Flashback to New Year’s In China
Have you ever experienced New Year’s in China?Would you believe that there are no fireworks, loud cheers or even a modicum of excitement? Ok, I’m exaggerating but it’s not exactly the celebratory event we are used to in the west.
It may be a bit late, but 祝大家新年快乐 Zhù dàjiā xīnnián kuàilè! Happy New Year’s, everyone! 2017 is going to be awesome!
今天 – Jīntiān (Today), marks exactly 一年 – yī nián (one year) since I went on my epic China adventure. How epic, you’re thinking? Well, epic enough that for nearly everyday since I’ve gotten back, a distant, yet vivid, China trip memory flashes into my head. The other day, I was walking through my local Chinatown, otherwise known as my second home, around 5:00AM in the morning. Don’t ask why, but I was. It was quiet, dusky and eerily deserted. I stopped in the middle of the empty streets and took a deep breath of air. Instantly, a memory flooded my thoughts:
Flashback to December 23, 2015. 北京 – Běijīng, China.
The long trek to the train station.
My alarm goes off. Immediately, I spring out of bed. Its 3:00AM and I need to get moving. Despite being still completely jet lagged and having my 4 hour power nap regularly disrupted by the guy in the other bunk who was snoring like a new born baby elephant, I’m assuming of course, I was feeling fresh and ready to continue on my adventure.
I had checked out the night before so I could slip away into the night without any delay or complications. My next destination was the land of 小笼包 – xiǎo lóng bāo : 上海 – Shànghǎi. The night before was spent figuring out how I would get to the train station from my Hostel ( I stayed at the Feel In Hostel, which was highly recommend. Great location and price). The station was nearly 10 kilometres from my Hostel. I decided to do what any responsible and budgeted 20-something year old student would do in a foreign country. Walk 10 kilometers to catch the early train to Shanghai.
Bags? Check! Teeth? Brushed! I step outside. It’s quiet in 北京, for once. That’s a first for me. Almost as if I slept through the zombie apocalyptic evacuation bell the night before. It was cold, dusky and deserted. I found myself frozen in time, standing in an alley way which led out of the Hutong jungle. I vividly remember taking a deep breath of air and really appreciating the journey I was on. The tranquility and solitude 北京 offered me in that moment was beautiful. I began my 2 hour trek across the city towards Mordor. Wait. Sorry, the train station, but who knows. Might as well have been Mordor at that point. It was a long walk…
It’s December 31st, 2015. New Years Eve. 蒙特利尔 -Méngtèlì’ěr (Montreal), Canada.
Here I am. Back in Montreal and these moments of reminiscence happen all the time. It is MEMORIES like this which make traveling so invaluable.
I got home after work around 11:40PM. Everyone was asleep besides my dad, who was already on the couch in his “sleeping with the TV on” position in full effect. Family already left, it was just me, my girlfriend and some leftover 中国菜 – Zhōngguó cài (Chinese food). I check my phone, its 12:03AM. We missed the countdown. Oh well, there’s always next year.
My mind drifts off and I flashback to my New Years spent in China. My most memorable New Years to date. It was memorable for so many reasons. Let me explain:
Flashback to December 31st, 2015. New Years Eve. 19 hour Hard Seat train headed to 成都 – Chéngdū from Sanjian.
My friend and I had just finished exploring the rice paddies in Ping’An Village. We woke up early that morning to watch the sunrise over the rice fields. Specifically, the 七星伴月 – Qīxīng bàn yuè (Seven Stars Surrounding the Moon). We climbed to the highest view point and waited. It was a very cloudy morning. There was no beautiful sunrise for us! Foreshadow much? While heading back down, we cross paths with two GIANT TWINS. I mean, literally 7 foot tall twins from Europe. Keep that detail in mind.
Rice fields in Ping’An Village.
We leave Ping’ An, catch a bus and head to Sanjian where we can take a train to Chengdu.
So, we’re walking in this city, which isn’t English friendly at all, and on a random street in China, nearly a full day later, we bump into the SAME twins (I hope) that we crossed paths with on Seven Stars Surrounding the Moon viewpoint. WHAT ARE THE ODDS.
This is how I spent my New Years in 2015, in China:
The Holland twins departed for Shaoshan (Mao Zedong’s birthplace) and we spent the rest of the 14 hours on the train. Well, actually, we lost our seats and got stuck standing. We gave up and got off at Chongqing Station with 7 hours left to go. However, that story is for another time!
New year’s spent unceremoniously on a train.
Sometimes, It takes two extreme spectrums to really appreciate life. 2015 New Year’s Eve was spent on a dirty hard seat train on an epic adventure across China. Playing games with locals and trying to have a conversation with a very funny fruit salesman on the K train. It wasn’t pretty in the end but I made some friends and some even better memories.
As I finish up my first post, I sit and wonder… if those two twins are still lost in China somewhere?
I can’t wait to see where 2017 will take you and your Mandarin learning!
Watch more videos with Kurtis
- SPECIAL GUEST EPISODE: Telling Jokes in Mandarin!
- Practicing Jokes on Unsuspecting Shoppers Ft.Kurtis Caro
Kurt Caro
Latest posts by Kurt Caro (see all)
- Flashback to New Year’s In China - January 12, 2017
