The problem with an unforgettable trip is:
Writer's block. Plain and simple I just can't get started on documenting the adventure. In the picture, you will see the journal I purchased to take notes in. I've looked at it many times and the problem isn't lack of interest or desire to tell you about what we did...it's more that I feel unfit for the task. It's so daunting. But, write I must...
Here we go. I’ve got a steaming thermos of rose petal and black tea from a teashop in Kunming at my right and music downloaded during the trip encouraging me from the speakers to my left.
I’ve been suffering from some sort of shock – Mike called it “normalcy shock” and I think the name fits this feeling well. I just spent two weeks in one of the most beautiful locales of my life with a good friend. Now, I’m back to my apartment here in Baoan Gardens and there’s no friend to talk to. Looking out the window, I no longer see mountains, expansive skies, or smell fresh air.
If you can believe it, I’ve been blocked by the following question: do I write chronologically or as the memories come back to me while sitting at the computer? I’ve only been inspired to write about Afey, the be-suited gent who took us on our cormorant adventure, and when I sit to write about the first of the trip, there’s this enormous weight that makes lifting my fingers to the keys almost impossible. I suppose the compromise I’ve wagered is to write as the memories come and to post the entries in order. This doesn’t do YOU much good, faithful reader(s)…because who knows HOW long it will take to put into words what I’ve just experienced? And I already know the reason it’s so hard to write about: I could never do each memory justice. In fact, the PICTURES don’t even come close, oftentimes. But, if you’ve looked at the Flickr site recently, you’ll see that I’ve managed to upload all presentable shots from the past two weeks (and some not so presentable. Mike has an uncanny knack for taking photos of me while I’m talking).
I was going to take a trip up the Yangtze to see the mammothity (it’s like I have a lisp!) of the 3 Gorges Dam building site, but after reading about the journey in my guidebook, I see it’s an easy weekend trip and am feeling like I need to stay close to “home” right now anyway. There’s a lot to do in preparation for my next and last term of teaching at Wuchang Experimental Primary School. I miss my students – so much – and am looking forward to another four months of teaching with Julia and Christy. I also hope that Kindergarten continues because I grew to enjoy those sessions more than I realized.
Mike has hinted at the potential for another guest blog entry and I hope he will because I think it wouldn’t be right for me to be the sole contributor in the telling of this story. Besides, I might get some of my “facts” wrong and he’s as accurate as they come. I’d define it as, "I’m the artistic license to his Encyclopedia Britannica". So, have patience and enjoy the photos for now! http://www.flickr.com/photos/ririsu/sets/
