Tourists for a day
Today was a good day to go local to be a tourist to stand
out from the crowd. Instead of following the American teachers into the weekend
forays into Dalian or Kaifaqu we took the 3rd way out toward Jiuli. The
light rail covers the Zhongshan District, Xigang District, Shahekou District,
Ganjingzi District, and of course Kaifaqu where we go shopping on the shopping
bus on Tuesday or Thursday evening after our driver (Jack) takes us to and fro
from Campus Village to the Jinshitan station. Of course the fact of the matter
is that we carry the name of our school and home on a business card with us because
we won’t know one district from another. The light rail ride is great. We aren’t
worrying about how cars pass on both sides of us without putting on their
indicators or drivers decide to make a fourth lane when there is really only
three or go very fast to run a light and how drivers are constantly talking on
their phones – we are just enjoying the view. The view is great, country,
hills, water, villages and cities all within the half hour ride between our
local stop at Jinshitan and Kaifaqu. Today we took the other train going out to
Jiuli and on the way saw a large shopping area. That was enough for us to hop
off and go exploring. We did not see another western for the day and we seemed
to be the entertainment of others. From going to a restaurant and having a hot
pot – our new favorite way to eat; a large bowl of seasoned water on a burner,
then a variety of plates of food is brought and we dump it into the boiling
stew.
We bought all kinds of stuff; a quilt – not to weirdly
Chinese though a bit on the orange side, for about one-third the price we saw
in Dalian and Kaifaqu, dishes, foods, and Narda got some interesting material
to have dresses made from. They don’t seem to have any clothes for tall Dutch
women here. And I caused a bit of a commotion in the shoe section of a shop.
There were dozens of merchants selling shoes and I need some new ones but to
find my size, forget it. A lot of people were talking quite rapidly all trying
to help me find my size and after much hilarity I went on my way empty handed.
It was good being a tourist again – especially where we
live. We use to play tourist in New York City, but after five years living
there it was a bit difficult because we owned our home too and of course there
were a few million who looked like us in some shape size colour and form. Here?
It is like being a celebrity when people follow you or stand and point and
stare. We love it. It is like being in Cambodia or Viet Nam or Northern Thailand
or India again. Here are some images from our wanders today. And tomorrow
morning it is back to work in our little American environment.
