Traveling the World

By noon I had no energy left. I had made plans yesterday to meet up with a Chinese girl (who, funny enough, happens to be very good friends with a Chinese guy I know, but I met them at different times) who just got back from teaching in Lhasa (for those of you who don’t know, it’s in Tibet, which is part of China ) for the last few months.

I left around 2:30 to meet her at Starbucks walked with her and her friend back to their university entrance which is in the opposite direction of my house. They went to eat dinner so I turned around and walked home. Normally it takes 30-45 minutes, but it took 2 hours because I made a few stops. First I stopped for gelato ice cream (which I didn’t know existed in Wuhan, and the last time I had one was 3 months ago in Thailand). Then I stopped to use the bathroom at Starbucks, then to buy the next book in a series for teaching yourself Chinese, then to speak to some old friends I met when I first arrived in China (because now my knowledge of Chinese is much better than the last time I saw them a few months ago). After that I stopped to buy something Mark had been looking for, and then I finished walking home.

I think I used more energy today than I would normally use in a week!

Sorry there aren’t any clever anecdotes or angry ramblings.. none today. You just have to wait for someone to piss me off again

Oh yeah.. I just thought of something that angers me. I was talking to a Chinese friend as we were going out for lunch.

Sean: Why don’t you get some le mian (chinese for “noodles,” but these are a food made specially by muslims in China)?
Ken: I don’t like “that food.”
Sean: Why not? it’s delicious!
Ken: I prefer Chinese food, that’s all.

Now, here’s a little bit of background for you guys. Most muslims in China come from Xinjiang (I’ve written about this province before since I have a few friends who are from this area of China). Xinjiang used to be called East Turkistan before China re-absorbed it as part of the “return China to glory” escapades. Therefore, Xinjiang people are technically Chinese, which would also make their food… ::drum roll:: Chinese food! Yet this guy just proved my point, and the western world’s point, that Xinjiang isn’t part of China.. they are told it is, and the world recognizes this, but they still don’t accept them as being Chinese (but I know Han Chinese –which is the race of people in the majority, about 98% I think–do buy their food).