English Trip to China 2011

21


The friendly driver does not want to visit Kaifeng with us. I want to give him money for taking us here. But Lisa says, it is OK. I wonder how much she paid to him. We tell him how pleased we areto be here so early and fast. Lisa cannot wait to enter the park by the lake. There are so many people already, all of them showing happy faces and taking lots of pictures. We walk along the dam which divides the lake. Flowers everywhere. Chrysanthemums. Hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands. On the right, we can go to a little island. I can see flowers and butterflies. There are also beautiful willow trees and their reflections in the water. In some flat showcase buildings, we can see life-sized historical figures and wall paintings: kings, advisors, military leaders, soldiers on foot and on horseback, fighting fiercely against aggressors. Centuries ago, before China had become a huge imperial state, Kaifeng used to be the capital of a kingdom.

The noise coming from loudspeakers in the distance and people applauding tells us there is a performance. We do not want to miss it. So we walk a little faster along the dam. On the left, there are lots of boats for about twenty passengers each. They have interesting decorations on their sides and a carved dragonhead at the front. They are paddling across the lake to another small island. Lisa likes me to take lots of pictures of her with her digital camera. She prefers pictures in which she stands in very strange, awkward or funny postures.When we are near the stage there is really an ocean of flowers, chrysanthmums in many colours and of so many different sizes and forms. How wonderful. There are even some big birds formed of metal. They are my friends, the white cranes with a red patch on the head.

We can see the actors standing together and chatting while they are having a break between two performances. They are wearing historical costumes, funny shoes, fancy headdresses and fake beards. They look friendly and happy. I can stand near them and have my picture taken. Then it is time for the next performance. They play some music, then walk up the long steep stairs to the stage. Lisa and I follow them, getting out of breath very quickly, because the stairs are really steep and long, seemingly endless. Then we watch and listen to the play. It is about the king, his wife and concubines, about state business, good and bad advisors and traitors. I must stand on tiptoe to have a good view. Some mothers with babies on their arms are obstructing the view. The performance is interesting, although I do not understand a single word. The voices are theatrical, in the manner of the Beijing opera. At the end there is a moment of silence. Then the spectators applaud. The main advisor wants someone from the audience to come forward. As nobody comes, he points to me and asks me to come to him on stage. I am pulled to the side where a historical dress is wrapped around me and a most funny metal hat. The advisor talks to me in Chinese, asks several questions, which I do not understand, of course. Lisa does her best to translate. Then all the actors stand there for a picture with me in the middle. How funny. Later we can get the digital picture which is printed in one of the kiosks near the stage.
 

 Your words Udo...... As I did not read, understand or speak any Chinese, I was feeling like a complete analphabet in that huge country.

I understand very well indeed.
Before I went to England I spent a year in Lausanne learning French. When I was with a group of young people together they had clever discussions. I sat there, trying to look interested even though I did not understand a word.
At that young age I would have liked to show that I was not totally daft. J

22



Lisa tells me she is hungry now. I think we can sit in the picnic area of the little park There are some blue magpies, hoping to get some crumbs. I open some of the mandarin oranges which Li Xin had given me, and with my pocket knife I peel one of the pears Wendy had given me. My bag is less heavy now. But Lisa does not like fruits. She says there are so many more sights to see in Kaifeng, we should leave this area and have something nice to eat. We sit down on a street vendor´s bench and have some delicious jiao zi (filled dumplings) and vegetable soup. I think it is time to look for accommodation for the night, because there are so many tourists and maybe it will be difficult to find a budget sleeping place. But Lisa says, there is no hurry. After lunch, she asks a tricycle taxi to take us to more interesting places in Kaifeng. But before that he should take us to a binguan (hotel) where we can check in. It is a good hotel, near nice buildings, shopping area and restaurants. She does not give me a chance to pay for the room. It is a spacious one, and she tells me to have a short rest. OK. Then she reminds me that the tricycle taxi man is waiting for us downstairs. He shows us a list of sights and we decide to go to the historical Kaifeng castle. More flowers. We get in and visit many chambers, and even climb to the top floor of the wooden tower building.

Next is a temple. Here some people shout hello to me and Lisa. They have seen us on stage at the performance in the morning. Lisa is happy that we visit the temple. It is a good one, spreading a peaceful atmosphere, with many holy statues and cushions to kneel down and pray. Lisa loves to pray. Lisa buys an enormous joss-stick which she lights and sticks in the big ashbasin for burning. The smell is intense. Lisa also wants to consult one of the priests personally to be told about her future. She does not tell me anything about it afterwards. Is she happy?

 Hi Udo
 
My year in Lausanne was not all fun.
As I was relatively young 15 and not used to work in the household.. (I preferred helping my father with the motorbikes and other mechanical works) I had a hard time.
Imagine!
I had 4 different jobs in one year.
In the first one I was 2 weeks and then I was asked to look for something else. It was my fault :-)
The second job was in a Restaurant.. cleaning, serving in the Restaurant and helping in the kitchen. 
I stayed 3 months. I was asked to look for something else :-) it was NOT my fault
Then 2 weeks where I had to sharpen knives..not my fault either!
The last job was in a bakery and Cafeteria.
I liked it there and stayed 9 months. To be honest after that time they asked me to leave as they could not afford me any longer  *g* It could have been because I ate too many patisserie.

Hi Udo

tell me, which religion was Lisa practising?
Buddhism, Taoism or others?
How is it with religion there. I had a feeling it was not an important issue?

23


After that we visit the famous guildhall. I take many pictures, but in the end I do not remember all the different places. Then evening is getting near. It is time to go back to the hotel. Lisa is not interested in the many little shops of the street vendors. She probably thinks this is all filthy, she prefers to look at modern department stores. I understand because I have found out that Lisa works at a fashion boutique in Luoyang. After another short rest at the hotel, we decide to go and find a nice place for dinner. I am not sure whether she really wants to go to a noble restaurant. So I tell her, I would like to try some local food. Outside it is completely dark already. Not far from our hotel, there is a big night market with hundreds of stalls and outside kitchens. We sit down at one of the tables. Then Lisa starts finding something nice to eat. Well. She gets a flat cake bread with some meat pocketed in it from a Muslim kitchen. Next to it we can have chicken. This really looks good. Lisa asks me if i want to try it. I nod. The man starts hacking the chicken into many cubes, which he puts on a plate for us to eat. Lisa orders two different soups, one with fish, and one with calamares (octopus or squid). Too much food. We start eating. Best of all is the Muslim bread. The chicken is completely cold and full of sharp edgy bits of bones, which we have to spit onto the table. The soups are not so tasty either. When a beggar comes and asks for a handout, I decide to give him the soup and the other things we cannot and do not want to eat.

When strolling over the night market, we get to a stand where spits of meat are offered. There are also spits with insects. They are cicada larvae. As I am wondering about these, Lisa buys two spits, one for me, one for herself. The larvae are roasted immediately. However it takes a lot of effort to eat this unusual delicacy. I am not too fond of it, and Lisa doesn´t like the insects at all. So this dinner is not the best of dinners we had dreamed of. We decide to walk back to the hotel. On the way back we enter a department store, which is open until 10pm. She tells me to wait and hold her bag. After some time she comes back with lots of things for breakfast tomorrow morning. At the hotel she makes what she calls tea: a mug of hot water. When it is time for bed, I go to the bathroom. The shower makes me feel comfortable. Then I lay down in my bed, where all of a sudden I feel bad, I cannot breathe properly, my nose is running all the time. Lisa in the other bed complains about my snoring. It is a long night knowing a most wonderful girl is sleeping so near and at the same time so far out of reach. ....

The next morning we have breakfast in our hotel room. Last night Lisa bought two bags of soymilk which she warms up by letting the hot water in the washbasin run over the bags until the milk is warm enough for drinking. She also bought some caked cereals and a black egg in foil. During this „very special“ breakfast, we plan today´s activities. We only have the morning, as in the early afternoon we must get on the long-distance bus which will take us back to Luoyang. So far we haven´t visited the Millennium Park, an amusement park which is popular with tourist groups visiting Kaifeng. The park is the most expensive attraction, the entrance fee being 80 yuan. We decide to go there. So Lisa checks out and we get down to the street to find a taxi which takes us to the famous Millennium Park which is not so very far from the lake, where we felt so happy yesterday. When we arrive it is shortly after 8am. The hot soy milk has made my digestion work faster than usual, I can feel my bowels getting nervous. But the park doesn´t open before 9am. So we slowly walk along the lakeshore. When I see some swimmers I want to go swimming myself, but Lisa tells me to be sensible and stay away from the water. We have lots of fun: me pretenting to go swimming, she holding me back. Eventually it is opening time. I try to get a reduced price ticket because I am an old man. Usually I get half price, bus this is a private enterprise, I have to pay 80 yuan just like everybody else. Before the public is allowed in on the park area, there is a kind of opening ceremony. Horse riders come through the big gate, fanfares, lots of disguised soldiers on foot, girls in fancy dresses, and, of course, Huang Di, the emperor and his cabinet. There is a performance. I am not so much interested watching all this, as I need a toilet urgently. Finally we can get in and I am so lucky and happy to find what I am looking for, next to the entrance, clean and with no nasty smell.
 

Hi Udo, a great story again. I feel with you about needing a toilet. You should do as the do it in Morocco. Lift their gown and use the kerb in the sidewalk. When I first saw that I wondered if they clean themselves. Yes they use water and the left hand.
A nice lady your Lisa!
As we are leaving after tomorrow I have not so much time to read here..
I wish you could keep the part English conversation going in the meantime though.
Please take care all of you.
Farewell, till we meet again.
Greetings Yoli