I arrived in Chengdu two and a half months ago. I spent a solid month here, acquainting to Chengdu life. It was actually quite a smooth transition. Almost too smooth for my taste. I made many new friends, watched many movies, and went out on the weekends. My work did not change all that much; I converted academic essays and worked on computer files. I would either work at western-friendly restaurants which serve sandwiches and pizza, or at home, in a smallish but well-equipped apartment in the Meishi International School campus-compound far to the south of the city.
I would make milk tea on a gas hot plate instead of an electric stove top. I would do laundry in smaller quantities and hang it outside rather than use a dryer. I would throw frisbee in a Chinese school field surrounded by rabid children instead of on the Lawn circled by uninterested classmates. Although my surroundings were quite different, life was very comfortable and vaguely familiar. I was eager to shed these notions.
When I arrived in Dartsedo (Ch. Kangding) for the first time, I was very excited. I would be living here..! With these regal mountains! And this endless river! What a treat! I finally could speak Tibetan, too, and make many new friends. I was very excited.I started things off, logically, by finding a place to stay. A friend of mine who had spent quite a bit of time in Kangding cryptically told me at the end of an email "Don't stay at the Black Tent." Another Tibetan friend of mine who lives in Kangding said to me "The Black Tent is the best hostel in Kangding." Thus I had received mixed reviews, but it was cheap, and I had few other options.
The first night I spent there was cold. I asked for a single room, but they didn't have any, so I had to stay in the hostel-style room. There were four beds and when I went in someone was already sleeping in one. I decided to follow in suit and do my best to stay warm. It was one of the least comfortable nights I had had in a long time.
I eventually got my own room. It was a few doors down from my hostel room, had two beds, seven lights, one light bulb, a table, some chairs. It seemed quite luxurious compared to my previous abode. The down-side was I had to go downstairs to use the public bathroom (read: porcelain holes in the ground) and public showers and whatnot. As the nights got colder, even my new single room became difficult. I had no heater and, although the blankets were quite thick, they were not long enough to cover my feet. I would begin the night with two blankets on most of my body and then a third folded around my feet. It would generally be quite warm and comfortable. By the end of the night, however, my inadvertent turning in the night would cause my feet to pop out and freeze. It got to be quite awful.
Then there was work. I was generally doing my usual tasks of essay editing and file conversion at first, visiting an office which some of my friends worked at. All the folks who worked in the office were Tibetans and they would speak Tibetan all day. I got to use my own desk and talk with my friends who were quite skilled in their native Eastern dialect of Tibet as well as the Central dialect (with which I am familiar) and English too (to varying degrees of ability). We would work in the morning, take long lunch breaks, drink tea, laugh, work, play. It was great.I eventually tried to set up some projects with them and their superiors who are based in Chengdu. One day the superiors came to visit our office for a big annual meeting. My fellow coworkers thought it would be cool if I kept working in the office, I could talk to the bosses about projects, and then they could have their meeting. This is essentially how things worked, but then one of the bosses asked that I stopped coming to the office. This was hard news to take, but I did my best to not hold a grudge. After all, I was not an employee of the organization and, thus, did not officially belong there. Regardless, this was the one heated place where I could come and feel warm and at home. It hurt to have that taken away from me immediately after I had found it.
I spent the next few days working at another friend's office which was under construction. They were converting the office into a cafe, thus there was quite a bit of construction equipment, workers, and sawdust. They did still have internet, however, so I went there a few times; when I had to. At this point I still had not found my own apartment yet, was driven out from the place where I could happily work, and was just constantly cold. It was bit difficult to stay there. On top of all that, most of the people I needed to work with weren't even around. It was time to go.
I got a bus ticket back to Chengdu just in time to help my girlfriend move into a new apartment. It was a lot of work setting the new place up, but it was so posh. Hard wood floors, big kitchen space, and a fully functioning (and private, might I add) bathroom. After setting up the water, internet, and a quick trip to Ikea it became an ideal living space. I could use the internet freely, sleep comfortably, and stay relatively warm. How nice!After setting up our new apartment, I was beginning to feel better. The feeling of having a suitable shelter cannot be understated. After a couple of weeks I was thinking of heading back out to Kangding and giving it another try. I bought some long underwear, a big sleeping bag, and was on my way. So, now I'm back here in Kangding, and still seeking a home away from home here. I decided not to stay at the Black Tent and I found a nice hostel up the mountain (that even has an internet connection!). It is a little more expensive, but exponentially more comfortable. I cannot live here forever, however, thus my first big priority is to find a place to call my own. There are a few complications involved in this process, but I am confident that my friends here can help me find what I am looking for. Otherwise, I will just have to play nomad for a little while. I can do it now, though. I have more confidence in myself and a stronger will to stay here. I also have a sleeping bag.
