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Reflections on a Wandering Life.....
Monday, July 31, 2006
"So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him." (Genesis 12:4)
Sometimes, you just have to go. Start moving. A rudder only works when the boat is moving. I do not mean that we should be presumptuous, but (and I don't want to beat a dead horse) sometimes it is better to start moving, because you pick up information along the way that will help you make a better decision than you could have if you had insisted on having everything planned from the point of departure.
Shambala's in Hezuo. A guy from Australia I met on the bus told me about this place. It is a combination bar and coffee bar. Nice quite place to read. I was able to get a very nice room at a nearby hotel for 80 RMB (after a little haggling). I had originally planned to take the bus through to Langmusi today, but the village school teacher I met in Lanzhuo told me it was quite a long ride. He advised me to take the bus here to Hezuo, from where I could take any number of busses to Langmusi the next day. Since I am no great fan of long bus rides, I did not hesitate to take his advice. And since I don't know where I'm going, I don't need to be in a hurry to get there.
Yesterday afternoon, Eagle and her uncle came to the University guest house and picked me up. After helping me to get set up in a hotel near her place, they took me to Eagle's home, where we had some fruit and talked about the difference between "plum" and "apricot." Eagle is the only child in her family. She has no brothers or sisters, but she does have cousins. She is a very bright, friendly young lady, with a lot of ambition. She has been asking me lots and lots of questions about what she can expect in Canada, and what advice I would give her. I told her a few things, and she grabbed a notebook and asked me to write them down.
After awhile, we went to a restaurant known for it's delicious mutton dishes. It was very good food, but it just kept coming and coming. I really like mutton, but this stuff was especially good. Mutton is good in this part of the country because of the sizable Hui Muslim community. Although Hui Muslims are found all over China, they are concentrated in the Ninxia Hui Autonomous Region, which borders Gansu. After dinner, we went down to the fountain along the Yellow River. It started raining, but we found an umbrella table and sat there sipping yoghurt, and watching the lights and water show. This morning, Eagle and her uncle and cousin picked me up at the hotel and took me to the South Bus Station, which is the predominant long distance bus station in Langzhou.
The bus broke down twice today. Fortunately, the bus driver is really good at doing roadside repairs. I don't think we were out of commission for more than a half hour.
Sometimes, you just have to go. Start moving. A rudder only works when the boat is moving. I do not mean that we should be presumptuous, but (and I don't want to beat a dead horse) sometimes it is better to start moving, because you pick up information along the way that will help you make a better decision than you could have if you had insisted on having everything planned from the point of departure.
Shambala's in Hezuo. A guy from Australia I met on the bus told me about this place. It is a combination bar and coffee bar. Nice quite place to read. I was able to get a very nice room at a nearby hotel for 80 RMB (after a little haggling). I had originally planned to take the bus through to Langmusi today, but the village school teacher I met in Lanzhuo told me it was quite a long ride. He advised me to take the bus here to Hezuo, from where I could take any number of busses to Langmusi the next day. Since I am no great fan of long bus rides, I did not hesitate to take his advice. And since I don't know where I'm going, I don't need to be in a hurry to get there.
Yesterday afternoon, Eagle and her uncle came to the University guest house and picked me up. After helping me to get set up in a hotel near her place, they took me to Eagle's home, where we had some fruit and talked about the difference between "plum" and "apricot." Eagle is the only child in her family. She has no brothers or sisters, but she does have cousins. She is a very bright, friendly young lady, with a lot of ambition. She has been asking me lots and lots of questions about what she can expect in Canada, and what advice I would give her. I told her a few things, and she grabbed a notebook and asked me to write them down.
After awhile, we went to a restaurant known for it's delicious mutton dishes. It was very good food, but it just kept coming and coming. I really like mutton, but this stuff was especially good. Mutton is good in this part of the country because of the sizable Hui Muslim community. Although Hui Muslims are found all over China, they are concentrated in the Ninxia Hui Autonomous Region, which borders Gansu. After dinner, we went down to the fountain along the Yellow River. It started raining, but we found an umbrella table and sat there sipping yoghurt, and watching the lights and water show. This morning, Eagle and her uncle and cousin picked me up at the hotel and took me to the South Bus Station, which is the predominant long distance bus station in Langzhou.
The bus broke down twice today. Fortunately, the bus driver is really good at doing roadside repairs. I don't think we were out of commission for more than a half hour.
