December Begins...

This is going to be short but effective - I got paid yesterday! Please let the trumpets roar, the bells ring, let people shout and cheer because December is going to be a busy one now that this girl is rich with baht! Today, we are heading off to Pattaya for the day. Now, if you think Bangkok is the sex capitol of the world (which it is, no doubt about that), you haven't been to Pattaya because apparently this beach town is the crown jewel of it all! Nesrine's brother-in-law has the grand opening of his new restaurant there tonight and yours truly is on the V.I.P. list!

Next weekend, I am headed off to Ko Samet - one of Thailand's many, many gorgeous islands then it will be lots of cheesy Christmas shows at school (complete with lots of singing Christmas carols!) and Christmas shopping, then 2 weeks off over Christmas where I will be headed to Chiang Mai in the north to go elephant trekking, Ko Samui in the south for more sun and finally back to Bangkok for New Year's!

I am following through on my promise - my life will get a lot more interesting! I will post lots of goodies from Pattaya and stuff later this week! Hope all is well with everyone, and enjoy the snow for me while I bathe in the sunny 80 degree weather here! A special shout-out to my Grandma - I am praying for you G'ma and love you very much!

Loy Krathong

What a week of craziness - beauty pageants, theatre performances, teaching, immigration runs, the works. Not to mention, my first Thai holiday, Loy Krathong! Held every November under the full moon, Loy Krathong is a beautiful tradition dating back to the Sukhothai period. Children, parents and people of all ages apologize to the water gods for treating the rivers, canals and lakes poorly while asking for good luck in the coming year. Literally meaning "float" (loy) and "lotus-shaped boat" (krathong), Thai people offer their forgiveness by floating lotus-shaped boats lighted with candles along waterways. Needless to say, it was one of the most beautiful, lovely sights!

Suzi, Lauren, Nesrine and I headed to the local temple where all the Saimai residents were out and about, krathongs in hand! Food stands selling everything from dumplings to good ol' meat on a stick lined the streets, loudspeakers had someone jabbering away in Thai (I have no idea what was said there!) and stands selling krathongs made from flowers, bread or anything biodegradable (the Thais are very conscious of global warming) makes this one of the happiest holidays in here.

I had to get myself my own krathong, which cost me nothing (only 20 baht = 60 cents) so I could apologize to the water gods myself, seeing as I am going to be a resident of here for another 4 months! A proper krathong has 4 parts - the boat, incense sticks, at least one candle and a coin (usually 1 or 5 baht - the water gods can clearly be bought with money). Here is me floating my krathong along the canal!

However, the best part about Loy Krathong is not the boats or the meat on a stick or even the fried bananas (which are delish - you must try!). The best part about Loy Krathong is the week's festivities leading up to the holiday, which at Sarasas Witaed Saimai School includes kindergarten beauty pageants, dance competitions (including a teacher skit featuring moi) and an all-school beauty pageant. Oh yes, let the good times roll!

The week started off like any other although Loy Krathong fever was in the air. Walking around school, I caught peeks of On (a Thai teacher who is fabulously gay) teaching kindergarteners how to walk in high heels about 10 sizes too big for them, young girls practicing their singing for another upcoming competition and girls trying on their beautiful Thai silk outfits for the pageant. (***Note: These Thai silk dresses and skirts are absolutely gorgeous!) I just knew I was going to like Loy Krathong.

Finally, Friday hit - the big day. Unfortunately, the school also decided Friday would a good day to ship me off to the Ministry of Labour (to pick up my work permit) then shuffle me over to Immigration, where I had to update my visa status. So, needless to say, I was a bit crushed because I missed most of the Loy Krathong activities. However, I arrived back at school just after lunchtime to catch the results of the all-school beauty pageant for grades 1-3! Yes! Dolled in their Thai silk, ornate headdresses and slathered with make-up, these girls looked like little dolls up onstage. Take a look for yourself!

Pimmada (the little girl who I hang out with on Wednesday nights) won 3rd runner-up, then Pichada (the girl who's mom picks us up to bring us to school every morning) won the entire thing, so my girls did me proud! They were so cute!

On Friday night, I also performed in a small teacher skit at a local university which was holding a dance competition for Loy Krathong. So, right smack dab in the middle of beautiful Thai dancing as well as more modern dancing (just like out of a U.S. dance recital), I performed a small skit about Loy Krathong in front of hundreds of people! The funny part is it was more of a advertisement for the school more than anything else, but I think I definitely got my big break. The scouts are calling me non-stop now - Hollywood here I come!

Okay, maybe not, but the good news is that even though I won't be starring in any major movies anytime soon, I get paid on Friday, and I got my 12 mile run out of the way this morning. So, things are looking up regardless. My life is going get a lot more interesting on the blog once I get paid, promise! Alright, well time to head out but I hope all is well back home and take care everyone. Happy Loy Krathong!

This and That

This post is deservedly called "This and That," because I have a great collection of tidbits from this past week! Again, the weeks seem to be flying right by me! The kiddies - although wildy rambunctious and raucous, not to mention the fact they love to hear the sound of their own voices way too much - make for some great stories.

However, first, me and my great spur of the moment ideas have decided to run a marathon. Yes, run 26.2 miles for no apparent reason other that to put my body under stress and pain like it has never before felt. The Khon Kaen Marathon (http://www.khonkaenmarathon.com/) is apparently "the greatest marathon of Thailand." So on January 27th, you can find me in northeastern Thailand running my little heart out! It's something I have wanted to do, so I figured, why not in Thailand? It makes for a much better story!

Another funny tidbit...this week the students of grade 1C had a spelling test on "Animals." Pet animals and farm animals to be exact. Well, #4 was the word horse. Little Supicha (seen here in possibly one of the cutest pictures ever) racked her brain for the spelling, and instead of h-o-r-s-e, came up with w-h-o-r-e-s. Yes, whores. But with a face like this, who really cares?

Another funny side note...I have slowly but surely been discovering all my student's "nicknames" or "English names" (refer to previous post for explanation). I am going to prove to you all how much the Thais (and myself included) love 7-11. I kid you not, there is one every 50 feet and am convinced the only reason 7-11 as a business is still afloat is because of Thailand. In addition to that, parents even name their children after the convenience store here! It is true, Attakan's (my little pelvic thruster) nickname is Seven.

Here is just a nice little shot I took from the top floor of the school - which looks out over a series of beautiful, green rice paddies to southwest. If you keep going this way, eventually you will run into the heart of downtown Bangkok!

Other shenanigans from the week? Well, this week in English we are working on "Clothes," and one of the vocabulary words is underwear. With each vocab word, I had the students point to someone with that article of clothing on. We got to underwear and to hopefully avoid a compromising scene, I said (with an air of firmness), "Now, don't show me your underwear!" Clearly, I should have known better because before I knew it, half the boys in my class were already prancing around the classroom, showing off their Superman and Batman underwear. I didn't know what to do, so I laughed and prayed nobody from administration would walk by at that moment. Which, thank the Lord, they didn't!

Other than that, it is the same ol', same ol' in the classroom - mass chaos, pelvic thrusting, lots of talking and me, hoping that at least one child in my class is learning something. Anything. Unfortunately, Lauren and I are still living on a budget, although last night I accidentally blew about half my week's budget at Big C - the Thai equivalent of Target. It's the things like Big C that make you feel right at home.

The plan for today is up in the air - probably going to the pool (free!) and getting myself a proper tan, since I am in 90 degree weather in the middle of November! This girl needs to start taking full advantage! We also need to pay our electric bill, which you can do at 7-11 (I tell you, you can do anything at 7-11 in this country!), and I have a big 11-mile run tomorrow to rest up for! Unfortunately, nothing super exciting for you all, but I will leave you with Pam and I - making the face that we always make toward one another. Enjoy!

Veggin' Out

I am going to have to apologize to you all beforehand - I have gotten pretty good at making this whole Thailand experience look like an adventure, which it has been, don't get me wrong people. But this weekend, well...I don't think any amount of exaggeration would be able to make it seem interesting, haha! It was one of those weekends which confirmed that no, I am not on a perpetual, 7-month vacation here, and yes, I do work and live here. Key words being work and live.

Friday night we headed to go to Central Ram Inthra - one of a million shopping malls in the Bangkok area - to see "The Playbook," (the new movie with The Rock) only to find that it was only in Thai - not English. Slight problem. Then, instead of shopping, I spent over an hour browsing Boots - the British pharmacy which has transplanted itself in Thailand!

Yesterday, I bummed around Saimai - went for a run, did laundry, hung out by the pool for a couple hours, went for a pedicure (you are never too poor for a 100 baht=3$ pedi!) then walked around Wongsakorn Market, which is the biggest market in Saimai. Here is a lovely shot of my main market's entrance!

The best part of the day was definitely our Thai feast! Us young, female teachers - Suzi, Joanne, Lauren and I - went to Suzi's house, ordered a plethora of dishes from the local restaurant and stuffed our faces with all the deliciousness, including my favorite - Som Tum Polaimai! It is fruit (guava, pineapple, pears, grapes) and vegetables (green beans, tomatos, carrots) in a slightly spicy sauce - the BEST! We also had suki and Som Tum (spicy papaya salad), along with other soups, noodles dishes, fried fish and of course, rice and khai dao (fried egg)! Oh man...now this is good Thai cooking!

After dinner - fully stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey - I was actually pretty tired. I think all this teaching, running around and flitting about from here to there caught up with me, because I slept for like 12 hours last night! Now, I am ready and rarin' to go - although, I think it might be another veg out day in Saimai. Oh well, we are probably going to need all the energy we can get for the kiddies this week. As for next weekend, Lauren and I are thinking Buddhist meditation retreat...going to see if I can make it happen!

Classroom Craziness

Oh…the first full week back teaching after break is coming to a close. Thank the Lord! I started off so patient with the children – lovingly guiding them to the correct answers on worksheets, giving them praise for coloring jobs well done and overall, boosting their self-esteem so they could feel good about their English skills. Then, I lost my patience. It is nowhere to be found at the moment. here are the little rascals actually behaving in the classroom, in somewhat of a rare moment.

My kiddies in grade 1C are still rambunctious, but the good news is that this semester, I lost two of my most out-of-control boys, so the class has quieted down a bit. And I mean, a bit. I also started teaching after-school, which is pretty much one hour from 3:30 – 4:30pm where you babysit the children until school is out. On Mondays and Tuesdays, I have six girls, and they are so much fun!

Pornpawee is my fave – she is short, chubby and just about the sweetest little girl in the world. In Thailand, children are given their Thai names by a Buddhist monk when they are born (in other words, Pornpawee’s parents are not to blame for their daughter’s name). Their parents give them a nickname or English name, which is used by family and friends. Well, I asked little Pornpawee what her nickname was and she said quite simply, “Pam.” Yes, her English name is Pam, and she is totally, 100% a Pam. Little Pammy is the one in the bottom right hand corner.

Also this week, I have had Attakan singing Maroon 5’s song, “This Love” all week on top of Pavin drawing suicidal people jumping from buildings into cars (We are in our environments unit, and he was asked to draw a city environment. That’s what he came up with). Today, I wore a white, flowy dress, and now all the girl’s in my class are coming up to me, rubbing my stomach and saying “Baby! Baby!” Yes, my students think I am pregnant. Great ego boost for me.

An even bigger ego-boost happened today at lunch. I was walking from the canteen to get lunch from the teacher’s lunchroom. The Thai gym teacher, Chanon, happens to teach gym between those two areas, and he was teaching grade 7 boys soccer. Well, as I was walking, the ball came towards me so I thought, “Hey! Let’s show these boys that the cool American teacher can play soccer too.” So, I went to kick the ball, completely slipped on my gold ballet flats, was hurtled into the air and landed smack dab on my right elbow. Not only did I flash 10 grade 7 boys in the process (remember the white, flowy dress?), but now I have an elbow the size of a tennis ball. No joke. Friday cannot come soon enough.

Now, I have one more class left before the end of the day, then after-school class, a little Internet and then off to the gym tonight, although no lifting with the injured elbow! Hope all is well back home! Sawatdee kah!

Moopin' Around

We are back, back again in Bangkok...but this time, with a visitor! Our dear friend Steve-O - who we acquainted ourselves with on the long, treacherous lurching bus ride through Laos - happened to swing by this crazy metropolis before he leaves back to England today, so we were able to reunite with our British mate! Since Steve had yet to properly see Bangkok, it was only natural that Lauren and I bring him to only the best sights. Clearly, our first stop was crazy Chatuchak Market!

Now...if you look closely at this picture (I guess you don't need to look close because it is pretty obvious) you will see a lovely mural of the King Rama IX plastered on the side of the building! One of my favorite things in Thailand is that a majority - and I definitely mean more than half - of the buildings here have ginormous King murals on multiple sides of their building. This one happens to be in Queen Sirikit Park, which is situated just outside the chaotic consumerism that is Chatuchak Weekend Market!

Another note...the King is currently in poor health - I mean, the man is going to be 80 years old this December for heaven's sake (which is a national holiday and a vacation day for moi!). Let's hope for a quick recovery because supposedly, this country is going to descend into widespread craziness if he passes away! You can also get jailed for saying anything bad about the royal family, so I am going to refrain from telling more. As much as I would love to spend seven years in Thai jail, I am going to keep quiet! King Rama IX is not only the world's longest reigning monarch (take that Queen Lizzie!), but he has done loads of community development work. One example, he is helping out poor hill tribes earn money by promoting local artisan crafts. What a King!

After navigating the maze that is Chatuchak Market (which, miracle of miracles, I did not buy one thing at yesterday!), we brought Steve to another Bangkok trademark - Siam Paragon! I think I have mentioned that Paragon is by far the nicest shopping mall I have ever been in - Gucci, Versace, Armani, Dolce and Gabbana - they have it all!

They also happen to have a most delish gourmet food market - which much to my delight, I discovered yesterday! With a large supermarket, bakeries, fruit stands, restaurants and stands selling local delicacies, it is a cross between Whole Foods and Kowalski's. Heaven, I'd say! Littered with free samples, the three of us spent hours browsing everything and got much of our dinner for free! Having a built-in radar for finding sickenly sweet sweets, I discovered the Thai dessert roti. Oh man...after turning the dough so it is literally paper thin, they fold it up into a circle, fry it on a large griddle with butter, then proceed to chop this flaky delight up into pieces, put it in a cute little Tupperware container and drizzle it with milk and sugar. I don't know what else to say but perfecto!

After finally leaving Siam Paragon following our 2-hour eating samples binge, we headed back out to Silom - where we continued the market extravaganza with the night markets! Bootlegged DVD's, designer clothes & purses, lamps, shoes, belts, clothes, food - you name it, they've knocked off the originals! This is a really fun area of the city to browse, not only because of the shopping (I am slowly learning that Asia is one big consumer society!), but because Silom is the area where people go out, party at night and all that jazz.

Which means...knowing Bangkok and the fact it's pretty much the sex capitol of the world, Silom is one of the centers of the sex show industry. Enter the moop. The moop is a new term - coined and hopefully, in the future, trademarked by Steve, Lauren and I - to signify the presence of what they like to call, a ladyboy. Wherever you walk, you are accosted by men offering you invitations to shows featuring scantily clad women - ping pong shows, banana shows, sex shows...I think you get the picture. However, you may find that many of these "women" are not in fact real "women," but instead, ladyboys or more properly speaking, transvestites. So, everytime we saw one, we'd say "Moop!" Now, there are different varying degrees of the moop - dependent upon the degree of the ladyboy - but all you need to know is that the moop looks something like this...

Overall, we clearly had quite a lovely day in Bangkok showing Steve around! Now, it is Sunday once again, and our agenda for today? Maybe a little pool (the rainy season is gone!), a little massage (there is always enough money in the budget for a massage), definitely a work-out, then relax before the school week starts all back over again tomorrow! So far so good at school, here's to another good week with the kiddies!

Happy Halloween

For the record, yes! The Thais do celebrate Halloween...in fact, I tried to go to the gym on Monday, and after spending the 50 baht I don't have on a taxi ride there, I arrived to find the gym shutdown in honor of a huge Halloween bash there, which even featured one of the trainers, Ice, as DJ Iceman. Oh yeah!

Today was the first day back to school after a wondrous three weeks in Laos and China. The little kiddies arrive tomorrow, and actually, I am a bit excited to get back in a routine - teaching, going to the gym, doing nothing but reading at night. After eating all those Laos French baguettes and Chinese baba, it's probably a good thing! Although, I did receive a nice surprise in the mail, full of Halloween candy, so naturally one has to indulge on Hallow's Eve. If you can't scarf your face full of 20 Rolos, a handful of York Peppermint Patties and a quarter of a Hershey's chocolate bar on Halloween, when can you really do it?

So, I am back to the craziness that is Saimai, getting ready for semester two to start tomorrow. I am already armed with bribing material - candy & stickers - for the children, which I will need as my whole schedule got changed around, which means the lessons I had planned for the week won't work, and I am going to be winging it! This should be interesting!

Hope you all have a shove-your-face-full-of-candy Happy Halloween!

Tiger Leapin' Gorge-ous!

Ladies and gentlemen, I just got back from the best two-day hike ever! Tiger Leaping Gorge was of course, gorge-ous! (Come on! You saw that one coming!) One of the largest gorges in the world at 16km long, it is tucked right under the monstrous peaks of Haba Shan (a.k.a. Haba Mountain) to the west and Yulong Xueshan (a.k.a. Jade Dragon Mountain) to the east. The scenery is perfection my friends, absolute perfection! Now, I know I have a tendency to gush about everywhere I've traveled (shocker, I know!), but this was honestly one of the most naturally beautiful places I have had the good fortune to see with my own two eyes.

Yesterday morning, I rose bright and early at 7am to get to Tiger Leaping Gorge as fast as I could! Courtesy of Mama, I devoured a delicious breakfast of a ginormous banana pancake (only 3 yuan = 40 cents!) then took the local bus to Qiaotao, where this magnificent gorge begins! I hiked the gorge solo (Lauren headed off to Beijing for a couple of days - yours truly has been looking forward to the gorge for weeks!), starting at about 1pm.

Now, I consider myself to be relatively in shape, but can I tell you, this gorge is a butt-kicker! You may be able to tell that fact by the oh so lovely photo of me profusely sweating and using what energy I had left to smile for it :) There is a tough section of the trek called 28 Bends - well, for the record, there are definitely more than 28 of them, and they are really bendy! The hike takes you on a 900 meter ascent through rocky trails, local villages and wildlife. I even saw a wild boar chilling out on the hillside and chomping away on grass!

The day before I left for the hike however, I met three young, physically fit men who, on the first day, hiked from the beginning of the gorge to the Halfway House (where you stay overnight) in 5 hours. Just for the record, I made in in 4 1/2 hours! Well, I would have made it in 4 1/2 if I hadn't had problems finding the trail twice. So, technically, I guess I made it in five too. Not going to lie, I fully enjoyed hiking solo on the trail - I went my own pace and really became one with nature. And, I only almost fell on my face like four times!

Later on the trail, I met up with a most delightful Australian couple - Greg & Emma - with whom I hiked the last 1 1/2 to the Halfway House. After hanging out alone most of the afternoon, I think I chatted their ears off because they were the first people I talked to all day! So, after the 4 1/2 hours, we stopped to stay overnight at the Halfway, which has the most amazing view of the the mountains and gorge! The hillsides were a deep, lush green up the mountainsides then the vegetation slowly ceased until the peaks turned white, their crevaces and peaks covered in snow! The morning sunrise wasn't so bad either!

After staying the night at Halfway and meeting a new cast of travel characters (including Richard, a native Oregoner who works at the NIH; Tim, an airline pilot from Chicago who flies for the U.S. military; Christian & Petra, a quiet couple from Dusseldorf, Germany and of course, Greg & Emma, who happen to be working and living in Ho Chi Minh City!), we headed out again at 8:30am. Today's hike was far shorter and only a descent...thank you Lord!

After 1 1/2 hours, we arrived at the end of the gorge, which is also known as the middle rapids. Here lies the infamous Tiger Leaping Stone! Legend has it, a tiger once leapt across the Yangtze River, giving the gorge its name! Well, of course this was a must see, so we hiked the 40 minutes straight down to the beautiful (and treacherous!) rapids, which are located at one of the narrowest and most harrowing parts of the gorge!


Now, I am back at good ol' Mama Naxi's Guesthouse, and as soon as I get done with this post, I am taking the longest hot shower of my life. No joke. I have to say Lijiang is fast rising on my list of favorite places I have been. Unfortunately, I am leaving tomorrow to head back to Bangkok - I think I have teaching job there to get back to or something :)

Before the gorge, Lauren and I dawdled about town and have had quite a few enjoyable cross-cultural Lijiang experiences. (1) I must look like a stranger in a strange land because two people have asked to take their picture with me, three people have made comments about my hair and an unlimited number have pointed and gawked at me. The curly hair gets them every time!

(2) Black Dragon Pool Park is the most serene place in Lijiang, I am positive. Populated with ornate, ancient temples and signs mandating both "No smoking!" and "No spitting!" it is the most lovely place to sit, relax and enjoy a scenic panorama view of Lijiang's mountainous surroundings. (Look for me in the purple!)


(3) The Naxi women here definitely run the show! Today was the first time my bargaining skills failed me when I was unable to negotiate a deal for three colorful scarves. The selling price was 6 yuan each, so of course I offered her 12 yuan for three, but she wouldn't budge. I admired her refusal to budge (since everybody else does!), so of course she got her 18 yuan! Here is a picture of four Naxi women - dressed in their traditional garb - hanging out in Sifang Square, the center of Old Lijiang.


Alright, hope this post wasn't too long for you all! I promise I am wrapping it up now as that hot shower just sounds all too tempting. Sorry if I gushed too long about the gorge (it was seriously, hands-down the best thing I have done so far!), and take care everyone! Off to make the voyage back to Bangkok! Sawatdee kah, once again!

I Heart Lijiang

After another three hour bus ride from Dali, I really thought our bus luck had turned around. Well, Lauren sat in the back row, scrunched between five people, with a drooling man falling asleep right on her shoulder. Right in front of her, I was squished in my seat because the seat in front of me was broken and only reclined all the way back, right into my lap. Luckily, three hours was nothing (compared with 40!), and once we arrived in Lijiang, it was completely worth it. The old town of Lijiang is the most adorable town ever, I am sure of it!

In 1996, a massive earthquake heavily destroyed the city, killing more than 300 people. The government then invested millions of yuan back into the city, repairing its buildings in the original Naxi style and the roads back in cobblestone. They spent years returning the city to its former glory, and in 1999, Lijiang was rewarded and put on the list for World Heritage sites. Yeah for them!

We started off the day ready and rarin' to go explore this ancient city - which is considered the center of Naxi culture. One of the most fascinating things I learned is the Naxis are a matrilineal society, meaning that - yes, girls! - it's the women who make all the decisions around these parts! They are the ones having torrid love affairs, men court them home at night - they rule this roost! There are about 330,000 Naxi people, including my new friend, Dr. Ho.

As we were about to leave to go explore, we met three lovely men from Israel, who asked us if we wanted to go see Dr. Ho with them. Dr. Ho? Who is this fellow you may ask? Well, sit down my friends and get ready to meet the "World's Most Admired Man." At 85 years young, Dr. Ho is a Naxi physician specializing in treating complicated and chronic ailments, all with Chinese herbs! He has a fully documented case of curing leukemia, all with medicinal herbs. Dr. Ho actually works with the Mayo Clinic in researching herbal treatments for leukemia!

At the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Chinese Herbal Medicine Clinic - located in Baisha, a village just outside Lijiang - Dr. Ho treats everyone who comes in, free of charge. He only takes donations, which go straight to helping the poor who cannot afford treatment. He is an absolute inspiration. His advice for a healthy life? "Be happy," which I think is the best medical advice there is.

His office is a jumble of press clippings, photographs of him with famous people (i.e. Princess Diana, Mao Zedong...) and herbs, of course! His wife served us herbal tea, and he did medical exams on all of us! Unfortunately, everyone had ailments (coughs, stomach problems, etc.), so Dr. Ho concocted mixtures of Chinese herbs to cure them. After asking me if I had a cough (no), PMS (no...I don't think so :) and other symptoms (no), with booming voice, he proclaimed in broken English, "You are healthy!" Which was kind of a disappointment, I wanted special Chinese medicinal herbs from Dr. Ho too!

After our wonderful visit with the famous Dr. Ho, we set about exploring this town, which much to my enjoyment is full of shopping! Yes, I am really getting in trouble here with the shopping habit - my bargaining skills are too good! The rickety cobblestoned streets of Lijiang are filled with tourist shops and cafes, but the best part is that despite the tourists here, you get the feeling that many Naxis and Chinese people actually live here. They populate the fruit and vegetable markets, wander about town picking up their daily food, then head home to the houses which are sprinkled in all tiny alleyways and back streets.

Near the entry to Old Lijiang (which is situated right next to New Lijiang - which looks like any other city), there are two beautiful, large windmills. They propel the hundreds of creeks and streams which also run throughout the city. The best part? If you are lost, all you have to do is find a stream because they all run into Sifang Square, the center of the old city! At the windmills, they also have this lovely collection of wind chimes - which all have positive affirmations and wishes written by visitors on them. Supposedly if you walk under these, putting your arm up to ring the bells, you are blessed with the well wishes written on them! I love it!


We spent the afternoon browsing the endless rows of shops, climbing up and down cobblestone stairs, getting lost in the maze of alleyways and streets, desperately trying to find a toilet (several times) and enjoying more beautiful weather in Lijiang. We climbed up to the Wenjang Temple, where you can get a spectacular view of the city, which is where I am right here!


Today, we are going to venture back out into Lijiang and see more sights (less shopping - funds are running low!) before tomorrow's venture into the great Tiger Leaping Gorge - one of the largest gorges in the world! Back to the streets of Lijiang and Mama Naxi's Guesthouse (where we are staying) - let's just say Mama is quite the character, which means good stories to come for you all! She's a hoot! Take care everyone and have a wonderful day!

P.S. Turns out, the Chinese government caught onto my blog, and I have been blacklisted by the Communists! I am not kidding. Only a few days ago, I could view my blog just fine, but now, I can only post to it but can't see it! I am on President Hu Jintao's watchlist - I am sure of it!

Delightful Dali

Between the old cobblestone roads, the Naxi women offering you "smoke" and the oodles and oodles of cheap shopping, how can one not love Dali? Lauren and I spent the most gorgeous day lollygagging about Dali's old town, which ruled the Yunnan province for over five centuries and is walled off, with only four entry gates! The skies were bright blue, the temps were mild and the Chinese yuan were burning a hold in our pockets.


Since I was feeling oh so good, what is a girl to do but indulge...in white carbs that is! For breakfast I had the most delicious Chinese sticky bun thing - which was pretty much steamed white bread (I think!). Here is me chowing the thing down...dee-lish! For lunch, I had Gongbao chicken with peanuts and white rice, which was also very enjoyable. Then I just scarfed down a bit piece of white, chewy pita-like bread, made by an old Naxi elder, who thankfully didn't offer me "smoke" with the bread.


Dali is known for its beautiful batiks, so I spent the afternoon browsing gorgeous batik fabrics in classic navy blue, green, red, purple, orange - they are stunning! If you peer close enough, you can even see women hand-dying these fabrics in the back of alleyways and shops. They also have lots of jewelry (much of it hand pounded silver), cheap knick knacks and lots of food stands - selling local delicacies like "er kuai" - flattened, toasted rice cakes!

These Naxi women are vicious though I tell you. After looking at a cool turquiose necklace, this lady - complete with her multi-colored headdress and skirt - chased after me down the street after I refused her offer of 25 yuan. She cornered me in the alleyway, playing a game of "Which way are you gonna go?", and I had to shuffle from one side to the other before finally pulling a 360 degree turn on her and ran away! Haha!


Although I am becoming quite the bargainer. The trick is to look completely disinterested and walk away even if you are not getting the right price. Then they will usher you back, ask you to write down your price and voila! Deal made. Today I talked a lady down from 25 yuan (about 4$) for a red beaded necklace to 6 yuan (less than 1$!) using these exact tactics. She even called me a "clever girl!"

So, now we are calling it a day in Dali and heading out for yet another bus ride (this one is only three hours - a breeze!) to get to Lijiang. It should be another fun town as its on the list of World Heritage sights. Not much more time left in China...off to make the most of it!