Seeking discomfort (China)

Some days, I wake up in strange places. Sometimes on a train hearing snores all around me. Sometimes there is a desperate little fan blowing hot air and some nights I am freezing and cursing myself for not packing enough clothes. There are nights, when I am home, and I wake up yearning for the discomfort because I know at the end of it is a place waiting to be explored.

Discomfort it was, I had rushed to Guangzhou station, bought a ticket to Yueyang, not knowing much about the city. The new found friends on the train mentioned that I would die, I would need more clothes. Soon enough I started to feel the cold and it was inside the train, I dreaded what it would be like outside. Early in the morning we reached YueYang. I wore both my T-Shirts, still I shivered. I walked into a hotel, ten minutes walk from the station. I was happy to be inside the building. It was warmer. I walked to the reception. I found the receptionist fast asleep on a makeshift bed made out of a couple of chairs. She looked so cute with a blanket pulled up till her nose. I did not have the heart to wake her. I went up to the sofa at the reception and fell asleep there.

Eventually, the sleepy girl awoke. I got my room. It rained most of the morning and the sun stayed hidden behind the clouds. I watched the music channel. They were showing Korean music videos. A place full of red flowers and a beautiful girl walking by a lake. I decided to go to Korea next.

By afternoon, the sky had cleared. Yueyang is a smallish city with a large city square and even larger “big-screen” TV up in the middle. It was cold. I stopped by a little eating place.  Everyone kept asking me if I was not feeling cold. The woman who ran the place pointed to a shop where I could buy a yifu (jacket). She added that I should bargain..the shop often scammed people it seems.The owner has a little kid. She propped the kid on a stool. But he squirmed, squirmed, squirmed and plopped down from the stool. She walked back again and propped him up the stool. And a little while later he was again on the ground.

I walked up to the Yueyang tower. It is the main attraction in the area. I saw several school buses parked outside. The park surrounding the tower was full of students. The tower itself was deserted except for a stall selling film and refreshments. I was cold…my fingers numb. I bought a packet of dried meat from a stall. I was happy to see generous sprinkling of chilli seeds. The chilli and the smiles from the girls at the stall kept me warm. They were amused at my Chinese. I scammed them, I told them I was from Xinjiang. As it often happens, when you mention Xinjiang. The people ask you to sing- supposedly Xinjiang people are very good at singing and dancing. I told the girls that I was a bad singer and dancer so my folks “bu yao’ed” me from Xinjiang. From the compound you can see Dongting — Hu — the biggest freshwater lake in China. I strolled around the lake for a while and then headed back to the City centre. The school kids going back home were happy to see me.

The Dongting Lake at YueYang

Nick called and asked me to come to Shanghai. I said I want to go to Jiangxi. He paused on the phone, and asked people around his office if anyone wants to go to Jiangxi. He told me no one in his office would ever go to Jiangxi. I told him that now I am more interested in going there.

Later in the night, I went back to the same eating place and proudly showed my “yifu” to the lady. She asked me how much I had spent and when I told her the price, she was satisfied that I was not scammed. I asked for some noodles, and she cooked some. I was hungry and I finished the whole bowl in two minutes. She then asked me if I was still hungry, she said she will make some more. I said I was full. She said she wouldn’t charge, she just wants to make sure I’m not hungry.

Cold and hazy city

One travels to see new places. In my case I do not care. I travel to experience people. Sometimes I will go to a historical city. I would be least interested in seeing the sights. I would rather spend my time meeting some people. I sometimes avoid bigger cities and famous places. I am happy in a smallish regular town…just being there playing with some kids. And I know, In these cities I meet kind people, people who are curious about me as much as I am about them. And I know as cities become bigger, we will have less time for each other and eventually we will not be curious at all. But I will continue to seek such places, to find and to absorb. I will cease to exist when the last kid refuses to smile.