Well, what's happened...
Boxing Day- We went to Lige Isle, a pretty little village being quickly overrun with tourist motels, cafes, etc. An odd feature of these developments is that accomodation springs up long before there is anything to do in the area, and simultaneously destroys any nice walks or local beauty spots in the process. The isle itself is a bit of land jutting out into the lake to one side of the village, but we were unable to stroll out onto it because of a huge development (motel, cafe, bar) being built all over it and blocking access to it. The best views of Gemu mountain had therefore been spoiled by powerlines and the surrounding mountainside was a mess of newly built winding roads, regular blasting can be heard in the distance as new roads are set into the mountainside. Amidst this building site sit fancy Western style cafes, with Chinese language menus and excessive prices. The lake is really beautiful at this spot, but there is nowhere beside the lake to sit (only dirt / mud roads) so you have to sit in the cafe or bring your own banana lounge!
While we were sitting there (in the cafe) we unexpectedly saw our host mum out the window. She was in the village visiting family. She told us to wait there and then we all shared a taxi back to Yongning (Only 20 mins) an hour or so later. Her husband turned out to be there as well, so Scott got into the back seat of the minivan, they sat in the middle seat and I was told to sit in the front. As the minivan lurched off, the middle seat where Dad was sitting apparently came loose and the whole seat went sliding back, narrowly missing taking out Scott. I am not sure whether this was a regular event but we all laughed, Dad moved over and Scott kept well away from the renegade seat. The taxi driver seemed unperturbed.
The next day (Monday) I had hoped to sit down with the young woman in the house and do some work (linguistic) with her, but everyone unexpectedly went out. So we decided to be adventurous and went and climbed a large hill just outside of the village (I hesitate to say mountain, but with my fitness levels, it felt like one!). It was quite steep, but we managed to find a goat track (Really! Actual goats walk around on these mountains as do donkeys, etc.) At the top there was a pagoda and a shrine, both hung with tibetan prayer flags. We hung out up there for a while and admired the view, before descending back down to the village. (Do I get to say we climbed to around 3000 metres???)
Tuesday was our last full day in Yongning, so we desperately needed to do some washing- Actually, lots and lots of washing. Down to my last pair of underpants, and into my third day in my last pair of jeans. The twin tub washing machine was duly carried out into the courtyard and plugged in. We filled it with buckets of water from out the back and set the miniscule loads of washing going. It turned out that the spin cycle no longer worked, so the next part of the procedure involved carrying all the washing into the backyard, putting on elbow length rubber gloves and bending over and rinsing the clothes in large tubs of cold water on the ground, squeezing each item out individually and hanging it on the line (no pegs). Within fifteen minutes of hanging the first load on the line, the clothing started to freeze and we could be seen shaking ice off our clothes, and madly squeezing them out in the hope that they might dry by nightfall and we wouldn't have to pack them wet. It got windy in the afternoon so we walked to the store and bought some pegs. Having devoted nearly the entire day to the task, I am pleased to announce that nearly everything got dry. In the evening I worked with a few of the family members on some linguistic stuff for a bit, and then they all took us out to have a barbecue in a village cafe of tiny pieces of chicken stomach, pork, capsicum and sliced potato dipped in spicy powder. Scott wants one of these clever bbqs for our backyard.
Another of my endeavours in this household has been to learn to cook breakfast. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings I got up at dawn (7am) to help the 17 year old girl make brekky, or rather, for her to teach me. On Wednesday, some of my creations actually made it out of the prep area and into peoples stomachs so I will here divulge the recipe:
YONGNING BREAKFAST
Make a basic dough of water, flour and a pinch or two of baking powder. Knead.
Roll out flat to about half a centimetre thickness.
Spread surface with lard, butter might do at a pinch, and sprinkle with salt or sugar, depending on preference.
Roll the whole lot up, jam roll or coffee scroll fashion and cut at lengths of about 5cm.
Place these little rolls on end on a steaming rack (the kind you use for steaming vegies, or any kind of rack in a large saucepan with a bit of water in the bottom will do. Don't put them too close together because they should double in size.
Put on the lid and steam for about fifteen minutes, or until springy.
Serve hot with hard boiled eggs on the side and yak butter tea.
Wednesday was another long day on the bus that now does not phase me at all. Pizza in Lijiang for tea!!!
Thursday we spent shopping in Lijiang, getting extra overnight bags, a watch for Scott, who lost his in Yongning and a mobile phone for me. My phone number is 1357 837 5714, a necessity since no international phone calls can be made in Yongning or Luoshui. Retired to the prague cafe in mid afternoon to eat fries and watch 2nd Lara Croft movie on DVD- annoying since pirated and movie froze at critical moments.
Went out and had some drinks last night and played dice drinking games in cafe.
Today is new years eve, and Scott's last full day in China. He is flying out to Kunming tomorrow morning, from Kunming to Bangkok tomorrow night, and after an 8 hour stop over, should arrive back in Melbourne around midday on Sunday. I am going to miss him heaps, so we are going to go out and have a fun day together (climbing a mountain) and go out and celebrate new years tonight.
love and miss you all,
Laura
Friday, December 31, 2004
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Christmas Card from China
Where do I begin? It has been a busy couple of days since my last post- as stated, we have been in Yongning, staying with a family. Have not yet figured out internet access there, but we came back to Luoshui this morning so I am back online. The family is really sweet, a young working couple with two kids (4 and 9 years), an older girl (a relative) who helps out around the house, and grandma is staying there at the moment as well. Not a traditional Mosuo family setup, but probably increasingly common as people move into the towns for work. They speak Mosuo around the house a lot, but the couple are both fluent in Chinese. The little girl is monolingual in Mosuo, but her older brother speaks only Chinese at school, and though he understands Mosuo, his mum said he doesn't really speak it now. The older girl living in the house is bilingual and grandma only knows a bit of Chinese. There are definitely some interesting dynamics there.
They have been very hospitable and we have been eating breakfast (Yak butter tea- ugh, steamed buns- yum and boiled eggs- yum) and the evening meal with them (delicious).The house is behind his shop which sells traditional minority clothing and it is quite big. The plumbing is fairly basic- there is one tap in the garden which is used for everything. The toilet is in the back yard, and has a delightful view of the corn paddocks (currently bare) and the Goddess Gemu mountain in the background. We have copper basins in the courtyard for washing. One is designated for face and hands, the other for feet. I don't think we are supposed to wash anything else. We put hot water in them from kettles that are constantly on the boil above the wood burning hearth in the kitchen. Our bedroom is cold as the floor is concrete and the mattress under the blanket and sheet is made of straw. The family has a fridge, but it is empty and switched off (not sure why). Of an evening we watch tv and talk and last night we taught the teenage girl and the little boy to play a card game called 31, gambling with peanuts.
Two days ago, we went down to the school and I met the Tibetan English teacher, who has married into a Mosuo family. She has invited me to come and stay with them, so I may do that in a week or so, when Scott goes. She took us to see her home and the home of her Mosuo mother in law, who lives across the road. There was a minor Mosuo festival on, so we were invited in for lunch around the hearth. We tried the local delicacy, pigs intestine stuffed with rice and blood and fried in slices. I found it fairly bland and not too obnoxious but Scott struggled to stomach it. They were very friendly and taught me some words.
Last night we decorated the fruit tree in the courtyard with tinsel and hung some lollipops from it to give the kids a laugh. We caught a bus out to Luoshui this morning, in the hopes of phoning home but with limited success. I managed to borrow a mobile from a couple of foreigners we bumped in to and make a brief call to my mum before the phone went flat but Scott has not yet been successful. No phones here will take international calls, though they can receive them. We enjoyed a (fantastic) Yunnan coffee in the courtyard, the foreign couple showed us their motel which has showers (Yay) and a double bed (Yay) - only fifty yuan, and then the four of us decided to go on a row boat to a couple of the islands in the lake. They were fun to hang out with and we will join up with them again this evening for tea. He is Israeli and she is German (also speaks Dutch- having lived there for five years) and she is now living near Shanghai. Scott chatted to her a bit in German, and then me in Dutch, which was fun.
Anyway, we got on the boat and it went out to the first little island. Some buddhist monks (lamas) live there, and we climbed up to the temple on the top and what did I see? A massive gum tree, perched next to the temple. I nearly fell over. I didn't come here to smell Eucalyptus! It turned out that it was brought here by Joseph Rock, a botanist who travelled extensively in this area some 60-70 years ago. I think he was originally Austrian but travelled out here from the US and sent photos back to National Geographic at the time. Famous (among other things) for insisting that his claw footed bathtub be carried with him whereever he went through the mountains, etc. So these monks thought it was an American tree. Went on to the next island along and we sat for a long time up the top and I had a good chat with a young lama (couple of years younger than me) who lives up there. Interesting guy.
The boat trip was really beautiful, and the day has been pleasant and sunny. We will be going back to Yongning tomorrow for a few more days, and then it will be time for Scott to go home. He claims he is going to buy a whole christmas ham and chutney as soon as he gets back. I said "You may as well, they will be on special after christmas" but I must admit to being a little jealous.
I gave Scott some sheepskin gloves, a wool/hemp scarf, a hemp shirt and a yak skin wallet for Christmas and he gave me a colourful handwoven woolen blanket and a beautiful leather bound notebook.
Oh, I forgot to mention, just before we left Luoshui earlier this week I met an American woman who is doing linguistic fieldwork on the Mosuo language here as well! That was a little odd. She is planning to write a grammar of the language and has worked with a couple of Mosuo speakers over four or five weeks, eliciting vocabulary and testing grammatical structures. She was really friendly and plans to be here a few more months. This news makes me want to focus more on the other side of my plans, away from doing a grammar and more towards learning to communicate and doing a study of bilingualism and language maintenance in the area, including language attitudes and the impact of tourism. We will probably try to catch up again and work together a little.
I know there is more that I wanted to write but I will leave it at this for now.
Merry christmas all.
They have been very hospitable and we have been eating breakfast (Yak butter tea- ugh, steamed buns- yum and boiled eggs- yum) and the evening meal with them (delicious).The house is behind his shop which sells traditional minority clothing and it is quite big. The plumbing is fairly basic- there is one tap in the garden which is used for everything. The toilet is in the back yard, and has a delightful view of the corn paddocks (currently bare) and the Goddess Gemu mountain in the background. We have copper basins in the courtyard for washing. One is designated for face and hands, the other for feet. I don't think we are supposed to wash anything else. We put hot water in them from kettles that are constantly on the boil above the wood burning hearth in the kitchen. Our bedroom is cold as the floor is concrete and the mattress under the blanket and sheet is made of straw. The family has a fridge, but it is empty and switched off (not sure why). Of an evening we watch tv and talk and last night we taught the teenage girl and the little boy to play a card game called 31, gambling with peanuts.
Two days ago, we went down to the school and I met the Tibetan English teacher, who has married into a Mosuo family. She has invited me to come and stay with them, so I may do that in a week or so, when Scott goes. She took us to see her home and the home of her Mosuo mother in law, who lives across the road. There was a minor Mosuo festival on, so we were invited in for lunch around the hearth. We tried the local delicacy, pigs intestine stuffed with rice and blood and fried in slices. I found it fairly bland and not too obnoxious but Scott struggled to stomach it. They were very friendly and taught me some words.
Last night we decorated the fruit tree in the courtyard with tinsel and hung some lollipops from it to give the kids a laugh. We caught a bus out to Luoshui this morning, in the hopes of phoning home but with limited success. I managed to borrow a mobile from a couple of foreigners we bumped in to and make a brief call to my mum before the phone went flat but Scott has not yet been successful. No phones here will take international calls, though they can receive them. We enjoyed a (fantastic) Yunnan coffee in the courtyard, the foreign couple showed us their motel which has showers (Yay) and a double bed (Yay) - only fifty yuan, and then the four of us decided to go on a row boat to a couple of the islands in the lake. They were fun to hang out with and we will join up with them again this evening for tea. He is Israeli and she is German (also speaks Dutch- having lived there for five years) and she is now living near Shanghai. Scott chatted to her a bit in German, and then me in Dutch, which was fun.
Anyway, we got on the boat and it went out to the first little island. Some buddhist monks (lamas) live there, and we climbed up to the temple on the top and what did I see? A massive gum tree, perched next to the temple. I nearly fell over. I didn't come here to smell Eucalyptus! It turned out that it was brought here by Joseph Rock, a botanist who travelled extensively in this area some 60-70 years ago. I think he was originally Austrian but travelled out here from the US and sent photos back to National Geographic at the time. Famous (among other things) for insisting that his claw footed bathtub be carried with him whereever he went through the mountains, etc. So these monks thought it was an American tree. Went on to the next island along and we sat for a long time up the top and I had a good chat with a young lama (couple of years younger than me) who lives up there. Interesting guy.
The boat trip was really beautiful, and the day has been pleasant and sunny. We will be going back to Yongning tomorrow for a few more days, and then it will be time for Scott to go home. He claims he is going to buy a whole christmas ham and chutney as soon as he gets back. I said "You may as well, they will be on special after christmas" but I must admit to being a little jealous.
I gave Scott some sheepskin gloves, a wool/hemp scarf, a hemp shirt and a yak skin wallet for Christmas and he gave me a colourful handwoven woolen blanket and a beautiful leather bound notebook.
Oh, I forgot to mention, just before we left Luoshui earlier this week I met an American woman who is doing linguistic fieldwork on the Mosuo language here as well! That was a little odd. She is planning to write a grammar of the language and has worked with a couple of Mosuo speakers over four or five weeks, eliciting vocabulary and testing grammatical structures. She was really friendly and plans to be here a few more months. This news makes me want to focus more on the other side of my plans, away from doing a grammar and more towards learning to communicate and doing a study of bilingualism and language maintenance in the area, including language attitudes and the impact of tourism. We will probably try to catch up again and work together a little.
I know there is more that I wanted to write but I will leave it at this for now.
Merry christmas all.
Message to Liesbeth
Mum, if you happen to check this on Christmas Day, please check your email ASAP.
Love Laura
Love Laura
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Tips for Minibus Mountaintop Motor Racing
1. Learn Yoga. Being able to spend hours curled up comfortably into a tight space will be an obvious advantage, particularly if you are tall.
2. Adopt an attitude of Eastern fatalism or Australian blase / irony towards life.
3. Have a poor nights sleep, as few hours as possible.
4. When you get up, dress calmly and take a travacalm. These have the double advantage of anti-nausea and drowsiness.
5. When you get on the minibus, sit as far to the back as possible. You do not want to see what is coming.
6. Refrain from watching the road as much as possible. You do not have access to any brakes so don't pretend you do.
7. Fall asleep as soon as possible into the trip waking only for toilet stops, meal stops and the occasional unmade / rocky / goat, pig, cow covered bit of road. Not only are you less likely to hit your head on the ceiling, you should arrive at your destination feeling calm and refreshed.
Yep, we made it back to Luoshui. And apart from the first step, that is exactly how I made the trip. Scott was a bit sore due to lack of leg room. We will go to Yongning in the morning, there are more buses then. We've got a room for the night at the Husi Teahouse. It is a bit primitive, the toilet seems to be down an alley down the back. However, they have installed sensor lights so that the light comes on as you get down there, and turns off just as you are squatting on the toilet. Then you have to clap so that it comes back on. The bedroom is cold but the mattress is almost soft and there is a sensational view of the lake and the Goddess Gemu (mountain). When we arrived we both had a stiff drink of light beer and went to have a look at the Mosuo cultural museum while we are still here in Luoshui. It was quite well done. They basically walk you through a traditional Mosuo house (no one lives there now of course) and tell you about a lot of the traditions and lifestyle, etc. It was beautifully warm around the hearth in the lounge, and in the young woman's chamber there were examples of gifts from admirers hanging on the walls, generally jewelry and stuffed animals. I wonder if Scott will take up taxidermy so he can present me with gifts. Apparently the men sleep downstairs in the barn with the animals (when not visiting girlfriends). Sounds like a fairly strong incentive to me. Ok see ya guys.
2. Adopt an attitude of Eastern fatalism or Australian blase / irony towards life.
3. Have a poor nights sleep, as few hours as possible.
4. When you get up, dress calmly and take a travacalm. These have the double advantage of anti-nausea and drowsiness.
5. When you get on the minibus, sit as far to the back as possible. You do not want to see what is coming.
6. Refrain from watching the road as much as possible. You do not have access to any brakes so don't pretend you do.
7. Fall asleep as soon as possible into the trip waking only for toilet stops, meal stops and the occasional unmade / rocky / goat, pig, cow covered bit of road. Not only are you less likely to hit your head on the ceiling, you should arrive at your destination feeling calm and refreshed.
Yep, we made it back to Luoshui. And apart from the first step, that is exactly how I made the trip. Scott was a bit sore due to lack of leg room. We will go to Yongning in the morning, there are more buses then. We've got a room for the night at the Husi Teahouse. It is a bit primitive, the toilet seems to be down an alley down the back. However, they have installed sensor lights so that the light comes on as you get down there, and turns off just as you are squatting on the toilet. Then you have to clap so that it comes back on. The bedroom is cold but the mattress is almost soft and there is a sensational view of the lake and the Goddess Gemu (mountain). When we arrived we both had a stiff drink of light beer and went to have a look at the Mosuo cultural museum while we are still here in Luoshui. It was quite well done. They basically walk you through a traditional Mosuo house (no one lives there now of course) and tell you about a lot of the traditions and lifestyle, etc. It was beautifully warm around the hearth in the lounge, and in the young woman's chamber there were examples of gifts from admirers hanging on the walls, generally jewelry and stuffed animals. I wonder if Scott will take up taxidermy so he can present me with gifts. Apparently the men sleep downstairs in the barn with the animals (when not visiting girlfriends). Sounds like a fairly strong incentive to me. Ok see ya guys.
Reflections from the Dongba Cafe
Well, it's certainly been an interesting couple of days. After doing some christmas shopping and sightseeing, two nights ago we met up with some Australian girls we'd met previously. We decided to go out for tea and picked a little cafe called "Jane Eyre". Still recovering from my cold, I ordered a fresh orange juice while the others drank beer. It turns out I probably would have been better off with the beer. I think the orange juice might have been mixed with some of the local water because shortly after our meals arrived at the table I had run downstairs and was vomiting in the square outside. Having managed to get it all over myself I hurried back to my room to shower. Scott dropped in to check on me and I felt a little better so I told him to rejoin our friends, that I would take it easy back in the room. Twenty minutes after he left I was back in the bathroom where I spent most of the next five hours, with short breaks lying in bed watching figure skating on tv. So yesterday and today I have been up and about, but distinctly lacking in energy. The Aussie girls are here finishing their studies in Chinese medicine so they gave me some herbal stuff to mix with my water that's supposed to be good. Regained my appetite about 2 hours ago and had huge meal of Naxi beef noodle hot pot and wholemeal toast. The toast was really good for Chinese toast (ie. not sweet) so I ordered a whole loaf to take away, much to the surprise of the waiters. We are taking a minibus back to Yongning tomorrow, at 8am, so I will munch on my bread with vegemite (I still have a bit left) on the bus. I am getting a little sick of peanuts and wafers for those long bus trips.
This afternoon we climbed to the top of the hill here and saw a temple / pagoda which is now basically a tourist attraction. It has five stories and is purported to be the highest wooden structure in China. The parks around it are beautiful and the view over the old town and towards the Jade dragon snow mountain are pretty good. The climb did turn my legs to jelly though.
good night
This afternoon we climbed to the top of the hill here and saw a temple / pagoda which is now basically a tourist attraction. It has five stories and is purported to be the highest wooden structure in China. The parks around it are beautiful and the view over the old town and towards the Jade dragon snow mountain are pretty good. The climb did turn my legs to jelly though.
good night
Friday, December 17, 2004
Back in Lijiang
Well, we survived the bus trip yesterday and here we are again. Before we left Luoshui, the manager of the Husi Teahouse told us about an organisation he is involved in. They fund children from very poor families in the area to go to High School in Yongning. It doesn't cost very much to fund school fees, accommodation and food for one year, so if you are interested please go to www.luguhu.org This explains what he was doing at the school two days ago when we were there. He goes out to the child's house to assess whether they really need the assistance and then sets it up for them to go to high school. Families in Luoshui have become quite (comparatively) wealthy through the tourist trade, but in the other outlying villages there is a lot of poverty. On the bus going up and down the mountains we frequently saw kids carrying big stacks of wood, etc on their backs and working hard alongside the adults.
On another note, I still have not been able to actually view my blog including comments, only post messages. If anyone can suggest a way that might be possible please email me on l.bennetts@latrobe.edu.au as it is a bit frustrating. Also it would be really good to hear what you are all up to, so please email me.
bye bye
On another note, I still have not been able to actually view my blog including comments, only post messages. If anyone can suggest a way that might be possible please email me on l.bennetts@latrobe.edu.au as it is a bit frustrating. Also it would be really good to hear what you are all up to, so please email me.
bye bye
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Progress
I have been having some trouble posting blogs so have been emailing some to my mum and getting her to post them for me. As I seem to be able to do it myself this time, a couple of these may be out of order.
Well, we had quite a busy day today. Last night the guy who runs the Husi Teahouse (Makers of the most fantastic coffee I have ever tasted, percolated Yunnan local coffee done to perfection) mentioned to me that at the Yongning High School there might be a Mosuo English teacher. As this would help me immensely (my Chinese being what it is), we headed down there this morning- a half hour minibus ride over rocky roads, through creeks, around narrow hairpin bends and past locals breaking rocks with picks by the side of the road. We wandered through the market and the main street and eventually found the high school. Walked past several hundred staring teenagers on the sports field who were involved in jogging and some kind of rock hurling sport. I eventually found the office and the Husi Teahouse guy was there! We both started laughing- I'm still not sure why he was there, although he had his kids with him so it was probably routine. Anyway he introduced me to a few of the teachers who were very interested to meet me and hear about what I was doing. Anyway, it turned out the English teacher is actually Tibetan but is apparently married to a Mosuo man and speaks some Mosuo, however she won't be there until next week. Anyway, the other teachers, one of whom is Mosuo, told me that about half the students at the school are Mosuo, and there are also Tibetan, Yi, Han students, etc.
They were quite keen for me to come into the school and help the students with there English and for them to teach me Mosuo, when school goes back in February. The Mosuo man is also going to arrange for me to stay with a Mosuo family. This arrangement suits me fine because I can't really afford to pay people much to work with me. They have also offered to help me with anything I need, eg. buying things at local prices.
As we left the school we walked past a class where an English lesson was going on. Scott called out "hello" to the kids and they broke out into the biggest grins and called "hello" back.
First however, we are going back to Lijiang tomorrow as that is the location of the nearest bank of China (six hours away). We had imagined we would be able to change travellers cheques up here, but not so. Also, things are a bit expensive in Luoshui, as it is a big tourist attraction. We spent a bit of money the day before we left Lijiang (Scott bought a painting and we went to a Naxi orchestra) so we had significantly less money than we had intended. So the last few days we tried rationing ourselves to $18 a day (including the $9. for our motel room- with bathroom and hot water). Yes it sounds ridiculous when you change it into Australian dollars, but 100 yuan a day is enough if you just want somewhere to sleep and to eat, etc. The cab fares to go to various villages and the 12 yuan coffees were killing our budget, so we are going back to Lijiang for the weekend. I have a few names of people to contact there so it should be usefull anyway. Then we will come back probably Tuesday and relocate to Yongning to do a week at the school, before it closes for the holidays.
After the school visit, we walked to a local buddhist monastery. The lamas were sitting on the grass eating lunch and invited us to join them. During the middle of the day here, it is actually really quite warm and sunny, so it was very pleasant sitting on the grass eating rice and vegetables with the lamas. One of them showed us around the lamasery too, which was quite spectacular. In the evening and early morning it is quite bitterly cold. There is snow on the mountain peaks but not in the village. Apparently the winter here is quite dry and can get to -10 degrees.
Well that's all for now, Laura
Well, we had quite a busy day today. Last night the guy who runs the Husi Teahouse (Makers of the most fantastic coffee I have ever tasted, percolated Yunnan local coffee done to perfection) mentioned to me that at the Yongning High School there might be a Mosuo English teacher. As this would help me immensely (my Chinese being what it is), we headed down there this morning- a half hour minibus ride over rocky roads, through creeks, around narrow hairpin bends and past locals breaking rocks with picks by the side of the road. We wandered through the market and the main street and eventually found the high school. Walked past several hundred staring teenagers on the sports field who were involved in jogging and some kind of rock hurling sport. I eventually found the office and the Husi Teahouse guy was there! We both started laughing- I'm still not sure why he was there, although he had his kids with him so it was probably routine. Anyway he introduced me to a few of the teachers who were very interested to meet me and hear about what I was doing. Anyway, it turned out the English teacher is actually Tibetan but is apparently married to a Mosuo man and speaks some Mosuo, however she won't be there until next week. Anyway, the other teachers, one of whom is Mosuo, told me that about half the students at the school are Mosuo, and there are also Tibetan, Yi, Han students, etc.
They were quite keen for me to come into the school and help the students with there English and for them to teach me Mosuo, when school goes back in February. The Mosuo man is also going to arrange for me to stay with a Mosuo family. This arrangement suits me fine because I can't really afford to pay people much to work with me. They have also offered to help me with anything I need, eg. buying things at local prices.
As we left the school we walked past a class where an English lesson was going on. Scott called out "hello" to the kids and they broke out into the biggest grins and called "hello" back.
First however, we are going back to Lijiang tomorrow as that is the location of the nearest bank of China (six hours away). We had imagined we would be able to change travellers cheques up here, but not so. Also, things are a bit expensive in Luoshui, as it is a big tourist attraction. We spent a bit of money the day before we left Lijiang (Scott bought a painting and we went to a Naxi orchestra) so we had significantly less money than we had intended. So the last few days we tried rationing ourselves to $18 a day (including the $9. for our motel room- with bathroom and hot water). Yes it sounds ridiculous when you change it into Australian dollars, but 100 yuan a day is enough if you just want somewhere to sleep and to eat, etc. The cab fares to go to various villages and the 12 yuan coffees were killing our budget, so we are going back to Lijiang for the weekend. I have a few names of people to contact there so it should be usefull anyway. Then we will come back probably Tuesday and relocate to Yongning to do a week at the school, before it closes for the holidays.
After the school visit, we walked to a local buddhist monastery. The lamas were sitting on the grass eating lunch and invited us to join them. During the middle of the day here, it is actually really quite warm and sunny, so it was very pleasant sitting on the grass eating rice and vegetables with the lamas. One of them showed us around the lamasery too, which was quite spectacular. In the evening and early morning it is quite bitterly cold. There is snow on the mountain peaks but not in the village. Apparently the winter here is quite dry and can get to -10 degrees.
Well that's all for now, Laura
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Lugu Lake
We arrived at Lugu lake this afternoon. Left at 8.00am from Lijiang. 4 hour bus trip to Ninglang before switching to a van to go to Luoshui. Very hair raising journey. I started thinking that I should have saved the money for vaccinations and spent it on a helicopter trip. I tried to sleep through the first bit because that was the only way I could relax as the bus navigated the continuous hair pin bends on the narrow road. Then we got in to the van and that part of the journey waas even scarier. Finaally got here at about 3pm. The lake and mountain scenery are spectacular. The view from our room is beautiful but the accomodation is primitive. For some reason Luoshui has internet access but no bank or showers. No showers aat all. Apparently we are supposed to wash up in the courtyard. This will definitely take some getting used to for me. The weather here is beautiful- quite cool but sunny, and people have been friendly. Since we arrived about 6 tour buses have pulled up here, though I doubt that they will stay in town longer than overnight if that.
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Lijiang
Just a forty minute flight from Kunming to Lijiang, Lijiang really surpassed all expectations. Cars are completely banned in the old town making it a quiet place to visit filled with beautiful architecture, canals and shops. The weather has been cool but fine. Yesterday we took a big walk around the narrow streets, sat in canal side cafes relaxing and looked in the shops, etc. A few interesting encounters with Chinese people wanting an opportunity to practice their English. Today we walked over to Black Dragon Park, which has quite a few pagodas and a lake. Scott had an old book with him by a Russian who lived in Lijiang in the 1940s so we were trying to identify some sites. We hired a rowboat and floated around the lake for an hour in the sun. WE pulled over to the side of the lake to chat to a group of Chinese businessmen and then some old Naxi ladies came over and we showed them the old pictures of the area. They seemed quite interested but I think they must have been speaking Naxi because I couldn't understand a word they said. We are going to see a Naxi classical music concert tonight. Tomorrow we are catching an early bus into Ninglang and across to Lugu lake.
By the way, so far I have been able to post blogs but not actually read my own blogspot (and any comments) so it might be worthwhile emailing them to me also. Something to do with internet here!
Laura and Scott
By the way, so far I have been able to post blogs but not actually read my own blogspot (and any comments) so it might be worthwhile emailing them to me also. Something to do with internet here!
Laura and Scott
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Greetings from Bangkok
I have fifteen minutes left before the shuttle bus comes to take us back to the airport. It's 8.15 am here. We got in last night after an uneventful flight. The hotel was fine- except the pool was closed. After a buffet breakfast of stodgy flavourless western food, we went for a walk around the block this morning. Lots of traffic, stares and a few hellos from the locals, we had just started walking back to the hotel when a bloke walked over and shook Scott's hand, very pleased to meet him, kissed my hand and followed us all the way back. He was dressed in old army gear and was so dirty he smudged my hand when he kissed it. Amused stares from onlookers followed us all the way back. Anyway, nothing more to report- better head off now.
hugs and kisses
hugs and kisses
Friday, December 03, 2004
Visa
I got a visa! Phew. It looks like we finally have things sorted out and will be on our way Monday. I think I will go and relax in the garden with a beer for a bit.
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Feeling more optimistic
I just heard that an invitation for me to do research in China has been faxed through to the consulate from the Central Nationalities University in Beijing. I know someone there and she managed to organise it. This definitely improves my chances of getting a visa. If they didn't get it in time maybe they will be able to reassess my application. Anyway, I will go in tomorrow morning and find out!
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Five days to go
Five days to go and I'm still waiting for a visa. I am supposed to be picking it up Friday morning so hopefully I will be posting a very ecstatic blog on Friday afternoon... In the meantime I am trying to devise creative ways of packing things so that they will be smaller than they actually are and not break.
On Monday I am supposed to fly out at 5ish in the afternoon. We will be in Bangkok later that night where we have a 12 hour stopover at a motel with beer garden and pool. mmmmm. As that will probably be my last brush with luxury (actual toilets) for a while I intend to make the most of it. We arrive in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, China on Tuesday afternoon where we will spend a couple of days. From there we will fly out to Lijiang, a bit further north, before taking the final (6-8 hour) bus trip out to Yongning and Lugu Lake. Scott will be coming with me for the first month so that I have someone to speak English to. I will spend six months in that neck of the woods becoming proficient in the local language and collecting exciting and groundbreaking data about language maintenance in an area that was completely inaccessible to non-Chinese peoples just 10 years ago but now swarms with 60,000 tourists annually. That's the plan, anyway.... First I need that visa!
The minority language I plan to work on is spoken by upward of 30,000 people who are usually known as Mosuo. They are mostly famous for not getting married. They are matrilineal, the idea being that you continue to live in your mother's home for your whole life and never marry. A woman has her own 'flower chamber' and might permit men to come and visit overnight if she likes them. Any children will be raised by her, her mother and aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters. Accordingly, men are responsible for raising their sister's and niece's children, but not their own. If you are interested in learning more about this culture, check out an autobiography called "Leaving Mother Lake" by Namu and Christine Mathieu or watch Michael Palin's "Himalaya" on Saturday, 11th of December at 7.30pm. Or you can just read my blogs.
I'm not sure how often I will be able to update them as that depends upon whether the village I am living in has electricity and internet connection.
Well, till Friday- Zaijian
On Monday I am supposed to fly out at 5ish in the afternoon. We will be in Bangkok later that night where we have a 12 hour stopover at a motel with beer garden and pool. mmmmm. As that will probably be my last brush with luxury (actual toilets) for a while I intend to make the most of it. We arrive in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, China on Tuesday afternoon where we will spend a couple of days. From there we will fly out to Lijiang, a bit further north, before taking the final (6-8 hour) bus trip out to Yongning and Lugu Lake. Scott will be coming with me for the first month so that I have someone to speak English to. I will spend six months in that neck of the woods becoming proficient in the local language and collecting exciting and groundbreaking data about language maintenance in an area that was completely inaccessible to non-Chinese peoples just 10 years ago but now swarms with 60,000 tourists annually. That's the plan, anyway.... First I need that visa!
The minority language I plan to work on is spoken by upward of 30,000 people who are usually known as Mosuo. They are mostly famous for not getting married. They are matrilineal, the idea being that you continue to live in your mother's home for your whole life and never marry. A woman has her own 'flower chamber' and might permit men to come and visit overnight if she likes them. Any children will be raised by her, her mother and aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters. Accordingly, men are responsible for raising their sister's and niece's children, but not their own. If you are interested in learning more about this culture, check out an autobiography called "Leaving Mother Lake" by Namu and Christine Mathieu or watch Michael Palin's "Himalaya" on Saturday, 11th of December at 7.30pm. Or you can just read my blogs.
I'm not sure how often I will be able to update them as that depends upon whether the village I am living in has electricity and internet connection.
Well, till Friday- Zaijian
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