Flavors and sounds and rhythms and chopsticks

A muggy, sticky, perfect morning in Thailand.....we are here and enthusiastically discarding our bulky winter layers.

Leaving China had a few snafus, a few hiccups, but we persevered.

Did you know that a tourist visa in China mandates that you leave every 30 days, even if you get a 90 visa? Nobody in Tokyo bothered to tell us. China wasn't pleased. 

Do you always confirm your reservation before your flight to ensure that not complications exist? We didn't and ended up having to pay for our own ticket from HK to Bangkok (which our awesome travel agency is going to reimburse us for), and we were totally stressed out (no reimbursement, but a learning experience).

Our last few days in China were tinged with anticipatory nostalgia for a country that we really grew to love and appreciate and (vaguely) understand. Wandering through Guangzhou one afternoon, we talked about how dramatically our comfort level had altered while we were in China. I being incredibly disoriented during our first few days in Shanghai: nearly everything was uncomfortable and foreign, especially when flooding my senses all at once. I remember feeling panicked the moment that someone opened their mouth and Chinese came forth; I was so anxious about not knowing the language that I froze, I was solely focused on the un-understandable. Gradually I stopped being so caught up in the unknown, and focused on the things that I could understand: smiles, body movement, intonation, context, and a few simple words. It was as though I had a sensory loss like deafness or muteness: with the deficit of one sense, my other senses strengthened.

It takes some time even just to start to understand the flow of people on the sidewalk, how to pay at the convenience store,what the toilet etiquette is. Flavors and sounds and rhythms and chopsticks are sensory gifts for western travelers, you just have to taste them, listen for them, feel them, and practice!!

I wouldn't say that I miss the hole-in-the-ground, trough-style toilets of China (the western-style in HK were such a lovely surprise), but I certainly managed. I assimilated. Several times, I was even appreciative and grateful.

Throughout our journey down China, we encountered many markets (see photos on our site). We love markets, especially the open-air, fresh food, local produce variety. Obviously, these come with a wide variety of goods, some more unusual than others. But the meat section gets weird, especially as animals are cured, preserved, sliced, diced, and usually displayed in very recognizable forms, usually completely intact, and oftentimes with heads attached. The cows and pigs and chickens were normal, comfortable, expected. The ducks and geese were fairly basic. Then we get to frogs, turtles, eels, hammerhead shark, goat, and yes, the horror of all horrors...dogs.* It was difficult. There were some markets where my stomach started heaving, my palms got sweaty, I was terrified of barfing right there in the midst of it. But I worked actively on my western aversion: I systematically desensitized my brain. I studied the market from a scientific point of view until my emotions moved back to second place. Please don't get me wrong - I'm not made of steel, but I found a way to come to terms with the scene, which allowed me to enjoy and appreciate China on a new level.

All in all, we miss China. We feel so lucky and blessed to have experienced such a land, and are ever so grateful to the many, many people who welcomed us with open arms. 

Now....on to Thailand...........

xoxoox

*I'm happy to tell you more about the markets and the contents within; however, I won't expound on these here for those readers who are faint of heart.