley but in Ming Dynasty China was a real street a local canine was waiting at its gate for re-admittance. My legs were just another early morning stroller's legs. Panting and waiting. Waiting and panting. But then pooch looked up. It saw my big nose (I think dogs are color blind so we can't blame my blue eyes). It panicked, reared up and pounded its front paws on the gate of wait. The gate popped open and the pooch ran for the safety if its owner's courtyard.
Children and dogs cry or flea at my visage. Aren't I special.

Argh!
The tall building has three elevators but today only one is working. It's on the eighth floor. I wait for it to descend. The doors open and I see three people, one with a dolly of boxes, one just standing there and one on a full size motorcycle. I back up to let the motorcycle back out but when he's clear the door closes without me on! The sole elevator then goes all the up to the 32 floor giving me time to hunt and peck this message! Argh!

Feeling smug!
I am packed for two weeks in a very small back pack & a medium size book bag. That includes toiletries, pharmacuticals, two changes of clothes, a camera with small accessories, sandals, two disassembled hiking sticks, two shawls and LOTS of socks. The two fleeces & rain shell I wear to the airport. But I'm sure I could stuff those into my two bags. too. I am carrying a plastic bag of fruit & snacks. That doesn't count, right?!

TLG X Or, free ride
The menu at Tina's was not inspiring. Our horse guides [these people are Mountain goats - Corey & I rode, they walked the entire trail up & back down without any visible effort!] brought us back to the cozy Tibet Guesthouse for Tibetan food and the promise of a free ride back to Tina's after.
Food was fine. Beer was fine. The sun had long set. But by the time we finished our meal the kitchen was dark and not a soul to be seen or heard anywhere. "Hello?" "Wei?" I had a flashlight with me but a 3k walk in the quiet dark next to significant drop offs was not appealing.
We finally found everyone downstairs underneath the open patio we dined on. Phew!
Free ride!

To market, to market!
Shaxi, China
It's market day in Shaxi, a small village that once was on the Tea Horse Road where Yunnan tea was traded for Tibetan horses. The square is quaint and amazingly QUIET! I like it here! The market is in the newer part of town mostly under some metal shelters.
I saw the rug hat people and the black turban people and the woven bookmark with fringe draped across the head and held in place by a Mao cap people and the knit cap shaped like a squashed flower bud people and the animal skin on the back people and only one huge black half hexagon hanging off the back of the head person. Mostly it was the black turban people.
All these clothing distintions were only for the women. The men were drab in comparison.
I'll do my research and come up with proper tribal associations.
Twas a cool day!
written by  prrrrl on March 9, 2012 from Shaxi, China

Hungry AND cold!
I thought I read 24 hour access for the hostel I'm currently residing in. Either I read wrong or they have an interesting idea of what that means. After my long wait for half a meal I arrived at the hostel door to see the handles cabled, bike lock style, shut. It was 1:30 am and cold. No! I need shelter!! I banged on the door. The workers sleep on the sofas in the lounge area. One woke up and let me in. I felt guilty. So did the only logical thing: I got on line and blogged about my restaurant wait. But with 10 minutes two more groups of lodgers came banging on the locked door. Poor guy had to get up three times to let us late people in. Mind you, this was a Saturday night, not like staying out late is a Surprise. And Beijing has restaurants 24/7 - it's part of their native lifestyle, not us imposing on them.
Anyway, I felt less guilty awful quick. :-D
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My new job?
It's the national holiday so all offices are closed. Fortunately for me shops are open. I'm at one warehouse and only the owners are here. The phone rings and it's their customer in London. Poor Wu is confused - he does not speak English. He hands the phone to me. I act as translator conveying Brit's question, then Wu's answer; brit's complaint, then Wu's solution. What's my hourly rate??? (Brit said, "You sound American.")

Useful!
Hiking poles sure are handy. They are probably good for hiking, too. This trip the only action they've seen is reaching for shoes deep under the bed and closing windows too high to reach. Not sure it's been worth carrying them from the US and all through Liaoning. Oh, well...

Still in no particular order...
Xinjiang tea dark but mild:
I like.
Cell phone service dropped frequently
Despite a cell phone tower behind the hotel Zyear diverted me from, service dropped more than frequently.
Repeat music:
Boy, Gooli and Zyear like those three songs played over and over and over and over and over and over and over for 48 hours I stayed with them.
Ought, chuh!
That's Kyrgyz for, 'Horse, go!' I said 'chuh,' a lot. It works on Kazak horses, too. Well, it SHOULD work on Kazak horses...
What are:
"You realize I have altitude issues and you don't." "If I can do it you can do it." "I'm paying not to walk right now." "Hey, I only have two legs you have four!"
Things you say to a stubborn Kyrgyz 'ought' as you pull it by its reins around the back side of a seven kilometer lake trail.
Culture shock:
Though from the outside a round white tent looks like a round white tent, a Muslim yurt ['mongu ba' in Chinese] is easier to navigate than a Buddhist ger. No direction issues (a Buddhist ger is navigated clockwise with the first part upon entering & turning left being the woman's area including mare's milk churn, and the last part being the man's area including the idol altar). And there are no water disposal issues in Muslim-land. They readily toss dirty dish water out the door of yurt. Nice.
Set a spell?
In all of China the concept of 'comfort' has yet to be applied to the chair. And in 'Yurtville' we take a step backwards from that! Here I am surrounded by gorgeous scenery just wanting to sit and read while soaking up some mountain sun and nary a stool, let alone a lounge chair, to rest upon.
Too hot to handle:
I risk my life to see a glacier - I let them take me up the mountain on a small motor bike. First we stop for gas. This is not at a gas station since there are none near by. This is stopping at a neighbor's yurt and hoping he has fuel in a can. He's not there. We proceed with possible insufficient fuel. He does not check the fuel gage - I'm not sure there is one. He just shakes the bike back and forth and listens to the slosh sound from the tank. I weigh more than either lad (16 & 18) and take turns riding with each. Going up older lad's engine overheated twice. We made it back with out running out of fuel. They turn of the engine on declines.
Long eared rabbit in cemetery:
I hope it's in the pics.
More 'Chinese characters':
L, the Aussie investment lawyer living in London and former mountain climber heading to Russia in haste before the cold sets in who had captured coveted images of certain soldiers in certain cities; K, the Frenchman born in Algiers who introduced himself at 'Tarzan' thinking my name was 'Jane' - I did not disillusion him of his clever joke [Grrrrrrr, Jane Eyre!]; Japanese pierced lip photo happy beer drinking su-chef going overland to Pakistan, India, Nepal and Tibet.
Slow restaurant service:
Tends to take awhile to get your food in Tashkurgan.
Quick! Call 119??
My Tashkurgan accommodations came complete with plastic flowers, a pamphlet on AIDS and complimentary condom, and a phone. Who would I call? Who could I call?? The cord was cut.
White potato substitute:
Imagine it is Thanksgiving and your favorite yam/sweet potato dish is fresh from the oven. It probably has lots of brown sugar with marshmallows melted on top. Yum! Or if you are health conscious may I suggest roasted yam mashed with orange juice concentrate, a little real butter, pecans & cranberries. Tart but tasty. Now imagine either dish made with white potato instead. If you've just wrinkled your nose in disgust, that's my thought exactly. So that was my reaction when I ordered Chinese style candied yams/sweet potato, doubled checked that they were indeed yam/sweet potatoes, but was served candied white potato. Ewwwww!!!
The runs:
I've had the runs intermittently since arriving - the nasal kind. Dust? Virus? Not sure. I just keep tissue handy.
Glacier butt melt:
My derriere contributed to glacial melt. My apologies to the world. Twas cold and muddy but fun. Twas also precarious and standing would have been dangerous - Spikes of muddy ice ready to break off at any time next to deep crevasses of no return. At least I can say I sat on a glacier!
Pay up front!
Grrr.... Person one said 80rmb a night, maybe 60 - talk to the manager. Manager said 50rmb, 100 for two nights. I doubled checked and reiterated 'all together two nights for 100'. Manager said yes. Two days later at check out, morning manager demands 100 per night!!! I had a bus to catch. Grrrrrrr.....
Style:
Tajik women look like Jackie O as a business nun. Beautiful pill box hats, stylishly tailored suit jackets over knee length flared skirts and shoulder length drape of a veil. Jackie O as a business nun!
written by  prrrrl on October 2, 2009 from Xinjiang, China

Morning Surprises?
I sure hope there are no caterpillars under my pillow tonight.
I use my clean clothes wadded up under the hostel's thin pillow to raise it to a comfortable height. My clean clothes dry on clotheslines on the Terrace. The Terrace is populated with fuzzy caterpillars. I picked 7 or 8 of my clean clothes before wadding them up. Don't want squashed caterpillars on my outfit tomorrow!

Santa National Day?
"Did you have a good National Day?" I asked smelly, Brit-sounding gentleman who had not left (for more than a day, anyway). The memorable answer did not come from him but from the desk clerk eavesdropping. He said, "Not really." "Of, course! You had to work!" I assumed out loud. "No, since I'm grown up, it is not special." Would the average American adult say that about the Fourth of July? Is the Chinese National Day the equivalent of Santa Claus?

Forget about it!
Shaxi, China
Cheap ride [20rmb] from Tina's to Jane's where our bags were stored. Short walk to Qiaotou. Wait by side of the road for a few minutes. Corey's bus came almost immediately; he was off for Shangri La. My bus came right after but being full did not stop. I waited an additional 10 minutes. Next appropriate bus was mostly empty of humans but FULL of molds and grime. Super yuk! But I need to be headed south so I find a seat.
After a 20 minute rest stop so the driver could eat I'm in Jianchuan about 2 hours later. I switch to a bus to Shaxi that's waiting to fill. I'm person 6 of 7. We only need one more. But two people walk up, one holding a baby. A man quickly gets off giving up his seat so the family can stay together. Nice.
1 hour later I'm in my home for the next 3 nights: Shaxi, Yunnan, the town time forgot.
written by  prrrrl on March 10, 2012 from Shaxi, China

Too hard!
Shaxi, China
Today I hiked with two Chileans & a Dutchman to some famous old grottoes in the hillsides near Shaxi. There are many and spread far apart in the hills. Seeing them all would take one very long day of non-stop hiking. We opt for a few along a curving path. A mini-van & driver will meet us at the end.
We make it to the first set [that include 'fertility' symbols on lotus pads]. To be cautious we inquire of the route to our next destination. The man says too difficult, go back to the parking lot and walk from there. Back to the parking lot would be a difficult down into the valley and up the other side that we already trekked. Over & over he said to go back, our route was too difficult & we'd get lost.
Thankfully, we ignored him. The route was easy to follow and almost totally down hill unlike the deep dip & back up he was recommending us to do. And it was beautiful! Even with no millenium old carvings to look at occassionally the hike was well worth it just for the trees, hills, blue skies, rock outcroppings and and views to distant villages.
Photos coming soon!
written by  prrrrl on March 10, 2012 from Shaxi, China

Get a whiff of...
Lights back on! Yea!!
Men and smokers don't think their jackets need washing. They are everyone-else-is-plugging-their-noses wrong. I once sat behind a young man at the ballet in Raleigh Fanning my face constantly to dispel his outerwear's rankness. At the hostel I'm currently at, I complained at the front desk that the room smelled. I was wrong. The British-sounding Chinese man's clothes reeked. He said he was moving out the next day and I was looking forward to the smell's departure. His English is like my Chinese - we sound better than we comprehend. He did indeed move out though when I ran into him in the lobby the next morning he said he was staying. I thought he meant that he was staying somewhere else (as in different city) for the next week which would match our first conversation (pre smell diagnosis) that he was heading out of town for the Chinese holiday. Well, he's back (it's been one day). I enjoy talking to him but I sure hope he's staying in a different room!
Jan

Jade!
We left NC on Thursday; we arrived in China Friday. Sunday morning we were still both jet lagged. What to do at 5am? Dirt market! There is a weekend flea/dirt market of many decades history on the south east side. It's grown very touristy in recent years and the Prospect of finding an authentic antique are increasingly slim. But what else to do at that early weekend hour? Dawn barely Broken, we head for the subway. It used to be that one had to get to the dirt market by 5am to snag the best deals. We arrived just after 6 and very little was yet set up. We wandered as venders unpacked. RJ being an antiques dealer I thought this place would interest him.
I didn't plan to find anything but did! Ancient pieces of jade that used to be bracelets, fracture plains filed smooth, with holes drilled at mid-point or end. I'll have a dozen unique pieces to add to my collection very soon. dRt cHc* to rise again!!
While working these unique pieces into my designs I drop one. It Broke. My supplier tried to file the edges of what the became earring dangles (and they look good!) but being high on the Mohls scale jade, it ruined her file!
dRt cHc is my line of high end, exclusive, one of a kind and rare jewelry pieces.

Sitting Pretty and Not Loving It
Before moving to China I read an observer's assessment that the Chinese could not make a comfortable chair. So true! I'm currently dining at a restaurant with great atmosphere but clumsy furniture. The decorative wooden drop frame means I can hardly pull up to the table as my legs can barely fit under. The cross bars on the front of the chair just two inches from the floor mean I can not pull my heels back in order to let my thighs drop giving me more clearance under the drop frame. Pretty, yes. Practical, no.
I did not pick this restaurant for the ambience but for the street view. When dining solo people watching is fun.

Darkness
Today is their National Day, their 'Fourth of July'. Yet I got lots of work done visiting 3 vendors and picking up longer pants from the tailor. But I just returned to the hostel and there is no electricity to my room. This leaves all six residents in the dark. And it's their National Day - electricians are not working! The desk clerk can call the manager. But can the manager call a repair person? Doubtful. I asked for a flashlight and they quickly obliged. Could be an interesting evening!

Disney Dali
Dali, China
Trams zipping through the streets, guides on loud speakers. Where am I? I'm in Dali. The mountains are close by to the west causing an early sunset. The lake is visible if on the [new] old city wall. Contruction everywhere. Gorgeous cherry blossoms everywhere, too. Beautiful blue skies & pleasant tempuratures. Could be worse. When do the tours leave???
written by  prrrrl on March 12, 2012 from Dali, China

Tomorrow's itinerary
Dali, China
AM: Walked around Dali's Old City; found the local market which was very photogenic. Tried to retrace my steps to the walnut lady but could not find her after three attempts. Bought fruit.
AM: Walked atop the [new] Old City wall and enjoyed many picturesque views. Filled my SD card in my camera - sat for a long time deleting photos and videos. The 'highlight' was finding an almost 6 minute accidental video. It was from the vantage point of my belly of me washing my hands, breathing, flossing - quite a hoot! DELETE!
PM: Ate spicy mint for lunch. Not a favorite but worth a try.
PM: Went for an oil foot massage. I fell asleep at one point so was pretty good.
PM: Inquired at the front desk about walking to a pagoda I was prominantly from the [new] Old City wall. It looked close enough to reach on foot but I wanted to be sure there weren't fences or such in the way. She suggested I take a bus. She wrote the name of the stop. Having been informed by the same person that I could flag down the #4 bus anywhere along the road I stood off the side walk & waited. The first bus came and by the time I noticed the small #4 it was too late to flag it down. The second would not stop. Neither did the third. The fourth bus did stop. I showed the driver the stop I wanted and paid my 1.5rmb. I assumed it would be only 2 or 3 stops away. Miles away I ask my seat mate about the stop I want. We had passed it long ago. The bus driver than acknowledged that he had forgotten. I motioned to get off so that I could cross the street and hail a bus going back the way I wanted. He said to stay and he'd get me there on the return trip. That he did. But I had to go all the way to the bottom of the lake eating up a lot of time. But hey, I guess he saved me 24 cents. :-/ At the bus station I had to switch to another bus, my first driver explaining to the second driver why I didn't have to pay and where I was to get off. I could have walked there by now! Well, I finally was advised as to where to get off and... it was not the pagoda I had wanted to visit. It was no where near the city wall I was looking from. But there I was road side. I crossed the street. The temple was shut and locked. I walked around the side. Behind the complex holding two pagodas and across the alley was an open temple. I wandered through there taking pictures. It was quite nice but I'm getting templed out. I wanted to climb a pagoda! I went back to the road and caught another #4 bus back to my guest house. I told the desk sraff of the misunderstanding and my misadventure. The owner [who is native English speaking] tells me the pagoda I want to see is an easy walk, no fences or barriers of consequence. Tomorrow's challenge!
written by  prrrrl on March 12, 2012 from Dali, China

Fossils!
Chaoyang, China
We made it! After first heading to the bus station to buy tickets out of town (next day, as the last bus would not allow sufficient time to see the fossil museum necessitating an over-night in a city we were told we could not over-night) we hired a pedicab (no longer an applicable name as they are all electric or gas now) to get us to bus 15, the vehicle that can take us to... FOSSILS!!! The pedicab takes back to the train station. We thought that was fine until we learned that bus 15 does not pass by the train station. A very kind chaoyang-ian says she'll ride (a different bus) with us and take us to the correct bus stop. That's why I love the Chinese! A long city bus ride later she points us to the unmarked bus stop. We get off and wait. It takes a while but Bus 15 finally comes and we make it to fossil paradise!
But we don't have same day tickets out of town and we don't have a place to stay in this foreigner-forbidden city. What to do? I had a plan all along. At the ticket counter I tell the 5 ladies behind the counter (and only me and RJ in front - read that, "almost no visitors, way over staffed") that we need a hotel for they evening. Sure enough, these very helpful ladies call around and find us two, TWO!, hotels that will take 'outsiders.' One one cheap and near the train station, one is expensive and not. To the great Surprise of all who know me well, I chose the latter. 'Near the train station' is code for filthy. Read the next post for how the day ended!
written by  prrrrl on October 2, 2013 from Chaoyang, China

Ouch!
I just got body-slammed trying to get off the subway car. There is no sense of letting exitors go first on subways or elevators. People rushing in/on might block one's egress so aggressiveness is common.

Randomly, Sort Of
I thought I was dreaming!
I saw the weirdest thing in China's hottest city - everyone, cars, buses, bikes, scooters and pedestrians, obey traffic signals. Really weird!
S finds me in Tuyoq
I just can't lose the guy! In Kashgar we shared a bunk room. He had a normal bed in the inner room. I had to pass through to get to the toilet. I had a hard cot in the outer room. He had to pass through to get outside. It was late and I wanted to sleep. He semi reclined two cots over and chatted. And chatted and chatted and chatted. Two days and one city later I'm getting on the 1:30 bus and there he is. His sleeper berth being far from mine we do not get to chat. We do concede that accommodation hunting together will be mutually beneficial. 25 hours after bumping into me we disembark the bus and check the traveler's bible -- the Lonely Planet Xinjiang chapter. Being a sunny day I am able to orientate the map to north. This actually impresses him. We find the budget lodging not as budget friendly as hoped but other options are unavailable. I spend the afternoon planning for the morrow's adventure and invite both room mates, S and a French Berber gentleman. On the morrow I am ready to go but S must meditate. I leave for adventure A. Climbing the China famous Flaming Mountain. The earlier the better because of the third lowest point on the planet basin heat. Fortunately I miss the 40rmb hokie tourist stop and am dropped off 300 yards beyond the fence. This means I can save $6 and just cross the empty plain, which I do. Climbing is good but hot. Terrain is crumbly and tricky. If only I hadn't waited to see if S was coming with me I could have started my ascent two hours and ten degrees Fahrenheit ago. Oh, well. The views are good and I'm the only one there. I descend and flag down every bus I see hoping for a cheap ride to Tuyoq, a small Chinese city that is one seventh of Mecca. Bus after bus refuses me. Taxis offer to take me for 7.50, ten times the bus rate. I hold fast. Hope starts to fade. But finally a bus did come and take me to the town of Tuyoq, the main tiny, four square block town. I walk 4 kilometers before I find old, 1/7 of Mecca with famous Muslim tomb Tuyoq. But not before S finds me on one of two possible old, 1/7 of Mecca with famous Muslim tomb Tuyoq access routes. The longer one, it turns out. I can't lose the guy!.
Looks Can Be Deceiving:
We want to flag down a bus to Turpin but were? We head to the closest crossroads. There happens to be three old men at the tiny convenience shop. We inquire as to passing buses to Turpin. The smallest of the wrinkled trio says, in Chinese, 'at the crossroad' and even draws a diagram on the dust. This crossroad or another? He does not use vocabulary I understand. 'This one?' He does not use 'yes' or 'no.' I repeat my question he repeats words that don't make sense to me. Finally I understand him to say that he 'will get his horse and deliver us there.' Is my interpretation correct? Amazingly it is! Well, a donkey and rickety cart, anyway. He doesn't want money. Good deal. Bumpy but fun. He takes us about one kilometer. So it was a different cross road. We would have accepted, 'not here; that way' but he assumed too much of my Chinese. So, how old was this shrunken, weather beaten, hunched over, fly wide open but you forgive ancient peasants for such man? 73. I would have sworn he didn't look a day under 85.
written by  prrrrl on October 6, 2009 from Xinjiang, China

Dig it!
Chaoyang, China
Fossil blog
The Bird Flower-rock (fossil) National Geological Park is 60% kitsch, 30% awesome. They have the actual pit where some of the first fossils were found. They have a long, deep trench showing the sediment layers. This is not open air but in a modern building resembling an ankylosaurus. They have a museum showing scores of fossils pulled from the site, including a turtle visitors can touch, the famous feathered Dinosaur and a specially lit main feature: two small Dinosaurs caught in the act of creating new little Dinosaurs. The hokey parts are the animatronic T-Rex and others since the animatronics is hokey and these Dinosaurs were not found in Liaoning. The petrified Forest is disappointing in how pieces were poorly glued together in columns of their original growth. I'd prefer to see them the way they were found. Also very hokey is the fake and unimpressive in size Volcano.
But still worth the trip for the fossils, dig site and trench. Ahhhh...
written by  prrrrl on October 2, 2013 from Chaoyang, China

Sobriety test
Dali, China
Ate at a local place for dinner. It was packed! Only one table was open and it was a little squatty one near the open door. I had to sit on an 8 inch high stool. But packed is a good sign, right?
In this case the locals packing it were significantly comprised of women in towel turbans. This is a minority group I had not seen yet. One had an hommage to Yassar Arafat but in baby blue. It was either that or she was trying to camouflage a cowboy hat.
My meal was good and it just felt right being in a place filled with so many lovely ladies.
But right next to my squatty table was a group of men. The two closest to me offered me what appeared to be hard liquer carted in a Sprite bottle. Had they been sober, one refusal should have surficed, right? I had to turn them down 5 times! Sobriety test? FAIL!
written by  prrrrl on March 12, 2012 from Dali, China

Tea party!
The poster in the room suggesting visiting a tea plantation as part of a custom tour where you hire a car for a day. Can I get there on public transit?
"Four kilometer walk from the bus stop."
"No problem, I can walk that far."
"The way is not marked; it will be hard to find."
"I speak enough Chinese and you've written down the location in characters. I can ask for directions long the way."
Short walk to the bus station. Inquired around for my destination and the first minivan was going my way. 3rmb [48 cents.]
The driver stops to let me out. I ask at the corner convenience store for the 'tea factory.' Straight up the road. Easy.
I found the tea factory but nothing of note was happening except renovations. "I want to see tea bushes." "Up the road to and to the left."
I did have to guess as when to go left. My first instinct was correct. Easy.
I did have to pass a gate guard house* where I wrote down my name. They also wanted my company and phone number. I suppose I could have made something up but I just said I don't have one for the first and that I forgot for the second. One asked about smoking. I thought maybe he was asking for a bribe. The other guard did not want me to pass. The first let me.
On I walked. I passed an electric grid substation and a nice but uninhabited compound. The stone road wound its way up the mountainside.
As last I saw rows and rows of short green bushes. Tea! I crunched up a leaf. No aroma. At the factory I was told that it was the wrong season. Further on many bushes were pruned of all leaves, just many gray stumps in a clump. Didn't matter - I've now been to a tea plantation in Yunnan. I walked on.
I passed a few rough and simple homes*, laundry & corn drying in the courtyard. I passed several graves* scattered about the tea bushes, all facing somewhat to the east.
Below me were towns, villages, factories and farmlands stretching to the lake, beyond which were low hills barely visible in the haze. Above me were snow-sprinkled mountain tops. Let's keep walking!
After some time I was passed on a motor bike by a local. I soon came to his destination. Not to many people on this road [I saw some power company people at the substation and no one since] and far fewer big noses, if any. He greated me and asked if I'd like some water or tea. I'm in Yunnan, the home of some of the finest teas in the world and I've just made a pilgramage to a tea plantation even though it's out of season... "Tea, please!!!" There was a small building consisting of open courtyard on the east and three small rooms across the west. The only entrance was from the south. Wanted and conduct posters told me it was a work station of some sort, not a home. The 10 people, 2 women and 8 men, were finishing up lunch, one dish still sizzling in the wok. They invited me eat! A huge pot of steamed rice sat on the table, enough for 20 more people. One gentleman took a thermos of hot water and rinced a bowl and pair of chopsticks. He wiped the rim of the bowl with his probably rarely washed fingers. I ate. I drank tea a few feet from where it's grown. I listened to them laugh hartily, probably at me some of the times. They seemed a happy lot.
Three started singing in turns, each turn being lengthy. I assume it was a tradition Chinese ditty but there must have been some improvisation as one line was sung directly to one gentleman and everyone but me roared in laughter.
But I must return to civilization and end my lovely walk and visit at the foot of the mountain*. Sigh...
Twas super easy day. I walked many more than four kilometers just because it was such a beautiful day with the blue-est skies* I've ever seen in China. It was quiet and wooded - perfect recipe for a walk. When I returned to the hostel I drew a map of my route so the next tea aficionado can make the same trek. So if you're ever in Dali and want to see the tea plantation just go to the Jade Emu and ask for Jan't map. I signed it.
Photos coming soon.

Hot Lap of Luxury
Chaoyang, China
Guilded lions outside, huge elaborate lobby modeled after French aristocracies of the 17/18th centuries, shiny everything! And only 499 ren min bi per night ($80).
The room had the usual western amenities of soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion (but in an embossed leather box), a blow dryer, big screen TV, iron and board, not free mini bar and plush towels, and the Chinese amenities of slippers and an electric kettle. But it also had a safe, a mini fridge, two bathrobes, a scale, wall panel push button bed lamps, wall panel push button nightstand lights, wall panel push button vanity light, wall panel push button over toilet light (which never turned off), wall panel push button do not disturb light, wall panel push button entry light, wall panel push button shade over the jacuzzi up or down (there being a huge window between the bathroom and the main room a shade comes in handy) and two full-face gas masks. Did I mention jacuzzi? Oh, you were focused on the gas masks. Yes, we found that odd, too.
For all this luxury there was one little flaw and one huge flaw: big, ugly stain on the carpet and the AC did not work. Hands down the fanciest place I've ever stayed but no AC?
written by  prrrrl on October 2, 2013 from Chaoyang, China

I tried, I really tried
Errand list:
Buy hats for Jensen
Pick up black ball gown
Pick up dance skirts
What I accomplished:
Bought a wrist watch

Hygiene disaster averted!
During my lovely visit amongst the tea bushes where I was enjoying a local brew I almost had too much hospitality. My cup had cooled a bit so I decided to pour it into my almost empty water bottle. One of the gents saw this and that my water bottle was still not refilled. He took his tea bottle and with out asking started to pour his tea into my bottle. "Enough, enough!" I have have enough tea, thank you. Not a drop of his made it into mine. If you've ever been to China you'll understand...

Just not my day? Just not my two weeks!
I've had a very bad chest & head cold since the start of my vacation. Today is my last day. The coughing and sniffling have tapored off but are still there. So what happens the last day? Emptying of my digestive tract at both ends. I'm 'home' in my hostel bed with an upset tummy. Are vacations suppose to be like this?

Spotty Chinese
One word (bian3) came back to me without me thinking the English first. Yea! I'm actually not sure of the English translation. I just know how to use it in Chinese.
Another word (hao3 mi3) I knew I should know just wasn't there till I asked the stone vendor. The frustration of long language breaks

Chew on this
Like China, a girl with fair skin, big nose and blue eyes stands out in the Philippines. Just off the plane in Manila every security guard was proactive in helping me find my way asking before I even looked lost. [Or did I always look lost??] Everyone is so helpful!
So it was no Surprise that the toothless man on the street in Dumaguete noticing me with a handful of dirty laundry pointed down the street to the next establishment. [The laundry service I had just exited could not deliver in my time frame.]
Everyone is so helpful [I restate because it is so wonderfully true]!
written by  prrrrl on April 8, 2011 from Dumaguete, Philippines

Beach!
Head cold still keeping me shallow, a 9 pesos tricycle ride gets me 2 kilometers away to the public beach. Is it a narrow strip of sand between the lapping waves and the beached fishing boats. On one end is a low rent but waterfront neighborhood, on the other is the end of the airport's one runway. Trash is everywhere as are laughing children. No bikinis.
'Tis a cool day for the beach but I have a book to read. I found a snack vendor with tables and benches. Sipping a beer very slowly under her half fallen awning keeps me off the trashy sand. Quick dips in the water all the while facing shoreward to prevent book theft keep me cool. Rudgar keeps me company.
Rudgar is married but his wife is away for a few months. He is retired, bored and on his 6th beer. [Fortunately he is not in a bikini either!] [[I'm just being silly; Rudgar was in great shape for his age and beer consumption.]]
I don't get as much reading done as hoped with such an inquisitive new friend.
written by  prrrrl on April 8, 2011 from Dumaguete, Philippines

Thanks for the work out, Google Maps
My friend's House is east of the outlet mall. I know that now because I GM sent me northwest of the outlet mall. I'd been to SZ's House before via subway and remembered it being close to the mall. Unfortunately I wasn't sure of the direction. I trusted GM. I walked 2+ kilometers in the wrong direction then had to taxi back to the mall then beyond. So much for saving money by using public transport. At least I was not trying to arrive fresh. I had already had a long day tramping (a Kiwi term for hiking) about the city.

The Developing Country Game!
Let's count how many things can go wrong in one day:
Haven't eaten in 36 hours due to stomach bug. -1
Even after drinking water, I don't need to use the toilet +1
Pack bags quickly and am out of room early. +1
Bus not there at expected time -1
Comment to staff that bus is late, staff looks surprised; he checks book - my name is not on the list but I have the receipt. Best guess is he forgot and I actually missed the bus even though I was waiting well before departure. -5
Staff quickly refunds the 10rmb difference in cost for the next bus. +1
Small bottle of plum juice [a Yunnan specialty] does not upset my tummy. +1
Next bus is also late. -2
Taxi comes, takes me three blocks to bus. Bus than drives rigth past hostel. I realize that though the hostel says no 'booking fee' I probably could have crossed the road and caught the very same bus for about half the price. -3
I happen to pick the shaded side of the bus, so no sun in my eyes. +0.5
Two lanes of traffic headed North on a two lane road [the truck on the left was passing a vehicle on the right] means total traffic stoppage. People are getting out of their vehicles to look at the road block. I've got a plane to catch and I'm already twice delayed! -5 [Turns out it was a traffic accident, the passing truck forced a south-bound van to veer to its left but the veer was insufficiant and CRASH! Twas just the corner of the passenger side so hopefully no one was injured.]
Traffic delay number two - just an overturned mini-truck on the side of the road to drive around. At least it was a shorter delay. -1
Three hour bus to Lijiang takes 4 hours to get to Lijiang outskirts. -2
Dropped off at airport road. I thought I was to flag down another bus but it turned out that the airport was literally across the road. I walked up the trafficless Departure Ramp to the terminal. +3
Lugged all my travel possessions in two backpacks [one worn front, one back] the block distance to the terminal without having eaten any solid food in 40+ hours. -1
Get to the airport 30 minutes before the check in counter closes for my flight. Phew! +1
Chose the shortest line at the check-in counter but apparently the slowest agent. The line next to me moved much faster. -1
Agent tells me I don't have a ticket. I show her my passport. No. I show her my ticket number as emailed to me by Delta. Nope. "Take your luggage and go to the ticket counter across the hall." -2
Ticket counter checks my passport & ticket number. Verdict? No ticket. :-O -6
Delta's China ticket office is only open during US business hours which means that's it is closed during China's business day. Now what?? I guess that my boarding pass for my flight from Beijing will prove that I have a ticket. I actually find it and... I'm right! They send me back to the check in counter. +5
It is 2 minutes past check in counter closing time [30 minutes before flight time]. They check me in quickly and tag my bag. -/+0 [They had better check me in quickly!]
I still have security to go through and the get to get to. Final score??? I made it to Beijing. But what a day!
The ticket number Delta gave me had one extra digit on the end. But wouldn't my name have made the difference? There were only two people on the flight with non-character names. It's not like there was a Jane Fu Jonah Du on the flight. Not in English, anyway.

I still hear in English
Three new people checked into my room. They were all Chinese from Guang Zhou. We chatted the usual 'where are you from, where are you going, how long have you been traveling' conversation - all in Chinese! I was so proud of myself. They spoke slowly, I spoke slowly. But the communication worked!
Then I heard, "Beijing how long?" "One week," I answered. But he had said, "Beijing hau leng?" which means, 'is it very cold in Beijing?' proving that I'm stuck in English whether I try or not.
:-/

Where white cats are gray
The drum Tower hostel has a very laid back resident mouser. It should be a black and white cat but not in smoggy, dusty beijing. It's black and several shades if gray. Can cats get smog balls?

Not dining alone
Ah! The pick your own restaurant! A refrigerator case with baskets of veggies, meats, mushrooms and organ meats on skewers makes it easy to get what you want. I went for almost one of each veggies, tofu skin, fish and shrimp balls and a couple mushrooms. Once I fill my basket I give it to the cook and he/she (though I've never seen a 'she') boils it for me. My cooked selections are brought to the table with a sesame dipping sauce. Hot pot made easy! Though this qualifies as a hole in the wall establishment they have nice mostly matching china and elaborate embroideries under the glass table top. The waiter brought me complimentary just boiled tea (and yet another compliment on how good my Chinese is). So nice! Then another visitor dropped in - a cock roach fell, feet up, between my tea cup and the bowl of dipping sauce. The supine position gave me time to select a napkin to squash it with. The tea being so pleasant, I've extended my stay so I can enjoy it at a drinkable temperature. Cock roach, schmock roach - I'm enjoying myself

BeiLing Tomb

Can he see?

Where's the driver?

Lily pads

Chicken foot snack pack

One pulls, the other grinds

Shopping

Muzzled

Squash, squash, squash, squash

How Do I Look?

What Do the Xrays Show??

Old City Wall

Notice Black Smoke Stain

Old Kashgar Elegance

Celebrating Afganistan??

Yum!

Mobile Hotel

Syncronized Reading?

Rainy Bus Station

Sleeper Bus Berth

Imperial Shades

Arty Goards

Good Luck Dinosaurs in Beijing

Authentic?

10 Nestled Bowls Worth 500RMB?

What's for sale at the camera mall.

Rarest sight in Beijing!