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what comes into your mouth
6 Jul 2003
getting a little better, but still coldn't move my arm freely without pain. but what annoying me most was to sleep...it was difficult with the pain...I know it would be over soon...I want a sweet dream!
there is an argument in the society lately, the controversy about our dinning habit. an idea came up with some professional or expert about the SARS situation. which said "our Chinese way to sharing meal together in a group of people is unhealthy and un-civilize". and last night I saw a kind of conversational program on TV about this subject. 2 experts...I didn't know what kind of expert since I caught the program half way...fierce attack this subject said it is not a good culture came long time ago, this way of eating is insanitary, people will cross infected each other with disease or virus. we should learn the western way of serving meal by seperate plate, it is more civilise and sanitary. I just look at those people on the screen. who are they. perhaps there are some truth in there, I'm no expert, but by common sense, people get sick or disease mostly by
what they ate. we share our meal together with family or people we know, that mean we can infect each other in many occassion, one way or another, not just by sharing meal. but yes...there is one situation is in publc banquet like married party which you will share the dinner with stranger, perhaps there one should try to take some precaution. I don't know why people suddenly come up with this idea, perhaps the SARS case really get the nerve of the people, but I think it might got to do with the olympic in China 5 years later. we need to do the western way, to please our guest, this is our faces! to stop the SARS or whatever disease, we sacrifice chinese culture to be the scapegoat of our dinning habit! anyway...I enjoy eating and sharing meal with friends. and that how we Chinese eat!
rainbow
9 Jul 2003
this is the time we can see rainbow almost everyday. the day mostly are sunny, but by 4 or 5 pm it will begin to rain a bit, and that was the time the rainbow show up. and today it was a huge arc, it was
almost a 3/4 of the circle hanging under the sky. there was a huge marched in HongKong a week ago, not much news here in China about what went on there. if not some friends wrote me about the event, then I wouldn't had know there was more than 500000 people took to the street against the government who force to pass an internal security bill which might endanger the speech freedom of the citizen in HK. and it force Hong Kong's chief executive postpone the security legislation. thing not finish yet, yesterday people gather around the legislature building, asking for the resignation of the governmenor. funny when I do a search in the Chinese news about the situation, there wasn't much coverage. and most of it are saying how the people of HK support of the new security law, and said the chief executive delay the bill because he want to hear more opinion from the people in HK...so and so...! would like to see what going on down there in the coming month. the Iranian twins sister Ladan and Laleh Bijani was died after the operation tried to seperate their joint head after 29 years. it was a
strange feeling. saw them on TV last week happily arrive in Singapore. so alive...so real. looking for a dream to live their own life by itself, wanting to live their life independently. quote the word from their relative, they are tire of being joint together! knowing what they are going into, and they willing to try. unfortunately fail. now they had gone, and I think they didn't regret about what they had choose. one should expect to pay for the consequence of their own choice, sometimes even with their own life. I think I will made the same descision if I'm in the same condition, perhaps made it far more early than they did( of course I know there is financial reason). I can't imagine how they could go through all this together for 29 years. here is my salute!!!
body art painting
12 Jul 2003
come across some body painting picture, still couldn't figure out this photo... where is the subject was hiding??? perhaps someone can help! heard an interesting news yesterday from tv, there are some people spend many months to created a map in ShangHai, which is mainly for the location of public toilet, of
course...it will including sign for police, post and bank etc...said many publish company fighting for the copy right so and so! it put me in deep thought for a moment...why there is need to for a toilet location map?? for local or for tourist?? to stop people from do it on the street because they couldn't find a toilet?? will it work??? don't know!! but what I know is people don't use public toilet not just because they couldn't locate it, but because it is dirty and you need to pay to get in too. I wouldn't dare to walk into a toilet if it will kill my appetite for the next few week. when will they learn...we not just need a toilet, we need a clean toilet indeed!!! now the SARS seem far away, but in GuangDong there is another disease appear, the Japanese B Encephalitis, which already killed about 30 people in 2 months. and said to be getting to other part in southern China. but since it dose happened every year in China around the same season, so people didn't pay much attention to it, if not because of the SARS, there won't be much coverage in
the news. but still, my brother still warn me to take care. Japanese B Encephalitis is mostly transmit by mosquitos bits.
cupping
15 Jul 2003
public holiday today, but only in this prefecture. why??? don't know!! heard it was because of the torch festival. but the festival is on the 24th July this year(by traditional calculation). if they change it into today...there must be a reason. I think it must be because the governor dosen't have time next week, that's why they move the date earlier. and I guess that the way they deal with any other tradition cultural issue too. my shoulder still not getting better, the worst is it torture me when I was asleep. so...I went to the hosiptial for an acupuncture treatment today. actually it is call cupping. the doctor first gave me a massage on the shoulder, then twist it a little bit this way and that way. after he took out a small steel hammer, but with many little needle on it, at the same time an assistant had prepare 2 round shape glass cups while the doctor hammered his tool onto my shoulder, of course...blood stream out from my skin like
blooming roses, he then light a fire with a piece of cotton inside the glass cup while covering the pool of red on my shoulder. in a split second the other cup was on my shoulder next to the first one. and 3 more needles punch onto around the cups. great...only a short sharp pain. with fire eat out the air inside the cups, and it suck on my skin like two bubbles. I can see 2 red flesh swallow up inside the glasses, and blood still streaming out there. no pain at all!!! this is cupping!! they help circulate your blood in the system, drain out the bad blood from your body. after 20 minutes I was release from the ward with 2 deep red mark on my right shoulder. in fact I did feel a bit better or perhaps...psychologically...since the doctor told me that he know what he was doing, trust him and come back tomorrow.
new entry
18 Jul 2003
finally...finally someone show up in front of my door yesterday, two french who are recommented by friend find me here. after more than 2 months there was finally other living soul inside my
house other than myself!!!! of course...help me to paid my rent...haaa...!!! Dominique and Philippe are senior, they like minority costume since they are working related to costume design. so they are eager to visit some local minority villages and markets. so I took them to a market today which they felt in love with the Miao right away, cause they want to buy some of their costume but...they want the used garment not the new stuff, that was kind of difficult...unless the indigenous willing to took off their costume to sell it !!! another problem is no matter how hard I try to explian to the local that they prefer the old cloth(even it was ragged), but they still insisted we should buy the new clothes, they can't understand why in this hell people will want the old and ragged clothes, and more insane...willing to pay for that!!!! anyway...they enjoy the market(sure...we are in GaNiang) very much even left with an empty hand! the day was hot with the big golden circle above our head. I choose an easiler trail for walk after the market. we was in HuangCaoBa that I met some local friends and mention that D &
P in fact are interest in buying some old costume, in no time a friend of a friend of a friend's grandmom came armed with her Hani cloth, it was new but...she said...I made it 20 years ago and never wear it once! but D & P said they would prefer something that'd been used and worn, for a while another old woman snail walk to our spot with her old jacket(guess she finally understand what we want), the jacket was used, beside there was dirt on it...seem like it was digging out from a garbage heap. anyway...the jacket wasn't in that bad condition and D & P wouldn't mind to have it. and I told D that just tell them what price you will pay and be it, don't bargain, and they quote 80 and the woman said yes...and...deal!!! after that the whole village seem to heard about someone is looking for old and ragged clothes, and we encounter different women came to us with their jacket on our way out of the village. at the moment in the area, there was not much work in the field, so...women in every village was busy in prepare cotton for weaving.
and it gave a chance to get a closer look of how they prepare all those cotton thread.
poor doggy
21 Jul 2003
GuangDong seem like not a good place for our human best friend...dog!! few months ago under the attacked of SARS, they blame it on the dog and there'd been a lot of slaughtering. and yesterday I heard about the rabies cases is getting more in GuangDong area, and the government there announce that they will kill any stray dog on the spot wherever they find one. poor doggggg!!!
on my own again
22 Jul 2003
after a classical 2 hours hiking trail( we manage to finish it within 5 hrs.) with D&P yesterday, and the thunder-storm weather began by the last kilometer before we arrive home. I was soaking with rain water but poor Dominque was cover with mud since she was slipped 3 times. since then the sky was closed! cloudy and grey, rain and windy. I was wonder would it be the taiphoon whirling in from the south could affected here???!!!?? cause I can hear the power of the wind from my window! so D&P left today with the weather so
unpromising. I guess they did enjoy their time here in YuanYang especially when D did bought some good old garment in a lovely price. so...here I' back on my own again. just heard about the earthquake in central Yunnan east from Dali, DaYao is the area. it was a 6.2 Richter quake which took place on the 21st evening of July. more tham 15 people was killed so far. and there was many small quake all through this morning as well. with the heavy rain weather. it made the situation more miserable. DaYao is locate in the Yi land, the tragedy just happened few days before their famous torch festival, now the people will have to face the date with tear instead of happiness. Yunnan is my favorite province in China, they has the best climate, marvelous natural scenery, beautiful people and minority...sound perfect isn't it? but... they got earthquake!!
torch festival
24 Jul 2003
more like a normal market day but with more people and more setup stand for consumer goods. sky was blue and the sun was up...hot...! no one would expected the weather will be that good compare with what we had yesterday. it was getting busy early this morning. you can see many other minority came to yuanyang for the day, many Yao girl with their best dress, today for them is a good chance to meet their date. there are also Alao Yi, and 2 other sub-group of Yi from GeJiu area. Hani from GaNiang and HaBo. it is the only time in the year that YuanYang became that busy, only in torch festival you will see that many people in town. suddenly everywhere is shops, people put up stand in front of their house to sell whatever they can. and people suddenly wanted to shopping, seem like they had save it all until today to buy thing. there was 2 stage had been set up with 2 huge loud speaker, hearing-killer music blasting round the clock, in between there was some sexy young girl performed singing or dancing, which is to promote a new brand rice wine, rather new in YY. this year they hold the festival in the county high school, which they said to protect the grass of the new town square from too many people gathering there(but it dosen't help much since there are already many people walk and step into the lawn). same old thing...authority people was invited here to attended the feast(not for the general local), singing and dancing(not sexy but traditional), and ended it up with 15 minutes of fire work by 10:30pm. but the town still going on, except the thundering music had stop. old people going home while youngster looking for their own activity. for me...the day doesn't seem any special, only a lot of people in town, walking around in pair or in group, up that street...down that path....sit here or stand there...that was all. but for them...a small town feast, people enjoy it very much just like that, thay would tell you how much fun they had or how great is the festival. but not for me, I escape from the city life because I can't stand to live in a crowdy environment, luckily it was only once a year.
kiss
25 Jul 2003
it began to rain by midnight, and it was heavy, seem like it wanted to tell the people...it was time to go home..call it a day! so the second day's program for the festival wouldn't carry on for long since it was only a short time good weather during the day and was rainning the rest of the day. I can almost hear someone up there saying...hey hey...I'd already gave you a full whole day to have fun yesterday!!!! some interesting news the last few days. young high school boy and girl caught kissing inside class room by surveying camera, and the tape had been use as part of the material to broadcast in school for what you shouldn't do inside school area. now the kids is sueing the school for trespass privacy. Also some university in different part of China issue new rule about student are not allow to kiss, holding hand, put hand around the other shoulder or waist in public, of course...no sex!!! And a public bus in HaiNan put on a sign in his bus read*it is prohibit to kiss inside the bus*. what a classic!!! same like there are post *no smoking in car* in every buses in China, but who care???!!! on the other hand...there was kissing competition in some city held openly in shopping center. what's right what's wrong....crazy China!!!
memories
28 Jul 2003
rain stopped by noon. signal the beginning of good weather(I hope). spend most of my time indoor, of course...out for dinner and lunch and breakfast...out for shopping and hair cut and see doctor...! yes...trap in my house most of the time! lucky there are a lot of live sport to watch on tv. the FINA swimming competition in Barcelona, Real Madrid in Kunming, couple of top club playing in the USA and the Le Tour De France and it was the last tour yesterday. they was cycling inside Paris on the last part for quite a while. I couldn't remember much of the city, but memories did come back a bit when the screen move on from place to place. pictures flashing in the back of my head.....inside a bakery, bought a cake for 20fr because I mistoken it as 20 cents(it was 1986), so I ate it for 5 days!!!....inside the subway, couldn't find the ticket booth because it was only kind of a tunnel with the in and out gate, an old woman gave me a ticket for she thought I was going to jump over the entance....running up back to Effiel tower for I forgot my address book up there somewhere after check on something. but I couldn't find it again and lost many friends...a Taiwanese girl (student in Paris) talk to me in the metro and offer me to sleep on the floor of his room for only 20fr/night, that night before I slipped my sleeping bag closed she remind and warn me that she is lesbian, so I kindly told her I'm gay and went to sleep....piece by piece...small memories about Paris. it dose happen sometimes while watching tv when it shown any scene of different countries, and memory comes!!! just finished a book call High Fidelity by Nick Hornby, an English man. a very funny book about his relationship with women. so true and so....???!!! shittt...it was thundering and lighting outside a minute ago, it rain again!!
the heat
1 Aug 2003
heard the hole of our ozone layer up above is slowly beginning to recover. good news!!! the weather is getting hot each day, the forecasting said in most part of China temperature will be around 39 degree C for the next few days. it would be horrible to go outside especially if you need to work. gave me a good excuse to stay indoor...haa...!!! fortunately its still bearable since the altitude is high here, but it already made me feel sleepy all day. still undergo with the treatment for my right shoulder...acupuncture...almost a month now, at least it show sign of getting better since I could feel less pain when I slowly swing my arm in some direction. but still...it might take some time before I can handle to load my backpack behind me.
hot
2 Aug 2003
no wonder why it was so hot yesterday. it was kind of suffocating hot while staying indoor. it always happened before the rain came. and it was pouring last night. bit cloudy today but still the same kind of heat. guess it will rain again in evening. just for the record about the dog in GuangDong area. a report from one county in GuangDong said so far they had executed 52614 stray dogs in the last few month. I don't know if there is any printing error, but....52614 is not a small number...woahhhh....the place is call LianJiang, what it would be like to walk in the city before all thoes doggy had gone...pretty scaring!!! read a good phrase today.... a boat sailing in the ocean should learn to get the balance before it can move smoothly forward; and it will capsize easily if wind only blow in one direction.
sunflower
3 Aug 2003
woke by the alarm at 8 this morning for I wanted to watch the live football of ManU vs Barcelona. but find it will be on tomorrow. anyway...I was totally awake and find out it was market date today, I hadn't check on the market in town for quite some time, so,...why not! oaohhh...it was sunday today as well, but it wasn't very busy, perhaps the unsteady weather lately block people interest to attend the market?!?! inside the market area, same scene as I would expect, minority lay out what they had to sell on the ground. mostly are green that I couldn't put a name on it, vegetable, herb, chilli, bamboo shoot, the fruit in season are pomegranate and pear, I bought 3kg for 3 yuans. today I try something new...sunflower seed....this is the fresh one, which still stay on with the sun-flower itself. I saw a yi boy helping her mother selling it, six or seven round shape object rimmed with yellow lace lay on the floor. I had never try any of it before, so I ask the kid which one taste better, he then inspected it one after one by saying too old...old...old...too old...then he pick one up(one of the old one) and hand it to me, I look at the rest on the floor and decided to try on a young one(there was 2 the boy didn't say old or too old, so I assume it was young...am I right???), it was big almost 1 feet in diameter. it cost me 8 mao!!! now I was holding the sun-flower on my left hand like a palette from a painter, and 3kg of fruit on my right. think I should go home then. back home I got a closer look on the sunflower, ok...I will declared the different between the young one and the old one, the seed on the too old one will be much darker than the young one, if you look from the side way of the flower, you will see the concave shape it was fully ripe. to eat those seeds is not an easy task, you need to pick it out with your finger tip, and it blacken you nail after a while(mine was still black now), every seed has its own pocket, very unite. the meat is good taste, since mine is a young one, so the meat inside are mostly tiny, bit damp and soft, but those on the outer rim are ripe and the meat inside was full and crunchy. the sweet fragrance of the plant streaming out everytimes I pick one seed off its socket, no wonder butterfly and bee always the visitor of the sunflower. by noon...it was pouring like crazy for an hour. I was glad cause it would made a fresh evening to sleep. the sun was totally explosed itself for the rest of the afternoon, but the night was promising fresher than the last 2 days. and I had my sun-flower seed with me until I finished it all by 11pm, left me with 2 black finger nails before I went to sleep.
the Olympic emblem
4 Aug 2003
they had produce a logo for the Olympic 2008 in BeiJing and finally unveiled it yesterday. the design borrows from the Chinese practice of stamping everything from traditional paintings to parking tickets with a red seal engraved with Chinese word *Jing*(in art form) from the word BeiJing, meaning *capital*. the emblem shows a stylized human figure in mid-stride with outstretched arms. Dubbed "Dancing Beijing" by the organizers. of course there are more meaning to this logo that the organizer can tell you, with our so to speak...5000 years of history, many story can be told from a single word...babaaa..baa...and...haaa..haaa..!!!! but from what I see from the public point of view on internet is...80% or almost 90% of people think it is ugly but the people within the committee, some say it is look like a bottom side of a old worn shoe, most people think it is far too simple a design which there was many consumer good's logo were almost same design like this....so and so. perhaps those complain about the design were those people had apply their own design to the organizer and had been turn down???!!!??? for me...yeah...the logo is quite simple and really nothing special about it. I think people had too much expectation from this because the committee made a big thing out of this by kept it secretly for quite a while until yesterday for the big event with 10 of thousand people to unveiled the final winner. no wonder people rated it under standard for this design. even an unprofessional people like me, I think it is really not that special if it is showing off in such high profile. perhaps the western world might find it differently cause so far is only from the Chinese point of view, then I wouldn't have know! anyway...business is business...people already queuing up to buy the products which has the logo on it this morning in the shop. who say it was ugly???? from the news I saw the new coca cola bottle already got the logo on it...haaa...!
hot hot hot
6 Aug 2003
no rain for the last 2 days but it was hot. not only in China, reported from the news said a lot of countries in Europe was hit by heat wave as well, friends from Uk, Holland and France mention about the heat as well. gonna go to Kunming tomorrow to help the NGO here, they had a program to bring some students from the local high school here to see what a city is like, those candidate are choose from very poor family, and those kids had never been out of this town. so...there will be 16 students and 4 teachers me and 2 workers from the NGO...a big group, I will act as cameraman and handy-man. anyway...good to be out for a few day since I had been kept inside for a while. wouldn't mind some city life for a few days.
tire
12 Aug 2003
came back last night from Kunming. I felt very tire for the last 5 days. from the long journey to/from Kunming....stay with the other 2 people(the drivers) in the same room,(at the moment Kunming is overflow by tourist, they said almost all the hotel was full) 1 snoring and the other like watch tv the whole time....follow the kids around town with my DV, mostly by walk under the hot sun...woke up early each morning....etc...anyway...we took them to the Yunnan university, met some uni-students there, visit the library. we went to the zoo, see the lake Dian and green lake, we went to a big supermaket, we went to the expo center...eah...quite a lot of activity. for the kids, they are excite about going into a big city.but it turn out not that a big shock to them, perhaps it is still Yunnan, a lot of culture are similar. of course...the traffic and the tall buildings dose open thier eye. some girls got dizzy from the elevator for just 5 floor. and of course...most of them got car-sick in the journey. I couldn't say how much they will learn from this short trip, but sure they will learn something. even I learn someting myself. I always judged the kids with my adult point of view, got up sad about the outcome of the day event when it wasn't my expectation, and then I suddenly realise that they are just kid, from 12 to 17 year old. they should act like a kid, play and happy like any other childern. I shouldn't put too much pressure on them. just let them absorb whatever they can during this exploration. and I learn to play along in their way and having fun with them. it was rainning this morning, and I was slide again just outside my house. I was trying to kick away a piece of banana peel and was off balance while standing one foot on the slippery ground, landing heavily on the floor, adding more bruises on my hand and elbow, lucky it hadn't ruin my semi-healing right-shoulder. and fortunately no bone has broken, but still I can feel my spine has been hurt though not seriously. guess it will take couple of days before it can be recovery.
surprise
15 Aug 2003
Nicolas show up yesterday. this French boy come back after 2 years. he only can manage a couple of single words in English last time, but he was here with another friend who can speak English and Chinese too. but this time....he come alone!!! but I soon find out he had improve his English a lot this time. actually he arrived couple of days before but I was still in Kunming. so he went back to stay in the Hani village where he once visit 2 years ago and stay there. I remember last time he went out for a walk by himself one afternoon. but didn't show up when we was ready for dinner, his friend Julien and his Chinese girl friend Yang and me was so worry but didn't know where to looking for him since no one know in which direction he went. nothing we could do but went to eat in the restaurant and wait there since if he went hiking, he might came pass the restaurant. finally by 9 o'clock we saw him coming from the trail accompanied by an old man(his host for the evening in the village), we all scolded him playfully, but the 1st word he spell out was *bu-qi-guai* mean *no big deal* something like that! all the Chinese in the restaurant laugh since he pronounce it very funny and he just kept saying that word(He drank a little more than he used to in the village), and it became his famous word in YuanYang since then every worker in the restaurant will greeting him *bu-qi-guai* whenever they saw him in the next few days. so...here he come back again, re-visit those village again and want to see more different minority group. he said he want to make a beautiful picture to attend a photo competition back in France later, why not!!! so...today he went to another Yi village and will stay there for some days. will see him later. what a guy!!!
world heritage
18 Aug 2003
suddenly the whole country is obsess in apply for the world heritage. from north to south, from west to east. there are a never ending list I can write out a long list from what I had read from the last few weeks...no need to mention yuanyang...there is the old palace in Shenyang, some old tomb in NanJing, some scene in JiangSu, CangShan in Dali, some old forts and old houses in GuangDong, the Bund in ShangHai, a bridge in BeiJing, a dam in SiChuan.....even the cantonese cuisine and music had mention!!!! they can give out a lot of good reasons why they want to apply for the heritage, how they want to protect its culture...!!! BS!!! if they has the heart to care and protect whatever they think is precious, if they really mean to do something, they can do it even without the title, the name. they don't really care about the preservation, all the care is the name, the fame, the business it will bring in tourism. it is a very commom chinese mentality, we can't be left behind, we have to be the best, the number one( like a piece of news today said a bridge across the YuanJiang had been confirm to be the highest bridge in the world, but fail to mention approved by whom), course we have 5000 years of history...haa.... see...if one province announce some heritage list, the others province will follow suit, list more, make more noise... we can't tolerate a country with 5000 years culture has so little site had the heritage title(that's the main reason), so...here we go...a long long list from now on. what for...what for????
hard stomach
25 Aug 2003
There was so many stars last night, I went up to the roof counting shooting star, I thought I saw the galaxy cause there was a huge area of shinny white up on the sky. and the moon came up by 4 this morning is so beautiful, a scimitar like smiling at me. I couldn't sleep, why???....I ate too much in dinner!!! went with a friend to his friend's home for dinner last night. a teacher in the local high school. I'm not particular keen on eating in somebody home because I know the Chinese way of treating guest, they like to force you to eat, no matter how full you are, they won't take no for an answer! and to refuse is mean impolite and the host will lost face. so...not only just eat, you need to drink as well, as a male...you are suppose to drink like a man should, another MUST while the host offer you a drink! and the problem was...the food was so delicious last night, the reason for the dinner was the husband of the teacher came back from a trip in ShiPing, and bought back the famous ShiPing tofu, deep fried...steam...tofu skin...I had to confessed...I couldn't stop cause they taste so goodddd!!! so...I got a stomach hard like a stone when I got home. that why I seldom go to eat in someone house...unless I want to make enemy!!! Nicolas still around, he came back from a week trip to JinPing area. said he enjoy the markets very much...of course...otherwise I wouldn't send him there, would I???!!! today he was out again and try to sleep the night in a village somewhere again. Suzuki came from Kunming again, he never stay in my house, because he prefer a room with tv and he dosen't like to share a room with other people. fine with me. he is nice guy, studying art in Kunming and came here 3 or 4 times a year to take picture for inspiration of his painting. spoke prefect Chinese so he can get around easily and make local friends. there are a couple Spanish people in town as well. we all met in the restaurant sometimes to exchange information or drill information out from me...haaa.... ! since the weather is quite nice at the moment in the area, think they will stay for awhile longer.
mark this year
30 Aug 2003
not for the excessive violence and bombing in the world...not for the unexpected Sars situation...not for the Real Madrid football team in Kunming...not because of the Mars is the closer to earth the 1st time in 60000 years...not because I'd my 1st injury that I can remember in my life so far...not for the 3 rivers area up north got the title of world heritage...of course not for the road construction work finally finished in town(thank god!)...also not because of the 1st student ever in YuanYang had been accepted into ChingHau university in BeiJing...and not for my love of YuanYang had been retreated...not for something not happen yet in the next few months...not for this or not for that but...I mark this year for...some years later if I will see any European wine which is produce in the year of 2003 and I will buy it. cause they said with the heat wave this year, the grape is very good to produce wine....haaa....
itchy
3 Sep 2003
I was restless...itching to make a move!!! was it because all these e-mail from friends....Emi is travel somewhere in south america....Ludwig probably arrive Hong Kong by now....Pauline is running wild in central asia...Renata perhaps still in BangKok or down to Malaysia....Thallin will be in China soon from India....everytimes I read about someone travel somewhere will make me jealous, I envy them.....I'd help Steph do some research for a trip to India and Nepal recently, thing about what to see and the routing. and the more I read from other people stories, the more I want to back on the road again. but for those part of Asia I would like to spend more time to travel, not just for couple of months. and also the unstable situation in that part of the world(bombing). I need to think of a best destination for the move. I stop here almost 4 years now, perhaps I should consider some new moves. I was haunted by this idea all through last week, I think I will give it one more year here before I quit, I don't care..........!!!! everyone had gone except Suzuki, seem like he enjoy himself a lot this time. but I did notice that he drank more each time he come to YuanYang. evey night he will bring two bottles of rice wine(sake) to the restaurant, now he get to know all the worker there and we used to share dinner together and he will drink with the local there. I kept to my share...1 glass the most!!! but Suzuki seem like to treat himself to a higher level, lucky he never get into the*too drunk* situation, peple like him there since he will start to dance and sing after the alcohol took effect on him. then after few days I notice he perhaps had an eyes for a girl there in the restaurant.... will see what going on later, and will see how long he want to stay this time. but for me...the weather seem better today and look like a good start, so....if it will be the same like this tomorrow, I will make a small small move, a trip out somewhere for a week. hope I will see Suzuki when I come back.
car
4 Sep 2003
saw a news yesterday about a new model of car in Japan, which will park in the parking area automatically once you are in front of the parking space, woaahhhh....sure dose save a lot of trouble for those people like me...bad skill in driving!!!! but today....saw from tv that in London, they produce a car which can drive on water as well, they made an exhibition on the Thames to show how the car ride in and out from the river. finally 007 fantasy has fulfilled! won't be long we will see flying car I guess!!!! woke up at 5 and find it was rainning this morning. should I stay or should I go???!!??? ....a bit cold is't it....erhhh...didn't sleep very well last night.... I think the road will be terrible with mud....nnggg....finally gave myself enough excuse...so....cancel the trip and back on my bed. and the weather dose kept the same whole day. think I made the right decision...haaa....!!!!
release
9 Sep 2003
I made up my mind....say goodbye to yuanyang by the beginning of March next year. cause it will be after the Chinese new year so it will be easier to travel. and now I will try to focus on those thing I hadn't finish yet....like...help my friend in the eco project...go to the area I hadn't visit in the area... looking for people to take over the house...try to find the buyer for my computer and all the other stuff I had here. I feel kind of release after the decision. 6 months to go and I can be free again(in another sense), because the only thing I did worry somehow is what about after the travel, and my beloved brother just send me a message said *don't worry...I had something in mind for you. just prepare to start work once you get home*. that is great. even though I had no idea about what he had in mind. but I don't care now...free...free...haaa.....!!!! a Japanese man Yamamoto show up few days ago, said he was lucky this time since he was in YuanYang last year but I wasn't. and I told him he was lucky this time as well, if not the weather wasn't good last Friday, I will be in DaPing right now. Yamamoto is almost 60 years old, and was retired and live most of the time in BangKok. kind of like me except....older/more handsome/ shorter/ richer/ more educated than me, also he had 2 childern(old enough to live by themself), we both choose to live in a cheaper country than our own. and travel often. I didn't ask about his wife since he live alone in Bangkok, but I did ask him what his daily life in Bangkok was like, and he told me he play golf....ok ok....I think I need more money to be able to live his way. he is gentle and polite, dosen't speak much english, sometimes we communicated in Thai which he spoke a little as well. he told me from 1st of September this year, Japanese dosen't need visa to visit China if only for 15 days stay. I didn't read anything from the news but it is true, he just fly into Kunming and enter without visa. that's good news but just I wonder why only for Japanese.
moon festival
11 Sep 2003
Yamamoto san left yesterday morning and Richard and Jessica show up in the evening, a brit and usa couple, on their way for a new life down to Australia, Richard is a bussiness consultant and Jessica is a lawyer, perfect....good profession and good money, and they can easily find work in anywhere. since Richard need to be in Australia in 3 weeks to report to his new job, otherwise they might able to stay here longer, now they need to take in all the main site here in a day or 2. draw them a map and wrote everything in Chinese for them, they came back before evening with a happy face even the weather wasn't very good. today we was invited by a family for the moon festival dinner, but there was a japanese guy call in and said would arrive tonight, so I turn down the dinner offer cause I need to wait for him. but he didn't show up so we went to ate in the restaurant instead. XiaoYu prepear many food that night but we arrive by the time they almost finished. afterward we all had moon cake for dessert. Suzuki san drank toonmuch tonight with the local. Moon festival dosen't has much atmosphere now a day, beside it is Han festival, the minority just follow what the Han method. people seem to making dinner party with friend today, moon cake is only a symbol, not for eat purpose. this year in the market(big city) there are moon cake cost 1000 to 100000/box, am I having typing problem....no!!! this is lawless nowaday, people buy this for present for the other as a bribe, a box of moon cake including 4 pieces of cake, and some with 2 bootle of wines, a gold watch, gold bar, some jewellery, the most expansive one with a contract of a new apartment. see...it is bribing in another way. heard the sale is not bad too!!
my door
15 Sep 2003
a double door, pretty old door I would say! a wooden one...will get one size bigger when in hot weather cause it expand. and normally you won't find any trouble to open it. but everyone stay here find it very difficult to break into my house without my help from the inside(cold or hot weather), I wonder why it was so hard to open a door...an old wooden double door!!! see...hold your key with the round dot sign on top, insert the key, push your knee on the left door while pull the right door's handle with your left hand and turn the key to the left door direcion at the same time, remember...to the left door mean anti-clockwise, understand!!!???!!! see...left in and right out...left and right, understand???!! hold the key position after it was turn, and switch your left hand to pull on the left door's handle and you knee push on the right door, and remember....keep the key on the same position, you get it???!!! see...left out and right in, left and right and right and left and lefttt....understand???!!!! easy right!! that was how I explain to(I sometimes hold their hand to teach if she is an attractive woman...haaa...arhhh...just my fantasy!!!!) everyone step by step how to break in my house, but...seem like no one really able to make it except sometimes when in cool weather. most people get the hand of it on the last day before they leave here...wonderful!! I guess most people will remember when they back home was how frustrated they was standing silly outside my door with the key inserted, banging on that old wooden door and it wouldn't open, not dare to really break it since I warn everyone to be gentle with my door, so...here I will say sorry my friends, but wasn't it I always came for rescue in no time, right???! Hiroaki san the Japanese boy finally arrive yesterday(3 days late) said he was ill while in LiJiang, not a bad place to get ill. he is an young man about 20, study financial in the university in Japan, he siad his school will start on the 25th this month...oaahhhh...my birthday....but he said he might not able to made it back before that date since he want to see Banna and through Laos back to BangKok before home. and I told him he might be home in Japan in 2005 then, there are so much to see and do in between if he really want to travel, but if he kept travel in his way he can get home on the 21st this month. anyway...he will move on to JingHong tomorrow. got an e-mail from Richard who updated me about his trip from here to the Laos border, not much changing about the bus route from what I had discover before. he said the bus ride from JiangCheng to MengLa took 11 hours, god...I didn't know that, I thought it must be 8 or 9 hours the most. anyways...they siad it was kind of experience! now he was enjoying his stay in a USD$17/night hotel in Namtha, in front of a solar power computer set!!!
old man
17 Sep 2003
I was doing the laundry on my roof balcony yesterday after Hiroaki had gone. the sun was warm and the weather seem promising. suddenly I felt a sharp pain on my back while knelt down to un-plug the electricity of the washing machine, and I knew right away I will be disable for a couple of days. it was cause by the back bone press on the nerve and it cause tremendous pain. and my 1st thought was doctor Li, but I wasn't supposed to see him as yesterday he told me to rest for a few days after my treatment for my shoulder 2 days ago. so he was surprise to see me slow motioning into his room in the hosipital with a sad grimace. I told him what was happened and he instructed me to lay face down on the bed. it took me aged to settle myself flat on the bed together with alot of e-ah noise from the pain. and doctor Li just stand there and watch with a smiling face, he said he couldn't assist me since he didn't sure what'd cause the pain in me, if he help me it might gave me more pain if he done it improperly. I told him that was alright since I always suspected he is sadist! why??? you will see....!! he then gave me massage on my back, squeezing my muscle until I cried for mercy. then he will laugh and ask me "do you feel the pain" in a playful way, but it always sound to me like he was saying " do you reeeealllly feel the pain". then the acupunture and cupping began. he will punch the needle into your flesh, slowly screw it a bit deeper until you felt the undiscribable pain and you gave out the sound aooouttt....then you will hear the "do you reeeeeeall......". suddenly I felt a sharp bite from the area on back of my knee, and an electric fire like lightening struck my sole. I didn't expected it cause I thought my problem is on my back. my screaming just died down and I scream again when the unexpected strike came from the other leg while I heard him say again " do you reaaaaaa.....pain!!!!" and I crid out YES!!!! it wasn't happened only on me cause I saw he did the same to the other patients. I know there is no evil from him, it is just the way he is. so...then I had a cup behind my knee on each leg, 3 cups on my back and 6 needles, and of course...a comfort word say "take a rest" with a smile! I was struggling out of the bed on my own after 15 minutes, of course...under doctor Li watchful eye! and it was no easy task. he told me come back tomorrow and I then slow motioning out the hosipital into the street. the walk home normaly took late than 5 minutes but it took me almost 20. I couldn't walk fast, a step wider than 6 inch will cause me e-rhhhh! and today it suddenly rain when I was out after the treatment from the hosipital. people was running for shelter around me, but I was pretending enjoying the wetness like I hadn't seen the rain before, walking in a elegant way while aiming at the department store where I can stay under cover in the hall. and the rain stop once I was indoor! anyway....back to yesterday, as an old man, actually...an injury old man live alone. how can I finish the half way through laundry in my condition. I call Pang in the NGO office but he was in Kunming, luckily I find his colleague Chen and he gave me a big yes and came right away. he help me lay out all the bed sheets to dry, he even help to clean my house a bit and more...do my beding. he said he will come back to collect the laundry after work before he left, I was in debt to him!!! so....seem like everything settle but....my worry was to use toilet, I couldn't really squat since I didn't had a seat toilet, anyways...I don't think I want to put more ink into this issue! until today....I can only lay down or sit read drink eat type.....but I know I will be ok in a week time since it wasn't the 1st time I had this problem. at least I don't need any excuse to being lazy this time....haaa....!!!!
turning point
18 Sep 2003
a friend ask me why the sudden retreat. he didn't expect me to leave so early while I seem to enjoy myself here so much. I told him I think the turning point was 1st... the accident this July. although I wasn't seriously injure, but the incident could be fatal, it was life and dead, if not for that big rock, I might be gone. and after that it made me think about the thing I wanted to do and hadn't done yet. also by other people travel stories or desire, it ignited the fire from within my heart I guess. and then the period during my recovery. I would say I didn't had a single night of good sleep so far since my accident, course I used to roll and move a lot in my sleep, but my wound shoulder prevented me by doing this naturaly. also I cannot do any exercise. I used to do those old people exercise every morning on my roof, you know....those kind of swinging arm, up and down, in and out or in circle, thing like that. or something do 20 push-up(16 when I cheated). but now I can't(even cheating). I hadn't been out for a trip so far course I shouldn't carry a backpack when my shoulder is still under treatment. it really depress me. and when thing add up together then I came to the decision to make the move again. somehow I think this comfortable and easy life did rotten my will to back on the road again. so I better follow my instinct while my desire is on the raise.
a day of life in yuanyang
22 Sep 2003
the weather was terrible over the weekend. it was like winter day, a total white outside with deep fog, rain in between and a bit cold. so I postpone my DaPing trip one again, beside...I am still disable... don't you remember??!!! so this morning as usual I woke up and find the weather a bit better than last 2 days, at least no rain(but it was pouring again in the late afternoon) still foggy though, went up to fill up the water tank on the roof. most parts in YY still only supply water from 7 to noon(because of the limited water source), and that was why you will see almost every houses has its own tank on the roof. and the stupid thing is the single pipe is for all the houses along the line, and the part of the water pipe near your house is your responsibility, if it was broke the the water company will cut the water supply until someone fix it. so...if the pipe was broken up the line somewhere and the house near there dosen't willing to pay for the repairment, then everyone down the pipe-line will have no water supply too. 2 years ago the pipe was broken not far from my house(I didn't know that), and there was no water for 5 days and when I ask my house owner then he told me what was happened. later I find out that they all waiting for me to pay because they labeled me as rich man, beside...those people dosen't need much water, they will go to the well 500m away to carry a bucket or 2 in time they need water, they don't have toilet or I suspected they don't even take shower much. so they know I will not last long before I said ok to pay for the new water pipe. and I did after a week when my water tank nearly empty, they told me the cost could be around Y800. and finally I agree to surrender 500 and the neighbourhood put in the rest, and the piping work was done in that same afternoon. the same thing happened again last year and I just took off to travel in JinPing, call back every 2 days see if the water supply resumed, and it was ...after almost 3 weeks! beside filling the tank I will do my usual arm swinging exercise, of course slowly under my current condition, but I can't twist my waist cause my back was hurt. I hate it cause I enjoy twisting my waist round and round, to the left and to the right...ahhhaaa....until I heard the water fall sound which mean the tank was full and the water was spilling out and hit the ground. locked the tap and my bussiness on the roof was finished. time for breakfast and I hit my favor soya milk stand in town, the name is *Sister's soya milk* because it was run by 2 sisters, I rate them the best soya milk and deep fried donut in town(there are only 2 stands sell it in town haaa....) after 1 milk and 2 donuts, 1 quai 50 and I then went to see Dr. Li further down the street. the same scene as I'd expect in his room, he was sucking on his water pipe while he sat cross leg, he will said "Li-lei-la"(mean ah..here you are) and keep to his bussiness on the pipe while I sat and wait until he had enough of the tobacco. but I notice there was a tv at the corner behind his desk, a small black and white old Chinese made tv with an orange color case. there was a matel wire connected the steel window frame to act as antenna. he told me he try to sold it but no one want it so he spend 30 yuans to fixed it and put it here, better than nothing he said! there was another person inside the room too, same...a regular like me, a brave 9 years old kid who can't speak and had no hearing, he will take a needle on each side of his small head, the area near the little lump in front of the ear, Dr. Li said it might recovered his hearing. I was laying on the bed while he either running around the small room with 2 needles on each side of his head or standing next to my bed, watch my face twist while Dr.Li said*do you reeeeall.......pain*. but today he was attracted by the small orange box at the corner, he just kept tuning for different channals cause it amaze him with those flashing images on screen. Dr. Li woooeing him off the set while working on my back but the boy won't listen...and of course...he couldn't hear! today I only had acupuncture, no more cupping as Li said my back already had too many red circles mark. after lunch in the fast food store, those places they offer many different dishes and you choose whatever you like for only 2 yuans. and I will retreat to my house and get addicted into the internet world. since I had decided to go to India, I read a lot of travel information about India in different web sites, and it seem like endless. sometimes I will catch people online the same time from the MSN so I can chat with them for a while. and time will fly...time to go for dinner when my stomach was druming and I know the sky outside had been darken. ate in the usual restaurant, will had a drink or 2 if I ran into some local friends. and back home the evening will end with some reading or tv, of course I will stay up late if there is live football broadcast. anyways...that's how I spend a day in YuanYang if I wasn't out travel or hiking.
birthday
25 Sep 2003
a friend left a message here after reading my diary said... *go get a wife*...was that the problem that I had??? is that what I need???? I don't think so...but time will tell and I just let the road lead me on by itself! yesterday the weather was fine(of course) and there was a singing performent in the square which a group of trader organise it as a sale show in the evening, most of them are came from Canton so they sang a lot of HongKong's cantonese songs (in their way), while the local gather around to listen, will the people understand the songs?? dose it matter??? imagine western people singing in chinese in an unprofessional way, that was how those singers sound like! luckily the background music was loud!!!! there was quite a lot of people indeed cause what else the local had to do in the evening and the show is for free(that why I was there too)! after an hour they start to promoted whatever they had to sell to the people around, mostly are soap, shampoo and washing powder, and of course...in a very low price. and here...as long as it is cheap then you will have market, so...they are success I will say! today is my birthday, and I treat myself a bottle of wine last night. not much going on on tv so I play with the computer. of course no one know it was birthday and I don't feel like telling people about it, right...no big deal! I don't remember when was the last time I celebrated my birthday. looking back....in the 4 years after graduated and all my friends still stick together, we are in the same school football team, and we made birthday party for each of us, so...almost every month we will had a gathering, an excuse to ate a big meal, get drunk and play ma-chong. I can still remember some of the birth date like...Terrance is on the 25th August, Ken is 25th Ocyober, Barry is 24th January. there is Francis and Fung on the same month April, so we will hold the party for them both together. there was no present or gift for the birthday, only the birthday boy no need to pay for anything that night. and then I went for my european trip and even then every year they will celebrate my birthday(without me in HongKong), I knew it later when they send me some photos while they was drinking and gambling on my birthday party...what a bunch of friends I had!!!! another one was few year ago that I can remember was in Sabah. the woman I travel together with want to spend our birthday on the Mt Kinabalu since we had our birthday only few day apart, and we even argue about which date(mine or her) we should celebrate by getting there on time. finally we arrive the mountain more earlier than both our birthday. and we went our own direction later so I end up alone on my birthday! honesty....I am not fancy celebrate birthday(am I???). it only mean you are a year older than last year. and I was glad one more year I hadn't done any big harm to this universe. I just slept through most of my birthday!!! by the way...my secret birthday wish about a ribbon wrapped gift hadn't arrive...!!!
vaccination
29 Sep 2003
so...I thought about getting some vaccination before I going to my India trip, since some need to be done few months in advance before the vaccine will take effect. went to the hosipital yesterday and the doctor there told me they only has the Hep B, it need 3 dose, the second injection a month later and the last one will be after 6 months and it will protect me for the next 5 years. so I asked him wrote me the request form and I need to go to the dispanser counter for the nurse to figure out how much it will cost for the injection, then took the paper to another counter to paid, and it came out only 8 yuans(including all the paper work) amazing!!!! so....happily I paid(almost said *keep the change please!*) then back to the dispansary, the nurse behind the counter then gave me a seal glass bottle of fluid and a syringe, then I had to go to another room looking for another nurse who is free, handed her the syringe and bottle then she prepare. was I scare of injection???? Nnnnoooo....of course not...you must be jooooking!!!! I just look another direction when she holding my left arm, a stream of white liquid flying across my eye and I knew the needle will be near my skin in a second, I closed my eye and wait....nothing came...until the nurse push me while my face was squeeze into one knob said...*hey, anything you need more?* then I realised it was already done, but I felt nothing!!! that must be the most smooth injection I ever had in my life. I couldn't even find the mark on my arm. I told myself I want her next month again. and today I went down to NanSha(new town) because they told me I can get Hep A in the vaccination center here. I never like going to NanSha because I hate the drivers. they never like to depart right away, they enjoy very much driving around the town to pick up more people. the ride down there today was ok but I was assigned to a made up seat, a small wooden chair which really not do any good to my injury back and arm. everytime the bus drive through a curve, the chair will move with the speed and I had to grasp on whatever near by! 45 mins ride and I was in the ugly town, find the center with no problem since I am a real good traveler(is there anything to do with that?). but it won't open until 3 pm, an hour to go....so I went for a walk in town, not much to see though so I walk more slowly to prevented myself back to the center before 3. I find there is a public swimming pool in NanSha. yeah....they need one here, it was an oven town, see...I walk real slow and I still sweating like hell. suddenly I was wonder what it would be like when I were in India next summer. will see..by that time I will be a tourist and the spirit will not be the same! 3 o'clock and the door was opened in the center. got the confirmation of the injection. the same procedure as everywhere, got a signed paper to another room for the cost figuration, then paid and got my injection, this Hep A cost 11 yuans, and was surprise by the nurse said it only need 1 injection since I read about 3 dose is need for this vaccine. anyway...fine with me if only it work! and it took 2 bottle of liquids to fill up the syringe. and this time I didn't close my eye when she hold the needle against my arm(I didn't watch either), and it took very long to finished, almost 30 seconds, no wonder this time she gave me a seat when injected. ok then..I think that was all I need, I don't want any malaria pill since they gave you side effect. beside...I couldn't get any here. jump on a bus for yuanyang and the driver was that kind of A-hole driver I was talking about before. 1st he stop at the usual bus stand for a while, then it move and I thought well...not bad...only 1minute wait! then I saw the bus made a u-turn down hill back to the bus station 1km down the road, horning all the way kind of signal the people on the street that he is going to YuanYang, it is your last chance!!! we came back to the same bus stand after 5 minutes and he stop there wait again, actually the bus was quite full, and of course...there was people milling in once in a while. not until there was more passinger in the bus told him to depart. he unwillingly started the engine...still shouting through the opened window...yuanyang yuanyang....I was in very good temper there, perhaps because I got the front window seat, and I was a bit tire, I just closed my eye and sleep! he was lucky...I guess....haaaa.......
national day
2 Oct 2003
golden week start yesterday. didn't see many tourist as the local authority had expected. not much going on in town , only a kind of book fair(small) setup in the square by the telecom department??? no...I didn't type it wrong, it was the telecom office that organise the sale, I didn't know why, but I guess as long as whoever had any idea for bussiness, they could do whatever they want, as long as the authority got SOMETHING in return! what kind of books they sell there? those over size reference book, picture book, 5000 year Chinese history, 1001 of why, literature story book etc...all are came with worn out or broken boxes. and it wasn't cheap at all! but as I always said....as long as there is any function going on in town, they could attract huge crowd. why not...people just got something to do...read to kill time...!at least there are more people dress up for the day, perhaps there was something going on back in their office that morning, I wouldn't know of course I woke up late. as usual...cloudy in the morning and sunny by noon. there was more tourist coming in iby evening, mostly are Kunmingner. and some from eastern part of China. yeah...it need 7 hours to came up here from Kunming. I went to see doctor Li this morning, since my back problem kind of worsen than I'd expected. it still no recover. I heard a woman screaming before I enter the room. then I saw 2 women occuplied 2 of the 5 beds in the room when I walk in, and Li was attending one of the woman while she was lying face down on the bed the same style I used to lay on the bed there. and Dr Li was giving her the cupping that why she scream(I thought I heard a voice said *do you reaaaa....*)! I put myself down on the last bed on the row without waiting for any invitation(do I need one?), and Li came with few needles and finished it all on my back and right shoulder. that was it...just a few seconds and he back to his seat and start to suck on his water pipe again. I asked him what happened to my little friend(the boy with the needles on his ear), he told me he began to hear now after the acupuncture treatment. now his mother took him to see another doctor for helping in his speech. amazing....it does work with acupuncture. back on the street 20 minutes later. it was market day today, and there was more tourists(in the YY standard) than yesterday since I can spot some. today I saw a guy selling herb medicine on the street. I mean he only had few different no name bit and pieces lay on the floor, and a bottle of alcohol. then he started mixing up all those thing he had there. swearing or chanting in whatever language I wouldn't know while working on the whole process. then he started to shout to the passerby said how good this medicine was, kind of stuff that can pull you back from dead. and he began to drank it just to show people it was no poison. I saw him this morning then in the afternoon, I notice he would move on further along the street every hour or so to setup his post, same procedure and I notices his bottle of alcohol had down more than half bottle(or would it be the 2nd or 3rd half bottle?) cause I can tell he was a bit drunk than I'd see him this morning. and people just laugh at him the more he drink and the more he drunk. I could imagine what he would be like when he get to the end of the street by the end of the day. hope his medicine is as good as he claimed. I could picture him fell down the stair there and get his arm broken, but then because he had drank those medicine so the injure recovery by itself right away. and people around realise the stuff is genius and everyone want to buy, but there was no more since the man had already drank it all....hooo...hooo...!!!
why
4 Oct 2003
friends were surprised when they heard about my plan of departure from YuanYang, and ask me why? and why India? as I said at the very beginning. I will leave here once this place become more popular and develop. and seem like it will get there soon. and I just leave a little bit earlier. and why India? I think I want to lose some weight that why I going to India....haaa....!!! come on...I am serious! one day when I was looking downward and all I could see is a round object, and I then realized it was my own stomach, my god....my belly getting bigger and bigger! and I remember the day when I was in high school, SingMah(one of the boy in our gang) told us what he had discovery. he said every night at home after dinner, his dad will sat on the chair with one feet up on the seat next to his butt. one hand picking his teeth with tooth-pick while the other started to rubbed and massage his belly in a circle. and he noticed that his father's stomach was getting bigger each day. I guess all in our group would remember this up until today of how SingMah imitating the way his father did with his belly. yeah...we all laugh but we all made a mental note that never ever massgae our belly after meal though! look at me now....I never forgot that and I never did rubbed my belly after meal, but...!!! I will tell SingMah if I ever meet him again that his theory wasn't quite right! I guess it got something to do with the computer....!
interesting
5 Oct 2003
"IgNobel" prizes...a new word to me. just find out it always comes along with the nobel prize each year. some interesting winner this year. the "peace prize" goes to An Indian who spent 18 years trying to prove he was alive. the interesting point is the Indian government didn't recognize his life, but willing to gave him a passport to be able to go to USA for the award, unlucky the US fail to issue him a visa. The engineering prize went to some guys who in 1949 came up with Murphy's Law -- "If anything can go wrong, it will." The chemistry prize went to a Japanese for his study of a bronze statue that fails to attract pigeons. the Physics prize went to a group of Austrailian about their study for the effort consumption to pull a sheep over a different land surface(crazy)! for economic prize went to a guy in Liechtenstein for one can rent the whole country for conference and party. A big leap forward prize went to a group in Sweden for the find out why Chicken like beautiful people. it was amazing!!! and the biology prize is incredible too, for a Dutch guy detested the homosexual exist in the green-head duck....hhaaaa......!!!! another interesting thing this week was the north Korea made clear the 3rd times to the world that they had nuclear weapon or able to produce it. but the American still said they had no proof of it. while in Iraq they said many times they they didn't had any but the US insisted they had. strange!!! learn another word today, "lumbar degeneration". my back still hurting me so I went to took an X-ray see what was wrong there. and the result was lumbar degeneration. Dr Li said to me "it was quite normal with people over 40 to has this symptom, but for you...gotto take care in your young age", I only look at him and heh.......smile, cause I just realise he never ask my age before. haaa.....
nothing
9 Oct 2003
the golden week pass like any other normal day. not much happening here, if not what the tv said in other part of China there are million of people visiting this place and that place...train station are loaded of people(dosen't it everyday???)....how the number of travelers grew higher than the same time last year.... how joyful is the country... how prosperity of the country are....here....beside that shabby book sale, you won't feel any joy of what they had said on tv! but the weather was good though! for the last week...we had sunny warm weather, bit hazy at day time for visitor if they want to enjoy the amazing terrace view, but....I didn't see many tourist here either! watch the woman world cup on tv few day ago, and the Chinese girl lost. we used to had some great player there but...getting old now! the commentator from the programe make the atmosphere like in the funeral...please remember so and so play for the team 11 year...so and so 14 year....so.....memory of so and so.....why can't we lose??? can we??? Ju..s Christ! a game is a game...there is only one winner. if we are not good enough this time, get it next time! heard the chinese spaceship with man can launch this month by the 15th. dose it mean anything..???? I can only read that we are more than 30 years behind. still going on with my treatment for my shoulder and back. but...I think I might go home for better treatment if it dosen't get any better by the end of this month. not worth for the prolong delay I guess.
small town high tech
10 Oct 2003
there was something new in today market. of course as usual...the barber shop is the most popular place in town. seem like the local(from around villages)came to market for hair cut, of course again...to wash their hair with shampoo(guess they like the smell). but what caught my attention today was a new stand setup on the only main walking street in town. 2 guys, one small table with a computer connected with a web cam, a printer...ok...that was the setting. what are they selling? wait and see, that what I was doing. again...of course people gather around see what was what and a guy came forward to request. and I think he was belong to this gang as well. so...they were checking your body system see if you had any disease and sickness hidden inside your body. how??? ok...first they took your face image with that web cam, at the same time...see...your face came on the monitor. then one of the guy wrap a piece of bandage(which connected to the computer) around your wrist which pretended to taking your pulse. and the guy quickly punch a few key on the keyboard that set the screen into a picture of a lung and heart, flashing in the rhythm of the heart beat. see...your heart and lung is there...beating... I can see the eye of the villagers around there were open. then the guy will pointing at the supposed to be your organ object on the screen and tell you....yeah...you have problem here and big trouble there! of course...I didn't know what he was talking about, but I think I won't be too far off. then he will print a paper out...of course again...with the face of the serious sickness patient in it. transfer him to another supposed to be doctor on the other side of the small table, he then according to those unknown figure on the printed paper and told our patient what kind of medicine and treatment he need to be able to cure his sickness. of course....again...the better the medicine you buy, the better result! and you are lucky today since we are not selling this precious pill to anyone but....knowing you are in great pain(is he?) I will sell you some in a good price! the man dug in all his pockets and came up with less than Y20, and the DOCTOR finally said ok...said...we can meet here is kind of destiny, ok...I give you this precious pill in blood breeding price(20 yuans), and he took couple of yellow pills out from a bottle, wrap it with a piece of old newspaper. our patient thank him like he is Juses christ and left! I feel bad...I think I was a coward! I should have stop it and save the man 20 yuans. just don't know...!!!
mysterious door knocker
13 Oct 2003
there was a very gentle persisting knock on my door early in the morning two days ago. it did woke me up and when I open the door there was nobody there. again yesterday afternoon when I was in the toilet minding my own business and the mysterious knock came again. I hurried to the door unwillingly and find again...no one there! and this afternoon when I heard the tapping on my door and I went to open it right away, an Asian girl standing there with her mouth open kind of surprised said...you are Tam san? I'd been looking for you for 2 days!!! now...this mysterious had been solve , she is the anonymous...haa..haaa...! she said she was leaving tomorrow but want to stay here for 1 night. I told her that was no problem with me as long as she wouldn't mind the trouble to packed all her thing in the government hotel and walk all the way here just for one night!... she was happy though!!! that why I like to deal with Japanese travelers! when they are recommanded by friends or read it from their bible(japanese guidebook), they had to stay there no matter what. see...if I am really want going into hotel business, I would do my best to stick with the Japanese, they will never let you down, promise good business! the only problem is I need to learn Japanese since most of them don't speak much other language beside Japanese! so...she came back after 2 hours with her backpack, sign in and we had some small talk. 24 years old girl but look like 30 something, soon find out why after she told me she is working for a young people magazine as a editor, a small publisher with only 3 people, that she need to work long hour and frequency over-night work. the lines around her eyes told the story! we had some more conversation over dinner, asked her how she was doing the last 2 days for meal, said she was into instant noodle the first night and skipped dinner last night. see...when I did order specially *tampula* for her she almost joyfully in tear! but the dish for the night was spare rib with radish soup, Xiao Yu learn it from me, for soup...you need to cook it for at least 4 or 5 hours. and we were by chance got it for dinner, since Xiao Yu only prepare soup once in a while unless someone order beforehand. in HongKong if I order spare rib with radish soup in the restaurant, then I will order clay pot rice as well. why??? for clay pot rice, the best part is those dried burned rice which stick on the inner surface of the pot. in the classy restaurant in HK. once you had finish the soft-part of rice in the clay pot, the waiter/waitress will come right away to your table, he/she will put certain amount of soup(which kept warm by small stove on the table all the time) into the clay pot, and then work with the dried rice in the pot, the layer will come off the surface of the pot, and then will server to the diner on the table each with a small bowl. normally I will down it in one quick swallow and ask for another bowl before someone did..... haaa.... here in YuanYang....I miss the clay pot rice!!!! Meki is her name, she told me she wrote article about fashsion and food, I then look at her with my mouth half open, said was she wrote about recipit like...2 pieces of apples, 2 spoon of sugar, 20 gr of yougart....thing like that while pointing at her thin body. in HK, people write about food normally have round stomach at least look like mine while pointing at my belly! but...look at how she ate with the food I'd order, think it wouldn't take long....
chinese traveler
14 Oct 2003
weather change in just a split second. it was pouring last night and was whitening with fog all day, in fact...very heavy! that was why the market today wasn't very busy, luckily the rain has stop and it made thing easier for the local. temperature has drop and I need to dug out some heavy jacket from the box under my bed. met Meki in the restuarant by noon and treat her her last meal in Yunnan, of course...order my favorist...sweet and sour pork, and plate of Holland green bean, and a plate of wild vegi as salad. again...she ate vigorous and clear up everything even she had told me she wasn't very hungry before I order the foods. she went after to do her last minute shopping in the market before her 3 o'clock bus and I went back to play with my computer. by 7 o'clock Xiao Yu call said there is someone from BeiJing want to stay in my place, and a message flash accross my head said *You Need Money To Buy Plane Back Home*, I automatically said *OK* into the phone then I heard the click on the other side. and suddenly I remember I hadn't clean up and remade the bed yet after Meki had gone, shit...! so...I hurry to sweep and clean the room, made the bed in the recorded time...less than 3 minutes! right before someone knock on my door. another woman standing there when I open the door. said how she find my name in internet and how she wish she can stay in my place, I was laughting inside...why people want to stay in this shit-hole and willing to pay...ha..ha..ha...!!!! said she want to see the terraces but look at the weather...!!! anyways...she had arranged with a minibus driver to pick her up tomorrow morning for the sun rise(if there will be rising sun???!!!). I didn't bother to ask her sign in since she will probably won the most short time in-house guest in BPR history, mostly people will count by day, but she.... count by hour!!! from now until tomorrow 5 thirty is less than 10 hrs! so.. the award for the winner was gave her a map for the area...free...!!! told her the important imformation in 15 minutes because it will be my dinner time soon(she had had dinner in XiaoYu place already, remember...she call me from there!) but it was cut short by all her telephone calls all the time. that was one of the thing I didn't like about the Chinese traveler. I remember once I had 6 Chinese stay here by Chinese new year, on the new year eve by midnight, 6 of their phones rang, I mean non stop, one after one. not much conversation in between, mostly are...hello...wher are you...hee or haaa...ok...thank you...byebye...! I always wonder why they want to carry a phone when on holiday. ain't they had enough talk on the phone each day? so..I don't care... show her what my house was like in lightening speed, where is shower...where for hot water..so and so...and off I went for my meal. by the time I got back she already in bed. and I just realised I didn't even know her name. just another unimportant soul passing through one life I guess!
first manned rocket
15 Oct 2003
woke up this morning and she had gone, left behind 8 ciggarette butts in the ashtray, an empty coke can and 3 yuans! she must be lucky since the sky kind of clear up today, at least she might able to see some terraces. today is a big day for the Chinese government, the rocket air-borne with our first spaceman. 9am sharp and it was a success event. we should be happy about it, but not with this kind of zeal. there was nothing on the tv today but the report of the space mission. repeat and repeat. no other news from the world outside, ehh yeah....there are congratulation statement from other countries if these count as world news. anyways...our astronaut(Taikonaut) YangLiWei, I wish him good luck and come back down safety tomorrow morning.
news
16 Oct 2003
yes...our *Taikonaut* came down safety this morning, landing somewhere in the mongolia grassland. the news said because of inexperience, so Yang was off target for some 50km away from the landing mark. reporter quote he said the food was good up there..oh sorry..I mean he said the space food was great! that was news for the day, I mean for the whole day, non stop...I didn't have the heart to watch it all, if I did, guess I will know all about his childhood, or even how many pimple he had...haa....haa...! he was into history already even tomorrow hasn't start yet! so...no news and I go for some minor, said there was a small pet dog bite an 78 years old woman down somewhere in GuangDong this August. the woman died 1.5 months later and confirmed the cause was rabies. so the township declare that the whole area had to be sterile... mean...no more dog within 1 week according to the law. said the slaughter will be finish by tomorrow and one wouldn't hear dog barking anymore, great! kill ..kill...kill...if people did pay more attention or responsibilty of their dog.or give vaccination for their dogs. report said none of the dog in that village had vaccination. sorry guys! another news is from Kunming, an ad stick on a lamp pole somewhere downtown in Kunming said "we rent out womb for making baby" and of course...with a contact number. so...the reporter said how he pretend to be a client for 3 days and got the insight, said the contact ask for 10000 yuans if the baby had been conceived, 3000yuans if fail(dose it mean have sex for Y3000????) and said the woman was clean because she is farmer(why?)....bababa...and to be continue tomorrow! the report ended like this. don't know how to commented on this but I hate this reporter, it made me wonder how truth is the story if he present it like the entertaining news. but looking back into the story itself. one can still see how the chinese traditional mind for having the next generation is the still the main issue in a family. it is a crime if you have no child. and here is news from YuanYang's Reuters(XiaoYu). said there was a burglary happened in the government hotel. 2 guys climbed into the room from the window and stole 20 something thousand yuan from some Taiwanese tourists. and was caught few hours later. the story goes as... 2 Shanghaiese came to Kunming on the same flight with those Taiwanese from Shanghai, follow them all the way to YY, and got the room next door to those Taiwanese. so...when the polices ask them was there any suspicious people they had seen the last few days, and they remember those 2 man next door. so...when the police broke into the room and amazingly find the 2 guys counting money in bed, said some money had been hiding in the water tank for flushing inside the bathroom according to our Reuters. that was why I saw a long line of limousines came into town, and find out... again...according to Reuters...is the prefecture's tv came to tape the whole incident with the 2 convict, you get the picture, right? the re-play...the posing...to show how clever our people's police was! small town big news, I can almost see the title of the news. People's Police Save Our Taiwanese Brothers In World Wonder YuanYang, The Land Of Hani Terrace! no wonder there are so many cars and mayor, chairman, chief....but I heard they did more sight seeing than other thing! still wait to see how the news look like when it come out. will see!
squatting toilet
17 Oct 2003
it never cross my mind until I read it in an India forum yesterday. someone(westerner) ask about how one can use a squatting toilet. then I realise yeah....it probably exist only in this part of the world. for me...it was so natural. I use squat toilet since the day I can manage to go to toilet by myself. but perhaps...the next generation in HK will ask the same question since everyhouse has a seat toilet. anyways....here is one of the answer :*Try this in your bathtub a few times before leaving... Place feet on the "footprints." Pull up the legs of the salwar 'til they can't go any higher (somewhere mid-calf). Gather up the material at the top, including your undies and hold (right hand) together at mid-thigh, then squat. Feet flat. Squat all the way down... Do your business... Grab watering can with right hand and pour water into the left hand, which should be in an appropriate location to wash yourself clean. Females should always wash "the front part" first, so's not to carry fecal matter in a position to give you a urinary tract infection...Stand... Walk off the footprints. Re-tie the drawstring, push salwar legs down, rearrange kameez. Walk out of the restroom.* very detail indeed! haaa.....haaaaaa!!! finally the spaceman thing had die down a little, at least I can hear some other news around the world on tv. but I did change my opinion a little, guess they are deserve to celebrate. a developing country like us can achieve something like this. left a lot of developed country far behind. and our man, Yang, a stamp with his photo will soon on sale in China. Hk already invited him to come for visit, guess he will be busy from now on for a round country show! still wonder if we handle this whole rocket thing in a low profile. yeah...celebrate, but in a simple but grand way. I think the out come will be more interesting. that the way I will handle if I were the LEADER.
wrong timing earthquake
19 Oct 2003
there was an earthquake 3 days ago. oh...not here!!! somewhere east from Dali in the north. it was the 2nd times in 3 months in DaYao area. the reporter said the people was watching tv(what else would the Chinese do at home???) when the earthquake happened. but...dosen't it really matter what the people was doing by that time? will it change anything if they all are reading? useless statement! also the reporter said it was lucky because most of the people are still live in tent which was set up from the last quake 3 months ago. so...there wasn't many injuries. so far only 3 people died! see...if not again another earthquake, we wouldn't know many people are still live in the tent. cause all we heard last time was everything was under control and people was being taking care of. we are lucky to born in the city or better country. pray not born as a minority and in a mountain area next time. because no one will care about you, your life mean nothing there. also the earthquake in DaYao seem not came on the right time. the last time it was when the Real madrid football team came to Kunming, all media put all their attention on football. and this time was the Chinese rocket thing. people want to had joy...happiness! you won't find many coverage from the news. and perhaps they just cover up the number of death at the moment, see...only 3 days ago, and today there are not much news about it now. that's China. just wrong timing, perhaps a week later there will be someone remember...yeah...there seem to be an earthquake somewhere in Yunnan a week ago....
internet
22 Oct 2003
hotmail...suck,suck,suckkkkkk....!!!! first there was so many junk mail everyday, not only just junk and rubbish. but how come they know about my deepest secret(haha)...since there was so many mails from some JANE, MARY, STAPHINE, KAREN, BA......ask me if I wanted to enlarge my pxxxs. haaa....haaa...why don't they ask me if I want to enlarge my wallet!!!! and now....more than a week no one in China seem to able to log into the hotmail. I gave up, get myself an yahoo address. so...from now on my friends. write me to yahoo, I said yahooooo!!!! same name, but add 2004 after the name, and of course, change mail mail into yahoo dot com. so...it will be like xxxxxx2004@yahoo.com. no more bloody hotmail. sure...I will keep that one but mostly use my yahoo from now on.
final count down
24 Oct 2003
so...everything seem fall into its place now. sold most of my thing...in blood bleeding price indeed!!!!! my computer of course, my digital camer and my digital camcorder. gave out all the clothes I don't need , most of my books, and whatever I couldn't handle into my backpack. people(mean friend) can come and pick and go! 3 more days to go and I will be gone...hooo..hoooo....no more yuanyang. and the weather add up everything. depressing climax, foggy and rain and cold. made you want to leave fast! now I need to depended on the public internet places in town. I hate to go there. so noisy and smoky. you couldn't stay long and be concentrated on writing anything. beside...the price gone up...2 yuans /hr! what a ripped off! it used to be only 1 yuan. and nothing had change or improof. and all the keybroad are worn off, with all the letters pale which I couldn't see most of the sign on the keybroad. big problem for me since I need to know where is a or w or k or v or h. now I need to go to the next machine or the one behind to find out where the key is located. because some keybroad might still can see the letter and some cannot. see...a lot of work just to write a letter!
farewell
27 Oct 2003
seem like a perfect ending. I remember the first day I arrive in YY 4 years ago, the weather was the same like this morning. foggy, rain and cold. seem like I was arrive yeaterday and left this morning...cool! perhaps its doesn't want me to remember all those changing in YY. some good changes and some bad changes. the worst are most people in town become more money oreintating, I wish it won't get into the villages. I left quietly as I did when I arrived some years ago. because I can't stand the sentimantle moment, I hate the moment when saying goodbye. so...I better just leave or make a quick goodbye. I didn't tell doctor Li, or the Yao woman in the shop who arranged my visited to her village last year. not a word to the guy who cut my hair for the last 4 years...no...no to anyone. I know it wasn't quite right but...that the way I was/am! I didn't ask Pang(my friend) announce it whenever he meet them in town later. arrive in Kunming before evening. might stop for a day or 2 before I fly to GuangZhou.
peaceful
30 Oct 2003
what an extraordinary few days...! I didn't mean I had seen any great or interesting site or whatever. I mean the peaceful, the easy feeling. I could remember what I would reacted on the same situation the last few times when I was in Kunming. I spend the 2 days walk around town, touring by local bus, ate ice-cream, drink coffee...! first I miss the bus at the station by few seconds. normally I will get angry and stamp my feet until there was a big hole on the ground(kind of!!!!!!!!), imaginery stream smoke out from my head, face all red!!!!!!!! but now...I just smile and and stood there quietly and wait for the next bus. checking on the map and bus directory on the wall, I mean slowly and in detail. bus came and I got in peacefully. of course...I wait for a bus with many empty seats, find myself a comfortable clean seat by the window( I mean a window which can open as all the seat had a window). it was on the Peking Road I was traveling on, traffic jam of course! you know...as it always happened...the cars in front start 3 second slower and the green light flashing rapidly and turn into red through the front window about the head of the bus driver, just right before our bus get to the crossing. and we need to stop and wait for another 90 seconds! in real time(I mean I felt like in unreal time...haa..haaa..!!!!) I will bang on the window or jump up from my seat, all sort of strange language spell out in all form, hand in fist, yeah...face all red...of course! but this time...I was amuse by this, because it was exactly as what I expect the out come was. I praise myself for my accurate calculation of timing. and I could spend more time to see the outside world(the world outside our bus), how the woman manage to dial her hand phone while control the wheel and had to struggle with the safty belt while the car behind horning to press to roll on! how the man crossing the junction riding on his bicycle while concentrated on talking to his mobil and not looking on the traffic around, I mean...not a sight on the road, he just roll by in a easy way, as if he was on a private road by himself. I spend few hours one afternoon on the fifth floor of XinHau bookshop, the discount section, just to go through what they had there. I went there many times before, but always with no patient. but this time I looking through all the title. and finally I brought couple of books about India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. big surprise as I didn't expect I would find anything. but...as long as you really go digging, or...you need to be in that kind of mood or peace of mind. it always made thing different when you are in no hurry. thing will turn out somewhat surprisingly! the weather in Kunming was ok the last few days. I like it as long as there is no rain. will fly out to GuangZhou this afternoon. one more step further away from my belove YuanYang.
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