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...
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