Interview mayhem

Yesterday, after posting my blog I walked down to Aliu to see a friend and to interview his family. There were only two people at home though and after I had interviewed them he asked how many more people I needed to interview. I told him I was aiming for another 30 or so in Sichuan. So he took it upon himself to find them for me. He led me out into a field where some of his Aunties and others were hoeing (or having a break from hoeing) and we sat down in the rows of dirt and did about 6 or 7 interviews. Then he dragged me off to lunch with another extended relative in Zhawoluo and after lunch I did a couple more interviews with the family. Then some visitors showed up from Gesa, and they wanted to be interviewed too. I did 15 interviews in total, had dinner with them at 5.30 and walked home exhausted. But very content. The dinner was very nice. There was stewed lamb and spicy chicken and bean sprouts, stirfried potato and mushroom and greens soup. I had a few beers and left them red-faced, happily consuming copious amounts of Guangdang spirits and Sulima alcohol (Don't like the taste personally).

One thing I've noticed about the Mosuo people in Yunnan and Sichuan. The ones in Yunnan like to eat a lot, but the ones in Sichuan like to drink a lot. Starting before lunch.

I am going to see a Daba today (a practitioner of the indigenous religion which is practiced alongside Tibetan Buddhism). I interviewed him the other day but he told me to come back and he would let me record some stories. Hope he's home. Most homes here don't have a phone. But they all have a tv.

Stayed up last night doing my paperwork and watching an American reality tv show that they can't be bothered to dub. It is all about cop chases and tv cameras at riots and kidnappings. Then curled up in bed and slept like a baby.