End of year wrap
Trip Start
Jan 30, 2007
1
19
640
Trip End
Dec 31, 2011
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Lijiang,
China
Saturday, December 22, 2007
As you know, I've spent most of this year in China, living in the borderlands of south-west China and eastern Tibet. After spending what was supposed to be summer in New Zealand and Australia, I arrived in late January to Lijiang. My fears that the house I was taking over would be rat-invested proved unfounded, but within hours of arriving I rushed off to the shops to get some extra bedding, as it did seem a bit cold. Next morning I awoke to find it ghostly quiet - and looking out the window discovered it had snowed: the first and only snowfall of the winter.
Since that first full day, life has been good in Lijiang. As well as plugging away on writing that book, I've been teaching English, training tour guides, cooking for some restaurants (decent chocolate cake), helping out some schools (a new one six hours from here, and one in Zhongdian where I lived last year, the Eastern Tibet Training Institute www.etti.org.cn), and hosting some visitors.
It's been great to have friends from afar visit, and while my tiny house has had guests sleep on the floor or share beds, it has also been a chance to get out and about. I've experienced more of Yunnan, and even got back to Chengdu, the place where I got the scar on my finger from an ill-fated trip in search of pizza, back in 1996.
One of my new acquaintances this year has been a Naxi dongba, a shaman of the local people, who invited me (and two friends from New Zealand who got an unexpected immersion into rural Naxi culture) to a funeral in the mountains. The three-day affair involved trekking in the mud to a remote village, assisting the dongba (mainly with drinking the local white spirit), and witnessing funeral rituals and sacrifices.
From the exotic to the ordinary, I've been progressively making more of the stuff I consume: wholemeal bread with barley and buckwheat, ginger beer, and even cheese (awaiting the ageing of the cheddar in wax for eating in mid-2008). Perhaps these things are an indication I miss 'home'?
I'll be back in New Zealand in February for six weeks, and before that, I'm running a writing workshop and retreat in mid-January in Tasmania. And then I return to Lijiang, and take up residence in a larger Naxi courtyard house (10 rooms plus pig pen and chook-house). It's the Olympics in Beijing in August (see my website under construction at www.beijing-olympics-2008.net), and as always, visitors are welcome.
As the end of the year is the time for awards, I've a few to hand out:
Most unwelcome visitor to my house: the man who stole my laptop and camera - but I got him and got the stuff back (http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/happysheep/sha ngri-la-la/1187801580/tpod.html)
Biggest mistake while shopping: buying what I thought was a square piece of carpet, only to find out that my neighbours thought it odd I had a mah jong mat on the floor.
Best discovery around Lijiang: hot pools 7km from the old town where we are often the only swimmers
Best discovery online: www.utorrent.com or www.bittorrent.com to download music.
Number of times I've shown someone the words in Chinese 'I will call the police': four
Number of times I've dealt with the police and been dissatisfied enough to get my own handcuffs and mace spray: three
Improvement in my spoken Chinese: up from the world's worst Chinese speaker, so now there are only 1.4 billion speakers ranking above me
Most unusual source of income: from an internet start-up company in Israel for doing a travel guide for Yunnan province
It's so cheap in China award: under $US5 for foot massage from a blind person
Most insulting word I've learnt in local Naxi language: buugalow (ph) - pig head [which means stupid person]
Drink with the fastest effects and quickest recovery: bai jiu - it will get you drunk after one glass, but you will wake up happy
Constant companion award: to the old Naxi ladies (70 years +) who sit on my step everyday, comment on whatever I am doing or eating, and cackle away at my antics
Back to reality award: having to give evidence under oath over the phone to the State Services Commission inquiry into political interference in the neutral public service (http://www.tv3.co.nz/VideoBrowseAll/PoliticsVideo/tabid/370 /articleID/40649/Default.aspx#video)
Facing the facts award: the 5500m mountain range Jade Snow Dragon mountain has lost most of its snow - an indication of how rapid climate change it taking effect
Buugalow award for stupidity: local government for using the old Chinglish text for large wooden signs instead of what I suggested
Best showing by any New Zealanders (excluding sport): Flight of the Conchords's series for HBO, their album and sell-out tour of the US (http://www.hbo.com/conchords/)
