Hello Sichuan: Sichuan Part 1

February 17, 2010:

I've been traveling for a very long time now. This morning Kelsey and I got on our 7th airplane of the past month to fly to Chengdu in Sichuan province. We only have about a day and a half here. I managed to buy two inexpensive plane tickets for us from Chengdu to Nanchang on the 19th. I am so thankful we won't have to take a 24 hour train ride home. And I feel a bit excited and pleased that my Chinese has progressed enough that I can buy plane tickets fairly successfully!

We've only been in Chengdu for a few hours, but I can tell why it is so famous. It is a big, clean city of 11 million people nestled in between beautiful, misty mountains. Whey does Nanchang seem like a sweatshop in comparison to all these cities we've been traveling to?

We're staying the night at a hotel here with my friend Jenni who lives in a nearby city, Dujiangyan. We will travel there tomorrow for a short day trip. She's really sweet and let us check our email on her computer. I've been away from the Internet for a mere 10 days, but in this day and age, that's like an eternity. It is nice to once again be connected with my family, but I don't really care about much else. It was rather nice to live in isolation...

As I flew over the snow-capped mountains of Xinjiang and Tibet this afternoon, I just thought about how much I've grown and learned, even in the past month. I've experienced so many things and people, and I've seen parts of the world that remind me how creative and powerful the Father is. I think I've changed, and I want to take these experiences to lead a different life now--a life that is more meaningful, more confident, more courageous, and more reflective of Him.


(Xinjiang/Tibet from the air).


(Downtown Chengdu).


(A huge statue of Mao in downtown Chengdu).

Good-bye: Xinjiang Part 8

February 16, 2010:

Today was our last full day in Xinjiang. The biggest event of the day was in finding meals on our own. A lot of Chinese places are closed because of the Spring Festival holiday, so we ended up eating lunch and dinner at pretty ethnic places.

For lunch we ate at a very earthy Kazakh place. We ate la mian, which is so good! It is a plate full of thick noodles and a tomato sauce with slightly spicy beef. We also drank tea out of a bowl, which seems to be the Xinjiang custom.

And for dinner we ate a beautiful Uighur restaurant. Again we drank tea out of a bow. We also had zhua fan and lamb kebabs. My body is being revived with such great meat here.

In between meals, we took a taxi to Da Ba Zha, the Uighur market that Reborn and her friend took us to last week. On the way there, you could still see signs of a city feeling the effects of the July incident. The army has taken over an entire theater, which I assume must be there command center or something. Transports of soldiers in armored trucks patrol the streets. Groups of soldiers with automatic weapons and helmets walk around. Police and citizens in red armbands also add to the watchful eyes on the streets of Urumqi.

And speaking of the streets of Urumqi, they seem really unique to me. One minute you're in China, and the next minute you've stepped foot in the Middle East. People sell big, round loaves of fresh bread on the street, exotic music plays from the shops, and mosques dot the landscape. Many of the Uighur men have mustaches and fur hats. The women wear colorful headscarves and long dresses down to their ankles. Some women have their entire faces covered.

So overall, I've really enjoyed Xinjiang, and I'm so thankful for this opportunity. It's a place less traveled, and it's changing by the day. I'll remember this awesome experience for a long time. What an adventure!


(A mosque and restaurant rolled into one).


(Uighur food: Zhua fan and tea in a bowl).


(With a Uighur and his gigantic hat!)

Return to Urumqi: Xinjiang Part 7

February 15, 2010:

Thank you, Father, for getting us back to Urumqi! I feel very vulnerable without Reborn. But he has provided for us every step of the way.

This morning Kelsey and I got on a bus in Aletai. Reborn's family was there to see us off in the bitter cold. Before we left, they even got on the bus to argue with people who were sitting in our seats. They're awesome and I already miss them a lot. I loved being with them. It was a lot like the Father's grace with the gift of the Son. We don't deserve it and can never pay it back. We can only receive it with open hands and hearts.

So somehow we made it back to Urumqi. This time we had seats, so I could look at the scenery out the frosty window. It was pretty much the same view the whole time--hundreds of miles of the most barren, open land I've ever seen. And it was all white. But there were interesting things to see, and I'm glad to know that China isn't all one gigantic cityscape like Nanchang. Everything is so clean and fresh here.

I loved looking at the herds of horses, which were attended to by rugged, bundled-up men on horse-back. Our bus also had to slow down several times for camels that were walking along the road. None of them had people on them, although some of them must
have belonged to someone, because a few had beautifully embroidered blankets on. Sometimes I also saw lone herders with furry sheep and rams, as well as very tiny-looking, beige-colored deer roaming freely about. Everything was so open, vast, and wild. Xinjiang is literally China's last frontier!

When Kelsey and I arrived back in Urumqi, I was a little nervous, since I'm unfamiliar with the city and my Chinese is quite limited. But we managed to book a decent hotel room near the bus station using my Chinese, and also got a nice dinner. We will be here for another day and a half. Thanks, Father, for bringing us here safely. Continue to watch after us, especially since we look and feel very vulnerable...


(A herder with horses on the road back to Urumqi).


(The bathroom for women on the side of the road. It was a hole in the snow).

Year of the Tiger: Xinjiang Part 6

February 14, 2010:

Happy Chinese New Year! Yesterday ended with fireworks, and the day also began with fireworks. Apparently you have to set off fireworks in front of your house to ward of evil spirits. Reborn's dad wrapped a roll of firecrackers around an old crutch, stuck it out the window, and exploded them. Everyday I'm thankful that I haven't been in a building that hasn't burned down yet.

Today is the day in China when you visit your relatives and neighbors and sit in their houses for hours on end. Kelsey was exempt from a lot of this, because of her knee, but I still had the privilege to visit all these people and bring them many gifts. It is the day that I was finally ready to leave Xinjiang. It is tiresome to sit forever, especially when you don't understand a lot of what is being said, and they are shoving plates and plates of food in front of you all day long.

In the early afternoon we went to a random aunt and uncle's house with more random aunts, uncles, and cousins. We were there for several hours. We ate lots of interesting food like cow stomach, sheep stomach, horse stomach, gelatin from cow feet, etc. Some Kazakh neighbors also came and treated us like long lost relatives. I thought it was interesting that the Kazakhs and Han were friends, but the Uighurs and Han weren't...

Then we returned to Reborn's house for Kelsey to rest. Reborn and I went back out in the cold to make the trek to visit her grandparents' house again. Many of the stores were closed, so we had a difficult time finding some fruit to bring to them. We hiked to their apartment and sat and watched the same annoying CCTV (Central China Television) Spring Festival performance that has been playing non-stop since yesterday. I have now seen it four or five times. I want to go crazy.

At one point they had an elaborate dance with Uighurs. There were beautiful women and handsome men, and little children dancing with backpacks. Reborn said that they were singing about how much better their life is now, and how happy communism has made them. I asked her, "Were they happy before that?" She answered, "No, of course not." And then everyone in the room talked about how much they disliked them; even hated them. I was so angry and sad.

After that, Reborn and I arrived back at her house to have about the 12th meal of the day. Tomorrow Kelsey and I leave...

New Year's Eve: Xinjiang Part 5

February 13, 2010:

Happy Chinese New Year's Eve! It is Spring Festival time and the mood is quite festive here. It's a little like Christmas, and it's nice to be around a Chinese family.

This afternoon Reborn and I braved the cold to go run some errands before everything closed for the New Year, which is tomorrow. Kelsey stayed home to rest her knee. I felt a lot colder than yesterday. Then Reborn and I decided to go ice-skating outside. Or actually I skated; Reborn watched. It was pretty fun, although my fingers just about froze. I could barely move them. And it wasn't the best idea to drag Reborn around in the cold. Now she has a high fever.

Although everyone didn't feel the greatest, we went to Reborn's grandparents' tiny apartment for a huge meal and to set off firecrackers at midnight. It was a special occasion, and I'm glad we got to spend it with such a great family.

There were 21 people in a room about the same size as our dining room in Topeka. It was hot and smoky and a bit uncomfortable. We sat all squished together around a wooden table on little wooden stools. Kesley and I were the guests of honor, so we go to sit by Reborn's grandparents.

The grandpa was quite an interesting guy. He had a really terrible hearing aid that was basically a microphone in one of his ears. He could barely hear, because he was in the "Old" Red Army in the 1940s. I'm not sure why the grandma is also practically deaf. They have five sons and one daughter. Reborn's dad is the oldest son.

At midnight we went outside to set off fireworks. It was a lot like the Fourth of July, except we were in Siberia and it was a lot crazier since everyone in the apartment complexes were also setting them off. It was a very memorable experience.


(Ice-skating in a freezer).


(Some of the many dishes at our New Year's Eve dinner).


(With the grandpa and his creative hearing aid).

China Skiing: Xinjiang Part 4

February 12, 2010:

Today the wonderment of Xinjiang pretty much ended. Everything was okay this morning, though. First, Reborn, Kelsey and I got on one of the tiny, super crowded buses, which was filled mostly with Kazakhs and their giant fur hats. The street looked like it was during war-time. People were bundled up in very old-fashioned clothes. Some people argued with food vendors on the sidewalks. Massive trucks of coal passed by, and dozens of soldiers marched through the street.

At one of the bus stops, a bread van picked us up to take us to a ski place. We headed directly for the beautiful mountains. It was like we were in Switzerland, but the tons of cattle roaming the snow-encased, narrow road showed otherwise. The little stone houses people lived in were half buried in snow, and looked like they were from another century. The rickety van had to swerve around horses, carts, and wandering cows.

We finally arrived at the ski place, which was pretty nice as far as China is concerned. And it only cost 50 yuan from ski rental and skiing all day, which is less than $10! I hadn't skied since I was 11 years old, but it was a little like learning to ride a bike again. I just felt older, taller, and less flexible. It was so much fun to ski down the fairly empty slopes, surrounded by pristine mountains. The mountains weren't developed at all, so the beauty was nearly untouched. The sky was a gorgeous blue. I don't think many people can say they've gone skiing in such a remote place. I felt very close to heaven.

We really enjoyed skiing, although I was the only one who didn't fall. Maybe it was because of my ballet skills? Reborn, who has been skiing much more often than I have, literally fell on her face about every two feet. Then Kelsey was feeling brave and went on the craziest, steepest slope. She wiped out halfway down, and ripped something in her knee. The ski patrol had to come save her. All the other skiers were so excited. Little kids would ski down the mountain and report, "There's an American up there who looks Kazakh! And she's hurt!" It seemed to be the most thrilling thing to them. So many people were involved in rescuing her. One very nice man even drove us all the way to Reborn's home in his car.

After we made it back into town, Reborn's dad took us to the hospital. The hospital visit was free, because Reborn's dad said Kelsey was his daughter. Nobody even batted an eye, although Kelsey wasn't obviously even close to being related to him. The hospital itself was smaller, but nicer than Nanchang's hospital. Nobody was dying in the corners or throwing up on the stairs. They took an X-ray, although Kelsey didn't think she broke anything. We took the developed X-ray into a room, where a chain-smoking doctor sat playing video games. We didn't feel too confident in him. He just looked at the X-ray, and announced, "You're fine! Nothing's broken!" Yes, we know... So the hospital visit was pointless and Kelsey still feels a lot of pain.


(On the road to the ski place).


(The slopes).


(Skiing with cute little Reborn).

Living History: Xinjiang Part 3

February 11, 2010:

Every day is full of surprises. Today Reborn's grandma came over for a shower. She is the tiniest 85 year-old I've ever seen, but she has perseverance. When she was six years old in eastern Shandong province, her parents began to bind her feet. I've never met anyone with bound feet, especially since most of those generations have died. It was a traditional practice in China to make girls' feet look more "beautiful." The tradition had mostly died out by the early 1900s, but it still hung on in some parts of the country until the 1920s.

So here is Reborn's grandmother with 6-inch long feet, shaped like triangles. She can still get around quite well, and walks by shuffling along on her heels. It was like a living piece of history walked into the apartment.

We were curious about her feet, so she told us more about them, especially how painful it has been her entire life. They had to break all the toes except for the big one, and bandage them tightly into the rest of her feet. And she proudly showed us her tiny little shoes. I was in disbelief. This woman with abnormally small feet laughed when I showed her my large feet, which are twice as long as hers.

We wanted to know more about her life, so she told us a bit through Reborn as our translator. In 1950s, when Reborn's mom was born, they all nearly starved to death. Millions of people did starve to death. Maybe that's why Reborn's grandma and mom are so petite and look older than their age. They could only eat one mantou (bun) a week. The only other thing they could eat was tree bark. They were farmers who literally had nothing, and there was a terrible famine. So now I can understand why Reborn's family is so frugal...

During the afternoon I trudged across a long road and bridge to Reborn's grandparents' house. It wasn't as cold as yesterday, but it was snowing. The temperature might have been as high as 8 degrees or something!

Then Kelsey, Reborn, and I went to the Kazakh neighborhoods. Aletai is about 60% Kazakh. We went to one area, in particular, that looked like a World War Two Jewish ghetto, Kelsey and I both thought. Nobody was probably starving, but that's what the place looked like. They sold saddles, whole skinned animals, and blocks of rock-solid cheese. Everything was extremely dark, dingy, and dirty. The buildings looked like they might collapse any second. Then we rounded a corner and saw a cart full of animal heads-- all bloody, frozen, and still with all the skin, eyes, hair, and teeth. The horse heads were especially grisly.

The rest of the evening was spent inside. We washed clothes, which was the most laborious, time-consuming effort ever. They had a "washing machine," which was barely one step up from washing the clothes by hand. The machine wasn't much of a machine, and didn't do much washing.

You had to fill the machine up with water yourself using buckets of water from the sink. Then you turned a crank, and it halfheartedly swirled everything around for a bit. Then you had to haul the extremely stretched-out, wet clothes to another side of the machine, where you wrung the clothes out with another crank. This whole process was repeated twice. Then we hung all the clothes to dry over the radiators. I would be a terrible Chinese housewife.

And one of the most exciting events was taking a shower! I haven't taken a shower for nearly four days. After the water was heated up in a big, metal box on the wall, I got to take a shower in their dimly-lit bathroom. The water was just a lukewarm trickle from a pipe that stuck out from the middle of the wall. Never had a shower felt so good. I'm learning to be grateful for so much!


(Reborn's grandma with her 6-inch long shoes).


(The grandma's description of her feet being bound).


(Family picture! With Reborn's family).


(The trek across the river to Reborn's grandparents' house.)


(Need some meat? I lost my appetite when I saw these animal parts in the Kazakh section of Aletai).