Hard seat train rides are always a lot of fun. It's not as bad as it souds. The seats are padded and the train usually rests at stations along the way so you can get out, stretch your legs, and grab some instant noodles. Also got to chat with and see the lives of the "Old Hundred Names", the common folk of China.
After my final exam and a final banquet with my fellow students, I borded a cab to Beijing West Station, arguably the largest train station in Asia. Boarded train T7 to Chengdu. My seat was near a family with two baby twin girls, and another family with a boy around 13 years old. I spent spent the next 25 hours or so watching the countryside roll by. First Beijing, then Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and finally, Sichuan. Also ate instant noodles, chatted, and plowed through the copy of "The Open Veins of Latin America" by Eduardo Galeano my father gave me. On saturday morning as we neared the Sichuan border, I befriended a girl from a college in Sichuan who spoke very good English. Her English name was Asura. She's majoring in Biomedical engineering and will be studying in Belgium next year. She was very friendly and reminded me of a friend from Yale. Gave her an "I heart New York" shirt. She gave me an inscent bag.
As the train rolled on I watched wheat and corn fields give way to rice paddies. I also saw towns that had been devastated by the earthquake. Finally, we arrived in Chengdu. I had come over 2000 km. Oh, how will I find Li Cheng! Everyone here is Chinese! Fortunately, he found me. We took a cab to his place, only 10 Chinese dollars, much cheaper than Beijing.
His building looked like all the others nearby. Grey 1950's Soviet architecture. Willow trees and a fish pond out front. winding lanes within the gates of the complex. There were flowers and children playing. The inside of the apartment was much more gorgeous than the outside of the building. Occupying the top two stories of the building, the apartment has multiple balconies, spacieous rooms, a large guestroom, and two rooftop gardens. His parents were warm and welcoming. His dad, a smoker, lawyer, and a big personality, reminded me of my father. They even look a like. His mom , a former librarian, was a sweet-heart. I called them auntie and uncle (at Li Cheng's request). I gave them gifts, and they gave me four beautiful fans for my family. I showered and we ate. Sichuanese food is great and while in Chengdu, I was no vegetarian (more on that later).
The dog, Tiantian, a puppy of 3 month, was adorable and fun to be around. We ate a delicious meal of meat, rice, potatoes, spicy veggies, and spicy liquor (even the liquor is spicy). I watched a movie with Li Cheng's dad while Li Cheng did some work. "Warriors of Heaven" was about a renegade Tang Dynasty general, a Japanese embassador (with awesome sword skills), a nun, and an old guy who try to get this relic safely across Xinjiang withort this warlord taking it.
Slept late Sunday morning. Ate delicious Sichuan breakfast: congee, eggs, meat, buns, hot soy milk, and tea. Went for a walk with Li Cheng around the neighborhood. Bought fake DVD's, a lot of them. Also saw part of Southwest Transportation University's campus. This is where Li Cheng sent to college before going to Shanghai for law school. Dinner was delicious. We ended the day by watching "Once Upon a Time in China". Afterwards, I talked with his parents about the Cultural Revolution, living in Chengdu, and tea. We sang some great songs together. "L'internationale" (mom was a party member), "In the far away place" (beautiful folk song), and a song about American imperialism Devin taught me, which got a laugh from Li Cheng's dad.
Woke up early Monday, played with Tiantian. Had breakfast. Set out with Li Cheng on an adventure. Using the city's buses (subway lines are under construction still), we went to the Panda breeding facility. On the way, Li Cheng noticed how "handsome" I was. Everyone on the bus was starring at me, because I was a foreigner. Li Cheng and I descussed Environmental issues in China and America. I explained how curruption had devastated public transportation developement in many American cities. Talked about how Westerner's (Western China) viewpoints are shaped by events such as the Earthquake. His parents had been at work at the time, but the plants in the apartment were knocked over. No one they knew was hurt, but it was scarry. We talked about how on the one hand, China's development can be seen as the exploitation of western and rural areas' labor force and natural resources by urban and eastern areas. Furthermore, the 1st World can be seen as exploiting China. But without this, would there be such economic growth? Can a balance be struck? How? When?
The Pandas were great. Really cute and fat. Also had Red Pandas, peacocks, ducks, and fish. Met a couple from Chongqing I would see again on Emeishan. Learned a new phrase: "yuan2fen4". Chinese Buddhist for "fate". I had a great time chatting with Li Cheng. He discouraged interning at the China Labour Bulletin in Hong Kong (a possibility for the future). We met a tall, pretty girly from Hebei in the gift shop. I pretended not to know CHinese and used a puppet panda to translate for me. Fun. Met two Hungarian travelers on the bus ride to the zoo. Told them Li Cheng was "China's most famous lawyer, a Yale graduate!" Zoo was great. Ate candy shaped like a butterfly, road a dragon boat ride. Saw pandas, birds, alligators, golden monkeys, baboons, zebras, rhinos, hippos, grizzly bears, polar bears, some wierd Asian bear (Taiwan bear?), orangutans, and chimps (in a gage that might upset Josh). Also saw tigers and lions. Chatted with Li Cheng about how everyone was starring at me. Next to the zoo is an old temple. Beautiful, a combination of Tibetan and Chinese styles. Bought some inscents, did bows. Walked by a tree Li Cheng remembered from his childhood. Ate out with his family at a fancy Chengdu hotpot place. Delicious and spicy. Ate such exotic items as pig liver and beef stomach. Upset my stomach later. Took some pills and all was well.
Chengdu is one of China's loveliest cities. Tuesday, we took the bus to another temple. Even more gorgeous. Also had Tibetan influences. We toured its magnificient halls and gazed at the statues. I liked how the lion paintings were so stylized (made by people who had never seen lions). Ate some very realistic fake chicken at a restaurant there. Enjoyed the lovely teahouse. Very relaxing. Sipped tea, chatted, watched a guy getting his ears cleaned. Then we went downtown. Lot's of people, motorcycles, and cars. 人山人海. Passed an area with a lot of army clothes stores and sports stores. The big square was fun. Huge white statue of Chairman Mao. We ate snacks at this fancy Chengdu restaurant and chatted about discrimination law in America and China. Hmm.... snapped a picture with this guy dressed as Zhang Fei (Guan Yu's little brother). Went to this street full of tourists. Met an African selling cartoons of Jet Li, Bruce Lee, etc... Spoke good Chinese, no English. Impressed some Japanese tourists with "Konichiwa". Li Cheng wouldn't talk to them. Still hates them. But he wants to learn Japanese for video games, etc... Talked about Japan, Taiwan, scooters, and dating. Went home and rested up for my hike. Talked over a plan with his folks.
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