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A new friend
Making lemonade out of lemons! By: R. Draeger Jr.
Newsletter 26
The Return Trip to Yinchuan OR
My name is Yuan Hao Yun
Part 2
The last time that we met I had just arrived in the town of Chuzhou in the Anhui Province. The time was about 3 in the morning and I now had to talk my way into the community that my adopted family lived in. Eventually I was able to go to their home and when my adopted ba ba answered the door he asked, “Yuan Hao Yun?” to which I answered, Dui (Dwee) or yes.
Do you think that the name Yuan Hao Yun, given to me by my adopted Chinese family, is fitting? Perhaps they should have waited until after the adventure. Then they could have given me a more fitting name like, “Poor Sucker”. Perhaps Fate had a good reason for giving me this Chinese name.
For a bit of background, “Luck” had run out on me while I was in Shanghai. All I had was a little bit of faith which has been said to move mountains. My return trip to Yinchuan involved a return trip to Chuzhou. Officially, this trip was to better my circumstances on the train trip back to Yinchuan. Unofficially, this journey was to visit my adopted family. Hey, it may be another 28 years before I see them again.
My adopted brother was kind enough to lend me the funds to get back to Yinchuan. I agreed not to pick on him and to even pay him back. In Yuan, not trouble. Hey, he is my little brother; get your own to pick on.
Well, I enjoyed my extended trip back to Chuzhou, although the people were a little bit busier. The highlight of this trip was waving to people who were looking at me as I rode the bus. I was able to get a hard seat back to Yinchuan, which at this point was better than standing. The blessings of this trip included being able to rest and sleep which are both hard to do when standing unless one is a horse.
The challenge of this trip was that this individual of German ancestry was going to be riding on a train made for Chinese individuals. As we were packed into the train like sardines I found it slightly difficult to stretch out my legs. During the times when the train was not so crowded I was able to get up and walk around.
While the trip was long and seemingly never ending, a couple of individuals made it worthwhile. Because my MP3 player is only good for 13 some hours, sleeping, looking out the window and reading “Crime and Punishment” were the only means I had to entertain myself.
The first two individuals that I communicated with, or tried to, fed me lunch. I understood them when they told me to eat and drink. Because I only had apples and a few oranges, I was grateful for them feeding me. I am grateful that such kindness exists here in China. They were not on the train for very long and then I was back to entertaining myself.
The hours dragged on forever and ever. When I looked at my watch and thought that an hour had passed I was told that only 10 minutes had passed. Physically, it was hard to sleep because of the noise and the lack of space. During this 27 hour trip my knees began to tell me that being bent for long periods of time was not my strength. Remember, my name is Yuan Hao Yun, and at least I was sitting. Fate only knows what life would have been like had I stood all the way to Yinchuan.
During the last leg of my trip I met a young man by the name of Jack. His English was quite good and I enjoyed talking with him. After a while we played a game of “Uno” with the people around us. I learned the colors in Chinese. Red was “Hong”, blue was “lan”, green was “lu” and yellow was “huang”. Thanks to Jack and the few Chinese individuals around me, I can now play Uno in their language.
The last individual, however, made this journey worthwhile. Her name was Cindy and she lived in Yinchuan. When Jack and his friends had either gotten off the train or went to their seats to sleep, Cindy kept me company. She was a recent college graduate and she studied English. She was both cute and smart. In China a man does not call a woman who he just met “Beautiful”.
It blew my mind that this young lady was sitting next to and talking to me and that we are still friends.
In China when a couple are in the Boy Friend (Nan Pang You) and Girl Friend (Nu pang you) stage, that means they will get married. Even though I will never have a Chinese girlfriend, I am grateful for having them as friends. Remember, my name is Yuan Hao Yun.
The time spent with her sped up my return trip to Yinchuan. Even after we got off the train and met one of her sisters (you’ll meet the rest latter), she helped me to the bus station. I paid my 19 Yuan and with four minutes to spare we exchanged phone numbers and email addresses. I would throw away all the luck in the world away if I could meet more friends like her. My heart was light as I got on the bus and headed for Dawukou, knowing that this new friend lived so close to me. Remember, my name is Yuan Hao Yun and this is the end of my Shanghai adventure.
Zaijian!
Next Adventure: Xian in 4 weeks!
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