Internet troubles

Hurrah! It is going through!
So apparently, while I was in Thailand, there was an earthquake in Taiwan that knocked out an underwater internet cable and severed internet connection to most of China. They have rerouted connection through many landlines while they repair the lines, but temporarily (indefinitely temporarily) the internet here is incredible slow, like you click a link and then come back five minutes later to see if it connected. Thus the delay in the end of my Thailand story. I am sure you were all wondering it I re-emerged from the dense and wild Thai jungle.

Well, I did. Snake and spider bite free. No malaria or Japanese influenza, or whatever else. Yet. Actually, the three-day trek when viewed from afar was pretty lame. It is really designed for foolish tourists, and I am a trekker, not a tourist. (Or so I like to delude myself.) They took a single long days hike and spread it out over about three days. Then we walked through the Thai equivalent of a village about the size of West Branch, NY. There were some short treks through jungle, many walks along dusty dirt roads and many little tiny “villages” consisting of 3-4 straw and leaf houses on stilts (for shade and shelter from the rainy season?) We slept our two nights in houses like this on bug-infested mattresses on the floor. It was freezing at night and I was very happy I was lugging my sleeping bag along, because the quilts provided were thin and the length of Thai people, which is about a foot and a half too short for me. There was a lot of waiting time and a lot of tourist herding, as there were many groups out there trying not to cross paths with each other, since this was supposed to be an “authentic” bushwhacking experience. I was lucky, because after the first night, my tour group consisted of myself and a friendly and interesting British chap about my age. And of course our young, wacky, and loud tour guide that loved to drink. Chris, the British guy and I managed to convince him to take us the “long way” through the jungle to make the trek more difficult and interesting, but I think it was about the same as the “short way” on post reflection.

That being said, there were a few beautiful waterfalls that we saw. I swam in one, but it was bitter cold, and my body was still stinging five minutes after diving in. The jungle was beautiful, although we didn’t see any wild animals but a few birds, because we were not in the deep jungle and man has scared the animals deeper in. But, one of my guides carried a crocodile Dundee looking knife, and when I asked him what it was for, he very seriously told me “Anacondas”.

We saw some beautiful and interesting hill tribe people of the White Karen tribe, known for requiring all their young unmarried virgins to wear a special white gown declaring their availability. Apparently, the family giving away the virgin must also give the groom a pig, and we were told that if you see a house with many pigs out front, it means that there are many daughters to give away inside. I saw two of these white dressed girls in my three days there. And many big bristly black pigs, tied up everywhere, all manner of animals living amongst the people, actually.

Upon my return to Chiang Mai, I spent my last day in Thailand at a Thai cooking class, which was actually quite interesting. I learned how to make five traditional Thai dishes, how to identify a bunch of new herbs, plants, and vegetables, and came home with a Thai cookbook, some dried Chilies and other spices and a package of Thai red curry. Cool.
And now, I have just spent my first week back in Dalian, FINALLY established in my new apartment!! WooHoo! Hurrah!@ The apartment is great. It is pretty far away from everything, and buses, lightrail, taxis, bikes, long walks and the school-scheduled trips to town have become my form of transport. But Ah! The stars are as beautiful as a nice Ava night. My favorite constellations, Orion, Cassiopeia, and the dolphin, beam down at me with surreal brightness on these crisp and biting winter nights. There are eight American teachers here, and a slew of security guards that are fascinated by our strange settling-in movements. It took me the length of this week to really get excited about being here again, because I was so far away, and was feeling a bit lonely and bored in the evening at first. (I had them remove the enormous TV from my little living room, and wondered if it was a good idea while listening to movies blaring through my neighbor’s walls, satiating entertainment needs.) But, it was just the usual adjustment and now that I have had a weekend to settle in and explore the area, I am extremely excited to be out here. I have figured out the fastest and cheapest ways to transport myself into Kai Fa Qu or Dalian when I need to and after walking around, have discovered some nearby villages that will be interesting to get to know. Within 20 minutes walk I have found a little local apartment complex with three tiny restaurants in them (read slightly unclean Chinese restaurants with a few rickety folding tables in a small front room.), a grocery store with any needed emergency items (including silkworms and raw meat on a counter slab), a pretty nice Internet café, and a liquor store! OK, so this is the part where I realize I might not be roughing it as much as I thought. Just need to get my bearings.

Anyway, I have a big and luxurious apartment just waiting for guests. Heated wooden floors, heavy expensive walnut furniture, and about 7 light switches just for the bathrooms various heat lamps, shower light, toilet light and make-up light. I’m overwhelmed! Welcome to China! Also, I have a permanent address:

Rebecca Finn
Dalian American International School
2 Dianchi Road, Golden Pebble Beach
National Resort, Development Area,
Dalian 116650 P.R. China

If you send me something, it is recommended that the address be printed on a computer, because Chinese people have a very difficult time deciphering roman letters. For example if the “t” doesn’t have the Denelian curl on the end they can’t tell what it is. Its easier to print it and more likely that I will get it.

I also have a cell phone number for those that are interested: 13889630592

Oh, and one final question, I am taking suggestions for where I should spend my week off in February. Any ideas? Anyone doing anything interesting and want company? Anyone want to visit me? I’d like to do some hiking.