February 9, 2007
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China Blog: Day 168. (Backpacking China: Day 29)
14:13 Beijing Time
Phrase Of The Day: Wo zhi dao Gong Fu…Ow. (I know Kung Fu…OW.)There are some things in life that MUST be done.
Laughing at people whose trousers fall down in the street.
Ignoring door-to-door insurance salesmen.
Putting tomato ketchup on bacon sandwiches.
You know the type, things that simply have to happen in order to keep the fabric of the universe from unravelling.
Then there are Good Ideas At The Time. Things that seem like they may be beneficial to the existence of one or more members of the human race, but in fact to cause pain and suffering of the highest order.
So when Scott Lewis - one-time Martial Artist who hasn’t attended a proper Kung-Fu class since before University, and this time a year ago was recovering from minor knee surgery - decides to sign up for a day of classes not only with a martial arts instructor, but an instructor who HAPPENS to be one of the monks who coach the performance team at the Shaolin Temple, AT the Shaolin Temple itself, you can guess the outcome.
My body feels like it’s been run over by a bulldozer. Wait, make that a convoy of bulldozers.
Today, I discovered muscles I never knew I had. Heck, I think I’ve discovered limbs I didn’t know I had. But I’d do it again, by god. In fact, in 2008, I’m planning to come back for a MONTH if I can. I wish I had more than a day here- this place is idyllic.
But sadly, tomorrow I must depart for Wuhan, and the next leg of my grand adventure.
Oh, I managed to escape the flood of Baijiu that was Shandong. I had a GREAT time with LiFan and her family, and will never be able to thank them enough for putting me up (And putting up with me).
I can’t wait to put up the pics- LiFan’s mother took us to some great off-the-beaten-track sights that very few weiguoren get to see. Unfortunately, until I can get to a laptop with Photoshop, there won’t be any forthcoming. Duibuqi!
I saw a really different side of the Chinese government and the way of life of China’s executive classes. It’s a zillion times different from the Hutongs or even my own existence in Changchun. THis trip has been a real eye-opener.
Everywhere I have been I’ve been treated warmly, and I was even able to have some good conversations using my new-found Chinese. China’s turning out to be a very odd place. The more I live here, the more circumstance and events dispel the myth that the Government is some big, evil shadow looming over the country. Sure, it ain’t exactly great, and many of its policies are questionable (some even completely barmy) but it’s a far cry from the devil the Western media portrays it as.
What really astounds me is how happy people are with their lot. I’ve been to rural villages with no running water, no electricity….the works, and people are more content there than ANYBODY I’ve ever met in the UK or the US. The contrasts between rich and poor are phenomenal, but I have to admit, I prefer to eat 3-quai Jidan Chao Fan in a hutong restaurant than a 95 RMB steak at the Shangri La.
Anyway, gonna book it before I ramble more and bore people to tears ^_^ (and so that I can go rest my weary bones.)
Zai Jian, guys!
Comments (7)
Sorry I wasn’t around to give you love and sympathy when you needed it most. Anyway, don’t be such a big girls blouse, a few aching muscles never hurt anyone(he,he remember how |I used to complain about Darren).
Why do you do these crazy activities?!
i suppose we’re so used to having our cake and eating it that we can’t comprehend the simple pleasures that come from living a more simplistic life. however, give those folks electricity and running water for a month and i bet they’d then hate living without it …
A fascinating bog as ever – except for one major, major point… it’s brown sauce on bacon sandwiches!!! I used to own a cafe and made 100s of them a week so I know what I’m talking about!!
So very cool! I can only image the things that you’ve seen. I hope you’re not sore for too long, but at least it’s a good sore, one that can be satisfying because you know you’ve done your body a favor. So are you just traveling around China now? What happened to teaching?
So, thanks to Nick Hornby, I know what barmy means. Yay me.
And yay you for your China adventures…hope they continue being wonderful!
ryc: mowbray road in hendon. it was directly opposite a street entirely made up of hells angels [not the nice sort] and just down the road from the carlton [which was the student union bar back in my day and you've probably never heard of it because before i left they sold it to the local posh school to use as their sixth form centre]. the local kids used to throw stones through windows and jump on peoples cars on a daily occurance. i hear that they’ve knocked the hells angels street down now and made it a lot nicer round there. i may have to go back soon just to have a gander. incidentally my abusive ex was born and bred in hendon, which says it all really. actually my flat was about a minutes walk from that pub that was involved in a fatal gun thingy last year. i used to play pool there.