Hello there. So I need to catch you all up on the happenings of China! A few Fridays ago, CQU held a sort of Olympics type event for all of the different colleges within the university. I think I asked like 10 different people what the event actually was or what was the purpose or literally any information about it at all. All of the answers were either nonexistent or inconclusive. I just went with the flow. There were events like dancing, cheerleading, soccer, basketball, and then a whole bunch of track and field stuff. The college that I teach in is called the Joint Co-op Institute. Since we are our own college, the students had to participate in the Olympics (that’s just what I’m going to refer to this whole thing as, just go with it). Every student had to contribute in some way unless they had a good excuse. Now, what is unique about our college compared to other colleges in CQU? Oh yeah, those foreign people. So the 3 TAs were asked to participate in it in some way. So Brandon waltzed. Yes, waltzed. I tried to be a part of the waltzing, went to the first practice, and quit halfway through. I couldn’t keep up with the instructor, dancing is not my forte. So Desiree and I were asked to carry a University of Cincinnati flag while we walked in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Easy enough, right?
So we went to the playground (soccer and track area, remember?) to practice the walking with all of the other students. I was expecting a nice leisurely stroll with smiling and stuff. Nope. Apparently those opening ceremonies are a big deal and everyone has to walk in matrix form like soldiers in front of a huge panel of judges. So there we were, practicing our marching. An advisor from our college even brought in pre-soldiers (their ROTC guys) to train everyone. Our first practice was at night and there was tons of marching and chanting going on around us. Tons of the other colleges were practicing too and it just seemed so strange and eerie. So, Desiree and I are standing there while this soldier yells in Chinese as we march in place. I thought I was doing it perfectly. Apparently I wasn’t. So the advisor is literally staring at my feet just waiting for me to mess up. Then I got nervous so of course I did. I didn’t realize marching was so difficult. She had a student translate for her (she speaks no English), and basically she told us to hold the flag up higher so that people wouldn’t notice my feet. SORRY I’M NOT COORDINATED. We practiced for a couple of days for a few hours and by the end of it, Desiree and I were told that we could walk normally and then just turn the flag to face the judges and smile and wave when we heard our students chant a certain phrase.
This is everyone before we marched. We all wore gray t-shirts that UC had given the students a few months ago when they joined the program.
Some of our competition dressed a little more elaborately than us. If you say you’re not thinking about The Grudge right now, you are a liar.
So, it was our turn to go and we totally nailed it. Everyone marched all perfect and whatnot, the institute flag waved around perfectly, and Desiree and I turned at the correct time. Wooooo!
So after our part, the dancing took place. INSANITY. Every college has people who dance in it and they all are on the field dancing at the same time, separated by tape so they judges could tell the colleges apart. The JCI did awesome in that of course! They had been practicing for weeks ahead of time. It was a very interesting experience. I’d never seen anything like it. There were SO MANY people on that field for the dancing and opening ceremony. The whole thing was televised and it’s apparently a big deal around here. It was very neat to be a part of something like that. I will most definitely never forget it.
The outfits were absolutely priceless. The girls hated the dresses so much that they only wore them for the first dance and then took them off and just danced in jeans and a black shirt. But I made Lotus hold the dress back up for a picture afterwards.
The Olympics go on for multiple days and on Sunday our boys had a basketball game so Brandon and I went to watch. We only had 5 guys and it was a good game, but the other team won. Our uniforms were way cooler though (they were UC jerseys with their Chinese names on the back) so it was okay.
Track and field! Jeff is #8 and he’s from the JCI.
On Saturday Dr. Cheng wanted to go to this town that was a few hours away to check out what was there. We didn’t know what to expect since he wasn’t very specific (in usual Cheng fashion), so Desiree, Lotus, and another student named Michael all went along for the ride. We took two different buses a total of about three and a half hours to get there. On one of the buses, Desiree and I were standing towards the front and this dude gets on with a cage thing. He walk up next to us and all of the sudden we hear meowing. Like, lots of meowing. He dropped the cage onto the floor of the bus (when I say floor of the bus, I actually mean that he dropped the cage directly on my foot) and the meowing continues. I was so confused because it didn’t look like there were any cats in there, just like a whole bunch of fabric. Once we rode the bus for a while, it cleared out and I was able to sit down and get a better view of the cage. It looked like all of the kittens that were in there were in a bag too. They kept trying to paw their way out. Honestly, I am not a cat person. I dislike cats very much. But it’s not like I’m heartless. Those poor kittens! It was SO SAD. Like, where were those cats going to end up? *shudders*
So we arrived in this town and then took a little taxi car to the top of a mountain. Although we still had no idea what we were doing, the views we absolutely gorgeous so I wasn’t going to question it.
We ended up at Jindao Canyon. Okay, awesome! We paid 50 Yuan to enter the park which was actually half price since we were students. This was the first place that has ever accepted our UC student IDs because students here get a lot of stuff cheaper so that was kind of cool. Then we were told it was a four and a half hour hike through the mountains to the bottom. Okay, not awesome! Remember how I didn’t know what the plans for the day were? That also means that I’m an idiot because I was wearing skinny jeans and the most uncomfortable pair of sandals I own. I should’ve known Dr. Cheng would take us on some insane adventure like this. The best part: before we started Dr. Cheng told us, “They said 4.5 hours, we will make it in 2.” Heeeeeeeere we go.
I actually have no idea what this is. Other people were getting their picture with it though, so I followed suit.
The first part of the hike was a lovely walk down 1568 steep stairs (there was a sign, I did not actually count the steps). Oh yeah, a lovely walk = a quick jog. Desiree, Lotus, Michael, and I were getting our butts kicked by a 60 year old man. We had to beg him to slow down.
They have these little dudes that stand along the steps and they literally carry you down the steps. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t seriously consider it.
So, we finally make it down the stairs and get to a cave. We go in and there’s like this cave lake that you have to take a boat to get across. I’m not a cave aficionado or anything, BUT IT WAS SO COOL.
I was just so fascinated by it. I’ve never been in a cave before!
Once we left the cave, we continued downwards. Now, my favorite part about this place is that the majority of the paths are built into the canyon walls.
Ya gotta do, what ya gotta do.
We made it to this huge area with a cave that was actually a tunnel type of thing.
There was like a little restaurant there and I'm so confused by it. Like, do the workers walk the path that we just took every single day? We were in the bottom of a canyon! How else do you get here? That's a long hike. It’s absolutely astounding how things work here. I bet the little old women working could seriously kick my butt. Their noodles were…… good (interesting) though! They were super cold and spicy but when you’re at the bottom of a canyon and you see a little noodle shop, you have to get the noodles. I don’t know how they made it there, but I won’t question it further. Actually, it’s best to just not think about how any of the food gets to its final destination.
We continued walking… and walking… and walking along the wooden path. Now, this area is one of those places where you can’t take a bad picture. Everywhere you turn it’s absolutely stunning.
Eventually we ended up in an area where you needed helmets to enter. I honestly thought it was unnecessary but by the end, every single one of us except Lotus hit our head on the cave ceiling. The helmets were definitely necessary. Of course as soon as we put the helmets on, Lotus and I start trying to take pictures of each other. The whole area was beautiful though! I looooove the color of the water here.
Cheng just being Cheng.
Then we found a whole bunch of monkeys and it was SO COOL.
Once we reached the end of the path, we were exhausted. They were not lying when they said it would take at least four and a half hours to finish. Then we started our three hour journey home by riding in a van without seat belts that used buckets for extra seats. It was quite the adventure, as always. But everything was gorgeous and it was good exercise. Although now every time I think about wearing those shoes I have memories of pain and blisters. Worse things have happened. It was totally worth it.
Later in the week Lotus asked us if we wanted to go see a movie with her. YES. Rio 2 just came out so we went to Sunny Block to see it. Now, as always here in China, you never know what to expect. Sometimes you expect a nice day at the hot springs and get a locker room full of naked old ladies. You win some, you lose some. So we rode our bikes to the theater, and I was a bit nervous to see what the inside of the theater would look like. But, IT WAS AMAZING. The tickets were cheaper than home (about $4), the seats were nicer, there was way more leg room, people brought in food from outside and it was totally acceptable, and the best part…….THE MOVIE WAS IN ENGLISH. I couldn’t believe everyone there came to watch a movie and read subtitles the whole time. My friends and I can’t even stand having the subtitles on the screen at all. I asked Jack and Lotus whether they read the words or listen and they said both. Sometimes the characters talk too fast so they have to read the Chinese but it was interesting because there are some things that just don’t translate properly so what’s funny in English just isn’t funny in Chinese. At some points Brandon, Desiree, and I would be the only ones in the theater laughing. Which I also found to be hysterical. Overall, the entire thing was awesome. Just another intriguing little thing here in China.