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leaders of the valley
day 142: 泾川 (jingchuan) - 王村 (wangcun) = 17,2km
First of all, here’s my shoe after the repair (March 28th 2008):
Walking feels a bit weird now, but I guess I’ll get used to that.
Let’s just hope the glue and the stitches will last.
…
As you can see on the map, I’m slowly making my way through a long valley:
Walking here is actually pretty nice, but right when I left off I was still struggling with the grudge I had from yesterday (March 28th 2008).
This is the entry of the cave with the Buddha statues I wasn’t allowed to photograph:
“The thing is,” I had told the pencil pusher who was handling my case, “I want to take pretty pictures of your country, I really do. But if you don’t give me a chance to cover the cultural relics you got here, all that is left for me to shoot is the outside reality - and the misery you’re not taking care of.”
Take another look at the picture above, and you’ll see misery crouching in the dirt. She’s never far.
Yes, I was bearing a grudge with each step.
A grudge.
A grudge.
A grudge.
Then, after too many steps, I ran into these guys:
They gave me a great “hallo” and told me to follow them to the riverside.
We had to traverse large areas with tomato-greenhouses:
Then we all sat down by the riverside next to a fish pond, and they made a twig wreath and put it on my head, and we talked and talked and laughed and laughed, and my grudge was gone and forgotten:
“Is your sister pretty?” - “Do you really drink that much milk in Germany?” - “You are so tall - are you still growing?” - “Isn’t walking very boring?” - “Don’t you miss home?”
Children are awesome - and you know what? - most of them speak better Mandarin than the people I’ve dealt with in the administration.
We also talked about the problem with littering - “Müll” in German:
As this generation is growing up, things will get better. They must!
Anywho, walking was a lot nicer without the burden of a grudge to bear:
I enjoyed some more of the rosé blossoms:
And I had fun with 欢欢 (huanhuan) the dumb dog with eyes awry:
Sat down and had some cookies here:
And took another picture of the leaders of the new school:
Having hope for the future is always better than being mad at the present.
This is the courtyard of the hotel I’m staying at tonight:
…and here’s my suite:
I don’t know why, but I somehow really like this picture.
Looks so…lost.
Soundtrack: Jacky & Ben-J - “Les Enfants Du Soleil”
—total: 1840,4km
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March 29th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Just because of those Nice Ordinary Common people, the authority can be that ignorance !
(If you find this one - case of sensitive, delete it !)
March 29th, 2008 at 10:42 am
hi, habe jetzt deine Resie bis zum 22. Januar zurück verfolgt und hab mich gewundert, how the fuck did you come to listen to hermans hermits on january 4th. I mean, hermans hermits rather belongs to the rock heritage of my age, not yours, though I hated him anyway.
March 29th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
huhu! so endlich wieder up to date, dieser zivilisationsstress….
die kids in dem video sind ja süß! wenn man es nicht besser wüsste würde man meinen sie versuchen eine schafherde nachzumachen…
und kannst du den niedlichen hund direkt mal einpacken und hier vorbei bringen? ist das so ne art chinesischer mops??
March 29th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Steven:
Hermann: Hey, “No Milk Today” is a catchy song after all!
jule: Hehe, das Hundevieh ist gut, oder? Total überzüchtet glaube ich…
March 29th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Thank you for this site! I came across it from Google Earth, I read some of your diary pages, and I have now started reading from the beginning. I have been visiting China for the past 17 years (although I never got to stay as long as you did, and my Chinese is very limited), and your reports feel very “real” to me - the next best thing to being there. Please keep going!
March 30th, 2008 at 9:18 am
I feel very honored that you value this site so much, thank you!
March 31st, 2008 at 12:02 am
Actually as a native Chinese, I haven’t travelled so north or west. Thanks for the great pictures and words.
March 31st, 2008 at 12:20 am
By the way, the pictures of spring you have been taking make me sooo homesick. The city I am working at is always in summer. My hometown is in south of China but with distinct seasons.
March 31st, 2008 at 12:33 am
Fantastic diaries, splendid photos.
Just like Maggie said, as native Chinese, we’ve not travelled so far .
what a pity, even shame!
Actually, I have some German friends working in my town–Hefei,Anhui.
German people are awesome.Although they tend to make critiques of
my contury and people, I like to talk with these guys.Coz I think these
critics are instrutive.
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Das Bild - ziemlich “verloren”. Stümmt, ürgendwie…..