Donkey burger?

Today was another day for sleeping in and not really doing anything strategic. I find that my body has adapted to the holiday mode (might not have said yet, but I have holiday until the 3rd of March), but I still struggle to switch my mind off. It is always on its way somewhere and always feels the need to do something. I can positively confirm that my mind is my greatest worst enemy and friend at the same time. I cannot wait for my studies to commence as this will give my mind some stimulation and something else to focus on. But I need to enjoy this time I have on my hands as the studies and work will keep me pre-occupied when they eventually commence.

To help the time and boredom pass, I find no better way to cure this disease than walking. Around 12pm I got some walking shoes on. I have two pairs of shoes I live in. One of my pairs is semi-casual, semi-comfortable Levi’s and the other pair is some running shoes. Today called for the running shoes. This means business!! My stomach at the same time in need of something different to eat. I love venturing as you have probably now realized. I love eating different kinds of food and venturing into places where not many dare. I believe this is the only way to experience the culture. If in Rome… well, I am in China!!

Started heading in the direction of the markets where I saw the dog hanging on a hook the previous day. I didn’t go through the market, but just outside I found a vendor that sold me some sort of pancake lunch. The lady cooks the ingredients right there in front of you. An egg, some veggies, sausage all wrapped up in one big pancake. Not bad I might add. The lady cooking the food must have had some foreign customers previously as she knew exactly how to ask me what veggies I wanted in my pancake. This is easy… she just pointed and said “jiga”, “jiga”, “jiga” which means “this” in English, and all I needed to do was confirm with a nod of the head which ingredients I wanted.

Walking and eating I ventured into some unknown streets to find out what else was cooking in town. Once again, glad I took that street! In front of me a vendor was cooking and selling donkey. “Now I know where to purchase donkey if I ever feel the need” I thought to myself. A couple of meters away from this vendor a couple of donkeys were tied to a pole and I assume they will be future donkey burgers. This is China!!
On my way home I got some different types of snacks from my local supermarket which is called “Peach Blossoms”, don’t ask?? Have not succeeded yet in finding a taste that I peculiarly enjoy, but the game is on. Chocolate does not taste like chocolate! Most of the snacks you find are a mixture of sweet, spicy and salty. Strange combination, but you got to get used to it.

When was the last time you saw one of these?

They are not extinct in China!

Spotted: China, 2009

(Linyi City, Shandong Province, China)

Tickets, tickets...tickets

You might think that it has been a while since I wrote something?? Well, that is correct. The last couple of days that I was in Linfen, I spend hanging with my friends and going for many meals as I was going to leave. As to when I was going to leave was not yet confirmed. To travel during and before Spring festival (this is the biggest holiday in China, their Lunar New Year, Christmas and a time when no-one does anything) you need to purchase your tickets long before you even decide to travel. This is the time of year when the whole country set off to visit family and friends. Me on the other hand didn’t have all this information beforehand, until we started making arrangements for me to leave for Linyi.

Just to let you in on everything else that happened… I managed to get my visa and am therefore still legal in the country for another month. And the next visa that I will need to apply for will allow me to stay in the country for another year or so. That being something to look into later, first is first. The next step is to get me to Linyi with enough time left that I can apply for my next visa. You might think that there is a lot of time left? Well, I thought so as well until I got told everything closes for Spring festival. The date for this festival is from 20-26 January. This is exactly the dates that I need to apply for my new visa. Some more info that I didn’t have is that even the police stations are closed during this festival and it is with them I need to extend my visa. So I pretty much needed to be in Linyi on the 12th January to get all the paperwork done and hand them in for processing.

My good friend, assistant and slave, Lifei, had all the travel arrangements on his plate. After spending three days brainstorming with me and the guy that would be my new travel partner, Freddy (who is Chinese and need to travel to Shandong Province for the festival) Lifei realized he will need to call in the higher authorities. Something to do with the president of the University, don’t ask? I bargained to travel on the weekend of the 10th, 11th of January. It was already the Wednesday before I wanted to travel and we still didn’t have any good news. On the Thursday before the weekend I wanted to travel, I spoke to Lifei again. He told me that we will know on Saturday. “Mmmm…. maybe he doesn’t understand?” I thought by myself. I want to be there around Saturday or Sunday. But I had to wait.

So Saturday came along and I was up early to find out what was happening. I sat in my flat in anticipation to hear the news. 10:00 there was a knock on my door. Lifei assisted by Freddy standing in my door with smiles on their faces. They did it!!! I had two hours to get all my things packed and get ready for the long journey to Linyi. I arranged for the last coffee with Jess at a place we found along the road that made lovely coffee with rum syrup. Good thing that I was leaving Linfen or I would have spent all my money on coffee.

(Linyi City, Shandong Province, China)