I really only travel for a few reasons. One is because I like collecting ink stamps on paper. Another is my love of plane, train, bus, and ferry tickets. Yet another is because it gives me an excuse not to work, rather filling my day with taking photos and meandering through foreign cities. And finally, it is because every once in awhile I stumble into a situation that leaves me speechless. These moments and events are serendipitous in nature and are those I tend to recount years later.
For five minutes Wednesday night I had another one of those moments.
Think Clapton...and Guns n' Roses. Think bright lights, big stage, and a live band. Think adoring fans. Now...think Paul...and Kyle. On a whim Kyle and I decided to leave the bright lights and KFCs of Shanghai for the equally bright lights but fewer KFCs of Hangzhou. Hangzhou is about an hour and a half by train outside of Shanghai. It is known for its beautiful lake and is a nice escape for many Shanghai citizens. And now, I do believe, it is known for the Kyle and Paul show. After dinner on Wednesday evening, Kyle and I decided to find a nice quiet bar to have a couple drinks. What we found was 1999, a new bar along the lake. We stepped in and were immediately greeted by an army of waiters and hostesses. Over the next few hours the following happened:
1.) We drank a lot of beer.
2.) Then we drank more.
3.) We were served a very fancy fruit bowl, mixed nuts, french fries, and more beer.
4.) We met some very nice Chinese people.
5.) We were asked to sing a song with the band.
That's right... What would you choose if you were asked to sing a song with a live Chinese band on a stage in a bar? We chose Clapton. But really, the choice was easy since the band mainly played Clapton, and for some reason a ton of Shania Twain. We were a hit. Sure, we were off key and (even though we had the words) we missed some of our cues, but we killed it. Oh, and we also gave a shoutout to all our Berkeley friends and those who couldn't be on stage with us.
The result of the evening:
1.) A story I am proud to share with my mother.
2.) A horrendous hangover (sorry Mom).
But it was worth it.
As I type I am sitting in Xian, which is a city in the middle-ish of China. Xian is known for many things, but two of them are most notable. The first is that it was the starting (and by default, ending) point of the Silk Road. The second is the Terracotta Army. The army is made up of thousands of unique statues said to guard the tomb of a really famous, really powerful, really rich old guy. (I would insert his name but I don't have it handy). So, tomorrow we are going to check out this army, which I am very excited about. However, today...well today was another great day. Let's just say there is nothing better than beating the Xi'an city wall land speed record while blaring Hall and Oates from the back of a tandem bike.
The road to this point has been an entertaining one. Last time I wrote I was in Shanghai and not impressed. Well, maybe now I am a little more impressed with the city. There are a few great things about Shanghai. First, it has been and will be the crossroads of international cultures in China. It gets points for that. Second, from the historical Bund to the newly developed Pudong area, the city boasts remarkable architecture. Third, they have the remarkable ability to straighten even straight hair...but you will pay for it. Finally, the tourist tunnel...enough said. So my thoughts on Shanghai...eh, I liked it. Would I say it is full of culture and history? No. But does it have good steamed buns and dumplings? Yes.
One more thing...Kyle and I met up with Edmond in Shanghai. He is there studying Mandarin. It was a lot of fun to sit on a city street eating dumplings with both my Berkeley roommates. 3128 Forever!
That is about it. Overall, I just have to say that Kyle and I are doing well. Now, I know it is early, but I think we are going to dominate Asia, Eurasia, and Europe.
PS - Kyle and I think we heard the official song of the Olympics. We think it is the official song because it was played (rather, blared) repeatedly on our sixteen hour train ride from Shanghai to Xian. Our thoughts: the single would probably not be the best iTunes purchase you have made this year.
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