1 hair, 2 hair, 3 hair, 4. Long hair, Short and then some more...

Have you ever considered what it would be like to go bald? You, having no hair there to blow in the wind or the intense sunburns you might receive if you forget your hat. Although I sometimes fear that I'll go bald eventually, I don't regret having my hair about an inch longer than bald.

When I cut my hair short it was liberating. I could wake up in the morning and go without combing my hair. When the wind blew there was only chilly gusts blowing on my face, not strands of hair going wild. I especially enjoyed feeling the wind through my hair which I couldn't experience with the long hair always blocking it. Since it's been one year since I chopped my hair thought I'd share what it's like now.

Yes, it's longer, but not as long as it will be! It'll be super long for a while, I'll get tired of it, and then I'll chop it all off again!! Ha!

On a side note I did survive not having water, but it was weird to shower as if I were camping.

No Water

After a fine afternoon of reciting poetry for the school's sound system we were informed that we would not have running water for the next two days. Apparently the city is undergoing some pipe changes or fixing them or something. I thought I could count on getting to take a warm shower every once and a while, but these next two days I can't even count on a cold one! The advice given to us is "to fill your washing machine and sink with water". Every bucket, filled to the brim just in case you need it the next two days.

Contemplate that too long and I remember that something like this would never happen in the US. Not being able to have running water would be unthinkable and cruel. But do I really need a shower everyday? Or even every other? Apparently in China people don't.

Beauty in a Far Away Land

I learned so much more than before about Chinese culture as I traveled away from my home in Weihai. For example, most Chinese people apparently love Chairman Mao and worship him for what he did for modern China. On top of the Avatar Mountains there were always locks on the railing. In one particular spot there were tons of them with hardly any space for more! People had written their wish on the locks, and thrown the key off the edge of the cliff so that their wish would come true. So, here are the pictures I promised:

On Obstacles

"It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings."
~Wendell Berry

Vacation

Two weeks ago I was more than happy to leave this cold, windy city and venture out into China. The part of China where the sun shines, and the rain leaves you wanting more. This was the dream fixed in the mind of my group and I. Going on vacation was a time for relaxation, warmth, and sitting in happiness.

What actually happened on vacation began as a disappointment, but ended still as week of wonderful exhaustion. As English-speaking people it was very hard to communicate our wishes so we went with the travel agency to get cheaper prices and to avoid getting lost. Going with the agency also meant that we had to follow their plan, the predetermined trip outline. Our foreign coordinator, Kelly, helped save our spots with the agency and tried to explain what places we'd be visiting on our way to Guilin. We booked a tour with a bunch of old people to try to slow down our trip since the trip to Beijing was rush after rush after rush. It turns out that old people go much faster than we thought.

Here is a list of what I places I went to, and what I did:
1. A two day train ride
2. A museum about an ancient Chinese tomb
3. Chairman Mao's hometown and home
4. Arrived at ZhengJiaJie. The Mtns where Avatar was filmed!
5. Walked down a giant staircase to the bottom of the mountain
6. Got a foot massage
7. Walked in ZhengJiaJie
8. Saw the wild monkeys at ZhengJiaJie
9. Went to the crystal store
10. Rode the train again, for one night
11. Elephant Park
12. Waterfall Park
13. Tea Tasting shop and interesting snacks
14. Fountain and hole-in-the-rock park
15. Yangshuo- Li River boat ride
16. Mud caving
17. Riding electric scooters around the countryside
18. Shopping in Yangshuo
19. Watched a traditional Chinese dance show
20. Cock fighting
21. Sang songs with the old people
22. A two day train ride back home

Ten days worth of things to do and places to see. It was a sensational experience, one that I would definitely do again given the chance. In the next post I'll give more details on a few of these, and have my pictures to try to explain the magnificence.