Posted by AuntieMel on June 13, 2006, at 11:17:09
In reply to Re: List of things to do before I die » AuntieMel, posted by Deneb on June 12, 2006, at 15:36:41
You think *you* won't blend in? What about me???
The first time I went I still had hair down to my tush. And it was a lighter blonde. AND the place I went to was a 10 hour train ride from Beijing, so I wasn't exactly in a touristy area.
Everyone would ride by me on their bicycle, slow down and staaarrreee......
I scared a little kid once on that trip. I was at a shop looking at jade (reminder to self, *never* try to get a suitcase full of jade onto a train again) - and anyway this kid, about 5 years old, came right up to me and just looked up and stared. and stared. I looked down at him and smiled and said hello and he went running away, screaming.
How much it's changed depends a lot on where you go. Parts have become much more modern, other parts still are like the old days.
I thought a good video game would be "Road through China" When they were taking me back to the train, we ended up driving a couple of villages over. We were in a nice modern Jeep, but the road was 1.5 lanes wide and we were dodging in and out, going around horse drawn carts, people drawn carts, breaking for trucks heading right for us - and so on. I was wishing for a video camera.
Along the sides of the road there were farms, with little old ladies standing calf high in water bending over to plant rice plants.
So, you see? It's not too late.
poster:AuntieMel
thread:655796
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20060611/msgs/656420.html