It's been awhile since I wrote anything, and there's a reason for that: there's not much super exciting action going down. Not to say that I'm having a bad time, but the day to day events are as routine as can be imagined. I wake up at about seven, sometimes a little later, but nobody knows the difference except me, move out into the main hang-out space, and chill around online until everyone gets up (which is often very, very late). James usually keeps me company during these morning hours, he's supposed to be doing schoolwork, but he's about as into it as any self-supervised twelve year old on vacation. Evenings I spend here, or out at this Irish Inn/bar on the other side of Old Town.
James has a lot of unspent energy. He's bored. His parents are divorced, and he doesn't consider Lao Lua a father figure. He's twelve, and English isn't his native, but I can see he's extremely upset that his parents split up. Couple that with the reality that he has no-one his age to hang out with, and spends the first five or six hours of the day doing homework (or, rather, not, and so gets scolded) alone save for myself. Today, though, we went on a hike together and played some pool. Happy doesn't describe his mood.
^^^^^^^ This is James atop the wall surrounding a t.v. tower at the top of the mountain. Getting up it, with my help, and jumping off it (especially the jumping) made his day, I'd bet a hundred dollars it made his summer. I don't think he thought he had it in him, he had about six false starts. At the end of the day, though, he made the jump.
I very much disapprove of the parenting style, not to mention animal-care style here, and in China at large. It's absolutely draconian-- involving much yelling, strict demands, and little reward. I'm not sure anybody here's ever heard of setting an example and, were you here with me, I'd probably be couching that statement in curses.
People here tie their animals up. And when I say that, I don't mean they have them on a leash, I'm talking like a two foot piece of rope. Fairly often I'll see a dog in an honest to goodness cage, with inch-round metal bars, and barely enough room to lie down. Today, during the beginning of our walk, the family threw rocks for La La (yellow lab) until I went and got a stick. Rocks . . . I don't think they even knew what was wrong with it. Yesterday I passed by a cat, crying, stuck on top of some doors that were leaned up against a business. It was stuck because the fuckwits had it tied by a very short string to the top of the doors. I had half a mind to come back, in the night, and cut it away in the event of its continued presence. As it was I settled for withering disgust broadcast, by my face, to the people nearby. Realistically, there's nothing I can to do change this nation, or even this city, or even this neighborhood. It sure is depressing.
On a brighter note, at last I'm beginning to know my way around. The old town is a maze of alleys, but restlessly coursing them over three hours (the ginger excursion) left me with a solid grasp on the layout. To my utmost frustration that day, I knew I was very close to home, but it took me foooreeeeeveeerrrr to find the right turnoff.
A gripping shot of a hot water heater. This sort of device is found on 99.9% of Chinese buildings.
Lijiang from the mountain. The old town where I live and roam is in the lower left portion:
My back is showing slow signs of improvement. I almost fear to dream of the time when it's mended. This condition is such a drain on daily life that I can't begin explaining it. Every moment of the day is impacted. Hopefully things will shape up. I'm missing Juneau terribly this summer, but I think I've got a little more travel in me at least. I may quit China and see the rest of SE Asia for a bit before heading home.
To my family, I hear things are even more difficult than they should be in this terrible time (for you non family, know that my Grandmother very recently, and unexpectedly, passed away). I know, however, that you must all certainly being doing the best possible for one another.
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