Day 3

Was a bit late to get up since I went to be late, but that is no excuse. The Sun shows up pretty late. It is still dark till 6:30. It reminds me of Coonoor. No fans, no, A/C not a single mosquito in my room. When I sleep I have to sleep under a quilt. It is not so heavy it is just right for me. I always used a thin quilt. All this kept me asleep.
At seven I had to be at breakfast to leave for my rural trip. I was going to a village called Chinouhei , it means the lake where the apes/monkeys play. I had to be at the departure point at 8:00. So o went to the veg hall saw the stuff and was disappointed with the choices. That did not stop me from eating my heavy breakfast. I ate fast and dashed to the Quinglai hall, the point of departure.
There were five buses lined up in four rows. Each line was destined for a different direction. I got the first bus since I had booked for the trip. I was seated alone because I wanted a window seat.
The bus took off. It took me awhile to observe what was happening. We were piloted by two police cars. They had stopped all the traffic for us. All signals were red. The traffic stopped and gazed at us. I thought that it may be only in the city they were blocking the traffic for us, but I was mistaken. For the entire 90km stretch they had blocked the traffic. As we went we saw the trucks, cars, two wheelers pulled over giving way for our bus.
We reached the village. The entrance was decorated with two tigers. It meant that the tigers could ward away the evils and dangers that came into the village. When we reached the village. We were taken for a walk. People were farmers. They main produce were tobacco and corn. The first impression was that the village was too clean to be real. Not a piece of dirt in any part of the village.
All the houses were made of limestone. The funny part was that though they had plenty of limestone they did not use cement to bind the stones. The stones were placed one on top of another to form a wall.
After a short walk we were led into an arena. We were welcomed with the sound of drums, carnets, and some of the best music. The village head introduced the culture, politics and life in the village. We got to see a documentary film about the life of the Sani people who were a part of the Yi people.
A presentation on the politics followed this and a question answer session ended the proceedings. In all that they presented I could not see a role for the women in politics. It was quite gender biased. I guess that it was because of my own perceptions.
They served us a wonderful meal. It was a spread of lamb soup, beef curry, chicken and beans, and many other things that I cant name. The highlight was that they served wine. They said that it was corn wine. It was supposed to be the best wine in the region. Before the meal they cheered each other to drink. I unassumingly took a big sip. It went down my throat like a ball of fire. I started to cough and felt that I was going to die. But it was momentary. I promised to touch it again. Then they told me that it was nothing by pure liquor made from corn. That did not stop me from eating my food.
Continuing the village tour, I choose to go to the place where they embroidered and made baskets. In the basket making place I met a man who was 77 years old and was part of Mao’s cultural revolution. He was one of the main organizers of the district. Later he joined the communist party and worked for many years. Now he is the only basket maker in the village. He has his lands on which he farms.
Our next stop was the embroidery center. Women made skirts, vests, and all garments from a jute like material. The embroidery work was very good. It was so impressive that many from my team just could not stop buying.
Now it was time for some dances. The entire village came together and performed a series of dances. The dragon dance, monkey dance, drum dance, hunters dance, and many more. The best part was that women who were in their late 60’s proved that they were still fit as they danced without stopping for about 90 minutes. The academicians who were with me were put to shame by the fitness of the women. It was a wonderful spectacle to watch children dance equally alongside elders of the village.
We were forced to leave the place, since we had to get back on time. Our journey back was the same as we went. Traffic free, royal treatment.
While coming back I was thinking if this would be possible in one of our villages in Tamil Nadu. The way they showcased the village looked too goo to be true. Some questions in my mind were, Is there an oppression that is bringing people together. What motivated them? How is it possible to coordinate all the 1000 families. Many more questions continue to spring up.
Once we got back, we had to get dinner and get back for the cultural performance. Since Yunan province is home to 25 different ethnic groups, their cultural heritages were portrayed in the form of dances and music. It was another 90 minutes of scintillating performance. I for a minute realized that this is why they were able to perform so well at the Olympics’ opening ceremony.
Tomorrow will be a series of lectures and movies. Looking forward to learn a lot.