Love and Loss in SiChuan (Rated G)

Part 1

It was the first vacation of my life in China, May of 2004. I had no idea where to go with my trip, my Chinese wasn't the best and I was rather green all around. My friend C. suggested that I meet her in

SiChuan and we could travel together. This was the plan that I chose and stuck to despite its difficulties.

Since I had just arrived in China and I had only been paid twice from the school for which I was working, I wanted to be frugal and take the train. My friend, Kitty, had some contacts  with travel agents and offered to help me get a train ticket. We went through the motions of getting the ticket, sending money here and there and then got the ticket, for the wrong day none the less. Moreover, the day I needed was all booked, of course!

Two choices: Dispose of my miserly ways and buy a plane ticket to Chengdu or stay in Beijing and not make use of my good fortune to have the opportunity to have some proper travel so soon into my new life. I chose to travel and I am happy that I did. I bought a one way ticket to Chengdu.

C. later decided not to go to Chengdu, but I had my ticket and did not care too much. On the day of the plane I awoke early and rushed out the door to get a taxi. I was still unsure which way the airport was, but I was sure that the taxi would easily be able to take me. After being refused a few time, I got a little scared. Finally, one of the cheapest taxis (1.2) took on my fare, and drove me around in circles for far to long, causing me to miss my plane and forcing me to rebook for later that morning. Since my ticket was super cheap, it cost me a good deal of money to change tickets. 

On the plane, I sat down, finally on my way. Lucky for me, I was sitting next to two elderly Chinese women who had never been on a plane before. I had the honor of helping them use a seat belt, turn off the air (after she so politely yelled at me in Chinese, "I do not want wind") and then I was awakened from my nap to an old face right next to mine staring out the window. It appears as though I had gotten onto the city bus-in-the-sky.

Arriving in Chengdu, I was able to take the free shuttle into the city-a benefit of flying
SiChuan air to SiChuan. I had found out about this benefit from a Chinese electrician who said, "Only this ticket has the power." A fitting description.  I wanted to get out at the Jiao Tong Fandian, I got out at the Jiao Tong Fandian, but I was not sure that this was the Jiao Tong fandian and after seeing the prices on the wall I was a little skeptical. I snagged a small business card and carried my massive backpack out the door. Sweating profusely from the humidity, I proceeded to walk around looking for another hotel.

I walked along the river until I reached Renmen Nan Lu (Peoples South Street) where I turned to the north and continued walking until I reached the enormous statue of Mao where I turned right and wandered until I had reached a wide and long "walking street." The district I had entered was obviously not the one for cheap hotels, it was more of a shopping area. I must have covered 3 miles with that backpack hoisted upon my tired shoulders as I searched aimlessly. It had been a long day, so I decided to head back to that previous hotel, which it turns out was the hotel I had wanted in the first place. Now I was in another predicament, I did not know how to get back.

I walked back the direction I had came. Feeling a little frustrated, I took action. Ahead of me only a few steps was a young woman, the sway of her hips was attracting me like a siren song. Her black jeans shifted from side to side resulting in the tilt in the crease of her white shirt and here light brown hair waved between her shoulder blades. We were heading the same direction so I pushed my legs a little harder to decrease the distance between us. Walking up next to her I attempted to make contact using my Chinese. “Excuse me, can you help me?” is what I wanted to say. More than likely I said, “I go hotel sleep cat.” English and Chinese blurred together, flustered and dripping sweat I fumbled with the card in my hand and pointed to the hotel’s address.

“Ah, you want go this place?” she asked in English. Her tone was high pitched and girlish. My masculine side growled as her Asian femininity reared its beautiful personality. “I go near here now. We can go together.” My first success of the day it seemed. Slowly we paced along the cobblestone sidewalk toward the river.

“You come here for travel? You work or study? Where do you come from? How long you stay
China? How long you stay Chengdu?” Her questions were rapid fire, attracting me all the more as we walked. Of course they were not the most intriguing of questions yet, the interest and conviction with which they appeared was intoxicating. I answered and replied back, “Are you a student? Where do you come from?” I hit all the bases, except for her favorite color.

She stood above my shoulder so our eyes could easily meet. She had eyes like a puppy dog, warm and soft. She smiled her coy smile showing her crooked teeth.

As it turns out, her University was right behind the hotel and she was on her way back. We chatted all the way across the river and down to the gate of the hotel. I did not have a room nor did I feel it appropriate to ask her to come into the area of the hotel with me. “I will be here for a few days traveling with my friend, perhaps we can spend some time together. Can I have your number? Oh, and I do not believe I got your name.”

As she answered my questions she bobbed excitedly. It felt as though I were a zit-faced high school boy asking out an equally zit-faced girl. “We can meet together another day, it is good. My name is Wang Yao, do you want to know my English name?”

“Oh, yeah, what is it?”

“Yo-yo,” she said proudly. “I gave it to myself, do you like it?”

Of course I said that I did, but I was not sure. “I will still call you Wang Yao, ok?”

 

“That is fine.” She said and then we parted ways. I to the hotel and her to her dorm. I had arrived back where I started; sweatier, famished and down right exhausted.

I went in and booked my room. After dropping my pack in the room I felt alive again. The weight had been lifted and my energy restored. I stepped outside for a local brew next to the hotel's trickling waterfall with the green fan-like leaves resting over my head like an umbrella. The humidity, stifling when walking about, was now comfortable and soothing. The lack of sun made the heat perfect and my skin felt as though it were being massaged. Although we were close to a road, we were back far enough that the only sound was the waterfall soothing my tired mind. Vacation is great.

C. arrived at the hotel, her trip being less hectic than mine. She was ready for dinner and I was a little bit tipsy and also hungry. We went out for some food, but my mind was not on food. Rather, my mind was on Yo-Yo, the young woman who had walked me home.