Liuzhou with Yaodong, July 10-11, 2004
These pictures have been uploaded with Yaodong's permission: Click here to see the photos
I’ve been off the Internet for a few days now. This is because I was treated to a foot massage in Liuzhou two nights ago after dinner, and this kept me out of the Internet cafes. Yaodong was always admonishing me to go out and do things in China rather than spend evenings in Internet cafes, but I didn’t know what to do. I mean, the obvious, drink beer, seemed always to be taken care of in the Internet cafes. You can usually have a beer from the cool box in any of them or if they don’t have beer and you express an interest, a beer appears. But after a night in Liuzhou, I see that I was missing out on some of the creature comforts that are available in China, although Yaodong himself didn’t take the opportunity to have massages before I arrived. It was one of his students, Lucy, who had started a health therapy business who was always inviting him, and with my arrival he decided to take her up on her offer, with my participation.
In Liuzhou, Yaodong was there to meet me at the station. I knew him immediately as he looks exactly like his photos on the Internet, with peaceful demeanor and pleasant smile. He had made all arrangements for me in Liuzhou, starting with helping me get a ticket on a sleeper bus the following night, then conducting me by cab to a hotel where I didn’t check in right away, but carried my things straight to the restaurant. There I was met by Luci, the health center owner, her boyfriend Luo, and another of yaodong’s friends, a pleasant character cultivating an American accent. In this upscale restaurant attached to the hotel, Luci had arranged a huge meal be brought to us. There was plenty of beer, and dishes like duck, chicken and vegetable wafers in ginger, and a little fish with the head of a catfish, the size of a large sardine, that was succulent and not too many bones. After a delicious and convivial meal it turned out that they had booked me a room there for a discounted price of $20 a night, and after settling me in my room, we headed straight out for Luci’s place of business where Yaodong and I were treated to our foot massage.
It was pouring rain as we left to return to our respective homes, and it continued next day when Vivian and Victor picked me up to take me to the campus. These were pleasant young kids my youngest son’s age. They enjoyed practicing their English with me and they showed me around Yaodong’s campus, but as it was Sunday, we couldn’t visit the classes. We climbed the mountain there and had local spicy noodles in the canteen, interesting to compare the setup there with its many stations for localized cuisine for various provinces in China to accommodate the kids there from different regions, with my son’s dormitory cafeteria in California. Interesting also to see how the students lived, packed 8 to a room, but in clean surroundings, and each room with at least two Internet connected computers.
Here are some of the photos the students have uploaded of their classes with Yaodong:
View Vivian's online photos
Note from Yaodong: This is album of Mary and Catherine and other students,who graduated last month.
The students got me back to the hotel for checkout and a meeting with Yaodong. Luci sent her car to collect us and then pick up her and Luo and finally the ‘other guy’ (name to be put here later) to take us out to the monastery we planned to visit that day. We left Luci’s at 2 and it was pouring rain so hard and the roads not in best condition so it was almost 4 when we reached the monastery. I was growing concerned about the time; I had a bus to catch at 7. But Captain Yaodong managed the situation with impeccable timing We placed incense at strategic spots on the temple, visited with the master there, and at 5 went down to have an elaborate vegetarian meal. This meal had been mentioned before. I had pictured lentils and rice, as I’d expect in Monasteries in the Himalayas. Not so. This was an exquisite meal of the best disguised bean curd I had ever tasted, with variety and imagination in preparation. It was the kind of meal that put all who partook of it in happy and convivial frame of mind, so much so that Luci and Luo opted to stay with a van that had accompanied us and sent Yaodong and I back in her car. Returning in more rain, we made it to the bus station in distant Liuzhou with 15 minutes to spare. I saw Yaodong’s radiantly gentle face through the window from my sleeper couch until the bus was backing out and pulling away.
I’ve been off the Internet for a few days now. This is because I was treated to a foot massage in Liuzhou two nights ago after dinner, and this kept me out of the Internet cafes. Yaodong was always admonishing me to go out and do things in China rather than spend evenings in Internet cafes, but I didn’t know what to do. I mean, the obvious, drink beer, seemed always to be taken care of in the Internet cafes. You can usually have a beer from the cool box in any of them or if they don’t have beer and you express an interest, a beer appears. But after a night in Liuzhou, I see that I was missing out on some of the creature comforts that are available in China, although Yaodong himself didn’t take the opportunity to have massages before I arrived. It was one of his students, Lucy, who had started a health therapy business who was always inviting him, and with my arrival he decided to take her up on her offer, with my participation.
In Liuzhou, Yaodong was there to meet me at the station. I knew him immediately as he looks exactly like his photos on the Internet, with peaceful demeanor and pleasant smile. He had made all arrangements for me in Liuzhou, starting with helping me get a ticket on a sleeper bus the following night, then conducting me by cab to a hotel where I didn’t check in right away, but carried my things straight to the restaurant. There I was met by Luci, the health center owner, her boyfriend Luo, and another of yaodong’s friends, a pleasant character cultivating an American accent. In this upscale restaurant attached to the hotel, Luci had arranged a huge meal be brought to us. There was plenty of beer, and dishes like duck, chicken and vegetable wafers in ginger, and a little fish with the head of a catfish, the size of a large sardine, that was succulent and not too many bones. After a delicious and convivial meal it turned out that they had booked me a room there for a discounted price of $20 a night, and after settling me in my room, we headed straight out for Luci’s place of business where Yaodong and I were treated to our foot massage.
It was pouring rain as we left to return to our respective homes, and it continued next day when Vivian and Victor picked me up to take me to the campus. These were pleasant young kids my youngest son’s age. They enjoyed practicing their English with me and they showed me around Yaodong’s campus, but as it was Sunday, we couldn’t visit the classes. We climbed the mountain there and had local spicy noodles in the canteen, interesting to compare the setup there with its many stations for localized cuisine for various provinces in China to accommodate the kids there from different regions, with my son’s dormitory cafeteria in California. Interesting also to see how the students lived, packed 8 to a room, but in clean surroundings, and each room with at least two Internet connected computers.
Here are some of the photos the students have uploaded of their classes with Yaodong:
View Vivian's online photos
Note from Yaodong: This is album of Mary and Catherine and other students,who graduated last month.
The students got me back to the hotel for checkout and a meeting with Yaodong. Luci sent her car to collect us and then pick up her and Luo and finally the ‘other guy’ (name to be put here later) to take us out to the monastery we planned to visit that day. We left Luci’s at 2 and it was pouring rain so hard and the roads not in best condition so it was almost 4 when we reached the monastery. I was growing concerned about the time; I had a bus to catch at 7. But Captain Yaodong managed the situation with impeccable timing We placed incense at strategic spots on the temple, visited with the master there, and at 5 went down to have an elaborate vegetarian meal. This meal had been mentioned before. I had pictured lentils and rice, as I’d expect in Monasteries in the Himalayas. Not so. This was an exquisite meal of the best disguised bean curd I had ever tasted, with variety and imagination in preparation. It was the kind of meal that put all who partook of it in happy and convivial frame of mind, so much so that Luci and Luo opted to stay with a van that had accompanied us and sent Yaodong and I back in her car. Returning in more rain, we made it to the bus station in distant Liuzhou with 15 minutes to spare. I saw Yaodong’s radiantly gentle face through the window from my sleeper couch until the bus was backing out and pulling away.
Great to read your vivid description of the real vegetarian food with monks. I loved it.
I assume you are packing for the ferry ride now. Have a pleasant trip! I will always remember the good time spent together with my students and friends.
I've enjoyed checking the blog every now and then to
track your adventures - keep on having fun and keeping us back home entertained! As usual, I don't know where you find the time. Hope you have it all saved to place on a website when you get home so I can catch up on what I've missed.
I'm off to South Africa in
a few days - See you when I get back.
Sally
Hope you would come back to this webpage and read my note.I tried contacting you via Yahoo messenger but never got a reply.
May I contact you?
Regards!