Two posts in two days; This is heady stuff here at Holycowgolf. (I know yesterday was just a bunch of pictures, but I was practicing for Nepal) As I understand it, the more frequently I post, the more frequently people will tune in to check it out. What I promised last time around was some info regarding my contact in Guangzhou, China- Jiang Xiao Qi, AKA Kiki, AKA Mickey Mouse.
First, a little history. My Fathers Wife, Jing, has a cousin in a town a few hours from Guangzhou, which is where I have a 13 hour layover before my arrival in KTM. This cousin has a daughter, Jiang Xiao Qi. So the initial plan is that I am to meet Kiki, my preferred nickname for her, when I land in China. Now, all of this is contingent upon my obtaining a visa for China. Savvy? Okay, so the whole point is if I can get this done I won't have to wait in an airport for 13 hours. There is also an outdoor zoo in Guangzhou, which houses one third of the worlds white tigers. Although seeing the tigers is my main goal, I feel as though there are ulterior motives behind Jing's aggressiveness in getting me in touch with Kiki.
(Sometimes throughout this process I'll write or say something that causes me to step back and take a deep breath. That last sentence, for example.)
Soldiering on.... Allow me to share some things about Kiki, and this is really the amazing part of getting to know someone from a different culture...She has introduced me to The Black Cat Detectives, which is an amazingly violent cartoon. Her zodiac sign is the mouse, and thus the name Mickey Mouse. Interestingly, my sign is the Horse, and therefore she writes to me as Mr. Horse.
After exchanging about seven emails, we were finally able to speak on the phone. It was slightly awkward, more so for her I think, since she was speaking English. But my knowledge of Mandarin is almost non-existent, so that left only one choice. The conversation lasted only a few minutes before I handed the phone back to Jing, to allow them to continue speaking about my Visa options.
My feeling about this entire thing is to just go forward, go with the flow, be patient, and have zero expectations- not because I'm afraid of disappointment, but I think this approach leads to longer term success. I am actually looking at this part of the experience as a primer for the way things in Nepal operate, which is slowly and through social channels - clearly not the way we try to make things happen here.
First, a little history. My Fathers Wife, Jing, has a cousin in a town a few hours from Guangzhou, which is where I have a 13 hour layover before my arrival in KTM. This cousin has a daughter, Jiang Xiao Qi. So the initial plan is that I am to meet Kiki, my preferred nickname for her, when I land in China. Now, all of this is contingent upon my obtaining a visa for China. Savvy? Okay, so the whole point is if I can get this done I won't have to wait in an airport for 13 hours. There is also an outdoor zoo in Guangzhou, which houses one third of the worlds white tigers. Although seeing the tigers is my main goal, I feel as though there are ulterior motives behind Jing's aggressiveness in getting me in touch with Kiki.
(Sometimes throughout this process I'll write or say something that causes me to step back and take a deep breath. That last sentence, for example.)
Soldiering on.... Allow me to share some things about Kiki, and this is really the amazing part of getting to know someone from a different culture...She has introduced me to The Black Cat Detectives, which is an amazingly violent cartoon. Her zodiac sign is the mouse, and thus the name Mickey Mouse. Interestingly, my sign is the Horse, and therefore she writes to me as Mr. Horse.
After exchanging about seven emails, we were finally able to speak on the phone. It was slightly awkward, more so for her I think, since she was speaking English. But my knowledge of Mandarin is almost non-existent, so that left only one choice. The conversation lasted only a few minutes before I handed the phone back to Jing, to allow them to continue speaking about my Visa options.
My feeling about this entire thing is to just go forward, go with the flow, be patient, and have zero expectations- not because I'm afraid of disappointment, but I think this approach leads to longer term success. I am actually looking at this part of the experience as a primer for the way things in Nepal operate, which is slowly and through social channels - clearly not the way we try to make things happen here.
