Ah. Jackie and I went to Nanjing (about 4-5 hours away) this weekend. We stayed with a friend I made over facebook, and I just trusted that he wasn't a rapist or murderer. Luckily, he was neither and we had a great place to stay for free! The sole reason I wanted to go to Nanjing was in order to see the memorial museum to the victims of the Japanese massacre in Nanjing. I've read a lot about it and have heard what a necessary experience the memorial is from friends. Jackie and I waited until the last day to visit. We took a taxi and found a crowd of Chinese waiting outside closed gates. I went and pressed my face against the fence to see the sign announcing in Chinese that memorial is closed until Dec 2007 for renovation. *Gasp* I turned to the Chinese crowd and began pleading my case. I told a small lie that I had come all the way from America just to see this museum, and I was ready to offer the workers there any amount of money to let Jackie and I come in and have a look. Inspired, a Chinese woman climbed the fence and ran to find a worker. She explained the plight of the two Americans and the worker opened the gate a crack, letting Jackie and I in. The conversation was going too fast in Chinese for me to understand. But, a new woman appeared, and suddenly everyone's mood changed. She kept insisting that view the memorial was not possible. Jackie and I both had out stacks of 100 kuai bills (the highest bill) I told her we would give them to her if she just let us have a look, we had come all the way from America. No such luck, she was like a stone. We were shown back to the gate. I cried. Now, I am just angry.
We had a good time otherwise though. We went to the center of Confucian study for over 1500 years. We visited the Purple and Gold Mountains to see Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's tomb and some Ming tombs.
On the way back from the Ming tombs, we were in the middle of these deserted mountains. It was only 6 but it was pitch dark. Jackie and I hurried to join the mass of 20 Chinese waiting for the last bus out of the mountains. When it finally pulled up, people were already packed against the windows and doors. There was no way 20 more people could fit. The driver had other ideas though and began herding us in the side door. The thing is that the Chinese are very pushy to get in line, and Jackie and I aren't. We were the last people to get on the bus. It was sincerely impossible but the driver just kept pushing my back telling me to hurry up, in a deadpan voice. The doors wouldn't close, my body was in the way. There was only one solution. I wrapped my arms around the neck of the Chinese man standing on the step above me, stood one one toe and sucked in. "Ni hao" (hello) I said to his face less than an inch from mine. And there I clung for the 20 minute ride every time the doors opened or closed. I thought I had been in a crowded bus before.....I will never complain about Hangzhou buses again!
We saw the Ming dynasty city walls, made famous by pictures taken of the Japanese celebrating on top of them when they invaded Nanjing.
This week is busy with an international dinner (arranged by Jackie and myself) for our classmates, tonight (I am making grilled cheese!) Halloween part on Tuesday (also arranged by Jackie and myself, we've voted ourselves social chairs of class 1A), Chinese wedding on Wednesday, and fajita night on Friday with some foreign friends. Keeping busy!

Jackie and I have been busy traveling lately. Last weekend, we went to Suzhou, this weekend, we planned to go to the little water village, Xitang, the place where the end of mission impossible three was filmed. I went there last year with Stephen and Sarah so I was pretty confident in my ability to lead Jackie there. First we had to take a bus to Jiashan then a minibus to Xitang. A friend wrote it in characters for me, but I've gotten a little cocky lately and didn't bring it. So, Sat. morning we headed to the long lines at the east bus station. I got up to the fiberglass window with the ticket lady on the other side, and the little microphone. "Two to Jiashan" I said. *static static mumble* shan?" she asked. "Yes". She gave us the tickets and we got on the next bus to Jiashan. I had remembered the ride only being 1.5 or two hours. An hour and a half passed, two hours passed at the three hour mark I got nervous. I was sweaty b/c there was no air and I had to pee too. I called my friend Bob and passed the phone off to a bewildered passenger who obviously wanted nothing to do with two foreign girls. The phone circled back. Bob:"Um, you are going to Xiaoshan in Ningbo." me:"but I don't want to go there! How far is it from Hangzhou?" Bob: "about 5.5 hours" me: "shoot a monkey."
There was nothing to be done. We couldn't get off the bus. around 3 we arrived in this Xiaoshan. We were optimistic (well, Jackie was) that there would be at least something interesting to look at. We wandered the unfamiliar streets and harassed the locals to tell us a place that had "lots of meaning". The people there spoke their local language and our Chinese is pretty bad anyway. We ended up at a noodle house and took the next bus back 5.5 hours to Hangzhou.

Sunday, however, we were determined to get it right. We headed off early again, this time armed with the characters for Jiashan. One hour and a friendly conversation with a Chinese grandmother later, we made it to Jiashan and then to Xitang. It was beautiful of course, and completely worth even the mistaken trip the day before. Watch out for those tricky shans.

In Korea!!