|
| I didn't expect it when I chose Jiuquan before I set off. It is the farthest region which my fellow teachers wouldn't fancy. To reach there, we have to take a 10.30pm train from Lanzhou and spend the night in a small crowded cabin. It would be too arduous. So I decided I should volunteer to bear the grunt. I reached there at 7am the other day after a 5-hour flight and then another 8-hour train journey in the dead of the night. I waited for the daybreak which would signal the arrival time. I hardly slept a wink, just too tired and uncomfortable. When I arrived and stepped out of the compartment, how sorry I felt for myself for making such a bad choice. I was totally exhausted and was reeling with sleepiness. Too late for regret. The other things were better than expected. And then came the first of August. The afternoon lesson was called off for the whole town was stirred to welcome the big event - the solar eclipse. The whole process lasted about 2 hours but the total eclipse held on for about 2 minutes. That 2 minutes were unforgettable. I didn't expect it to be so beautiful and stunning. The pictures below didn't show anything. You just have to be there to know. 
| | |
| If only I could live like that! 清代李密庵的《半半詩》 看破浮生過半，半之受用無邊，
半中歲月盡幽閑，半裏乾坤寬展。
半郭半鄉村舍，半山半水田園，
半耕半讀半經廛，半士半姻民眷，
半雅半粗器具，半華半實庭軒。
衾裳半素半輕鮮，肴饌半豐半儉。
童僕半能半拙，妻兒半樸半賢。
心情半佛半神仙，姓字半藏半顯。
一半還之天地，讓將一半人間，
半思後代與滄田，半想閻羅怎見？
酒飲半酣正好，花開半吐偏妍。
帆張半扇免翻顛，馬放半韁穩便。
半少卻饒滋味，半多反厭糾纏。
百年苦樂半相參，會佔便宜只半。 | | |
| 
Meeting the officials who gave us a high-order reception. 
My team members. 
After the school visit. 
A class of bright, lovely and handsome F.1 kids. 
I was carried away by their enthusiasm.  A successful visit! 
Good food. 
Sightseeing! 
"Make a choice, adventurous stranger; Strike the bell and bide the danger, Or wonder, till it drives you mad, What would have followed if you had." -Narnia, The Magician's Nephew | | |
| This time I saw snowing for the first time. And it was also the coldest experience, below 10. The XJ in late fall and early winter is simply stunning. 
| | |
| During the trip, I had not taken a dip, I mean shower, for 4 straight days. Water is scarce and precious there that taking a shower is an unnatural act. The precious resource is used wisely only for cooking purposes. Brushing teeth becomes like eating toothpaste. So that again is reduced to the tolerance limit. Having said that, we are after all the VIPs and are pampered with abundant distilled bottled drinking water. But it's only natural to skimp on it. Quenching one's thirst is the top priority, the rest is almost forgotten. You may wonder how I survived the stench of my body fluid and above all the others. Easy, you just don't feel like cleaning yourself. The dry weather there makes it quite unnecessary. You just don't sweat. And I have a funny feeling that I am the cleanest among them, so why bother. There is a small creek down the valley. They go there every day to pump stream water into the tank and carry it back to the camp site. How many goes do they make each day? Man, round the clock and as much as possible. 
I didn't shave either, more intentionally than impelled. See the effect of all these on me. 
Behind us are a span of rainy clouds which promise downpour but achieve just a dribble, and a stretch of cloudless azure blue looming in that spells the end of a wistful hope of rain. If you are the locals there, you won't be so selfish as to wish sunny weather every day. Rain is so important to every form of life there. If your eyes are keen, you can also see the snow-capped mountain far behind us. The snow was not there yesterday. It was formed right after rain. 
| | |
|
