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Published: June 11th 2010
Beach Bride
you see some other pictures of her, she was taking wedding pictures near the beach, beautifulДобрый день товарищ,
I've been doing nothing since we last talked. Life has felt genuinely dull as of late. I've been stuck in the country without a passport and fantasizing of going anywhere outside of Zhongshan. The last month I've practiced the art of cooking (burning) Chinese delicacies. I succeeded in being banned from cooking for Carmen, so mission accomplished I'd say. I have also buffed up on my spoken Chinese. Pumping up on new phrases and idioms I'm looking native fit.
My tongue is now a rippling bulge of Chinese muscle spitting out the common word with dazzlingly accuracy. Foreigner and local alike fawn over my prowess. Even my Cantonese is starting to make progress, it's taken 2 weeks short of a year, but I can actually mutter a few words. Although truthfully to me speaking Cantonese is as to engineering a nuclear bomb while speaking Mandarin is as to making a fart. The two languages although related in some ways use a completely different technique. After a year my Cantonese is limited mainly to cursing and funny expressions. (Which is about all you need to get by in life)
Carmen and I speak a language something
pool
pool at our second hotel in dadong of a creole language. It's a mix of English, Mandarin, and Cantonese vocabulary and sentence structure. Sometimes half of a sentence clause will be in Chinese and the second clause in English with Cantonese adjectives in between. I find myself thinking in this language, and it feels completely normal. I'll create an example:
Nate: shen me shi ho ni yao qu take the movie back? (when do you want to go take the movie back?)
Carmen: wo take le ( I already took it)
Nate: like no like na ge dian ying (did you like the movie?)
Carmen: Yeah! in it Paris Hilton si le (Yeah Paris Hilton dies in the movie!)
Nate: Ho gao xiao! (too funny!)
So in a way my life has continued to be interesting but in this moment, thats just life. I'm excited to hear and speak some authentic American English again when I get back. To hear a native speaker and feel the shape of the words as they fly out will be a sweet taste.
So trying to inject to some adventure minded sun scorched fun back into my life I went to Sanya in Hainan. Sanya is the southernmost
Yalong Bay
The most beautiful of the 3 beaches we visited city on Hainan, a large island just south of mainland China. I was told it’s a Chinese topical paradise with beautiful beaches and women. The beaches and women were beautiful but to my surprise it's as much a Russian getaway as a Chinese one.
I saw hundreds of Russian guests who I assume fly down from eastern Russia for a beach vacation. Most of the signs are written in Chinese, English, and Russian. The area I was staying in seemed to prefer Russian over English and understandably so. The Soviets were everywhere! Even all the Chinese vendors all could speak at least a little Russian.
The Russians would speak to me in Russian, assuming I was Russian, and I would just hold my hands up in defeat like hey you caught me. I had that paralyzed feeling I'd forgotten where you literally can't say a single word in response. But some of the Russians I heard speaking some basic things in Russian accented Chinese. And the signs written in Russian were a neat diversion from the norm even though I can't understand them.
Sanya's Soviet paradise is worthy a comrade’s praise. Of all the places I've visited
Hainan
The view out the window was pretty spectacular the beach in Yalong Bay is the most beautiful I've ever seen. The water is as clear as Russian vodka and beach is white as the siberian snow. The scenery surrounding the beaches are cloud draped and jungle covered mountains. Butterflies and lizards abound in a place, at least in Yalong Bay, that hasn't yet been poisoned by human interference. Sadly I'm not sure how it will look down the road as you can see new construction everywhere.
Most of my vacation was spent swimming in the ocean and drinking beer, so honestly I don't have many exciting stories to tell. Although... I will mention our arrival.
Carmen and I went with my backpack and her purse. We had no papers or documents and although I had booked hotels I didn't take any printed confirmation of such. I think we just thought we would just figure it out when we got there. Although it’s a problem when you forget the name of your hotel all together. We had booked a real hotel for most of the trip, but just a hostel for the first night.
The first night we arrived at around 11:30. The night consisted of
us wandering aimlessly in the sidecar of a 60 year old woman’s motorcycle during a rainstorm as she tried to help us find our hostel. We tried every variation of what we thought the name might be until soaked underwear and 2 hours later we arrive at what we are convinced is our hostel. Not surprisingly after clinging to side of a motorcycle getting pelted by rain for two hours, the place was right where we first started. We take an elevator to the 24th floor and find the hostel but it's locked for the night?? Upset and tired we have nowhere to go. Well, our security guard friend knows a guy who knows a guy who might have a place. Obviously our best option we say sure. We end up going and staying in a "Chinese Hostel" which is essentially an extra room in some guy’s apartment for 50RMB. The bed was...a bed. And I wasn't getting rained on. I had dramatically improved my situation AND saved money. The rest of the trip went off without a hitch and the next day we switched into our real hotel.
Sanya was great, but a real delight comes in 2
weeks when Michelle and Tim come to China. We will be going all over the place, including Michelle and I visiting the International Expo in Shanghai. Super excited guys, should be fun! Anyway I'm tired, enjoy your day, much love, Zai Jian
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Mr. Farinella
non-member comment
MAIL FROM CHINA!!!
Hi Nate! Yesterday (Friday), we received your postcard and Good Luck Charm from China. BEST MAIL EVER! I seriously found 6 cents yesterday (a nickel and a penny laying together on the ground) and immediately attributed it to your gift! I am considering retiring and turning my life over to the Good Luck Charm (which now hangs in our kitchen). Mrs. Farinella, of course, is not so sure... We are looking forward to your return home. We would love to have you and your folks to the house for dinner (we will do the cooking tho if it's okay with you) to hear first hand of your travels. First tho, it sounds like you've got a fun visit planned with your sister. Enjoy! On a lighter note, I had my first colonoscopy this past Wednesday expertly done by Dr. Koffel. I have never felt closer to your Dad! I have promised him a free and thorough Human Resources exam at a time of his choosing... (and the only thing HE'LL have to drink is a cup of coffee) :-) Okay Nathan... as always your blog entry is fascinating. Keep em' coming! Take care...travel safely...and we'll see you back on Carrington Blvd. soon.