Stranger No More

Yeah. My new thing to bitch about is the quarters. I am staying with two guys in an apartment with no heat and it is freezing. Jed and I are talking about splitting a hotel to get some decent accommodations. When Dan woke this morning it was a full on bitch session. We are uncomfortable and morale is slipping. If it was worth anything it is agreed that I would win the ‘Hard Road to China’ award.

Hung out with Jed last night and went to a bar called The Black Brick. We figured they were begging for our money so we obliged. It was a karaoke bar for both singing and instruments with one guy playing saxophone. A guy with broken english and long hair told Jed he was going to sing a song for him. I’ll try to get a picture of the really cool decor as we will be returning. I taught Jed how to play dice, (1-4/24), and then taught the two bartenders. We were playing for candy as Jed had already lost his limit to me. We had been there a couple of hours and decided to wrap it up when ‘Yesterday Once More’ queued up. You can’t make this stuff up.

On our way home we stopped and ate some amazing wonton soup from a street vendor. ‘On our way home’, wow. I’m in China! Their was also these flat bread with meat things that sort of resembled papusas, (Elva!), that we had. There was a third vendor that was left out and he looked dejected. I should have bought a kebab since it seemed the other two were helping each other but not him. Am I the most bleeding heart conservative you’ve ever known?

Since we are just toolin’ around looking to not find trouble I’m sure I’ll be back here soon and tell you all about it!

- Olen

Yay! I made it. Well, sort of. I’m in Datong. After the message this morning I was able to find the bus station by myself, (how very grown-up of me, eh?), and catch a 1100 bus for Datong. Forget whatever I said about Beijing being dirty. I am now in my third Chinese city and it has been progressively worse. But I’m here, so I have that going for me.

The bus ride here was much nicer than the Calcutta-esque trip I took yesterday. It really was an amazing journey. Over 300km almost all with crops growing but not a single piece of farm equipment. The highway itself was a beauty of engineering and maintenance. Apparently almost all of their intra-continent shipping is handled by rail so big rigs are almost non-existent. We passed through a tunnel at one point that was nearly 3km. Like a total tourist I was taking pictures out the window. Bet you can’t wait to see those.

For now I am sharing a two bedroom flat, (not the deal but for all the apparent griping I AM IN CHINA!), with Jed and Dan. Jed seems pretty cool, from Portland so he is pretty kick back. I haven’t met Dan but I hear he is a self-proclaimed ‘eccentric’, so that should be interesting.

[The Carpenters, ‘Yesterday Once More’ just went into the fifth consecutive play since I began this]

It looks like I am all play and no work until at least the 8th as that is when the National Holiday ends. [every sha-la-la-la] Good thing I am well practiced at that vigorous a schedule.

The word from Jed is that the boss, Rian, is in Fuzhou scouting a school location where the three new arrivals may be headed. Coastal living? Yeah, I’ll take that. Plus, you know, I’m in China!

Okay, the cigarette smoke and The Carpenters are killing me.

[every shing-a-ling-a-ling]

The Marine Corps motto is Semper Fidelis which means Always Faithful. We used to joke Semper Gumby to try to remember to be Always Flexible. It still applies.

If some of you are thinking I am pretty relaxed for all that has gone on, well, I am.

Thanks for your thoughts and I’m thinking of you.

- Olen

[when I was young I listened to the radio . . . ]

At 0930 I’m watching the Presidential debate in my room about, (you’d be disappointed if I wasn’t), when a knock on my door signals the arrival of Kevin. Finally, I think I am being rescued and shuttled away from all the chaos of Beijing on National Day. The streets were seriously packed with Chinese tourists.

After the Bank of China telling us I can’t cash my travelers checks it is decided that I have enough and can safely leave for Datong. Anyone else see how that might sound like ‘downtown’? It is assumed every time I say it and I am diligent in my pronunciation. Well, as much as I can be.

I’m typing this in my room in Taiyuan where I magically appeared after boarding a bus for Datong. This truly has been an adventure and if it doesn’t stop being one so much I am going to fucking lose it. It is one thing when they don’t speak English and we can usually hand gesture our way through it or they recognize the words/numbers written down but when I meet someone who speaks good English my guard goes up. Something always seems too slick about them. At least on the street. If it is their job then I am just thankful. So with the help of a young man from my bus with a bit of English I was initially taken to a ’small hotel’ that was going to cost Y30 but after being led to the room that had four beds and no real door I just grabbed my bags and bailed. The host then offered it for Y20. For those of you keeping track at home that is about $3.60 but he came down to $2.40. I just kept walking.
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