Virtual Vomit

Ningxia -  [also based on a true story]  So Jessica and I are sitting in the tour bus, after visiting a piece of the Great Wall in Ningxia, waiting for the rest of the group to return, and because it is evidently against all cultural norms to allow any quiet time on tour buses, the driver has put on a video on the screen in front of the bus. 

It is a weird video, so it captures our attention.  It’s of a lion [not a real one, but a lion dance lion.  You’ve probably seen them before (if not, see attached photo).   A lion dance lion is activated by two people. ]  So back to the story – this cute little lion is dancing around doing cute little lion-like movements- scratching an ear with a rear paw, rearing up, rolling over and so forth, and then he does something I haven’t seen before in a lion dance – he tips up an entire bottle of wine into his lion mouth.   Then he staggers around, looking quite tipsy.  Sad music is playing so you get the feeling that maybe this lion is down on his luck.  Not so cute any more.

So now we are intrigued.   Is this based on some ancient Chinese poem or legend?  Is it symbolic?  Well, it turns out that it is an age-old story.  The lion appears to heave, and then – seriously – he throws up.  Real liquid comes out of the lion mouth.   And then, the lion passes out. 

Jessica and I look at each other in shock – did you see what I saw?  Surreal, but true.  So next time you see a lion dance, stand back.  

What went wrong in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong - Okay, I don't really have that much to say about Hong Kong.  I wish I did.    I really only have myself to blame because I booked my own travel (arriving about 9pm to meet Kitsy and Jessica at the hotel on Friday and leaving early Sunday morning) - well, myself and Typhoon Neoguri - the first of the season and expected to be the strongest in history.  Whee.  It hit a little farther away - Hainan - but the wind and rain still affected Hong Kong - mostly on Saturday, the one full day I had for sightseeing.

Friday night it wasn't raining yet, so we zipped out to the Temple Street night market - the stuff for sale was disappointing, mostly fake watches and sunglasses, doodads. It would have been fun to try the food at open air restaurants.

So what do you do in the rain?  Eat, get massages, and drink.  We borrowed oversized umbrellas (aka sails) from the hotel and ventured out into the muck.  Fortunately we found a great Indian buffet within swimming distance - Gaylord's Indian buffet.   My shoes were ruined, and I felt bad when we got foot massages for my icky feet.  When we went to the massage place (one of several next to the restaurant) there was only one customer there and one woman working.  She jumped up when we came in, sat us down, and got on the phone.  We laughed a bit when three women suddenly showed up.  What were they in the middle of on a Saturday afternoon?  Were they even trained foot masseurs? 

I stopped laughing when the woman with construction worker hands got ahold of my trotters.  She dug her thumbs into the arch of my foot so hard that my brain hurt.  She rubbed my shins so thoroughly that I had bruises later that day.  I refused to let her see me cry.  I kept thinking it would be good for me - especially when you see the chart of how the places on your feet connect to your organs and stuff.  So because it was good for me, or maybe just because it was raining and we couldn't go to Victoria's Peak, I went back for a shoulder massage - with one of the other women - it was done entirely with her elbow across my whole back.   I think they were getting their revenge for having to leave their apartments during a typhoon to rub some foreigners' big feet.  [It wasn't all painful - 1 hour total was about 30 USD, the only good deal in town.] I want to go back... but don't tell the foot massage ladies.