Factoids from Hainan China

My Chinese friend in Hainan tells me the Chinese thought they were the only people in the world, until the opium wars.

10,000 years ago the Mongolians migrated across the Bering Straits to what is now America. We called this base race Indians when America was "discovered."

During the Cultural Revolution, 80% of the population had no food whatsoever.

Hainan NON

Within 10 minutes of landing, it felt NON, non spiritual. NON existent.

It bothered me at first, wanting instead the essence of the rituals of, say perhaps, the Balinese. Then I remembered, from earlier travel throughout China and Indo-China. I remembered the Blue car burned with the Monk who set himself on fire in Vietnam, the Cultural Revolution’s loss of identity and culture, Pot Poh in Cambodia, Su Kri under house arrest, theocracies of idealism, separation of church and state and then I remembered to suspend it all (after all, I had just been in India three months earlier, what was I expecting anyway?) so I suspended---just to see what is within this culture on this island, like any other island, man-made or otherwise.

I've been here a month. The people are the most kind and hospitable ever. About the third week, it hit me. It’s usually the third week where ever I go. In India, when I was greeted for the thousandth time with the red on the forehead to “energize me” I broke down in tears from emotional overload. Ten minutes later, I was fine. So within the third week, here in Hainan China, it happened again. I was sitting in a Russian restaurant, and all of a sudden, motivated by nothing specific at all, I missed my deceased dog so much, I could barely get the napkin off my lap, pay the bill (no tip necessary in China) and say goodbye in a controlled manner. Ten minutes later, a wave of spiritual energy bathed my body. I had been lifted up somehow, my mind clear as a bell, in that cafe, drinking a cup of coffee and talking stories to the waiter.

Whatever stories we make up, create, recreate, recite, or omit, to give reason to our existence, is OK and NON OK, because its source comes from within the culture anyway, with or without doctrine. Democratic India (Kerals excluded) or Communist China--same source. Now every day, miracles are happening here. I can travel anywhere.

Quick Post from Hainan Island China

Moon Cakes

When China was conquered and controlled by the Monglolians, one night, on that full moon, when all were exchanging moon cakes, another message was also being exchanged. Notes were slipped under the moon cakes, passed from person to person, saying, "Tonight is the night to fight the Mongolians," and the battle began under the full moon.

Chinese in Plain English - Hainan Island China

Here we are in Hainan Provence, China! The "Oriental Hawaii" more or less. More beach, less bodies.

Yalong Bay is gorgeous. It's an uncrowded white expansive beach, quiet, clean air and water. This is a very affordable 5 star paradise. Guest house options in Da Dong Hai are available for a long term stay of a month or more.

Currently, Sanya, the capital, has many Russian visitors, coming here to relieve themselves of the cold. Other seasons, Europeans and Australians find this place to their liking.

Menus are in Russian or Chinese. You have to ask for one in English.

Very few Chinese here speak English so bring a book of translations, it is very helpful and indeed necessary. It took me 30 minutes to order a fresh coconut juice in Chinese and 3 seconds to understand the overflow of emotions from the Russians. These Russians put Marcel Marceau to shame. We totally understood one another without a common word and ended up sharing a taxi.

So now let's speak in plain English. Let's start with Chevrolet. That good ol' American car we revered in the 50's. It has begun a joint venture with China, producing a very cute, small SUV for a mere $10,000 usd. Not available in the USA. The Chinese are buying them like moon cakes.

Then remember Snyder's pretzels, 1909, the big, hard, chunky kind? All the broken pieces get sent to China for marketing. You can just lick the package and the crumbs and taste a paste of either cheese, honey mustard, apple cinnamon, cream caramel, or onion. Bursting with flavor and profit for Mr. Snyder.

Feel like brushing your teeth after that? Rembrandt tooth shine, for $8-10 usd in USA, $1.50 usd here. Need a calculator or tranlator hand-held? I went to the Business shop, not just an ordinary shop, tried 10 calculators, 4 didn't work right off--Chinese made goods at their worst.

TV: 36 channels, non cable, with Dynasty period soap operas with costumes and hairdos and hats abound, flying daggers style. Game shows, singing contests and war documentaries, every hour, every day. Then there are the extravaganza celebrations, featuring a video collage of all the above, interwoven, so somehow it all relates to nature and reality today, complete with little smiling children singing and marching, while the audience waves little red flags.

Miss World 2005 in Hainan. Chinese in plain English.

As I said, this time of year all menus are in Russian or Chinese. DA! I went to the hot springs spa, pointed to the Russian menu, a program of massage called "Imperial," thinking Chinese Imperial or Russian Imperial, I cannot go astray. There must be some common element here. The Imperial massage package is a bag of rocks, about the size and shape of sugar cubes, rolled, kneaded, and scrubbed across your entire body for one hour. Oh, did I mention that they are hot scalding rocks wrapped in cloth? I didn't give up or give in.

I went on to the foot reflexology test. Mind you, I am an expert on every kind of body therapy existent, and this is the very best in the world. Vietnam comes close. It hurts, it's effective, and afterwards one feels like they had a complete body and head renewal. Two days later, I went back for more. It hurts, it's effective, and, well, you get the feeling.

I'm off for the day, in the Chevy SUV, teeth brushed, body scrubbed, reflexed, Snyder's packed, translation book in hand, going to attempt, from the Russian menu, to eat without selecting fish chin, duck feet, or fish eyes.

More on food tomorrow!