Back in Nanchang

It is Saturday and I have been back in Nanchang for two days now. It is strange, but I think I've had a bit of culture shock readjusting to life in this city after being in a very modern and beautiful Chinese city, Xiamen.

But I feel like Nanchang is sort of a home now, so it's rather nice to return to the chaos and down to earth people. The most noticeable thing in Nanchang is the abundance of dirt and grime. I think I have forgotten about it after living here for nearly four months by now. The people also are shorter and skinner, and they wear shabbier clothing than Xiamen.

Yesterday I ventured out to Walmart on the bus 231. The whole city is overflowing with people. I think it must be because of Spring Festival coming up. Everywhere you see people lugging around suitcases, or shouldering big bags hanging from bamboo poles. So the buses were also very crowded. When I returned to old campus on the bus, I was carrying two bags and I was plastered against the windshield. I was trying not to fall out the door or smash through the window. The people on the bus were just silently staring at me, like usual. I felt at home.

Then this afternoon I decided to go on a long walk in the bitter cold. I walked briskly along Beijing Lu (Beijing Street--they don't have very creative street names) for about an hour. Since it was a Saturday, it is social day. All the tiny shops were empty. The dark little restaurants, shoe repair stands, and bicycle parts shops were silent. Instead all the occupants of the businesses, plus residents from surrounding neighborhoods, were all stuffed onto the sidewalks gaily chatting away. It was like everyone came out to sun themselves and check up on their friends and relatives.

Numerous groups of elderly men played cards or mahjong on tiny tables with peg stools. Little children were running around, and women of all ages, shapes, and sizes knitted or clustered into little groups talking. Some men just lounged and smoked, and discussed things very animatedly. It was so pleasant to walk by these scenes. But then everyone would drop what they were doing to stare at me and enthusiastically proclaim, "HELLO!! NICE TO MEET YOU!"

Rachael, my roommate, returned yesterday after a wild expedition through rural Anhui province with some of her students. Jodi also returned today after visiting some relatives in the very modern and Westernized city of Guangzhou. So half of our team is back together.

I'll leave you with just a few pictures I took from Xiamen! The first picture is of Xiamen, of course. Note that the cars are actually driving in the lanes. This isn't typical of China! The second picture is the view of Xiamen's skyline from an island, Gulangyu. The third is of us at the beach. And the fourth is my pretty mysterious hair cut in Xiamen. I'm not sure if that guy was old enough to cut hair...