Up at 11,000 feet in Northwestern Yunnan, Zhongdian lies in a basin surrounded by forested mountains. Zhongdian has about the same population as the city of Wilmington, my hometown, at about 70,000 residents. These residents are a mix of Han, Bai, Tibetan, and Naxi and other nationalities. There's also a bunch of pigs that hang out on the streets, along with chickens, some dogs, and other creatures. Zhongdian is also my home for the next who knows how long.
I just returned from Noah's Cafe which, for me, is a little escape where I can grab some onion rings, read a book on a couch, and listen to some relaxing music. My stomach is full now as I'm thinking of my life in this town.
It's not Sanford and Sons, it's not Friends, it's not Laverne and Shirley, it's not Seinfeld. It's more like...not a tv show.
Here's a typical day:
When I'm in Zhongdian (a.k.a. Shangri-la or Gyelthang), one of the main things I do is work in the office, getting projects started, e-mailing, talking with people, and listening to the music outside.
Outside, the store salesmen compete to see who can be the loudest. I think the insane tv salesman wins, hands-down. Unfortunately he likes playing the same songs over and over again.
For the last month, I've been living with a monk in a Tibetan apartment complex. Every morning I pass the guards at the gate. The first time I entered, they asked for my passport and to sign in, but since, then, no problems: "zaoshan hao" (Good morning) I say as I wave and pass by their gatehouse.
Then I'll walk to the nearest little mom-n-pop store with the kids selling stuff and buy a couple of yogurt drinks, then go to the local market to the crazy funny guy and buy some mangoes or bananas before heading to the office to listen to some music.
I've learned to hum most of the popular songs here in Shangri-la. They're catchy, they stick into your head, and you can dance to them almost any night at the local night club or out in the center of the old town. I need to leave the office, however, when the insane tv guy starts singing karaoke and blaring it through the streets.
For lunch today, the office gang went to a local noodle restaurant. There, I attempted to speak some mangled Chinese and some of them attempted some mangled English. Between all of us, we understood each other fairly well. I think hand gestures work the best, however, for communication.
Sometimes, I'll walk up to the top of a small hill overlooking the town, the nearby wetlands of the basin, the small Tibetan villages such as Hamugu, and the surrounding mountains. There it's peaceful and a good break from the cars and hustle and bustle of the town below.
Other times, I'll walk down the streets, looking in the many shops--the tire shops, the door shops, the cell phone shops, the food shops, the "I don't know what they sell, but that's ok" shops, and more. Each one is its own story. Many places along the streets are rebuilding, as the town prepares for more and more tourism.
At night, the streets are safe and the Dogs of Zhongdian talk to each other across the crisp air under a September moon.
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