Then and Now 16 - To the City
Time: Mid-2007, at my bud's aunt's place.
This Then and Now will be a little odd. First, it takes place over three days, so I'm going to compare it to three days in my married life. It also shows me in the middle of my adjustment and unhappy time while I was abroad, because this set of experiences predates Then and Now 2 by a few days. Finally, it may seem a bit jumpy or incomplete at points because I was still not terribly happy with my new life (I was wasting it, after all), so my memory gets hazy here and there.
One day, while wasting another fine day abroad in my bud's aunt's place playing PSP, my bud's aunt came in and started talking in the local language with her nephew. When she was finished, she left, and my bud translated for me. He said that his father and sister were in town, they were going to head to the city, and they wanted us to come, too. My bud's aunt was also tired of seeing the two of us sitting around her house and doing nothing, and wanted us to get out and do something for once.
I initially protested. I asked my bud if he could tell his aunt and uncle that I'd rather save some money and stay put for the time being. I promised I would be quiet and not bother anybody, and that I would take care of my own food. My bud, to his eternal credit and my current appreciation, absolutely refused. Not only did he see how much of a lazy loser I was being, but he didn't want to bother his aunt with a request so selfish and weird (a foreign guy staying alone with an older local lady). I got silent, my way of showing that I accepted his terms, but wasn't happy about it.
The day passed quickly, with me just sitting around doing nothing with my bud, and we went to sleep. When we woke up, I no longer felt unhappy about going with everyone, but I did feel like the trip wouldn't compare to killing monsters in Spectral Souls. I prepared myself for boredom.
My bud and I packed up a few days' worth of clothes in our suitcases, then his father flagged down a taxi to take us to the train station. We got there with plenty of time to spare, so my bud and I went outside on the second floor to look at the city. I think this was the first moment that I got a good look at the city proper. The only other times I had been up this high was during the plane ride, where I couldn't see squat, and the third floor of my bud's aunt's place, where every window faced the wall of another building. Up there, I was able to see a lot of the city all at once. I didn't really appreciate the view back then, but I still remember the look of the discolored, towering buildings shading many hundreds of people walking about below, and a sky full of puffy clouds above us. My bud was smoking out there, and I decided to join him before the train showed up.
I don't remember much of anything about the train trip, other than that it was very, very long, being from one side of the country to the other and all. I guess having my PSP really helped pass the time. The only thing I remember was that when the train had come to a stop, one of the locals said, "PSP!" as he walked by, then scurried out the door. I put it away, embarrassed.
The first thing my bud, his father and sister and I did was head to the main train/bus/subway station to get us three younger travelers a quick access subway card, because we were going to be doing a lot of traveling there. Before I knew it, we were at the stop where our hotel was. We came out on the second floor of a two story train station that looked out over it, and it was a very nice place: there were trees lining the path leading up into it, and there was a little lake with ducks and fish outside. My bud and I went to our room, your typical, cozy hotel quarters. We locked up our stuff, and I left my PSP behind.
It was getting dark then. We met up with his sister and went to a nearby market where people were shopping and enjoying the night air. It felt strange, like no matter where I went, people were doing nothing but shopping, and that there was nothing more interesting to life. But I decided not to let first impressions get me down, and tried to enjoy myself. Soon enough, I was having fun walking around with the other two, checking out the wares of the shops and picking up a few snacks to eat. I was feeling better about our little trip across the country little by little. The trip culminated with me going to a souvenir shop and buying a little pencil topper shaped like Squall Leonhart, and I still have it in my memories box. After the three of us went home and slept, I decided to keep giving it my best and enjoy the trip we were having.
The next day, we went to an underground mall to go shopping. I bought a little alarm clock in the shape of a pig, and it played several songs. One rousing ditty is still firmly in my memory, because I used it to wake myself up nearly every morning for work while I was at my apartment. We walked for a bit until we came to a very big, enclosed hall. Behind us was the path leading back to the subway, and ahead was a long and winding road that led past hundreds of shops on its way to another subway stop, in case people wanted to walk to their destination and shop on the way. The ceiling was a good hundred feet tall, and there were fountains and plants all around for a very aesthetic touch.
Near a couple of those fountains, there were several groups of teenagers and young adults dancing to music. I asked my bud what they were doing, and he said they were practicing for a competition. I said I was going to walk up to one of the groups and ask to dance with them just for fun, but luckily, my bud stopped me before I made a fool of myself and said that they were too busy to entertain a guest. We watched them for a while before moving on to window shop a bit.
Later, we all went to a beautiful shopping spot by the ocean. It was my first time there, and I was in awe of the ocean sitting right below and next to a busy street with zooming cars going left and right. Every part of the ocean I had ever been to in America was at least a thousand feet from the nearest road. I had a lot more fun at the outdoor market over there than the one from the day before, while the three of us all walked up narrow alleys with tons of shops on either side.
The first place my bud and I got stuck on was a gag shop filled with tons of sexual stuff. Toys, cards, posters, DVDs, it was glutted from wall to wall with some hilariously tasteless stuff. The best thing we saw, and joked about for weeks to come, was a picture of a woman having sex with a giant bee. My bud, his sister and I then took a little boat ride around the ocean for about thirty minutes. We had to wear these geeky life jackets while we were out there, I guess because a lot of the people in this country don't know how to swim. It was a relaxing little trip, and I dipped my hand into the water and caught an old cup that was just floating around in the water while we were sailing, just for fun.
We went back to shore, then after walking around for a while, we met up with my bud's father and more of his family, and we all went to a restaurant to get some seafood near the beach. I don't really like seafood, so I munched on a lot of veggies and bread and drank a lot of soda. But when I caught people looking at me, I popped some of the nasty things in my mouth. Everyone talked in the local language, and I hadn't started my studies yet, so I just politely listened. My bud tried to engage me at points to keep me from feeling too left out, though, and we talked about old times, Guitar Hero and a few other unrelated topics.
When dinner was done, we all went to my bud's other aunt's house to gear up for another trip. We all talked in a mix of English and the local language, and everyone was very patient with me and my poor skills. When the topic of their broken computer came up, I was told it was because their cat had chewed the mouse's cord beyond repair. I quipped, "So the cat killed the mouse?" It wasn't that funny, but everyone laughed for quite a while. Before we headed out to see another part of the city, I changed a lot of my American money with my bud's aunt to the local currency, all for top dollar and no fees. I think, in hindsight, that that move helped me to eat for the month I was in the red after I got my first job. Our last stop was another market, but nothing really spectacular happened here, except eating some delicious food and walking around.
We went home, slept, and woke up to go travel around a bit more. My bud, his sister and I walked around the little pond, discussing the ducks, her plan to move abroad with her boyfriend, tons of little things like that. I was still a bit shy back then, so I mostly listened. After that, my bud's uncle took us all to a restaurant in a department store to get lunch. The greeter welcomed us warmly, and we headed up a few floors to get our bites to eat. There wasn't much to say about the experience except that the food was excellent, my bud's uncle's English was excellent and he spoke happily with everyone, and there was a spectacular view of a park through a very wide, clear window behind me.
A bit later, we all took a bus to the beach. It was a very long ride that took us through wide roads winding around many, many mountains. There were little TVs in the bus, and I entertained myself by trying to figure out what everyone was saying and doing on the talk show we were watching. The beach was fantastic. When we got there, my bud and I split off from his sister and father, and we took a little walk around a miniature garden that led up to a gazebo overlooking the ocean. We stood there, talking about old times, our current experiences in the country, and what we were going to do about housing when we inevitably had to leave his aunt's house. The ocean was as amazing as ever.
After that, the two of us met up with his family inside of a medium-sized, glass-windowed building where my bud's father or uncle apparently had friends. I say this because we were all allowed up to the VIP break room a couple of floors up, where my bud and I severely abused the free coffee and crackers they had out for employees. We ate and talked for a while, then when it started to get on in the afternoon, we took another bus back to the hotel.
Our final excursion for this trip was heading to another seafood restaurant. The bus ride over there was pretty exciting. First, we traveled through the extremely busy downtown area, and I was a bit nervous that the bus driver would hit someone. All the drivers were being very aggressive, including ours, but we still made it in one piece. We passed a lot of little shrines dotting a grassy mountain to our side just before we arrived, too. On the way into the restaurant, I noticed some guy in a car smash over someone's motorcycle. I stared in shock as he just got out, picked it up, then drove off without leaving a note. Ass.
The restaurant itself was a nice little place filled with neon signs advertising all sorts of drinks. There was a little fridge to take out bottled soda (I hadn't drunk anything but canned in ages), and the buffet was packed with all kinds of fish. I took a couple to be nice again, but mostly filled up on salad, candy and drinks. Then everyone talked in the local language, my bud came to my rescue again, and that was about it. That was my trip; we headed back to my bud's aunt's place shortly after.
Maybe it was this trip that got me ready to start living in Then and Now 2, who knows. But one thing is certain: those few days where I was pulled away from my video games, under duress, to have fun, were a lot more entertaining and fulfilling than any day I've lived in the last several years.
As for the last three days of my life...
Day 1
I woke up at 10:30.
I talked with my wife.
I went back to sleep.
I woke up again at 12:30.
I went out for job training.
I came home.
I ate lunch.
I went to work.
I taught students.
I came home.
I roughhoused with my son.
I did the dishes.
I cleaned up the floor and table.
I watched internet movies with my son.
He fell asleep.
I folded and put away dry clothes.
I played video games.
I slept.
Day 2
I woke up at 9:00.
I went to work.
I taught students.
I went out to tutor a student.
I came home to an empty house.
I played video games.
My wife and son came home.
I ate dinner.
I played video games.
I hung up wet laundry.
I took my wife and son to the arcade, then we went to the bank, then we went home.
I talked with my wife.
I played cars with my son.
I did the dishes.
I cleaned up the floor and table.
I watched internet movies with my son.
He fell asleep.
I played video games.
I slept.
Day 3
I woke up at 10:30.
I went out to tutor students.
I came home.
I watched internet movies with my son.
I ate dinner.
I watched DVDs with my wife.
I watched internet movies with my son.
I went out to tutor a student.
I came home.
I did the dishes.
I folded and put away dry clothes.
I hung up wet laundry.
I cleaned up the floor and table.
I played video games.
I slept.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Then and Now 15 - Temple Chant
Then and Now 15 - Temple Chant
Time: Late 2007, dating my wife.
For the sake of this Then and Now, I'm going to refer to my wife as my girlfriend.
In the first month or two while my girlfriend and I were dating, Sunday came around and it was time for some fun. She had come over to my place for the past two weekends, and we basically locked ourselves in the apartment to have sex, eat and watch some DVDs I brought from America for the entire two breaks. But this weekend, she had to do some extra work, so I went out to the big city to see what I could see alone. I still had a lot to visit, according to my subway map, so I decided to go and see something historic that day: a famous temple.
I took the subway car to a stop near the end of the east-west line where the temple was, and on the way there, I saw a foreigner in the car with his local girlfriend. I looked their way, but they didn't see me, so I went back to watching the world fly by outside the car. But then, just a few seconds later, I heard a voice.
"So where you headed?"
I looked over and saw the guy and his girl staring at me with warm smiles. I smiled a bright smile of my own and told them about the temple on the map, and how I was really interested in going to see it. I also told them that I was surprised they were talking to me; most foreigners I met since I had come to this country either locked eyes with me for a fraction of a second, then jerked their head ninety degrees to the side and scurried away before I could say hello, or simply ignored me and my greetings.
The foreigner answered, "You seem to be a good guy."
"Yeah?" I answered, with a stupid grin on my face.
"Believe me," he said, "I know how to read people." I guess this was just another instance of people seeing how much I shined as a man.
In any case, we spent the next few minutes talking about his musical career as an entertainer to kids, his musical influences, and how he and his girlfriend had met in his home country before he came over. He had come to visit her, and to see her family for the first time. I congratulated him on the big step, and guaranteed he would have a great time here, but he assured me that he had been here long enough to know how great the country was. My stop came up, and after some goodbyes, off I went. I later found out that he was semi-famous here, and even published a CD or two.
When I got off the car, the sky was overcast, but it wasn't a problem: I had brought a large umbrella, its handle hooked into my jeans pocket like a modern day sword. I walked across a very wide parking lot, and settled down to decide where the heck I was going to go. I didn't have a map, aside from the one for the subway, so I just had to guess my way to the temple.
In one direction were tons of tall buildings, so I figured it wouldn't be over there. In two others, it seemed that there were just a couple of winding roads going around small shops and stuff, so I guessed it wasn't in those places, either. The last direction, however, was a road that led up into the mountains. I figured that even if I was wrong and it was an urban temple, a mountain hike sounded like fun anyway.
I walked for a bit down some non-descript streets when I came to a shadowy intersection under a freeway overpass. Standing next to me were a local teacher and a bunch of her students on some kind of field trip. A few of the kids looked and pointed at me, so I just grinned at them and moved on when the light turned green.
The road continued down for a while between some mechanics' garages and tiny, independently owned stores until I came to the first stop of my little trip. Surrounded by massive fences that would seem in place around a batting cage, there sat an expansive field of grasses, trees and little ponds. I couldn't read the sign outside very well, but I gathered that it was some kind of garden.
I entered and walked up to a booth with a woman inside, and used some simple words of the local language to ask what I was looking at. She answered back, just as simply, that it was a nature (something). I guessed it was a sanctuary, park or preserve, because at that moment, I noticed that there were ticket prices listed. So of course I dropped some cash down and got a ticket to go in. The lady chuckled a bit as she gave me a pamphlet, obviously amused by the fact that I probably couldn't read it. SPOILER: I couldn't.
I walked around for about thirty minutes, taking in the sights of the animals and plants around me. I walked down a path through a little forest with a couple of birds in the trees, past a miniature lake with some colorful, lazy fish inside, and past a barred-off field with some weird squirrel things running around in it.
Feeling at peace and relaxed, I went down a path that had thick brush on one side, and a wide, man-made lake on the other. It was an incredible sight, with the light of the sun reflecting off of the waters and little fish flitting about beneath. The path continued up and around a small hill, and strangely enough, I saw a little shack at the top. It was roped off, so I couldn't see if someone was living or working there, or if it was some kind of historic monument, but it did get me guessing. There were some high school students there, too: a girl and two guys. They were just walking around and minding their own business, so I didn't bug them. After a good hour of walking around this place, I went back to the entrance, said goodbye to the lady there, and continued on.
The narrow road outside soon opened up to a very wide grassy field on either side of it. I couldn't see anything of civilization in either direction, and I was the only one standing there. Feeling the wind blow through the green, I felt like I was the last man on earth, and that I was the only one left to explore its natural beauty on that warm day. Then a car rocketed by and kind of ruined the feeling.
The road continued on, and the grassy plains gave way to steep cliffs covered in trees on the right side of the road, and a gentle incline to the left. As I started climbing the road up the hill, my phone rang. It was my girlfriend, calling me from work. "Hey honey! Where are you? You're climbing the mountain? Wow! That sounds tiring. I know you can do it, go go go! Save some energy for next weekend, ok? Have fun!"
No asking me to cut my trip short. No reminders of chores I had to take care of. No complaining about her day at work or what her family had done. No asking me for money. No asking me to bring something back for her. No reminders of whether or not I had brought this or that article of clothing. Just good old fashioned support.
The road climbed up and wound around several times, at points going towards the mountain ahead of me, and at others back in the direction I came from. But it kept rising, and I kept walking it. Just as the forest on my right got too thick to see through anymore, the road turned back towards the subway station, and I was starting to feel very tired. Luckily, at that point, I had come to a very wide, very high, very beautiful scenic point that looked out over the entire city. The mountain was still behind me and wasn't very high at my sides, so I was offered an almost unobstructed view.
Buildings shot up and out of the ground as far as the eye could see, and purple mountains rose quietly and serenely behind them. The sun was blaring next to the clouds and still high in the sky, so it cast very few shadows over the incredible scene. The wide, grassy field that I had traveled through was wider than I thought, and spread for miles in either direction at the foot of the mountain. I stayed up there to catch my breath and snap pictures for a couple of minutes, until I was finally ready to resume my climb.
The road continued even farther up, and after a short while, I was passing cozy-looking houses on my left, built atop the sloped mountain. It reminded me of a few trips I took to the mountains with my family back in America, and it was just as peaceful here as it was back home. After another hour or so of walking, I started to feel winded, so I found the nearest bus stop, and plopped down to wait for the next one to arrive. It came rather quickly, maybe after ten minutes or so. I got on and thanked the driver as he drove, and had barely sat down in my seat when the bus stopped, the doors opened and everyone had gotten off. I was only a two minutes' walk from the top. Sheepishly, I got off the bus, and the driver waived the fare because we were so close.
I was now in the heart of the mountain range, surrounded by trees on either side of the road, and many cars were slowly moving up in the same direction to some common destination. But at the same time, I noticed that the travelers on foot were taking a small detour from the main road and into the forest, away from the path that the cars were taking up the mountain. So of course, I followed them to see what was there.
It was a little pool of water, fenced off to allow a safe, perfect view. The centerpiece was a miniature waterfall that dribbled water into the small pond below, which was covered in floating flowers and lilypads with a couple of frogs and fish lazing about. There were even a few dragonflies and butterflies fluttering around the water, and trees and shrubs surrounded the little scene. It was stunningly beautiful.
I walked alongside this place and down the little dirt path, up some man-made stairs carved into the stone of the mountain, and finally arrived back on the main road. After a few minutes of walking, the road got wider. Along either side of it, there were a ton of outdoor restaurants catering to many, many locals enjoying a hot meal under the warm sun. I wish I were hungry then so I could have joined them, but I guess all the exercise drained me, so I just walked by them all with a slight smile. And finally, after several hours of bus rides, subway trips and a huge walk and hike, I arrived at the place everyone was heading to. It was the temple I was looking for all along. I had guessed right.
Out of respect for the locals, I kept my camera holstered at all times when I was up there. But to be honest, I wish someone had told me it was ok to take pictures, because everything I experienced up there was fantastic. The statues were massive and serene. The aroma of smoldering incense relaxed my tired mind and body. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of people all over the place, praying, talking, walking and just enjoying the quiet atmosphere of the temple.
But most noticeably, everyone was singing. It was a religious chant that I have heard several dozen times since I've lived here, but that was my first time hearing it live. It was absolutely hypnotic; not only was it being sung by hundreds of people, live and right in front of me, but the way everyone harmonized and carried the haunting tune made me dizzy with excitement and happiness. I have never forgotten that tune, or that scene.
I people watched for a while, then I went around the temple to see what else there was to see. I didn't want to be loitering around the main praying area, after all, what with the locals having spiritual business there and all.
The temple felt more like a castle, to be honest. There were two separate levels: the top level which held the little libraries, praying areas and offices of the temple, and the lower level where people were relaxing with their families. I saw some local kids running around and playing ball, even as high as we were. They were in no danger of falling, though, because the sides of the temple were fenced off.
There were several other places around the temple that offered even better views of the mountains, forests, plains and city below. After all, we were even higher than that first scenic point I had come to. Still, I took no pictures. Aimed at the temple or not, I didn't think it was respectful to be pulling my camera out in that place. I walked around the temple twice, peeking into the monks' study areas and sleeping quarters and stuff (surreptitiously, of course). And after about an hour of checking the place out, I decided it was time to go.
The sun was still rather high in the sky, and I guessed it was about 2:00 or 3:00, which I confirmed on my phone. I headed back down to the bus stop where I had first come up to this place then took it directly down, and got off right at the subway station. I put a quick call through to my girlfriend and let her know what I saw, and even sang the chant to her so she could tell me about it. She was more than happy to oblige, and asked me to take her along on my next adventure.
And with that, I took the subway back to the stop near the city I was living in, then hopped a relaxing bus ride over a bridge and back to my house. I spent the rest of the night, maybe six or seven hours, playing video games, before I went to sleep and prepared for another day of work the next day, and another day of travel on the Tuesday right after.
As for today...
I woke up at 11:00.
I watched TV.
I went out for job training.
I came home.
I watched internet movies with my son.
I went to work.
I taught students.
I came home.
I ate dinner.
I watched internet movies with my son.
He fell asleep.
I cleaned up the floor and table.
I played video games.
I slept.
Time: Late 2007, dating my wife.
For the sake of this Then and Now, I'm going to refer to my wife as my girlfriend.
In the first month or two while my girlfriend and I were dating, Sunday came around and it was time for some fun. She had come over to my place for the past two weekends, and we basically locked ourselves in the apartment to have sex, eat and watch some DVDs I brought from America for the entire two breaks. But this weekend, she had to do some extra work, so I went out to the big city to see what I could see alone. I still had a lot to visit, according to my subway map, so I decided to go and see something historic that day: a famous temple.
I took the subway car to a stop near the end of the east-west line where the temple was, and on the way there, I saw a foreigner in the car with his local girlfriend. I looked their way, but they didn't see me, so I went back to watching the world fly by outside the car. But then, just a few seconds later, I heard a voice.
"So where you headed?"
I looked over and saw the guy and his girl staring at me with warm smiles. I smiled a bright smile of my own and told them about the temple on the map, and how I was really interested in going to see it. I also told them that I was surprised they were talking to me; most foreigners I met since I had come to this country either locked eyes with me for a fraction of a second, then jerked their head ninety degrees to the side and scurried away before I could say hello, or simply ignored me and my greetings.
The foreigner answered, "You seem to be a good guy."
"Yeah?" I answered, with a stupid grin on my face.
"Believe me," he said, "I know how to read people." I guess this was just another instance of people seeing how much I shined as a man.
In any case, we spent the next few minutes talking about his musical career as an entertainer to kids, his musical influences, and how he and his girlfriend had met in his home country before he came over. He had come to visit her, and to see her family for the first time. I congratulated him on the big step, and guaranteed he would have a great time here, but he assured me that he had been here long enough to know how great the country was. My stop came up, and after some goodbyes, off I went. I later found out that he was semi-famous here, and even published a CD or two.
When I got off the car, the sky was overcast, but it wasn't a problem: I had brought a large umbrella, its handle hooked into my jeans pocket like a modern day sword. I walked across a very wide parking lot, and settled down to decide where the heck I was going to go. I didn't have a map, aside from the one for the subway, so I just had to guess my way to the temple.
In one direction were tons of tall buildings, so I figured it wouldn't be over there. In two others, it seemed that there were just a couple of winding roads going around small shops and stuff, so I guessed it wasn't in those places, either. The last direction, however, was a road that led up into the mountains. I figured that even if I was wrong and it was an urban temple, a mountain hike sounded like fun anyway.
I walked for a bit down some non-descript streets when I came to a shadowy intersection under a freeway overpass. Standing next to me were a local teacher and a bunch of her students on some kind of field trip. A few of the kids looked and pointed at me, so I just grinned at them and moved on when the light turned green.
The road continued down for a while between some mechanics' garages and tiny, independently owned stores until I came to the first stop of my little trip. Surrounded by massive fences that would seem in place around a batting cage, there sat an expansive field of grasses, trees and little ponds. I couldn't read the sign outside very well, but I gathered that it was some kind of garden.
I entered and walked up to a booth with a woman inside, and used some simple words of the local language to ask what I was looking at. She answered back, just as simply, that it was a nature (something). I guessed it was a sanctuary, park or preserve, because at that moment, I noticed that there were ticket prices listed. So of course I dropped some cash down and got a ticket to go in. The lady chuckled a bit as she gave me a pamphlet, obviously amused by the fact that I probably couldn't read it. SPOILER: I couldn't.
I walked around for about thirty minutes, taking in the sights of the animals and plants around me. I walked down a path through a little forest with a couple of birds in the trees, past a miniature lake with some colorful, lazy fish inside, and past a barred-off field with some weird squirrel things running around in it.
Feeling at peace and relaxed, I went down a path that had thick brush on one side, and a wide, man-made lake on the other. It was an incredible sight, with the light of the sun reflecting off of the waters and little fish flitting about beneath. The path continued up and around a small hill, and strangely enough, I saw a little shack at the top. It was roped off, so I couldn't see if someone was living or working there, or if it was some kind of historic monument, but it did get me guessing. There were some high school students there, too: a girl and two guys. They were just walking around and minding their own business, so I didn't bug them. After a good hour of walking around this place, I went back to the entrance, said goodbye to the lady there, and continued on.
The narrow road outside soon opened up to a very wide grassy field on either side of it. I couldn't see anything of civilization in either direction, and I was the only one standing there. Feeling the wind blow through the green, I felt like I was the last man on earth, and that I was the only one left to explore its natural beauty on that warm day. Then a car rocketed by and kind of ruined the feeling.
The road continued on, and the grassy plains gave way to steep cliffs covered in trees on the right side of the road, and a gentle incline to the left. As I started climbing the road up the hill, my phone rang. It was my girlfriend, calling me from work. "Hey honey! Where are you? You're climbing the mountain? Wow! That sounds tiring. I know you can do it, go go go! Save some energy for next weekend, ok? Have fun!"
No asking me to cut my trip short. No reminders of chores I had to take care of. No complaining about her day at work or what her family had done. No asking me for money. No asking me to bring something back for her. No reminders of whether or not I had brought this or that article of clothing. Just good old fashioned support.
The road climbed up and wound around several times, at points going towards the mountain ahead of me, and at others back in the direction I came from. But it kept rising, and I kept walking it. Just as the forest on my right got too thick to see through anymore, the road turned back towards the subway station, and I was starting to feel very tired. Luckily, at that point, I had come to a very wide, very high, very beautiful scenic point that looked out over the entire city. The mountain was still behind me and wasn't very high at my sides, so I was offered an almost unobstructed view.
Buildings shot up and out of the ground as far as the eye could see, and purple mountains rose quietly and serenely behind them. The sun was blaring next to the clouds and still high in the sky, so it cast very few shadows over the incredible scene. The wide, grassy field that I had traveled through was wider than I thought, and spread for miles in either direction at the foot of the mountain. I stayed up there to catch my breath and snap pictures for a couple of minutes, until I was finally ready to resume my climb.
The road continued even farther up, and after a short while, I was passing cozy-looking houses on my left, built atop the sloped mountain. It reminded me of a few trips I took to the mountains with my family back in America, and it was just as peaceful here as it was back home. After another hour or so of walking, I started to feel winded, so I found the nearest bus stop, and plopped down to wait for the next one to arrive. It came rather quickly, maybe after ten minutes or so. I got on and thanked the driver as he drove, and had barely sat down in my seat when the bus stopped, the doors opened and everyone had gotten off. I was only a two minutes' walk from the top. Sheepishly, I got off the bus, and the driver waived the fare because we were so close.
I was now in the heart of the mountain range, surrounded by trees on either side of the road, and many cars were slowly moving up in the same direction to some common destination. But at the same time, I noticed that the travelers on foot were taking a small detour from the main road and into the forest, away from the path that the cars were taking up the mountain. So of course, I followed them to see what was there.
It was a little pool of water, fenced off to allow a safe, perfect view. The centerpiece was a miniature waterfall that dribbled water into the small pond below, which was covered in floating flowers and lilypads with a couple of frogs and fish lazing about. There were even a few dragonflies and butterflies fluttering around the water, and trees and shrubs surrounded the little scene. It was stunningly beautiful.
I walked alongside this place and down the little dirt path, up some man-made stairs carved into the stone of the mountain, and finally arrived back on the main road. After a few minutes of walking, the road got wider. Along either side of it, there were a ton of outdoor restaurants catering to many, many locals enjoying a hot meal under the warm sun. I wish I were hungry then so I could have joined them, but I guess all the exercise drained me, so I just walked by them all with a slight smile. And finally, after several hours of bus rides, subway trips and a huge walk and hike, I arrived at the place everyone was heading to. It was the temple I was looking for all along. I had guessed right.
Out of respect for the locals, I kept my camera holstered at all times when I was up there. But to be honest, I wish someone had told me it was ok to take pictures, because everything I experienced up there was fantastic. The statues were massive and serene. The aroma of smoldering incense relaxed my tired mind and body. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of people all over the place, praying, talking, walking and just enjoying the quiet atmosphere of the temple.
But most noticeably, everyone was singing. It was a religious chant that I have heard several dozen times since I've lived here, but that was my first time hearing it live. It was absolutely hypnotic; not only was it being sung by hundreds of people, live and right in front of me, but the way everyone harmonized and carried the haunting tune made me dizzy with excitement and happiness. I have never forgotten that tune, or that scene.
I people watched for a while, then I went around the temple to see what else there was to see. I didn't want to be loitering around the main praying area, after all, what with the locals having spiritual business there and all.
The temple felt more like a castle, to be honest. There were two separate levels: the top level which held the little libraries, praying areas and offices of the temple, and the lower level where people were relaxing with their families. I saw some local kids running around and playing ball, even as high as we were. They were in no danger of falling, though, because the sides of the temple were fenced off.
There were several other places around the temple that offered even better views of the mountains, forests, plains and city below. After all, we were even higher than that first scenic point I had come to. Still, I took no pictures. Aimed at the temple or not, I didn't think it was respectful to be pulling my camera out in that place. I walked around the temple twice, peeking into the monks' study areas and sleeping quarters and stuff (surreptitiously, of course). And after about an hour of checking the place out, I decided it was time to go.
The sun was still rather high in the sky, and I guessed it was about 2:00 or 3:00, which I confirmed on my phone. I headed back down to the bus stop where I had first come up to this place then took it directly down, and got off right at the subway station. I put a quick call through to my girlfriend and let her know what I saw, and even sang the chant to her so she could tell me about it. She was more than happy to oblige, and asked me to take her along on my next adventure.
And with that, I took the subway back to the stop near the city I was living in, then hopped a relaxing bus ride over a bridge and back to my house. I spent the rest of the night, maybe six or seven hours, playing video games, before I went to sleep and prepared for another day of work the next day, and another day of travel on the Tuesday right after.
As for today...
I woke up at 11:00.
I watched TV.
I went out for job training.
I came home.
I watched internet movies with my son.
I went to work.
I taught students.
I came home.
I ate dinner.
I watched internet movies with my son.
He fell asleep.
I cleaned up the floor and table.
I played video games.
I slept.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Temple trip
We all got dressed up to go to the temple from Then and Now 13. I waited a long time again for my wife to get ready, but I played with my son while she was busy because he was in a good mood this time. Then we walked on out to the bus stop with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, and waited another thirty or so minutes for it to arrive, but this time, I played with my son some more.
The bus ride to the subway stop was very nice, but I started to get a little nostalgic as I looked out the window towards the city I used to tour back in my unmarried days. I noticed a couple of familiar buildings and mountains that I used to go to, and even parks and rivers that I never went to opened up little memories of my unmarried life locked away in the back of my mind. At the station, we got off the bus, went to the bathroom, then headed on down to the platform where the subway was headed out.
And then, it happened.
I don't know why it affected me this time, and not the last time my family and I went to the temple, but it did. As the subway car rolled up to take everyone to the next stop, the familiar mechanical whine of its brakes sounded off of the walls and echoed around in every direction. I had ridden the cars so many times before I got married that I knew the sound by heart. I was suddenly struck by a blast of nostalgia and regret for the life I had given up, stronger than I had ever felt before.
Right after, we all boarded the car, and again, another familiar sound filled the air: it was the sound of the engine powering up, and the wind outside rushing through the tunnel and past the car. I was hit by another wave of nostalgia and regret, but this time, everything went dark. I didn't see my wife, son, mother-in-law, sister-in-law or anybody else on the train; there were only the images of long buried memories from my unmarried time that passed before my mind's eye:
I remembered a peaceful ride on a bus heading slowly home at night, crossing over a bridge over darkened waters after a long day of fun travel.
I remembered a fair that was held outside of the main bus/train/subway station.
I remembered going shopping at the supermarket for the first time.
I remembered heading to the "foreigner section" of the main city with my wife (then girlfriend), and taking a very long and peaceful walk down a wide road together, and I was carrying refried beans we had just bought to cook burritos.
Dozens of old images, senses and feelings from before I got married passed by quickly, enough to make several more Then and Now posts. And then, the sound passed, and I was back on the car again. In all honesty, a very small part of me wanted to cry right there, but it only took a second to stuff that part of me deep into my stomach and lock it away. My "man" face never flinched.
The day passed quickly. We went to the temple and looked around a bit, left my sister-in-law there so she could meet someone, then headed back to the station to go home. My wife picked two fights with her mom on the way home, and they both went exactly like this:
Mother-in-law: *Annoying comment*
Wife: *RAGE!*
Mother-in-law: *RAGE!*
Wife: *RAGE!*
Mother-in-law: *RAGE!*
Wife: *Silence*
Mother-in-law: *Silence*
Wife: *Silence*
Mother-in-law: *Normal voice talking*
Wife: *Quiet reciprocation*
On the bus ride home, I did some math, and found that if my wife and I stop at one kid (and she really seems like she wants to), then I only have to live another month before I'm 20% of the way done with this marriage. Otherwise, I'm only 16% of the way done. Not exactly encouraging, but it was something to think about.
And finally, we were home.
The bus ride to the subway stop was very nice, but I started to get a little nostalgic as I looked out the window towards the city I used to tour back in my unmarried days. I noticed a couple of familiar buildings and mountains that I used to go to, and even parks and rivers that I never went to opened up little memories of my unmarried life locked away in the back of my mind. At the station, we got off the bus, went to the bathroom, then headed on down to the platform where the subway was headed out.
And then, it happened.
I don't know why it affected me this time, and not the last time my family and I went to the temple, but it did. As the subway car rolled up to take everyone to the next stop, the familiar mechanical whine of its brakes sounded off of the walls and echoed around in every direction. I had ridden the cars so many times before I got married that I knew the sound by heart. I was suddenly struck by a blast of nostalgia and regret for the life I had given up, stronger than I had ever felt before.
Right after, we all boarded the car, and again, another familiar sound filled the air: it was the sound of the engine powering up, and the wind outside rushing through the tunnel and past the car. I was hit by another wave of nostalgia and regret, but this time, everything went dark. I didn't see my wife, son, mother-in-law, sister-in-law or anybody else on the train; there were only the images of long buried memories from my unmarried time that passed before my mind's eye:
I remembered a peaceful ride on a bus heading slowly home at night, crossing over a bridge over darkened waters after a long day of fun travel.
I remembered a fair that was held outside of the main bus/train/subway station.
I remembered going shopping at the supermarket for the first time.
I remembered heading to the "foreigner section" of the main city with my wife (then girlfriend), and taking a very long and peaceful walk down a wide road together, and I was carrying refried beans we had just bought to cook burritos.
Dozens of old images, senses and feelings from before I got married passed by quickly, enough to make several more Then and Now posts. And then, the sound passed, and I was back on the car again. In all honesty, a very small part of me wanted to cry right there, but it only took a second to stuff that part of me deep into my stomach and lock it away. My "man" face never flinched.
The day passed quickly. We went to the temple and looked around a bit, left my sister-in-law there so she could meet someone, then headed back to the station to go home. My wife picked two fights with her mom on the way home, and they both went exactly like this:
Mother-in-law: *Annoying comment*
Wife: *RAGE!*
Mother-in-law: *RAGE!*
Wife: *RAGE!*
Mother-in-law: *RAGE!*
Wife: *Silence*
Mother-in-law: *Silence*
Wife: *Silence*
Mother-in-law: *Normal voice talking*
Wife: *Quiet reciprocation*
On the bus ride home, I did some math, and found that if my wife and I stop at one kid (and she really seems like she wants to), then I only have to live another month before I'm 20% of the way done with this marriage. Otherwise, I'm only 16% of the way done. Not exactly encouraging, but it was something to think about.
And finally, we were home.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Then and Now 14 - Odds and Ends 1
Then and Now 14 - Odds and Ends 1
Time: Before I got married.
With twelve "full day experience" Then and Now posts on this site, I'm going to introduce a new format. This time, I'm going to take little experiences in my unmarried life that aren't long enough to make an entire post about, and present them in this post. They will be unsorted, and I'll just write about them as they come to me.
It wasn't just entire days of fun that made my unmarried life amazing to live; it was these little experiences that popped up every other day that added to the fun and fulfillment of the best time in my life.
-----
One morning at my apartment, I was playing Silent Hill 4. It was about 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning, and the sun was starting to get pretty bright outside, so I had all the doors and windows closed to make my room as dark and scary as possible.
I was playing it for the second or third time, so I knew what to expect in the game, and I decided to do something a little off the cuff. In the game, you are supposed to call a phone number in your room about halfway through to get a code to unlock a door. But that morning, I decided to call the phone number right as the game started. It rang a couple of times, then the call went through. All of a sudden, a bunch of groaning came through the speaker, like the tortured moans of several zombies. It sounded pretty creepy, and I felt a little tingle go...
BZZZZZZZZZT.
When I finally peeled myself off of the ceiling and crawled back into my skin from where I jumped out of it, I realized that the mailman had come, and was buzzing my room to let him in. I laughed pretty hard at myself for a while after that.
-----
Another day during my hostel time, I was walking away from the main bus/train/subway station and by a huge park. For some reason, the park was closed off that day, and when I peeked in, I saw a large crowd of people busy doing some kind of organized exercise or theater rehearsal or something. When I turned back to the sidewalk, I noticed a young man walking towards me, so I quickly sized him up.
His eyes were locked onto mine, which told me he wanted to talk with me. At the same time, his head was angled slightly downward, which told me he felt shy or embarrassed about something. His shoulders were both leaned in and set, which confirmed that he probably wanted to ask me something. Finally, his mouth was curved up in a slight smile, so I felt he was a good person, and not looking to bother me. All of this took less than a second, and right after I got this overall impression of him, I smiled broadly and said, "Hey, howya' doin'?"
The guy asked me, "Excuse me, but do you know where the train station is? I'm lost."
I looked back and said, "Yeah, it's right over there." I pointed in its general direction, but there were several buildings in the way, preventing a physical look of it. I chuckled and shrugged, then beckoned for him to come with me as I turned back towards it. He politely protested and said he could make it on his own, but I insisted to take him over. He finally gave in, and we walked on towards it.
On the way, I asked him where he was from, and was surprised to learn that he came from a neighboring country. I asked him what brought him to the country we were in, and he told me he was visiting some relatives and vacationing. I nodded my head and said, "Cool," then asked how he was liking his stay. He said he loved it here, and I agreed, telling him of the warmth of the locals and the things I had seen.
Only a few minutes passed by before the station came into view, so once I pointed it out to him, he happily waved goodbye and we went our separate ways. Not only had I made an acquaintance, but I had done a little good deed. It felt nice.
-----
On my way to work from my apartment one day, a middle-aged woman was sitting on the sidewalk resting. When she saw me, she stopped me right away by saying, "Hey, handsome guy!" I turned beet red and smiled goofily, then spent the time I had to spare talking with her about when I came to her country, whether I had a girlfriend, what she did for a living and so on. A bit later, I headed off to work.
-----
During my single time in the big city, I went to an underground shopping center near the main station and was just looking around. After a time, I came to a glass case filled with pottery and other artifacts from the country's historic times. I tried my best to read the placards, but mostly was just enjoying the artistry and care that went into those old pieces of history.
After just a minute or so, a cute, young local girl came up next to me and started looking at the pieces with me. Back then, I had a strong ability to sense people's motives and intentions without them saying anything by watching their body language. And the second I glanced at this girl, I sensed she came up next to me so I would notice her and strike up a conversation because she liked me. I smiled, and she turned her head to me, smiling quickly before looking away shyly. Suspicions confirmed.
I decided to play it cool, so I looked the art pieces over for a bit, then saluted goodbye to her and started to walk away, hoping she would come after me, and hopefully, we could start something up. She didn't, though, so I just kept on going. I feel a bit of regret not getting to know her now, but at the time, I had two or three girls scheduled for hang out times that day anyway, so I guess I felt a bit too busy to make it three or four.
-----
Another day, I was at the train station and coming up from a bathroom in the basement. When I got to the top of the stairs, I noticed a very elderly man going down, grasping the handrail tightly as he very, very slowly made his way down. Without hesitation, I reached my hand out to him, and after a look of surprise, he took it. I helped him down the stairs to the bathroom, and he thanked me profusely at the bottom, then insisted that he could make it back up on his own. I smiled broadly and said goodbye, then went on my way.
-----
I think that should about do it for the little memories for now. I'll probably write a dozen or so more full-fledged Then and Now posts before I make another one of these; I haven't even begun to document all the great things I experienced in those six months, not by a long shot.
As for today...
I woke up at 11:30.
I ate lunch.
I played cars with my son.
I started a load of laundry.
I took him to the arcade, then drove him to a construction site to see some diggers, then we got ice cream for him and my wife, then we went home.
I talked with my wife.
I hung up wet laundry.
I went to work.
I taught students.
I ate dinner.
I came home.
I played cars with my son.
I watched internet movies with him.
I cleaned up the floor and table.
I slept.
Time: Before I got married.
With twelve "full day experience" Then and Now posts on this site, I'm going to introduce a new format. This time, I'm going to take little experiences in my unmarried life that aren't long enough to make an entire post about, and present them in this post. They will be unsorted, and I'll just write about them as they come to me.
It wasn't just entire days of fun that made my unmarried life amazing to live; it was these little experiences that popped up every other day that added to the fun and fulfillment of the best time in my life.
-----
One morning at my apartment, I was playing Silent Hill 4. It was about 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning, and the sun was starting to get pretty bright outside, so I had all the doors and windows closed to make my room as dark and scary as possible.
I was playing it for the second or third time, so I knew what to expect in the game, and I decided to do something a little off the cuff. In the game, you are supposed to call a phone number in your room about halfway through to get a code to unlock a door. But that morning, I decided to call the phone number right as the game started. It rang a couple of times, then the call went through. All of a sudden, a bunch of groaning came through the speaker, like the tortured moans of several zombies. It sounded pretty creepy, and I felt a little tingle go...
BZZZZZZZZZT.
When I finally peeled myself off of the ceiling and crawled back into my skin from where I jumped out of it, I realized that the mailman had come, and was buzzing my room to let him in. I laughed pretty hard at myself for a while after that.
-----
Another day during my hostel time, I was walking away from the main bus/train/subway station and by a huge park. For some reason, the park was closed off that day, and when I peeked in, I saw a large crowd of people busy doing some kind of organized exercise or theater rehearsal or something. When I turned back to the sidewalk, I noticed a young man walking towards me, so I quickly sized him up.
His eyes were locked onto mine, which told me he wanted to talk with me. At the same time, his head was angled slightly downward, which told me he felt shy or embarrassed about something. His shoulders were both leaned in and set, which confirmed that he probably wanted to ask me something. Finally, his mouth was curved up in a slight smile, so I felt he was a good person, and not looking to bother me. All of this took less than a second, and right after I got this overall impression of him, I smiled broadly and said, "Hey, howya' doin'?"
The guy asked me, "Excuse me, but do you know where the train station is? I'm lost."
I looked back and said, "Yeah, it's right over there." I pointed in its general direction, but there were several buildings in the way, preventing a physical look of it. I chuckled and shrugged, then beckoned for him to come with me as I turned back towards it. He politely protested and said he could make it on his own, but I insisted to take him over. He finally gave in, and we walked on towards it.
On the way, I asked him where he was from, and was surprised to learn that he came from a neighboring country. I asked him what brought him to the country we were in, and he told me he was visiting some relatives and vacationing. I nodded my head and said, "Cool," then asked how he was liking his stay. He said he loved it here, and I agreed, telling him of the warmth of the locals and the things I had seen.
Only a few minutes passed by before the station came into view, so once I pointed it out to him, he happily waved goodbye and we went our separate ways. Not only had I made an acquaintance, but I had done a little good deed. It felt nice.
-----
On my way to work from my apartment one day, a middle-aged woman was sitting on the sidewalk resting. When she saw me, she stopped me right away by saying, "Hey, handsome guy!" I turned beet red and smiled goofily, then spent the time I had to spare talking with her about when I came to her country, whether I had a girlfriend, what she did for a living and so on. A bit later, I headed off to work.
-----
During my single time in the big city, I went to an underground shopping center near the main station and was just looking around. After a time, I came to a glass case filled with pottery and other artifacts from the country's historic times. I tried my best to read the placards, but mostly was just enjoying the artistry and care that went into those old pieces of history.
After just a minute or so, a cute, young local girl came up next to me and started looking at the pieces with me. Back then, I had a strong ability to sense people's motives and intentions without them saying anything by watching their body language. And the second I glanced at this girl, I sensed she came up next to me so I would notice her and strike up a conversation because she liked me. I smiled, and she turned her head to me, smiling quickly before looking away shyly. Suspicions confirmed.
I decided to play it cool, so I looked the art pieces over for a bit, then saluted goodbye to her and started to walk away, hoping she would come after me, and hopefully, we could start something up. She didn't, though, so I just kept on going. I feel a bit of regret not getting to know her now, but at the time, I had two or three girls scheduled for hang out times that day anyway, so I guess I felt a bit too busy to make it three or four.
-----
Another day, I was at the train station and coming up from a bathroom in the basement. When I got to the top of the stairs, I noticed a very elderly man going down, grasping the handrail tightly as he very, very slowly made his way down. Without hesitation, I reached my hand out to him, and after a look of surprise, he took it. I helped him down the stairs to the bathroom, and he thanked me profusely at the bottom, then insisted that he could make it back up on his own. I smiled broadly and said goodbye, then went on my way.
-----
I think that should about do it for the little memories for now. I'll probably write a dozen or so more full-fledged Then and Now posts before I make another one of these; I haven't even begun to document all the great things I experienced in those six months, not by a long shot.
As for today...
I woke up at 11:30.
I ate lunch.
I played cars with my son.
I started a load of laundry.
I took him to the arcade, then drove him to a construction site to see some diggers, then we got ice cream for him and my wife, then we went home.
I talked with my wife.
I hung up wet laundry.
I went to work.
I taught students.
I ate dinner.
I came home.
I played cars with my son.
I watched internet movies with him.
I cleaned up the floor and table.
I slept.
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