The Diaries

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June 1, 2009

Let's Walk!

Posted by Kelly

The Dalian International Walking Festival was held two weekends ago. Since I have never been to or participated in a walking festival, I figured I was overdue. Sophia volunteered to go with me to the event. The festival was a two day event held on Saturday and Sunday. Since Sophia had a meeting on Saturday we choose Day 2. The walk consisted of different routes with different lengths: 5km, 10km, 20km, or 30km. Families, friends, coworkers, and students gather at Xinghai Square and begin the walk. You can pay $40 for a hat, T shirt, and certificate declaring you’ve walked, but we decided we didn’t need those things; we just wanted to enjoy the sights, fresh air, and exercise.
There were a lot of people out that day and the weather was perfect. We walked along a famous sightseeing road alongside the water. It was a very nice day! However, I decided not to carry an umbrella for sun protection, but rather let my pale, Iowa skin see the light of the sun. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever learn! I went home that night to apply a thick layer of lotion to my sun burnt skin. Yes, I know sun burns are VERY bad for my skin and I should have used sunscreen. But did I listen to my conscience? No. Next time I hope to get it right!

If you ever happen to come across pictures from this event, I’ll be the sun burnt American in the Cubs hat. Yes, there were a few photographers along the route that of course had to take pictures of the laowai (meaning foreigner in Chinese). I honestly don’t mind the pictures, but I think it would be a little more respectful to ask me for permission first.

The past week I received a Dragon Boat Festival (Wu Festival) gift from my company, DDA FESCO. All the employees were given a box of about 30 eggs and a bag full of zongzi. [That’s right, 30 eggs for one girl! Think of all the muscles I can build eating this many eggs! The manager did offer to send me another food item since I’m not a very good cook. But how could I possibly turn down 30 eggs? No way! I think this might be the beginning of my body building career!]

The story behind the festival is about Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan was a minister to the King of Qu during ancient times. Qu Yuan was so distressed about the state of the government that he ended his life by drowning himself in the river.
Qu Yuan was loved by the people. Locals gathered and threw zongzi (glutinous rice treats wrapped in bamboo leaves) into the river to keep the fish from eating his body. This happened on the fifth day of the fifth moon, so the festival is also called Double Fifth Festival. Soon a legend formed that a dragon came up from the water and carried his body to safety. Thus dragon boat races became associated with the holiday and are still held in Southern China as well as around the world.

So, during this holiday people eat zongzi and buy brightly colored bracelets. These bracelets are worn until the first rain after the festival. Then they are cut off and cast away into the nearest gutter or river to carry away the year’s troubles.
I have my bracelet on and ready to cut off when it rains next! And I really hope it will carry about my troubles aka battles with these pesky mosquitoes! I have numerous new itchy bites on my face, arms, legs, and back. I think they are forming armies to come attack me! For some reason my body reacts very negatively to these bites. They form MASSIVE welts on my skin and take at least 10 days to disappear. I think I might try bathing in bug repellant.

On a brighter note, my mother is coming to visit me for two weeks! She arrives on Thursday! Then a few days later the UNI crew is coming too! The Iowans are taking over Dalian!