Experiencing China

Day 5: In Fear of Lisa, Snakes, and Pepto-Bismol
In Transit from Guilin to Guangzhou

We're both pretty beat. The bike ride yesterday was tiring enough, but this morning we were rudely awoken by firecrackers by the dozens, even hundreds, simultaneously set off in the streets and alleys bordering our hostel; not sure I've ever appreciated the joy of those noisemakers.

I think we may have offended Lisa, our hostel matriarch, and Harry, one of her tour guides, both of whom are Chinese. Lisa wanted to have a party at the hostel, in the small restaurant downstairs, and she'd recruited us to help her make posters; one of those awkward "perhaps" moments where we hadn't felt like we'd committed to help and yet she seemed to assume we had. Not that we weren't willing to help, but we hoped to spend our time elsewhere than our hostel. And each time we went to leave Lisa's, she'd ask in incredulity where we were going. Did we know she was having a special meal tonight? Would we be at the party? Oh, you want to book a train ride back to Guangzhou? You can do that here. Did you tell your Danish friends about tonight? Where are you going? We did eat breakfast each day at Lisa's.

By the third day she ignored us each time we walked through the lobby and restaurant to go on our merry way. And Harry had asked us multiple times if we wanted to hire him as our guide of the city and countryside; would have but others with whom we're travelling wanted to hire Su as they'd met him while travelling here in the past. So Harry ignored us by the third day as well. I'm undecided as to whether we've been culturally insensitive, ignorant to expectations as their guests, or if it's more a matter of personality or simply their approach with tourists.

Among other things, some of the menu items available at Yangshuo restaurants are dog, rat, frog legs, rabbit, and snake. The real selling point for snake is the opportunity to "play with it" before the chef cooks it up, after which you can not only eat the flesh of the snake, but also drink its blood. For those seeking potables, one can enjoy "snake wine," like Japanese saki (rice liquor) with a snake pickled in the bottle, much like a worm resides in the bottom of tequila; a real "man's drink" apparently. Other menu items in many cafes include massages and "A Chinese Date."

Much of this fare, excluding the massages and Chinese dates of course, we found with a pulse and breathing at the local market; quite a scene with chickens, massive holding bins of live fish, snakes, not to mention fresh fruits and vegetables and baked goods. No wonder the food we've eaten has been so delicious. It's all fresh from the garden, field, river or pasture.

Tonight we ate at Planet Yangshuo, a take-off of America's Planet Hollywood. I began with a massive bowl of pork and vegetable soup, then fried pork dumplings, and finally vegetable spring rolls. The dumplings were fabulous and the spring rolls came with a thick and tasty ginger and onion sauce.

Trademarks, such as Planet Hollywood, aren't respected much in China. Tony entered a store in Hong Kong and asked to purchase a specific, non-distinct bag, and the woman behind the counter asked him whether he wanted "Oakley" or "North Face" upon the bag. Nike, Adidas, Puma, NBA basketball teams - they're all here, plastered everywhere and fake.

And most every restaurant has movies on VCD (similar to DVD) that are still in theaters in the United States and wont be out on video or DVD in the States for months (i.e. they're pirated); and so most every place also has a massive television.

We said good-bye to Lenka and Martin this afternoon before heading to Guilin to get on this overnight. I enjoyed meeting them, seeing a few things from their perspective. I fear I already lost their e-mail address, though; hopefully Martin e-mails me.

I tried to read during the hour and one-half minibus ride from Yangshuo to Guilin, but the jostling made it difficult to make notes in the book as I usually do when reading. Reading an anecdotal book by an American who taught English in the Hunan province for two years, and a collection of historical essays on China by Jonathan Spence; nice compliments to travelling in China, definitely adding to the experience. I've managed to keep up some on Bible readings and devotionals, but certainly not as much as I'd hoped. Total lack of routine in these days.

On our bus ride, an older woman became carsick and vomited into a bag just as we approached Guilin. Thinking myself compassionate and helpful, I gave her a Pepto-Bismol tablet and by way of charade-like body language told her to take it orally, but in retrospect I think I made a poor decision. I've heard that mixing Western and Eastern medicine is a terribly bad idea. I have no idea what she may have already been taking or how such a drug might affect her.

Wonder about the role of or need for a "missions journalist." Wonder if I couldn't freelance for IFES or other agencies. I'd like to tell people's stories, tell of what God is doing around the world, paint pictures of the need and injustice of the world. With this in mind, I again wonder about the efficacy of more training in missions or cross-cultural studies; I'm more and more interested in studying issues of identity. In today's world, can't help but think we all have to consider identity, how we see ourselves, who we are, because we come in contact more and more with people different from us; can't help but reflect on what makes us different. And yet I want to pursue writing as an art, move people, create beauty; I'm still probing the connection between art and justice, common threads of harmony, shalom.

I'm grateful for safe travel and health. Much can easily go wrong when venturing to a new place.

Mark

For more information on food in China, visit the Global Gourmet

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