We met over the Friday evening dumpling making session. lots of young students, both foreign and Chinese and me all rolling out dumpling dough. We rolled dough, filled them, pinched them together and finally boiled them for 15 minutes to kill all known germs and we have just eaten them. They were good. I met a few Brits who had just come in from Thailand. they were excited but were finding China difficult. they asked me if I had ever been to Thailand and I had to tell them I was working there 18 years go. bloody hell that did make me feel old!
So today has been yet another series of great adventures. The flight from Chengdu was easy . But yet again when I arrived at the terminal no one was there to pick me up. Luckily I had my Chinese phone for such emergencies. wrong terminal AGAIN. I think they all just presume I am flying into the international terminal, not the domestic.
The taxi ride in was interesting. 40 story high flats as far as your eye can see. It was an architectural phenomenon, but surprisingly not as grim as you would think because on ground level there are flowers, shrubs, nice walkways and even local artwork displays.
Then we went though the old walled gates and we had arrived in the ancient capital of Xi'an. it feels a bit like Jerusalem. A modern city with an ancient, protected, walled section.luckily I am right in the middle of the ancient part and my god is it atmospheric around here! Wonderful. So wonderful.
I wandered off with my map to the Muslim quarter. It was so atmospheric, like the Istanbul market area. Lots of Chinese Muslims, of course and it smelt different, like being in Turkey, or an Arabic country with all the kebabs and pittas breads. But the pitta bread is disgusting here. When I bought a Xi'an pitta I had to throw it away. I hated it. I thought the guy was trying to poison me but I have since found out that is what they taste like!
So I am right at the far end (or beginning) of the Silk Road The extreme end of the road which started in Istanbul. Over 2000 years of trade have linked these two cities. It's so amazing because I could taste and feel Istanbul in that Muslim quarter. Everywhere I looked was a photo opportunity. It is just such a bloody shame that I can't post my pictures. I'm really happy with the ones I have taken of food stalls, pagodas, shops, street life, dumpling making, eating duck wings. Oh well I will just have to share them once I'm home.
Today I have also been to the bell tower and the drum tower, massive structures made in the Ming dynasty. I think the Ming dynasty is the most revered time in Chinese history, a bit like our renaissance. I have also chatted to a mature art student who started studying painting at 35 in her free time. she was lovely and we had a good chat about how art is not revered in university now and how the ancient arts of calligraphy are also dying too as nobody writes anymore. She was saying that the majority of young people have terrible writing skills these days! Similar to the west I think. I bought two of her paintings and am looking forward to having them on my walls at home. I even took a photo of her with her paintings.
Today has been just such an overload of culture, every minute of the day I see something interesting. This evening I enjoyed watching the kites which were flying so, so high.. They were really beautiful. the only bad part of my day was the Xi'an pitta bread and this thing I bought on a stick. I didn't know what it was and I was just about going to dunk it in chilli when the guys said NO! I thought it was because they thought I wasn't strong enough for the chilli but actually it was because it was a desert dish. That sweet thing on a stick was foul too, chilli sauce might have made it better.
oh,I even went to a really atmospheric tea house today and had some Wolong for my throat. it was so lovely and really old. Ming or Tang Dynasty or something.... There was an ancient puppet theatre there too. So beautiful and it was properly OLD! Not fake old. The place was just full of Chinese tourists, not another westerner in sight.that is what I love about China, us westerners are insignificant. Their tourist market is big enough just on the home front. They make no allowances, they are not going to pander to westerners in anyway. We have to make all the adjustments, and to be honest, that is the way it should be. And as there is no tipping in Chinese culture ( and as most goods seem to be labelled on market stalls and in shops) it's not like they fawn around you trying to suck your cash. I find this really refreshing and it's keeping me calm. To be honest I am not finding being here stressful at all. I I feel like I am having a proper holiday even though I understand nothing of the language or signs around me! Strange.
Right must go to bed. Terracotta warriors day tomorrow . night
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