This weekend I strayed from the pack and took a solo trip to Chengdu. Most of my friends teach on Saturday now so I wanted to make the most of my time. I chose Chengdu as it has a panda breeding center and is close to the world’s biggest Buddha. Those of you who keep up with current affairs know that Canada recently received two pandas from China. Both of these pandas were born and raised in the breeding center in Chengdu.
The start to the trip was a rocky one. After an exhausting 3+ hour trip from home to the airport on public transportation (I really should have brought my mp3 player), I made it to the airport to discover that my flight was late. After waiting over an hour to board, which is fine, we got on the plane only to sit on the ground for another three hours. THIS part was pretty miserable. They turned off the air-conditioning and it was a budget airline so we were squished in pretty tight. Let’s say I’m getting used to sitting in pools of my own sweat. Men kept standing and yelling and there was general unrest for quite a while. They did give us snacks, though, which helped. We finally took off (for our three hour flight) and I eventually did make it into Chengdu. The cabbie got me to my hostel, after conferring with all the other cabbies, only for me to discover the hostel was padlocked closed. Luckily it was an old, rusty chain and padlock and made enough noise that I woke someone up. At this point it was after 4:00 AM (I had been up since 5) and they had only held my room until 2:00 but she was nice enough to give me a bed. I crashed pretty hard.
Because of the magic of ear plugs, eye masks and curtains on the bunk bed (the first time I saw this: GENIOUS!), I had a great sleep and was ready to go in the morning. I opted to head for the Giant Buddha of Leshan as my first stop of my weekend tour. Leshan is 2-2.5 hours from Chendgu and there are many tours that go but I went for the budget option of taking a local city bus. Once I bought my ticket, I was directed to a van that would take me. A newly wedded Mexican couple, a new high school grad from Sweden who had just volunteered for 10 weeks at an orphanage in Nepal, and two Chinese girls made up the rest of the occupants of the van. The Chinese girls did not speak English but the rest of us had some great chats along the 2.5 hour drive to Leshan. At the gate we were the intended victims of some swindlers, but we saw through them and after adamantly arguing that I had a valid student ID, I got the discounted rate for entrance to the park.
The park was lovely. The Mexicans, Swedish girl and I spend the afternoon checking out the many Buddha statues and carvings from around the world, watching people leave offerings, prayers and locks at the feet of Buddha statues and enjoying the FRESH (!!!!) air! It took a LONG time to get from the top of the Buddha to the feet due to a narrow, windy staircase and near-stand still traffic, but looking up at the 130m high man carved from the side of the mountain was really humbling. The Buddha took over 100 years to carve and the location was chosen as it overlooks an area where three rivers meet. The rock that was carved from the mountain was put into the river to made a causeway/barrier of sorts. I really find it astonishing to think about what people used to do without the technology we have today.
We left the park through a sketchy back exit (oops) and walked past overgrown fountains and run-down buildings but we found the road. We caught a city bus to a bus terminal, keeping our fingers crossed all-the-while that we weren’t too late to catch a bus back to Chengdu. We made it with about ten minutes to spare for a bus and Mena, the Swedish girl, and I headed back to the city (the Mexicans were going to stay in a monastery on a mountain in another town – so cool!). Once back in Chengdu, Mena took me to a fresh noodle place she had found earlier in the week. It was super neat as the Muslin noodles were made right in front of us! Chengdu is the capital of China’s Sichuan Province, home of spicy, spicy food. So I had fresh noodles, plenty of spice, veggies and chicken (that I’ve missed so so much). It was one of the best meals I’ve had in China yet! Mena and I parted ways after dinner and made my way back to the hostel. Once there, I ended up having a drink with some people from Taiwan and played some card games. What are language barriers?!
The next morning I got an early start and went with a group from the hostel to Chengdu’s Panda Breeding Research Base. As a youngster, I was pretty taken by pandas. I had a panda backpack, I remember saving panda stickers and shaped note paper from my music lessons, etc. so getting to see one, let alone many, was pretty exhilarating. In total, I saw maybe 14 pandas and three were very very small, young and waiting to be cuddled. They really are as cute in person as you imagine they would be. What struck me the most about them was their mannerisms. At one point I made a comment aloud about how one panda looked like a human in a costume and my comment was met with a chorus of “I WAS JUST THINKING THE SAME THING!”s. Sadly, it was a really hot day and, since pandas are from cooler, mountainous regions, they aren’t very active in the heat (which is why we went first thing in the morning). They are also infamous for being really lazy creatures so by 9:00AM, most pandas were asleep or inside air-conditioned buildings (they are free to go in and out). I’m thankful I went when I did! Before I left, I was able to see some little red pandas as well. They are part of the racoon family, unlike the Giant Panda and their colouring is so so sharp. I loved that I got to see them, too!
Because the pandas hunkered down early, a lot of my day was freed up. I went from the Breeding Base back to the hostel and checked out. While there, I checked my email quickly on the slow, paid computer and received the heartbreaking news that Jason’s grandmother had passed away. It was a bit of a shock for me and in moments like that you wish China wasn’t so far away. I would have given anything to go home for a day or two. My thoughts and prayers are certainly there more than ever this week!
Coincidently, I left the hostel to a monastery/nunnery as I heard through the grapevine that you could have lunch there. I wandered the grounds for a bit then I followed some Chinese guys to a back room and got myself two bowls and some chopsticks. We washed them in the kitchen sink then went out back to get hot water to rinse them. We then went into the dining hall and laid it all out in a particular way (I followed their example). There were rows and rows of wooden benches and tables and I took a seat near the back (again, following people’s example). Talking was not allowed nor was making eye contact with the nuns/monks. Lunch was announced by a man hitting a hanging huge carved hollow log in the shape of a dragon several times. The monks took their seats and rang a bell a few times then chanted for a while. There is no meat served and when the food came, women had huge pots and walked up and down the rows. If you didn't want something, you just put your hand up. You have to eat every single grain of rice you are given as no food should be wasted. There was more chanting at the end and then we all went and washed and put away our dishes. It was SUCH a neat experience.
I spent the rest of the day wandering and ended up at an antique market (I had fun bartering at many stands) and a park where men were cleaning peoples ears by hitting long iron rods into people’s ears with another piece of iron. By suppertime, I just wanted to find somewhere cool and close to the airport where I could sit down. A Irish pub fit the bill. When I went in, I had to go immediately to the bathroom to change as my burgundy dress was so soaked where my backpack and straps were that my dress was almost black in those regions and I could ring it out. It’s safe to saw it was the hottest day I’ve experienced yet in China! I ended up being invited to a table of American men (go figure haha) and killed off my remaining time until I needed to go to the airport. I wasn’t complaining about the fact that “they were making soooo much money” and were willing to spend some on me haha
The flight home was on time (YEAH!!) but, at the risk of sounding whiny, they did NOT STOP TALKING THE WHOLE WAY HOME. There may have been a 20 minute stint in 3 hours where someone wasn’t telling us about Chengdu or going through the WHOLE Duty Free package and what you an get and whatever else they were saying in Chinese. Coupled with the fact that there was no entertainment (which is fine, and which I knew ahead of time) and the fact the seats did not recline, it wasn’t the BEST flight I have been on, but, hey, I FLEW IN THE SKY, right?
It was a fantastic weekend and, in a way, it was like a little reward to myself; apparently I am the new boys high school physics and math teacher at Sacred Heart School of Halifax. I sent to acceptance of offer letter yesterday. CRAZY!! I am so so excited for this new adventure (if not a little terrified)!!
Just to make the past few days even more sweeter, I went to the Backstreet Boys 20th Reunion Concert last night with Sara and Alyssa! What a blast form the past! We were so giddy and danced up a storm! Who would have thought we would be at a BSB concert in Shanghai, China?! I think my favourite part of the show (well, in addition to the CORNY stage sets/lighting, the classic songs and the killer dance moves), was the fact that I was in a room with people literally from all over the world and all races, ages, shapes and forms. There was a child that looked like he was four years old and balding heads left right and center.
Before I sign off, I’ll mention that I have pictures up from my weekend (and don’t forget to check other albums like Life in China, Chong Gu Middle School and Shanghai once and a while for additions) and mention that I am SO EXCITED for Steph Hagmann, one of my dearest friends, to arrive on Saturday!! Sadly, due to unfortunate timing, I only have 2 of her 9 days off (I have a seven day work week next week) but I’m happy we will get to build these new memories together :)
The start to the trip was a rocky one. After an exhausting 3+ hour trip from home to the airport on public transportation (I really should have brought my mp3 player), I made it to the airport to discover that my flight was late. After waiting over an hour to board, which is fine, we got on the plane only to sit on the ground for another three hours. THIS part was pretty miserable. They turned off the air-conditioning and it was a budget airline so we were squished in pretty tight. Let’s say I’m getting used to sitting in pools of my own sweat. Men kept standing and yelling and there was general unrest for quite a while. They did give us snacks, though, which helped. We finally took off (for our three hour flight) and I eventually did make it into Chengdu. The cabbie got me to my hostel, after conferring with all the other cabbies, only for me to discover the hostel was padlocked closed. Luckily it was an old, rusty chain and padlock and made enough noise that I woke someone up. At this point it was after 4:00 AM (I had been up since 5) and they had only held my room until 2:00 but she was nice enough to give me a bed. I crashed pretty hard.
Because of the magic of ear plugs, eye masks and curtains on the bunk bed (the first time I saw this: GENIOUS!), I had a great sleep and was ready to go in the morning. I opted to head for the Giant Buddha of Leshan as my first stop of my weekend tour. Leshan is 2-2.5 hours from Chendgu and there are many tours that go but I went for the budget option of taking a local city bus. Once I bought my ticket, I was directed to a van that would take me. A newly wedded Mexican couple, a new high school grad from Sweden who had just volunteered for 10 weeks at an orphanage in Nepal, and two Chinese girls made up the rest of the occupants of the van. The Chinese girls did not speak English but the rest of us had some great chats along the 2.5 hour drive to Leshan. At the gate we were the intended victims of some swindlers, but we saw through them and after adamantly arguing that I had a valid student ID, I got the discounted rate for entrance to the park.
The park was lovely. The Mexicans, Swedish girl and I spend the afternoon checking out the many Buddha statues and carvings from around the world, watching people leave offerings, prayers and locks at the feet of Buddha statues and enjoying the FRESH (!!!!) air! It took a LONG time to get from the top of the Buddha to the feet due to a narrow, windy staircase and near-stand still traffic, but looking up at the 130m high man carved from the side of the mountain was really humbling. The Buddha took over 100 years to carve and the location was chosen as it overlooks an area where three rivers meet. The rock that was carved from the mountain was put into the river to made a causeway/barrier of sorts. I really find it astonishing to think about what people used to do without the technology we have today.
We left the park through a sketchy back exit (oops) and walked past overgrown fountains and run-down buildings but we found the road. We caught a city bus to a bus terminal, keeping our fingers crossed all-the-while that we weren’t too late to catch a bus back to Chengdu. We made it with about ten minutes to spare for a bus and Mena, the Swedish girl, and I headed back to the city (the Mexicans were going to stay in a monastery on a mountain in another town – so cool!). Once back in Chengdu, Mena took me to a fresh noodle place she had found earlier in the week. It was super neat as the Muslin noodles were made right in front of us! Chengdu is the capital of China’s Sichuan Province, home of spicy, spicy food. So I had fresh noodles, plenty of spice, veggies and chicken (that I’ve missed so so much). It was one of the best meals I’ve had in China yet! Mena and I parted ways after dinner and made my way back to the hostel. Once there, I ended up having a drink with some people from Taiwan and played some card games. What are language barriers?!
The next morning I got an early start and went with a group from the hostel to Chengdu’s Panda Breeding Research Base. As a youngster, I was pretty taken by pandas. I had a panda backpack, I remember saving panda stickers and shaped note paper from my music lessons, etc. so getting to see one, let alone many, was pretty exhilarating. In total, I saw maybe 14 pandas and three were very very small, young and waiting to be cuddled. They really are as cute in person as you imagine they would be. What struck me the most about them was their mannerisms. At one point I made a comment aloud about how one panda looked like a human in a costume and my comment was met with a chorus of “I WAS JUST THINKING THE SAME THING!”s. Sadly, it was a really hot day and, since pandas are from cooler, mountainous regions, they aren’t very active in the heat (which is why we went first thing in the morning). They are also infamous for being really lazy creatures so by 9:00AM, most pandas were asleep or inside air-conditioned buildings (they are free to go in and out). I’m thankful I went when I did! Before I left, I was able to see some little red pandas as well. They are part of the racoon family, unlike the Giant Panda and their colouring is so so sharp. I loved that I got to see them, too!
Because the pandas hunkered down early, a lot of my day was freed up. I went from the Breeding Base back to the hostel and checked out. While there, I checked my email quickly on the slow, paid computer and received the heartbreaking news that Jason’s grandmother had passed away. It was a bit of a shock for me and in moments like that you wish China wasn’t so far away. I would have given anything to go home for a day or two. My thoughts and prayers are certainly there more than ever this week!
Coincidently, I left the hostel to a monastery/nunnery as I heard through the grapevine that you could have lunch there. I wandered the grounds for a bit then I followed some Chinese guys to a back room and got myself two bowls and some chopsticks. We washed them in the kitchen sink then went out back to get hot water to rinse them. We then went into the dining hall and laid it all out in a particular way (I followed their example). There were rows and rows of wooden benches and tables and I took a seat near the back (again, following people’s example). Talking was not allowed nor was making eye contact with the nuns/monks. Lunch was announced by a man hitting a hanging huge carved hollow log in the shape of a dragon several times. The monks took their seats and rang a bell a few times then chanted for a while. There is no meat served and when the food came, women had huge pots and walked up and down the rows. If you didn't want something, you just put your hand up. You have to eat every single grain of rice you are given as no food should be wasted. There was more chanting at the end and then we all went and washed and put away our dishes. It was SUCH a neat experience.
I spent the rest of the day wandering and ended up at an antique market (I had fun bartering at many stands) and a park where men were cleaning peoples ears by hitting long iron rods into people’s ears with another piece of iron. By suppertime, I just wanted to find somewhere cool and close to the airport where I could sit down. A Irish pub fit the bill. When I went in, I had to go immediately to the bathroom to change as my burgundy dress was so soaked where my backpack and straps were that my dress was almost black in those regions and I could ring it out. It’s safe to saw it was the hottest day I’ve experienced yet in China! I ended up being invited to a table of American men (go figure haha) and killed off my remaining time until I needed to go to the airport. I wasn’t complaining about the fact that “they were making soooo much money” and were willing to spend some on me haha
The flight home was on time (YEAH!!) but, at the risk of sounding whiny, they did NOT STOP TALKING THE WHOLE WAY HOME. There may have been a 20 minute stint in 3 hours where someone wasn’t telling us about Chengdu or going through the WHOLE Duty Free package and what you an get and whatever else they were saying in Chinese. Coupled with the fact that there was no entertainment (which is fine, and which I knew ahead of time) and the fact the seats did not recline, it wasn’t the BEST flight I have been on, but, hey, I FLEW IN THE SKY, right?
It was a fantastic weekend and, in a way, it was like a little reward to myself; apparently I am the new boys high school physics and math teacher at Sacred Heart School of Halifax. I sent to acceptance of offer letter yesterday. CRAZY!! I am so so excited for this new adventure (if not a little terrified)!!
Just to make the past few days even more sweeter, I went to the Backstreet Boys 20th Reunion Concert last night with Sara and Alyssa! What a blast form the past! We were so giddy and danced up a storm! Who would have thought we would be at a BSB concert in Shanghai, China?! I think my favourite part of the show (well, in addition to the CORNY stage sets/lighting, the classic songs and the killer dance moves), was the fact that I was in a room with people literally from all over the world and all races, ages, shapes and forms. There was a child that looked like he was four years old and balding heads left right and center.
Before I sign off, I’ll mention that I have pictures up from my weekend (and don’t forget to check other albums like Life in China, Chong Gu Middle School and Shanghai once and a while for additions) and mention that I am SO EXCITED for Steph Hagmann, one of my dearest friends, to arrive on Saturday!! Sadly, due to unfortunate timing, I only have 2 of her 9 days off (I have a seven day work week next week) but I’m happy we will get to build these new memories together :)