Step Forward for CivilizationMar 31, 2008
|
|
beach volleyball in sub-zero weather
Lao Shan
Qingdao (east coast of China, former German concession port, brewers of Tsingtao beer):
In the mall I went to pee and discovered this sign above the urinal: "Step Forward for Civilization" (The original Chinese essentially reads "Do the right thing and don't pee on the floor.") Of course, I couldn't resist taking a picture, but my attempt to be discreet failed when the flash unexpectedly went off and surprised everyone else currently peeing. Such behavior revealed my own failure to step forward for civilization, and thus, in the best communist tradition, I must write this self-criticism. But I have to say that it was pretty funny.
Lao Shan: Ascended the first minor holy mountain on Sunday. Was a Buddhist site, then around the 12th century it became No 2 spot for the Daoist Quanzhen sect, where several centuries of Daoists adepts would come and pursue unity with the Dao. Kind of looks like Yosemite by the sea. On the way down, I got horribly lost and wound up in some strange village. When I stopped to ask directions, the guy asked me to sit down and have tea with him, but I realized after a minute or two he was totally unhinged, he couldn't stop talking and was gesturing wildly, he wouldn't sit down, just waved his hands around with much vigor. I tried to get out but the water hadn't boiled yet and then he went and showed me his calligraphy, done on yellow paper embossed with golden dragons-it was very unusual, and he was clearly a pretty educated person, so I tried to give him a second chance, but he kept on talking and talking and talking incoherently and I began to feel like prey being slowly crunched in the mandibles of a giant praying mantis. Abruptly stood up and told him I was leaving, and he kept on talking, then two fishermen came by on a tractor, I jumped in back with the nets and they took me back to the trailhead (which was incredibly far away) and in exchange I taught the younger one how to say hello in french (roror) and "have you eaten yet?" (ca va?).
