Clay warriors, cheap eats, and fast bargains

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Twenty-three hours after leaving Shanghai, I stepped off the train in X'ian, the oldest capital of China and rich historical center. During the long ride, I met many amusing locals, including two people who could speak some English and were eager to communicate with me. They also served as interpreters for all the other passengers who had questions about where I was from and what I was doing there. So far when I tell people where I am from, they still get very excited about Micheal Jordan and other famous athletes. Right now, the Chinese are really big fans of Michael Phelps, who has won eight gold medals in swimming. The Chinese tell me they are very proud of him, and consider him a "Great American Hero". Most of the passengers passed their time by gambling well into the night with card games and eating instant ramen noodles, the only food available on the train. While the company was pleasant enough, the scenery left something to be desired. Our train passed through vast expanses of poor farming villages, coal powered factories, dilapidated buildings filled with shirtless men sitting on garbage piles, and even caves tunneled into the mountains that people were using for shelter. Every major river in China has coal ships rolling down them on wide, low boats connected like train cars, some twenty in a row, pulled by an engine ship resembling a soviet tank. I got the feeling that these were some of the forgotten provinces of China, ones that recieve no government aid and no help with development. It was quite surreal watching these scenes flash across the window as the train passed by. Many of the passengers were not going to X'ian but were getting off at the half collapsed stations that marked these small towns, leaving me only to imagine what it must be like to be in their shoes.
As the site of so many historical relics, X'ian is made annoyingly touristy by the constant soliciting of street hawkers. But it is a friendlier place than Shanghai, a little less polluted, and its ancient achitecture hasn't been completely allowed to decay. The main attraction is the Terra Cotta Warriors, now considered one of the eight wonders of the world. Getting there, however, is a bit taxing. Located two hours outside of X'ian, the only means to reach the location is by a chaotic series of local buses or by joining a tour. Almost every hotel in X'ian, along with people soliciting on the street, provide packaged tours to the site, which include transport, admission, and an English speaking guide. I signed up for the one at my hostel and learned the hard way the hastles of the tour guide industry. Apparently, all of the tour guides in X'ian work for some sort of agency which gains commision by bringing the tourist to a series of 'museums' before you are allowed to see the Terra Cotta Warriors. First, we were taken to an archeological museum which explained about the ancient banpu people who first settled in China 6000 years ago. Like many ancient cultures, they buried their dead with pottery, the only 'possession' at the time which these people could use in the after world. It was nice until we left the museum and were pressured by the guide to buy watercolor scrolls the museum was selling in the adjoining building. After politely refusing the artwork, she told us we were going to a place to learn how the terra cotta warriors were made. This was actually a souvinier factory, in which the friendly English speaking shopkeep immidiately started going into detail about shipping prices for my very own life sized solid jade warrior. After that ordeal, we were told we'd stop for lunch before the exhibit. I was imaging a light bowl of soup, but instead, we were taken to what the tour guide called, "the foreigner restaurant". The place was full of the same Westerners we had just seen at the art gallery and the souvinier factory. Our guide and the two Chinese on the tour were not eating there, but us foreigners were told we had to pony up the 45 yuan for our set lunches. Although the food was good, we barely got fifteen minutes to enjoy it before our non-dining tour guide started lingering impatiently in front of our table saying we had to go to the silk museum. We reluctently followed her to the marble floored building adjoining the restaurant where another lovely English speaking salesperson gave us a brief intoduction into the making of silk before rushing us into a showroom of silk quilts. Myself and the other girls tried to head for the door, and that's when things got even more odd. The guide practically barred our exit and said we had to stay in the shop for at least 15 minutes. At first, she made up some lie that we couldn't leave because the driver wasn't ready yet, and then she finally cracked and admitted that if we didn't at least pretend to look around for 5 minutes that she would get in trouble with her company.
And so after 5 hours of detours, we finally arrived at our desired destination, the Terra Cotta Warriors. Over 6000 warriors and horses have been escavated and they are now beginning to recreate the full military positioning in which they once stood. Like those pots the banpu people buried themselves with, this army was meant to protect the infamous Qing dynasty ruler from his enemies(and he had made many) in the afterlife. Tombs of other rulers, perhaps even more grand, lie scattered around X'ian, still to be escavated in the years to come.
But by far my favorite thing about X'ian is it's Muslim Quarter, a bustling market place filled with the smell of exotic spices, dried fruits, nuts, teas, and moon cakes. I sought out the Great Mosque of China (the oldest and one of the only in existance in China) and was lucky enough to catch noon prayer for the Chinese Muslims. I was told that while they cannot speak Arabic, they simply memorize the phrases and chants important for prayer. I then wandered into one of the many tea shops in search of the famous jasmine flowers which open into a blossom when you add hot water. The woman insisted that every customer gets a free sample before they purchase, and proceeded to have me try a dizzying array of delicious teas served Chinese style. It was quite a delight watching the Chinese take on tea after all the proper zen ceremonies I did in Japan. The tables used for tea are made of pourous wood which allow you to pour hot water directly into the grooved surface so it can collect below. First, all of the instruments are purified in hot water, and then the first batch of hot tea is discarded, as it is only used to clean the tea leaves. Finally, the real tea is brewed, but before you drink, tea is swirled around tiny bowls for you to admire the fragrance. Also, in China, tea leaves are always reused one or even two more times by re-drying them in the sun. Although the store, and the owner's excellent English, were only there for the purpose of selling to tourists and I'm sure the price was more than what the locals pay, it was still quite less than what you would pay in the West. But I am already burning through my money like wildfire, as it is hard to resist authentic watercolors for a mere $10 and my very own terra cotta warriors chess set for as little as $20. As I've already spent half the money I budgeted for China, the new plan I have devised is to never leave the hostel with more than 100yuan on me, that way I can "just say no".
In regards to my last blog entry, I am starting to warm to the ways of the Chinese. The language itself initially sounds very harsh and choppy to foreign ears, but that is because a lot of information is being put into a small space. For example, remember in the early ninties, those trendy teeshirts with the "love, peace, and happiness" symbols on them? Well, that's just what Chinese characters represent; a whole word packed into just one space. When you glance at it, its meaning is instantly recognizable. Imagine if those 3 symbols were each assigned a short sound, say yi, yu, yo. It's a lot shorter to say and to write than love, peace, and happiness. That, essentially is the fundamentals of Chinese, and in a way it is a very practical language.
Also in regards to language, I have been surprised so far in the lack of English abilities of the Chinese. Supposedly, everyone recieves ten years of education in English starting in junior high. But so far, almost no one I have met can speak a word past hello. As I also found to be true in Japan, men here generally either can't or are unwilling to speak foreign languages. I think perhaps it is an ego thing with Asian men, whereas University age females are always the best people to approach if you need help. Many times, I will be wandering around with the name of a location written in pinyin, which is the system where Chinese words are written in roman alphabet so foreigners can pronounce them. I have been surprised that about 80%!o(MISSING)f people whom I show my maps to cannot read pinyin/roman alphabet. It really makes me wonder what the education system must be here.
Although most Chinese live in absolute poverty, I feel the only dangers to me being here are chaotic traffic, food poisoning and scams. I don't think violent crime is part of asian culture. Everyone is very poor, but I believe at heart they are still very kind to each other, and they don't pose a threat to the foreigners they are very curious about. Many times so far, my lonely planet guide has lead me wildly astray due to inaccurate maps, bus routes, and adresses, leaving me wandering for hours through some of the worst neighborhoods I have ever seen. It is quite nervewrecking passing half naked children playing in gutters filled with rotting garbage and flies, the parents sitting outside on buckets smoking or playing cards, waiting for their meal from 'restaurants' consisting of a shirtless guy on the sidewalk with a big rusty pot. I know I am probably the only foreigner that ever has wandered down their street and I am paranoid that their stares mean that they think I am a rich white tourist and so they despise me. But I think maybe they are just curious or amused by my presence, and the more I wander, the less I feel threatened. Even though this wasn't the kind of China I expected to find, I am glad I came to see with my own eyes just what the situation is here. Many Chinese complain that the Western media misrepresents them, and now I would have to agree. I feel like the BBC and CNN is constantly focusing on China's evil censorship, or its support of Darfur. But this holds so little presidence in the life of the Chinese. The stories that really should be exposed are how none of the citizens are being taken care of by their government, how millions of people are living in squalor, and where all of this supposed "booming economic wealth" in China really is.
Yesterday I went to the nightly fountain and music show near another hisorical site in X'ian. Set in front of the Big Pagoda, one of the first and oldest establishments of Buddhism in China where monks traveling from India settled to translate Buddhist scrolls into Chinese, this free show celebrates the greatness of X'ian, with traditional music and dancing fountains shooting water high into the air as an umbrella clutching crowds runs around screaming in delight. Nightlife in China is quite worth experiencing. As dusk settles on the cities, grilled meat vendors roll into the streets to feed the hords of Chinese strolling around with family or friends talking and digesting the array of greasy treats. Any large plot of land is transformed into an open-air dance hall, where couples waltz or ladies line-dance to traditional music. Unlike in Japan, where young generations show no intrest in traditional music, much perferring their "J-pop", most Chinese still listen to and walk around humming traditional song. There are also 'discos' in major cities, but their chessy atmosphere and steep prices didn't interest me. Another night, I went with a girl from the hostel to the city walls of X'ian. (X'ian is one of the only cities in China which still retain some of their original walls) During the day, as I've found to be true for most monuments in China, the wall looks gray and dingy. But with darkness comes an array of bright colors, highlighting the best features of the city.
Today, I am preparing for a 30 hour train ride to the town of Guilin in Guangxi, where I will settle in to volunteer for the remainder of my time in China. After this past week of crowded, loud, polluted cities, I am really hoping to see a more peaceful side to China.

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