survived&arrived

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January 12, 2014. Toronto has declared an extreme weather alert warning ... the temperature will go down to -17 and then -25 with the wind chill factor and I am here, not in Harbin, NE China, with millions of others enjoying the Winter Ice Festivsal.

Jan. 9, arrived 14:20 by direct flight, Beijing to Toronto, after 13hrs and three to four video movies, on Hainian Air. Waited till 17:00 to be picked up because of traffic difficulties. Great relief to be on familiar ground and able to speak with and help others with confidence speaking fluently in English. Am trying conscientiously not to inflict verbal diahrrea on anyone in my immmediate space.

It has taken my body and mind two and a half days to realize and wakeup knowing that I am back and that there will be no language barriers set in my path, during the flow of the day. Have had my feet pampered. It took over an hour to return them to soft and lovely from gross and caloused. Have endulged with a level seven stylist for a flattering haircut. Now I just have to get rid of the cough so I can take off the mask!

Having come home with just the clothes on my back, my friend helped me out with some clothes. One most appropriate long sleeved T-shirt has written on the back - I SURVIVED - and I did ... survived 27days in group travel, nine days in absolute linguistic agony, nine days with a great Tibetan Guide, two days on a train crossing the breathe of China and thirteen days of independent wandering. Survived brown and red sauces on dishes I will never eat again ... nothing in those colours anyway! Ate enough noodles to wrap twice around the world. Ate clumpy rice and wilted cabbage. Drank butter tea and hot water. Sat in impossibly grimy and pristine restaurants.

And thanks to Ducarel and a stomach of steel have returned once again without suffering the discomfort of intestinal volcanoes.

No pics here, just the promise of stories told from back to front revealing the full drama of this China Challenge!

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Comments

[sarah]

voyeurism
Thanks for sharing. Through your blogging and photos, I could laugh at some of the situations and empathise with you in others, get a taste of all these places and experiences without leaving home. Its great.