Man Man Zou

Usually when I come to a new place, I rate it based on people, sights, and general atmosphere. At first when I visited Europe three years ago, everything was given a wow from me- from the cobblestone streets to the palaces lit up at night. Then on to Asia, where I was wowed by the people with such different customs- from the Buddhist Monks in Cambodia to the Muslims in Malaysia. After seeing so many new customs and sights, it’s hard not to sometimes feel a little indifferent to them.

But right now I’m in a town that has reawakened my culture slumber. We are in Xiahe, Gansu province. It’s my first glimpse into the Tibetan culture that I have heard so many people rave about. After walking around the town for an hour, I must say I agree, as it has left me wide-eyed and, well, wowed.

After taking yet another worst-bus-ride-ever yesterday (we both had to sit sideways for 6 hours because our legs could not physically fit in between the seats), we arrived in Xiahe at night. Our crap bus had no headlights and most lights in town were turned off, so we didn’t see any of Xiahe. Then this morning, we got dressed and stepped outside to a whole new world.

The terrain is dry with cone-shaped dusty hills and the weather is cold – I’m wearing pants and a sweater, something I rarely partake in. And there are no more Han-Chinese everywhere- in Xiahe there are also Tibetans and Muslims. The Tibetans look so different that it makes me look at them as much as they look at us. When we stepped outside of our hotel, a picture-perfect Tibetan family of five walked past- all of them were dressed in their colorful winter clothing and had gold teeth and wind-burnt faces. They were shocked to see us, which I can’t figure out since this is a touristed town. They stopped for a good look at us, and smiled and waved. I was in heaven.

While walking through town, we passed people selling goat fur, goat meat, tack gear, Tibetan clothing, prayer paraphernalia, etc… Seeing the Tibetans in their traditional outfits, the first thing that comes to mind is that they kind of remind me of cowboys and cowgirls. I guess in a way they are cowboys since they raise sheep, yaks, donkeys, and cattle, and ride horses. Unlike the Han-Chinese, who are so small that I could snap them in half, the Tibetans are huge. Most are taller and stronger than us. After yesterday’s bus and seeing the size of the Tibetans, I’m hoping that the buses in this area are tailored for their size.

All of this is just observations that I’ve made in an hour or so, so I have a lot to learn. It’s my first encounter with this culture and I’m just surprised that it surprised me- if that makes sense. This is only the beginning, and I can’t wait for more.