Yuanyang's story

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23/1/06

Misty and cold. our tourist information counter is out for service today, the 23rd of January, 2006! I was excite about it but on the other hand... Uunnggg... Worry! Because no one there for the work as receptionist, yes... Except me! Jacky out on holiday to see his girlfriend in Xian, and I can't refused him for taking leave. Ok then, 8:30, show time. We setup the counter table outside our office on the 4th floor, some sign has been put up on ground level, but everyone in the office complained it wasn't very clear in a sense that people wouldn't understand what it was mean with just a single "i" word. I won't listen to any of this as it was an international sign, but...sign for what??? Good question Tam! Anyway... The day was cold and there wasn't really many tourist today that I had seen, Chinese people walk by with curious and suspicious look just staring at the table, and walk on. Suzuki walk by and say hi, yes... That was all, he is really a strange guy, hey... It was a big day for us, our first solid thing that has come out from this project after 8 months, at least you should say something more! I need encouraging, not this not and that not from "you know what"! There was no one in town need our service today, and finally Ludwig posted a note on the message broad(of course... My idea)to ask traveler to join his(or our)trip by new year time. Suddenly the lobby seem fill up,...with just a single piece of paper, it was not the same anymore, you could feel life exist, look at the piece of paper and you know someone was there. Seem like more Chinese tourists check into the hotel in the evening, will see is there any one come forward for our service tomorrow.

25/1/06

For 2 unbearable and frustrating days, not much happening around our information counter, but yes... A woman came forward "where is the toilet? "she asked, not even with a PLEASE word! Another woman(why always is woman?)came and ask us to open her door as she had left her key inside the room! And anothe woman... Haaaaa... Came forward"do you rented car to watch sunrise? "she asked. I told her no and told her left a message on our message broad, perhaps others might saw it and she could team up with other traveler and she did posted a note. Still I gave her more info if she get no luck for renting a car, then she can go to NuiJiaoZhai for market tommorow as it should be very busy on the last market day before new year. She seem satisfied but said"what about now? What can I do in this hour? "I show her in the map where she can walk out to see sunset, and she speed off happily. And we(a local volunteer helper)are happy too for at least we got our first(sort of) customer. We discussed about what'd went wrong, why no one came forward? really no one need information to tour this area? "Think we need more signs"someone suggested. "4th floor wasn't an ideal location"another said. Alright... Points taking. will put more sign later, but we gotto put up with the 4th floor location until we can afford to pay for our own shop front!



14/2/06

A friend told me today when he was on his way to PanZheHua, their car had been stop by road-blocked, well...nothing unusual, and he said the driver was being asked to paid money. Well again...it is China, that is what policeman were. But...he told me it wasn't police or anything near, it was the villagers, people from Ah Daung Zhai. Then...what is the reason I asked, he told me today is the JiLong in the village, and the villagers suddenly want to be more hospitality so they block the highway, stopped any car, asked for money, oh yeah...they gave you 2 color eggs for returned. I felt sick after I heard about this. What happened to the people here, they are really trying their very best to squeezed money from tourists(and local too). Transportation fee rocket high during the new year period, and seem like they had no intention to lower it down in the near future. And another story I heard today from Chen, the owner of the Chen's guesthouse, he told me the LongShuBa's villager planning to repaved the road from town to their village, as it will allow more people going there by car easiler, and of course...they will setup a gate for collect entance fee. What a brilliant idea! The second times I felt sick today! Money money money, all they want are entrance fee or enforced road-block for money, without ever think about improve services or quality of entertainments, but only sold out the nature, their culture and dignity. I'm pity them. And the worst is those pocket the money wasn't the poorest. And I hate them while giving my pity. What will become after few years here??? You might stop by road block 5 times(including by police,hey..they need money too,all crow are black...the same everywhere!) in 8km before you arrive PanZheHua in one fine February day, as there will be couple of villages having their JiLong on the same day along the highway. Hohoho...no shit... Believe it or not!

24/2/06

Went to DuoJiao for they said the women will begin their indigo dye today. They said from Lunar Jan till March is the only period for dyeing as the climate will be mild and sunny, also for weaving as well, as if too humid the cotton thread will be too sticky to weave, the weather was foggy this morning when I got there, but they still gave me a demonstration for the whole dyeing processes, it was separated into 4 parts, 1st they used the indigo plant boiled with lime, after 5 days there will be condensate and that was the dye. And the cotton cloths will be dipped in the liquid, soaked up with the color, then hangout for sun dry, this process will be go on again and again until the owner is satisfy with the color, then the 2nd part is deepened the color, which use the liquid of boiled tree leaves. the 3rd part is to make the cloth tougher and with elasticity, where they use the liquid of boiled buffalo skin. The last part is shining the cloth by beating it with wooden rod, in less than an hour the cotton cloth will be shining and soft and ready to made into garment. I had saw all the above 4 procedures many times before, but...in separated occasion, and I didn't really know the reason for all these, but after today...I knew how this thing work now! Yamamoto San show up this afternoon by surprise, I knew he was in Yunnan but didn't expected he will be here that soon. He told me he was arrived in China by boat from Thailand, a 3 days trip for about 500 yuans and including almost everything. The port town call KwanLie, right at the junction of Lao and Burma. He said there are 2 boats everyday and the fare from China back to ChingRai is cheaper, think I might do that trip one day. So...Yamamoto will be here for week...just relax, what a life to have after retirement. Now will be expecting Patricia in a few days, then Eddie and Joleen will be here on the 1st of March. Just like back to the old day when I had my guesthouse. fun!

8/3/06

Woman day today, and we had a day off, but...actually only the women got day off, and we men need to applied for holiday to be able to go on to their pinic. I really don't want to join in as they planned to make fire and cooked in the mountain area. But...seem like it was really a local activity as I saw people are everywhere in the nature. Yes, we did BBQ, we cooked rice..., at least we clear up most of our left-behind, carried it back? What for! It might just end up on the hillside near FeiXiangCun. So...we dug a hole and buried it all. I know, its won't work this way either, but...what can we do? We saw rubbish everywhere as we walk out from the forest area. Families and their kids laughing and playing around, just not that harmony with the garbage around. They don't care and who care anyway. I told myself I will never join this kind of outing anymore!

10/3/06

Dead, my YuanYang had been murdered! Or was it raped? Oh no... It wasn't. YuanYang kind of like it, it should be like having sex or making love with mass tourism, not raped... Sorry! But YuanYang didn't know its partners were aids carrier, it will kill her sooner or later. Or its future born with disease, hope it will not turn into a demon! I had warned her but damnit...I forgot to gave her a condom! It was my fault I guess! Anyways...YuanYang began to show it sign of disease, a broken wound here and there, seem like it will got infected everywhere. Dead... The YuanYang inside my memory had gone, and think it was time for me to break off as she had find another lover.



21/3/07

Probably the last JiLong(long table festival)in the area for this year. I went to JinZhuZhai this afternoon and Zoe came along, of course...I didn't asked her as I need to walk fast and hurry to be able to get there in time to see most of the action. It was already quater past 5, and still Zoe insisted, ok...! We wheeled our feet out of town and soon she was far left behind...eating dust! But I need to wait for her as she didn't know the way, Zoe started to run somehow to catching up. Soon we heard the Hani chanting(from recorder)as we approached JinZhuZhai. Men and old people had already gathering in the headman house, we were late and most of the ceremony had been done alreay. most kids had their best dresses on and each family began to set up table in front of their house, here they didn't line it up like a long banquet, but they did a small one yesterday underneath their holy tree. Suddenly I saw Suzuki with the headman in his house, and they saw me too, now...there was no way I could ran away, the headmen invited us in and set us around a square table which was full of foods, alcohol then began to poured, no excuse! Drink...and drink, but then I noticed they wasn't that aggressive about we stay and drink or not, so we took the chance to went outside to see what the other villagers were doing as there was huge noise coming in from outside. We took our leave but Suzuki stay on... I wasn't surprised! Outside there was group of people sitting around a blanket of foods, they were play a kind of drinking game, a chicken head was inside a bowl which covered with a saucer, it started with the first guy shaking the covered bowl(in whatever way he like), put it back on the banquet floor, open up and see which direction the chicken's head pointed, and the one who stand on that direction will need to drank a glass of wine. And all the kids around would screamed and shouted "Soung! "right next to his ear, what a noise! Then the guy will carried on to rolled the chicken's dice and see who will be the next. Then the headman came and put his hand on my shoulder, said I should try and lead me to a position that he insisted for me, I knew...and he knew I understood. Why not then, and as predicted the next chicken head was pointing on me!... "soung"... It was my turn while my head was still spinning by the kid's screaming and of course...the alcohol, a few shaked and I open it, what a surprised...it was still pointing at me! More stars and sparkling above my head, luckly the chicken head was showing interest in another guy afterward, and I took the chance by acting drunk, slipping out the village in no time. Actually I would had stay on if Zoe wasn't around, because she said she didn't know the way back to yy. So...I gonna took her back in town, enough anyway!

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