Day 6
7:54 am 11/22/97 ct (Sat)
3:55 pm 11/21/97 rt (Fri)
We saw the sun today for the first time in a long while. But it does not
look like the same sun we look upon in the states. This is a glowing, bright,
orange ball that you can stare directly at for as long as you want, and
not see black spots. It's the smog that protects us form the sun. I mean,
it's sad to look upon this glowing orange ball and think that this is the
sun they stare @ all summer long. I guess I am far too spoiled by our clean
air etc. back where I live in the states.
****
10:51 am 11/22/97 ct (Sat)
6:51 pm 11/21/97 rt (Fri)
I bought some chocolate last night, just because I had been wanting (more
like craving actually) chocolate. Clair warned me that the chocolate was
not as good as back in the states. But she asked the lady working @ the
counter which kind of chocolate was the best, and that was the kind that
I bought. But Clair was right. These chocolate bars are of the same consistency
as cheap Easter egg chocolate that I'm sure you've all had. Don't get me
wrong, its not bad, but what I wouldn't give for a Hershys bar right now.
The city we are in right now is absolutely huge. 500,000 people in the
main part of the city, 100,000 in the "suburbs." And this is
considered a SMALL town. People cannot believe that we come from a town
with a little over a thousand. All the people we talk to seem to say the
same thing: China has too many people.
But what can they really do? I mean, you can't just tell people they are
not allowed to have children, and of course everyone wants kids. What is
going to happen when they run out of space? By that time will there be
an answer? What will happen to the world in general if our population keeps
increasing at such the rate that we are now? Is there an answer? Are we
just waiting for another Black Plague? Surely there are already mini-plagues
(aids and such), but still it is not working (helping, dare I say it).
Is there any other solution? Shall we populate other planets, miss-use
them, as we have this one? Or will we learn from our mistakes? Will I
see any of this in my lifetime?
And why do people strive to live so long? Why do we fear death so much?
Because we fear the unknown? Because we are afraid of what will happen
to us? Well, if we say that there is a Heaven and a Hell (or just for
those believing that) then the only people that should fear death are those
that think they are (or might be) going to Hell. So instead of fearing
death should they be living their lived in a way that they should not be
going to Hell? Or perhaps they are afraid that what they believe in (Or
were taught to believe in) might be possibly false and that there is no
afterlife. Or maybe they have been following the "wrong" religion
(even if they have been following it exactly) and they might be damned to
another religion's version of "Hell." Or maybe we're all just
fools who don't know much of anything so we make up the answers to fit what
we want (or need) the answers to be.
****
2:43 pm 11/22/97 ct (Sat)
10:44 pm 11/21/97 rt (Fri)
We're on the train now to Liuzhou. It is a bit bouncy, but we are on soft
sleepers with out own cabin, so we are traveling the "ritzy" way.
I've picked up a few Chinese words form Clair, mostly simple things.
Ni Hao (Knee how) - Hello
Ni Hao Ma - How are you?
Yi Ping Pijiu (E ping peegeo) - bottle of beer
Yi Ping - Bottle
Kele (Kulu) - Cola
Bu Dong (boo dong) - No understand
Bu Yao (boo yow) - No want
Mei Mei (may may) - beautiful rose
Jia Jia (G A G ah) big sister
Di Di - Little Brother
The tones on the words are sort of hard when you just hear them, but when
Clair explains how the tone goes it's much easier to get.
The train is actually very comfortable and very private. It is smaller
than our room on the boat, but the beds are much more comfortable. Softer,
better blankets, and MUCH better pillows. The pillows on the boat were
terrible.
I haven't seen the bathroom on the train yet, but Clair says that they
won't be bad @ all. Still squat "toilets" (what can be expected?
They have those even in the ritziest hotels, in the lobbies.), but it should
not look or smell like the ones on the boat @ all.
****
5:09 pm 11/22/97 ct (Sat)
1:09 am 11/22/97 rt (Sat)
When the train stops along the way, venders come alongside the train to
sell things. You can open up your window & buy things. Orion and I
decided to risk trying a Chinese Cola. The cans looked rather interesting
and beer like. All I can say about the cola is that it was a combination
of cream soda and bubble gum juice, with a not-so-pleasent aftertaste.
I think we will stick to Coke or Pepsi from now on, play it safe.