FINALLY......China Day 2 (I hope/pray I've explained it sufficiently enough to show its effect)
OKAY, here we go.
3rd time's a charm.
I woke up early, around 6:00 AM I'm dressed and out the door. Walked outside the hotel, backpack secured and smoking a cigarette while sitting on this decorative wall outside the hotel. I'm still trying to digest everything of why I was "called here" why I went through with it and what the HELL I'm supposed to do while I'm here. It didn't take long before I got my first instinct that I follow.
I saw adults driving their children in significant numbers to "somewhere" behind my giant hotel. I became curious and finally decided to follow. I first felt my reason for being in China was to teach English (TEFL) so I said screw it, see where it takes me as for the first time in my life I'm not taking a throughout detailed plan or using extreme caution in my decision making. This entire "experience" I said "fuck it" lets see what happens.
Behind my hotel was an entire village made of concrete and bridges. TRUST me this is confusing. I didn't know if I was following roadways or entrances to people's homes. Several times I had to apologize for walking into someone else's living quarters.
I walk.....and walk for close to two hours (my best guess since I didn't have a watch or a phone to tell time. My only bering is the position of the sun which was beating down on me like it was rested on my shoulder. I had saved my bottled waters and filled them before I left which if I didn't I could almost guarantee I'd have passed out from dehydration from sweating and the small brewery I consumed prior to boarding the plane @ Handcock.
As I'm walking during the 1st hour I had to constantly move to the side to allow parents on scooters to swing by me. Just like here, Right side is the forward side which I found interesting being China is a lot closer to Europe than home. Eventually it was as though I was one of the few people walking in this vast city of endless concrete....everything.
Eventually I hear singing. I said to myself "that MUST be the/a school these parents were going to so I make my way towards the sound. The closer I got the worse it was. It wasn't English but more of a directional united direction. Eventually I came up to where the sounds were coming from. Just before it I stopped, grabbed a bottled water and lit a cigarette and tried to wipe down the sweat that was coming from everywhere. Seriously, it was fucking bad...
After I lit my cigarette I peered inside the window and was in complete disbelief. These roads are like Europe where your house is ON the walkway. Inside the first thing I saw was a giant lit-up red cross that was centered on the back wall and to the left was a giant mural of Jesus Christ.
In a country that is predominantly Buddhist seeing this in a city 20 miles outside Shanghai where would be considered rural I was flabbergasted. While I was outside my hotel it seemed that everyone at some point stopped and turned their head to look at me so I knew I was something of a rarity these people had seen so when I saw this church I didn't know what to think other than "really, no shit...?"
The building was maybe 50 x 100 ft. Inside was three horizontal rows of pews and a total of maybe 18 total. It was empty inside but 2-3 older people sitting listening to a female speak to them from the podium at the center. Three older woman were greeting people at the double sided doorway. Obviously I hadn't a clue what the woman was saying but I could tell she's obviously preaching to the provisioners.
I finished my cigarette and continued to walk. Maybe 45 minutes later the road of concrete turned to cobblestone and my glares of curiosity turned to stars of questioning.
China opened their boarders decades ago but the older generation still have that "see something, say something" mindset. Yes, China coined that phrase long before we did. You see someone NOT Chinese your required to report it to law enforcement immediately. So feeling uncomfortable with the ever increasing number of people glaring at me I decided to turn around and head back.
Eventually I did manage to find my way back to the church I stopped at before and again decided to stop and have a smoke and finish off my last bottled water. By now it's just around 9-10 (ish) I guess and several others are inside. One of the 3 women I remember seeing at the doorway as a greater made eye contact with me and waved me inside. I pointed to my half used cigarette and she smiled and went back to speaking with the the rest of the woman she stood with.
Now this is where my mind, understanding and fucking WORLD gets turned upside down. I finish the cigarette and although I am exhausted, dehydrated and yearning to collapse on my bed in the hotel I decide to go inside.
The woman from before immediately reacts and meets me at the entrance (which again is AT the...walkway..path?" and takes me across the landscape of the building and forward to the first pew on the right side. An older gentleman sitting directly behind me gets up and walks behind the woman (still preaching) and goes into the back room of the facility.
Moments later he emerges with a standing fan, plugs it in right in front of me points it at me and turns it on. Shit..at this point I was in ecstasy for having the ability to evaporate the sweat from my skin and almost instantaneously I felt better.
Then, the woman that I had made personal contact with walk up to me, opens her BIBLE (FUCKING Bible) written in Chinese to the page they're on, points to where they "are" and grabs my right hand and places it on the Bible. I thought to myself "Okay cool. They are being very friendly, supportive and want me to feel at "home" in a place I obviously to some extent don't belong.
That was until a couple of minutes later ANOTHER woman walked up, handed me HER Bible (which I set down to my left the 1st one), opens to the current page, grabs my right hand and places it on hers.
By now I'm saying to myself "WHAT THE FUCK?!"
After the 5th or 6th member approached me and did the same thing I noticed that the church was starting fill up. Now maybe 30% of the available pews were filled and I had a growing number of Chinese Bibles starting to stack next to me.
Most of this time I spent listening to singing. Honestly it was almost as bad as MY singing voice but I could feel these people putting significant effort into showing their emotions. Maybe 30 minutes have passed, the singing has stopped and the woman preacher was getting ready to walk away from the centered podium.
After a very brief moment of silence directly after the woman sat a man came from the back room all while my "collection" of Bibles are now in their 2nd stack resting next to me. I turn around to notice two things. 1st the Church is almost completely full. 2nd the man behind me is trying to be nonchalant in recording me on his iPhone ( I didn't think it was malicious but KNEW it was "something other")
The man that appeared from the back doorway walks directly to the podium. At this point I start to realize that this "church" isn't Christianity (because a woman would never be speaking from a podium) nor is it Catholicism (as I at that point had thought) but knew its beliefs stemmed from Western Culture, I just didn't know how.
This man soon after coming to the podium and speaking started to sob and tears could be seen dripping from his eyes that he constantly had to address.
By now, I'm working on my 3rd stack of Bibles and as I look at them to acknowledge to myself "HOLY FUCK WHAT THE FUCK" do I see this church is PACKED. I mean packed. I see babies, toddlers, teenagers, middle aged and elderly not only filling every single seat but they are now standing in the rows.
Chinese Government does NOT allow children to attend "religious masses" and Methodist Religion SHOULDN'T exist HERE! Yes, this is the "Kirkville" of Shanghai and is why I'm so disoriented to how "this" exists here even recently China took out a war against Santa.
The Preacher of the congregation starts to become overwhelmingly emotional. He's trying to speak but the stiffness of the collection of tears are starting to effect his voice. Again I haven't a clue what he's saying but I KNOW he's speaking of me. Not only can I see the heads turn out of my peripheral vision but I can HEAR the sounds of the heads turn towards me. Everytime I hear the familiar phrase that sound screams out "he's talking about me."
Now, a full fledged army walks in. All wearing silk white shiny bright new robes accompanied by red scarfs that hang below the knees. There has to be at least a total of 25-30 in all. They take places behind him and begin to sing. The emphasis of his words gets even more emotional during the brief times he speaks between the choirs soms.
by now I've been here over 3 hours (is my best guess) and after reality started to set in I'm saying to myself OKAY, I need to leave and get the fuck out of here.
I didn't know/wasn't aware of the affliction of this Western Religious congregation (until I returned) so when I made my parting "move" did I start to comprehend the extent of my visit.
I didn't know what to do but knew I wanted to leave because I felt so "weird" about everything that's happened I knew I had to do "something" significant before my departure I did the whole "specitales, testicales, wallet, watch" cross with my hand on my body.
The gasp could have been heard from Syracuse.
What I didn't realize then is that THAT "move" is only apart of the Catholic religion. Up to this point I "thought" this was maybe Christianity and tried to be respective of that religion. After THAT happened I didn't know what to do other than disappear as quickly as I could from inside.
I left trying to make my way back to my hotel in PuDong and eventually made my way back. How long it took me...NO idea but it wasn't a quick trip and I don't remember much because the entire time I'm trying to understand just what the FUCK happened. All I know is I made it back, walked up to my hotel, kissed my hand and rubbed the belly of the GIANT, I mean fucking GIANT Buddha stature in the lobby of my hotel and took the elevator to the 5th floor.
After exiting taking the immediate right and quick left to reach my room did I see an Arabic man and a half Twinese, half Chinese woman standing outside their respective rooms speaking ENGLISH did my adventure, my Spirit Walk, my REBIRTH start to evolve...
3rd time's a charm.
I woke up early, around 6:00 AM I'm dressed and out the door. Walked outside the hotel, backpack secured and smoking a cigarette while sitting on this decorative wall outside the hotel. I'm still trying to digest everything of why I was "called here" why I went through with it and what the HELL I'm supposed to do while I'm here. It didn't take long before I got my first instinct that I follow.
I saw adults driving their children in significant numbers to "somewhere" behind my giant hotel. I became curious and finally decided to follow. I first felt my reason for being in China was to teach English (TEFL) so I said screw it, see where it takes me as for the first time in my life I'm not taking a throughout detailed plan or using extreme caution in my decision making. This entire "experience" I said "fuck it" lets see what happens.
Behind my hotel was an entire village made of concrete and bridges. TRUST me this is confusing. I didn't know if I was following roadways or entrances to people's homes. Several times I had to apologize for walking into someone else's living quarters.
I walk.....and walk for close to two hours (my best guess since I didn't have a watch or a phone to tell time. My only bering is the position of the sun which was beating down on me like it was rested on my shoulder. I had saved my bottled waters and filled them before I left which if I didn't I could almost guarantee I'd have passed out from dehydration from sweating and the small brewery I consumed prior to boarding the plane @ Handcock.
As I'm walking during the 1st hour I had to constantly move to the side to allow parents on scooters to swing by me. Just like here, Right side is the forward side which I found interesting being China is a lot closer to Europe than home. Eventually it was as though I was one of the few people walking in this vast city of endless concrete....everything.
Eventually I hear singing. I said to myself "that MUST be the/a school these parents were going to so I make my way towards the sound. The closer I got the worse it was. It wasn't English but more of a directional united direction. Eventually I came up to where the sounds were coming from. Just before it I stopped, grabbed a bottled water and lit a cigarette and tried to wipe down the sweat that was coming from everywhere. Seriously, it was fucking bad...
After I lit my cigarette I peered inside the window and was in complete disbelief. These roads are like Europe where your house is ON the walkway. Inside the first thing I saw was a giant lit-up red cross that was centered on the back wall and to the left was a giant mural of Jesus Christ.
In a country that is predominantly Buddhist seeing this in a city 20 miles outside Shanghai where would be considered rural I was flabbergasted. While I was outside my hotel it seemed that everyone at some point stopped and turned their head to look at me so I knew I was something of a rarity these people had seen so when I saw this church I didn't know what to think other than "really, no shit...?"
The building was maybe 50 x 100 ft. Inside was three horizontal rows of pews and a total of maybe 18 total. It was empty inside but 2-3 older people sitting listening to a female speak to them from the podium at the center. Three older woman were greeting people at the double sided doorway. Obviously I hadn't a clue what the woman was saying but I could tell she's obviously preaching to the provisioners.
I finished my cigarette and continued to walk. Maybe 45 minutes later the road of concrete turned to cobblestone and my glares of curiosity turned to stars of questioning.
China opened their boarders decades ago but the older generation still have that "see something, say something" mindset. Yes, China coined that phrase long before we did. You see someone NOT Chinese your required to report it to law enforcement immediately. So feeling uncomfortable with the ever increasing number of people glaring at me I decided to turn around and head back.
Eventually I did manage to find my way back to the church I stopped at before and again decided to stop and have a smoke and finish off my last bottled water. By now it's just around 9-10 (ish) I guess and several others are inside. One of the 3 women I remember seeing at the doorway as a greater made eye contact with me and waved me inside. I pointed to my half used cigarette and she smiled and went back to speaking with the the rest of the woman she stood with.
Now this is where my mind, understanding and fucking WORLD gets turned upside down. I finish the cigarette and although I am exhausted, dehydrated and yearning to collapse on my bed in the hotel I decide to go inside.
The woman from before immediately reacts and meets me at the entrance (which again is AT the...walkway..path?" and takes me across the landscape of the building and forward to the first pew on the right side. An older gentleman sitting directly behind me gets up and walks behind the woman (still preaching) and goes into the back room of the facility.
Moments later he emerges with a standing fan, plugs it in right in front of me points it at me and turns it on. Shit..at this point I was in ecstasy for having the ability to evaporate the sweat from my skin and almost instantaneously I felt better.
Then, the woman that I had made personal contact with walk up to me, opens her BIBLE (FUCKING Bible) written in Chinese to the page they're on, points to where they "are" and grabs my right hand and places it on the Bible. I thought to myself "Okay cool. They are being very friendly, supportive and want me to feel at "home" in a place I obviously to some extent don't belong.
That was until a couple of minutes later ANOTHER woman walked up, handed me HER Bible (which I set down to my left the 1st one), opens to the current page, grabs my right hand and places it on hers.
By now I'm saying to myself "WHAT THE FUCK?!"
After the 5th or 6th member approached me and did the same thing I noticed that the church was starting fill up. Now maybe 30% of the available pews were filled and I had a growing number of Chinese Bibles starting to stack next to me.
Most of this time I spent listening to singing. Honestly it was almost as bad as MY singing voice but I could feel these people putting significant effort into showing their emotions. Maybe 30 minutes have passed, the singing has stopped and the woman preacher was getting ready to walk away from the centered podium.
After a very brief moment of silence directly after the woman sat a man came from the back room all while my "collection" of Bibles are now in their 2nd stack resting next to me. I turn around to notice two things. 1st the Church is almost completely full. 2nd the man behind me is trying to be nonchalant in recording me on his iPhone ( I didn't think it was malicious but KNEW it was "something other")
The man that appeared from the back doorway walks directly to the podium. At this point I start to realize that this "church" isn't Christianity (because a woman would never be speaking from a podium) nor is it Catholicism (as I at that point had thought) but knew its beliefs stemmed from Western Culture, I just didn't know how.
This man soon after coming to the podium and speaking started to sob and tears could be seen dripping from his eyes that he constantly had to address.
By now, I'm working on my 3rd stack of Bibles and as I look at them to acknowledge to myself "HOLY FUCK WHAT THE FUCK" do I see this church is PACKED. I mean packed. I see babies, toddlers, teenagers, middle aged and elderly not only filling every single seat but they are now standing in the rows.
Chinese Government does NOT allow children to attend "religious masses" and Methodist Religion SHOULDN'T exist HERE! Yes, this is the "Kirkville" of Shanghai and is why I'm so disoriented to how "this" exists here even recently China took out a war against Santa.
The Preacher of the congregation starts to become overwhelmingly emotional. He's trying to speak but the stiffness of the collection of tears are starting to effect his voice. Again I haven't a clue what he's saying but I KNOW he's speaking of me. Not only can I see the heads turn out of my peripheral vision but I can HEAR the sounds of the heads turn towards me. Everytime I hear the familiar phrase that sound screams out "he's talking about me."
Now, a full fledged army walks in. All wearing silk white shiny bright new robes accompanied by red scarfs that hang below the knees. There has to be at least a total of 25-30 in all. They take places behind him and begin to sing. The emphasis of his words gets even more emotional during the brief times he speaks between the choirs soms.
by now I've been here over 3 hours (is my best guess) and after reality started to set in I'm saying to myself OKAY, I need to leave and get the fuck out of here.
I didn't know/wasn't aware of the affliction of this Western Religious congregation (until I returned) so when I made my parting "move" did I start to comprehend the extent of my visit.
I didn't know what to do but knew I wanted to leave because I felt so "weird" about everything that's happened I knew I had to do "something" significant before my departure I did the whole "specitales, testicales, wallet, watch" cross with my hand on my body.
The gasp could have been heard from Syracuse.
What I didn't realize then is that THAT "move" is only apart of the Catholic religion. Up to this point I "thought" this was maybe Christianity and tried to be respective of that religion. After THAT happened I didn't know what to do other than disappear as quickly as I could from inside.
I left trying to make my way back to my hotel in PuDong and eventually made my way back. How long it took me...NO idea but it wasn't a quick trip and I don't remember much because the entire time I'm trying to understand just what the FUCK happened. All I know is I made it back, walked up to my hotel, kissed my hand and rubbed the belly of the GIANT, I mean fucking GIANT Buddha stature in the lobby of my hotel and took the elevator to the 5th floor.
After exiting taking the immediate right and quick left to reach my room did I see an Arabic man and a half Twinese, half Chinese woman standing outside their respective rooms speaking ENGLISH did my adventure, my Spirit Walk, my REBIRTH start to evolve...
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