Day 12/13/14/15

The internet is back, oh my god. Sorry for the delay. I’ll post day 15-21 as soon as possible

1.Day 11 July 15th

2. Day 12 July 16th

3. Day 13 July 17th

4. Day 13 July 17th

5. Day 14 July 18^th

6. Sky sea

7. Highlights

8. Things I miss

8. Best picks

1.Day 11 July 15^th

-Got up at 8:10, exercised for about an hour and got close to yakking. Yup, altitude is still high.

-Ate breakfast  at 9 ish, the classic rice porridge and pancake. Solid poop, without the help of a z pack antibiotic; bacteria defeated.

-10 ish cleared out tons of stuff from a room in the second house. Built two bunk beds. Hello new room. My previous room is the girl volunteers’ room.

-Before lunch set up for an American tour group or about 30 arriving that day. Everyone kept joking that my friends were coming. I was not stoked, I’m supposed to practice Chinese! The Americans coming was totally throwing off my groove. My coworkers and I devised to tell them I was French. I was honing my French accent before they came practicing the line “I’m so sorry, come again? I don’t speak zat much English.”

Turns out it was a language program with a language pledge (you sign a contract to only speak Chinese) about 10 Americans and 20 Chinese. Thus groove not ruined.

They arrived at about 1ish, and started eating lunch. I was the recruited photographer for the event. At this point I didn’t know they were a language program yet, so I was surprised when all the Americans were just speaking Chinese.

After lunch they went all went kayaking together

-Then I swam for 30 minutes, showered and put away all the kayaks.

-The power went out at 3 ish, apparently it goes out a couple times a month, common in the life of a small village. It then came on after dinner. Not sure what the problem was or who fixed it.

-6:00 set up for dinner, ate, washed dishes and then headed to the Book bar.

-Starting journaling at 8ish in the Book bar while the Mona Lisa Smile played. During my journaling I turned around and saw the Americans playing Beer pong with the Chinese. Quite the cultural exchange right?

-At 10sih I headed to  reception to upload the previous days blog and chatted with the programs teacher, an American alumni of the language School, who runs the Yunnan University program.

-at 11ish I went to the balcony with YangchuMeng and Wangqilin to partake in a BBQ of fish they bought in town. My coworkers, lulu YangchuMeng and Wangqilin and I all stayed up, ate, drank, chatted, and laughed. Headed to bed at 1ish, made it into my building.

2.Day 12 July 16^th

-9ish got up and ate breakfast, they Americans headed out at 10ish.

Anecdote: One of the Americans fell ill the night before, and was still ill in the morning. Their bus was about a 10-15 minute walk away, so I was recruited to take her back using  bike. The three wheeled cart bike wasn’t around, leaving us with just the tandem bike. After about 5 feet of peddling she said “stop. Stop. Stop. I don’t feel good.” She got off and her friends decided to walk her back.

Generally speaking, I try to be nice and help people out when they need it. But when she got off the bike, I thanked the lord that I didn’t have to bike her back. If you’re wondering why, well, think about it: a sick girl, a wobbly tandem bike, a seat directly behind me. Let’s just say if she got sick, I would know.

-After the Americans left, Sky Sea was quiet and completely empty. Having nothing to do, we made out way into town for the market day. Market day is a day where all the shops  open up, street vendors set up and the town folk flood into town to buy everything from clothes and jewelry to produce and sweets. The main street was so filled with shoppers, cars and buses honking, and squeezing through the crowd of people. It was awesome. It’s every 5 days and I am dying to go back. I bought some Chinese bread sweets, mangoes and grapes. I’m a fruit fiend. Not to mention my trigger finger is itching fire away, again.

photo:from left to right, Jiangrui, myself and Cessy

-Lina, Cessy, Jiang Rui and I made our way back to Sky Sea. Every five minutes they would call out to me “邓克思！走！” (Chris! Come on!)  I couldn’t help it, if my camera is with me, a 30 minutes walk turns into and all day mosey.

-Got back at 3 ish and hung out with YangChumeng and WangqiLin in the Book bar. I said goodbye to two of my best friends. We always chatted, shared pictures and ate fruit. At times, we both didn’t have enough vocab to convey our message, but this was not a problem, we just resorted to drawing. Wangqi likes to camp and backpack, so I’m sure we’ll explore the mountains of China together one day. Before that, I’m going to visit them in Chengdu while traveling in China

photo: YangchuMeng(wife)

photo: WangqiLin(husband)

-That evening I chatted with Cessy, Cessy wanted to watch Eat Pray Love, but someone chose Big Daddy instead. After the movie started, Cessy told me she just wanted to eat, and love. I thought she was confiding in me and was a tad bit confused. She actually said she wants “Eat Pray Love”, the movie. We both got a good laugh

-After the movie I chatted with Yuki, Xiao Jie, Cessy and Sheng, headed to bed at 12.

2.Day 13 July 17^th 

-got up at 9:10 and started playing around with the filming function on my Mark 2. I want to make a couple clips before I leave here. I’d love to show y’all, but uploading a minute of footage would require more time than I actually have in China.

-After filming and breakfast, I did the usual. Can you guess? Need time to think? There yet? Yeah I washed dishes in the third house. I showed my pictures guests and coworkers (seriously while traveling sharing pictures is the best way to connect, nothing surpasses it)

-After I filled the inside of our new kayak paddles with foam so they won’t sink if the guests flip over (which they will)

-Then I got out a kayak, taught the guests how to kayak and sent them on their way.

-The Chinese are not very good at two things, no, I’m not talking  about brushing teeth or being , I’m talking about now are kayaking and swimming. Seeing the guests meander their way away from shore, with their kayak tipping and paddles hitting, scares me every time. “Can you swim”-“nope.” Great.

-I then fixed our tandem bike and discussed my travel plans with Dong Dong. Right now I’m thinking two weeks, August 6^th-August 20^th, and 8 cities, ending in Guangzhou and catching my flight home to the US. Considering extending my trip by half a week or so.. which will most likely not happen so I should have written “considered”. Well maybe.

-I chatted in the Book Bar till 5:15 and then swam till 6. Cessy hopped in the water will all her clothes, I told her the story about us breaking Loth’s record by fitting 17ish skinny dippers in our hot tub, she wasn’t as shocked as I would have expected.

-After dinner and washing dishes, I took my first Black and White photos with my 5d. Prior to switching to digital, 50% of everything I shot was black and white, and hours of mine were spent perfecting my prints. A room with no lights, noxious fumes that will probably add a third arm to one’s children and tedious print work probably doesn’t sound appealing to the most of everyone. But, the Dark room is one of my favorite places.

I’m still skeptical of shooting black and white on a digital camera, but I’ve made the leap and am going to practice. Here are my first shots

-That evening Tristen, Dong Dong and I headed out on a mission to find some mangoes, and wondering through 双廊 Shuang Lang. The sun had just set and I was able to do a bit of night photography

photo: a house near to Sky Sea, this could very well be my favorite shot I’ve taken in China thus far

photo: yujidao island, a famous island(really a tiny peninsula) in shuanglang, but I don’t know why it’s so famous

While wondering about, I saw the night side of 双廊 Shuang Lang; It was really weird. After passing Yujin dao we heard the shouts of a (probably drunk) man.. sinking karaoke in a KTV bar(my understanding is that this is a karaoke chain, or at least KTV means Karaoke television. Then we passed by a couple bars with zero people in them and then some eateries with well, nobody.

It was weird to say the least, I’m planning on heading out again and finding out more of what the deal is. If the bar scene isn’t your thing, you can go for a little shopping spree, because most of the shops are still open till 12. Reason being is that the owners home is behind the shop, so might as well stay open for as long as you can to sell more items

-We finally found mangoes after a roundabout adventure and ate 3 a piece in Book bar, went to bed at 12.

3. Day 14 July 18^th

-9 am, got up and ate breakfast

-Youyong Ashima and ShouJue headed out to Lijiang(a beautiful city nearby) with Jiaming(the owner) for a two day break. They are the main workers, so it Jiaming was treating them to the trip.

-Jack and Paul were let go from working at Haidi. The were climb Dali workers that stayed at Sky Sea to take any guests climbing if they desired. I have never seen a guest request to use their service, which is probably the reason why they Jiaming sent them on there way. Unexpected, but not surprising.

-In the same day Tristen headed out to the house he will stay at for the next 5 months.

There all cool people and I’m sad they’re leaving, but not the percentage of English in every day conversation will drop dramatically. It’s bitter sweet. For the few days prior I had been thinking I’ve been using English too much. Maybe my thoughts were manifested in them leaving.

-After lunch, Paul and I went for one last kayak excursion

-Paul’s story: He set out from the Ukraine in February, went to Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, flew to Malaysia, then hit Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. From Laos he headed north into China and stopped in Dali and has been here for a month. He spent the last of 1000 dollars in Dali, talk about cheap travel. Clearly, a tent and hitchhiking are the cheapest form of travel. Paul will head north soon and back to Ukraine, he expects it to take a month and a half to get home.

-I hung out with the guests till dinner, no more English, this is good. I shared my pictures with them.

-Wrote my blog while Eat Pray Love played(that movie sucked), stopped writing/watching and drank tea with Yuki Xiaojie and Sheng. Went to bed at 12ish

4. Day 15 July 19^th

-got up late and ate breakfast, it finally stopped raining, so nice to have a sunny day again.

-washed dishes in the book bar

-went into town to repair a bike, ran into Xiaojie and Sheng just outside of Sky Sea, they bet that I didn’t know how to get to the bike shop and went with me. I told them I’d walk in front because I could remember. I got us there: win. I bought a cable stop for a bike and then headed back to Sky Sea.

-I repaired a bike for a guest and then kayaked with Sheng and Xiaojie for fourty minutes or so

-After putting the kayaks away I went swimming. Xiaojie, Xiaoyun, Lina and Dong Dong hopped in the water as well. My swim was cut down to 20 minutes when Xiaoyun suggested I teach Lina how to swim and called her over. I didn’t want to be that asshole that said no.. Well actually yeah I did want to be that asshole, but I didn’t want to be that asshole. I’m a softy and it’s hard for me to say no. Obviously, I tried to teach Lina how to tread water for about twenty minutes. At about the time it became unbearable to watch her flail in the water I suggested it was dinner-time and we all headed in.

-I think my patience was being put to the test this evening, I had to wait about 25 minutes for Xiao Yun to get out of the shower. Before I hopped in a guest ran to the bathroom saying “Wait! Please I have to go!” She didn’t even close the door, went in and peed. She really had to go.. After, I hopped in, took a quick shower.

– I ate dinner, helped washed dishes and then met Chengwei, the manager who first replied to my inquiry before Youyong and I corresponded. He had been on vacation in Beijing and just got back.

– I hung out in the Book bar and continued my blog. A guest, Donggua requested that I teach him how to make mashed potatoes, but boiled them and then gave them to me first, versus having me prepare them. We agreed that the next day I would teach him how ot prepare them from the beginning. The Chinese really don’t know how to make mashed potatoes, I’m going to have a whole highlight on just mashed potatoes

-After telling informing them the mashed  potatoes need word. They had me try the cheesecake, which tasted like crème brulee. And then the apple pie, which tasted genuine. I’m going to teach them some more American dishes, and perhaps perfect(correct) their current dishes. I’m thinking I’ll teach them how to make chocolate cookies, banana bread and pancakes.

-I wrote a bit of my blog while watching Yuki, Dong Gua and Chengwei play a chinese gabling card game. I went to bed early because my stomach was a bit upset.

5. Sky Sea

So here is a visual tour of where I am

photo: the 2nd house where my room is located

-I’ve been told that Haidi is the best hostel in Yunnan province, which could very well be true. I’ll determine that once I travel. The atmosphere is very relaxed and family style. Everyone hangs out with everyone and there is no separation between workers and guests. People are coming through all the time and we are booked full literally every night. I’ve met tons of friends, thus, now I have free places to stay all over China. Totally a bonus of working at a hostel.

-My only complaint is that is that sometimes I wish I were in a city versus a village. Haidi can feel like a bubble at times. And I think I have at most two weeks left taking in Haidi. I’m thinking I’ll start my travels as early as August 1^st.

6. Highlights

-Lost in translation.

So Dong Dong’s English is damn good, she’s fluent, but things still get lost in translation. These moments make for great stories.

Story 1. On Tristen, Dong Dong and my journey, Dong Dong instructed me to walk in the front and lead us around town. She kept joking that I would get us lost. I told her to lead us to Amigo, and she admitted she couldn’t remember. She didn’t even how to get to main road. She proposed “ I am terrible at finding my way. Sometimes I worry that I’m direction blind.”

Story 2. While searching for mangoes, Dong Dong insisted she knew where they were, even at 10 pm. Right as we were walking by the police station, she asked “Chris, do you know the police?”-“The police?”-“Yeah the police! Where you get off the bus.”-“Yeah, I know the police…”(we were near the police station and where I got off the bus, yes was a logical answer) “The police, they have mangoes!”(this is where I was completely lost)-“Where?”-“Right by the stone with the name of the neighborhood”(here’s where it clicked)”Ohhhh, you mean ‘the place’”

Turns out she was saying place, after clearing out that confusion, we made it to the store and got our mangoes.

Story 3. About 5 girl guests rented our bikes and went out riding on a rainy day. When they got back, they had a fair amount of mud on the bikes and themselves. Jokingly, Tristen said “Hey Chris, look, dirty girls” and then turned to Dong Dong and said “Dong Dong, Chris and I like dirty girls.” About five minutes later, looking puzzled, Dong Dong asked “Chris, why do you like dirty girls? They are so dirty, they need to shower!”

Tristen and I got a good laugh.

7. Things I miss

-my family

-my friends

-Santa Barbara-but really I always miss Santa Barbara, if you lived there, you would understand

-ocean air-lake air doesn’t cut it

-the beach-lake beaches don’t cut it either

-walking on the beach

-MOUTHWASH-if you know me, you know I’m beyond anal about my teeth. I thought I could buy some here..Shouldn’t I have known? Oh listerine, your cool refreshing cleansing feeling.. I miss you so

-hiking

-western women-seriously, I think living in California has completely immunized me against yellow fever

-surfing-surfline.com can only get you so far

-Berkeley-my inner hippy longs for its mecca

-my bike

-putting toilet paper into the toilet-not a big deal, but I still miss it

-the gym

-swimming in a lane

-207

-an abundance of fruit

-naked pizza Fridays

-a full set of bike tools

-Dish washing machines

-Berkeley Bowl

-sweets

– a shower loofa

-reading the news every morning-sure I have the nytimes account for CZ, but no internet renders that useless

-did I mention my bike?

-views of the Bay

-loth’s roof

-ATO’s roof

-clearly spoken words

-my short blue cotton shorts with no pockets-if you have hung out with me on more than 4 separate occasions, you have seen these shorts

-peanut butter

-almond butter

-peanut/almond butter and jelly sandwiches-these are my specialty

-understanding everything

that’s what I can think of right now

8. Best picks