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Published: February 14th 2006
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The Deli
The Sandwich NOTE: THIS IS THE SECOND IN A SERIES OF 2 ENTRIES, PLEASE READ THE LAST ENTRY FIRST TO CATCH UP!
Hello out there! (Entry 2 of 2)
When we last left our hero, I had started to take China by storm. I've taken an agent, and.....okay....sorry I got carried away there.
Today's journal will focus on the remainder of the Xian trip, including the Terra Cotta Warriors, and an amazing bike trip. But first....today in Beijing.
The weather in Beijing today's was glorious! A stark contrast the arctic temperatures of a fortnight ago, today was 54 degress in the capital of the Middle Kingdom. I took my pink girls bike, and headed out for an adventure. But where to was the question? I had many places I wanted to go...however I decided on an unusual choice....Scholtsky's Deli. Yes, after weeks of Peking Duck, lamb, nuggets, and other assorted dumpling dishes...I needed to visit Beijing's deli. Apparently this is a chain of Deli's all over the world....and I made my way to the China World Trade Center in a pilgrimage. I had visions of finding a group of old Jewish Chinese people arguing with one hand, holding a
pastrami sandwich in the other. Nothing says Chinese like a deli! Okay, so my visions were not exactly realized. They lacked the food I was seeking...a bagel. That being said....the grilled chicken sandwich I got was amazing! They bake their bread fresh there, and wow...I think I will become a regular.
Following that excursion, I made my way past many embassies and over to Jenny Lou's, a chain of western supermarkets where I purchased fruit loops and macaroni and cheese. I gave the fruit loops to my family to sample...I'm not sure if they were as excited as I was about the purchase. We'll see when I cook them the mac and cheese in a couple of days what sort of reaction that gets. Stay tuned....
Part 2: Warriors
So, before going to China my one must see was the Terra Cotta Warriors. A little background here: The Emperor Qin was a fascinating guy. A little paranoid, he was said to sleep in a different palace every night. He was the first to unify China, and standardize langauge and measurements. His confidants were so nervous that his empire would fall upon his death, that when he ultimately did
expire far away from his capital, they kept it a secret. Under the scorching heat, they brought his body back to Xian, however given that stench of decaying flesh might cause suspicion, they also wheeled fish with it. After all, mask a bad smell with a worse one. Turns out they were correct to be nervous because his dynasty did not last past his son.
Anyway, when the emperor became the guy in charge at age 13, they began work on his tomb. Magnificent statues measuring life-size (some as high as 6ft) were sculpted for years. Famous for their craftsmanship, each of the soldiers had a unique expression on his face. Well....some time back a farmer digging for a well, discovered a clay head...and the rest is history. The 80 year old farmer now sits in the museum and signs books for a fee. No pictures allowed. Needless to say, seeing this was sure to be a highlight...and it did not dissapoint. These soldiers, meant to offer protection in the next life (quiz for the kids out there....where else did we see a similar thing? Email back for extra credit opportunity)
The soldiers are housed in 3 pits.
The first one the most impressive. Take a look at the photos.
The next day the most noteworthy thing we did (besides the statue experience) was a bike ride on top of the ancient wall surrounding Xian. The only intact wall left in China, you can walk or bike along the top, seeing the entire city both on the inside and outside. Don't worry, its not like balancing on a tight roope, the wall is probably 40 plus feet wide. My students were most struck by the contrast between large buildings being built, and the poverty of people living in half destroyed buildings. One could see laundry hanging to dry in buildings that were barely standing. This trip definiltley highlighted the gap between rich and poor that is inescapable here.
Finally, a little message for the kids out there. It is always better to try and look silly, than not to try at all. Why? You never know what will happen. Case in point. Many ancient sites in China have both bell and drum towers. Xian being no exception. The drum tower in Xian has a wonderful show in which drummers display their skills. Well....one student and I
Look out!
Okay, that me with some miniature warriors at one of the two official factories that make warriors to be sold to tourists. were walking around, checking out the drums on display, when I noticed that one of the woman drummers was practicing back stage. I wanted to go up to her and tell here I liked her drumming that she did in the show a few minutes earliers...but....no Chinese. So....the student (who began learning Chinese at the same time as me) and myself looked up a few choice words and, in unison, told her that her drumming was good. Well...this opened the door for us to make a connection. My student took a picture at the drums, and I took a picture holding the sticks with drummer lady. Lesson: Its okay to look silly sometimes.
Really finally,
My host father took me to another series of bargaining markets. In one, they sold mostly animals. The highlight was the giant beatles they sold for...well...fighting each other to the death. Yikes...look out wrestling. Also, I was a little disturbed by the puppies sold out friend. I don't know why, it just creeped me out.
I also was eager to try my bargaining skills. I am proud to say that the favourite catch phrase around my house now is "2 dollars!" we yell
it at all times! Its kind of inside joke. Why? It derives from the bargaining outing in which I paid using American dollars, and got into a bargaining fight with one guy over a "Rolex." Long story short..I got it for 2 dollars. Sometimes the bargaining can go wrong as I was literally pulled in a tug of war by a woman selling me a backpack...apparently you can't back out of a sale once the item has been put in a bag. She was quite strong for a small person.
Until Later,
Brett
ps....I think people were staring at me today on the subway. Not because I was clearly the only foreigner,but because I was singing and dancing out loud to the music on my headphones. I think they were overwhelmed with my singing skills at AC/DC.
pps. One more grandfather story. So we're touring the restaurant because it was huge. There was excactly 4 other white people there. Myself, and this family dining off in the distance. Well, the grandfather, spotting them, gets my attention, points to them and yells "wai guren (sp?)"---or foreigners. I think this was to make me feel like I wasn't the
only one. He did this again at the Lantern festival in a similar situation.
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Daniel
non-member comment
Can you read this?
你能读着个么?(dose your computer read chinese)