lihaugodden

We arrived in Lijiang much after dark, and the air was cold, but also crisp and clear. Finally, after 3 months in the smog and city lights, we could see stars. It seemed gorgeous. We checked into our hotels, which were small compounds in the ancient city of Lijiang. Our rooms surrounded a courtyard, and they were fully equipped with squatty potties, but were missing heat. It was freezing in our room, especially at night, but we had heating blankets, which were lifesavers. During the first day in Lijiang, we attended a lecture on Dongba culture, which is a culture that stems from the Naxi ethnic minority. They have their own language, with a "writing" system (it is more like pictographs), and they also practice their own religion. We also watched a documentary on the Tea ... read more

We arrived in Chengdu late at night, but we were starving. So after checking into our hotel, Monica, Jakey and I went out to find some food. Right around the corner from our hotel, we found a row of small restaurants that had small makeshift tables out front and 服务员 (waiters/waitresses) at the doorways insisting that we choose their restaurant. We picked one at random, and sat down to eat. In the front window of the store, there was a wide selection of delicious eats: Pig noses, chicken feet.... even rat heads (or so we thought). After our meal was over, we were sitting waiting for our bill, and we spotted a rat scurrying down the glass of the store window. He paused as he saw the animal parts, then sprinted back up towards the ceiling, ... read more

Two weekends ago, we went on a program organized trip to the 798 Art District-- an old abandoned factory that was turned into the main place for modern chinese artist to display their work. It was an amazing trip. I am a huge fan of art galleries in general, and modern art is probably my favorite. It was so nice to see some freedom of expression. So many things that I see in China are constantly conforming: Conforming to what tourists want, to what Chinese art is supposed to look like, to dragons and porcelain, to America. It was nice to see something real. It is such a cool place, so many artists in one place and you get random explosions of emotion everywhere; even the benches are statements. There are little shops everywhere where you ... read more

When I first got to China, the first thing that I put in my mouth was a large sip of soy milk. After that, I thought to myself: I am going to hate china. It wasn't that it was THAT bad, but it was weird and rather unpleasant. I didn't finish it and my outlook was then abysmal as to the food situation in China. But I would soon change my mind, maybe not completely, but somewhat, and China's food has definitely grown on me. Some of my favorites or the most interesting things are... *mantou（馒头）: This is a roll that tastes somewhat like manapua bread; fluffy, and soft. There isn't much taste, but it complements strong chinese flavors well, and is really good grilled with seasoning and placed on sticks like kabobs （串） *chuar（串 儿）：This ... read more

Shopping in China is nothing like i've ever experienced. I enjoy shopping at home, browsing, but in China there is much more to it. This doesn't hold true in all places, but it seems that most shopping districts or stores or street vendors require (at least if you don't want to get majorly ripped off) bargaining. First of all, there are street vendors who sell everything from socks, to fruit, to tofu and steamed cakes, to wall art and tattoos. The vendors keep all of their merchandise in bicycle carts or car trunks or on large sheets. They pedal their merchandise, offering you lower and lower prices as you walk past. Then, all of a sudden the carts start biking away, trunks close, and sheets are pulled up in bundles as the vendors run down into ... read more