Tuesday, July 31, 2007

The End Begins

The days were extremely hot and muggy. I could feel hot waves of air passing through my body that was very dry and humid. This summer was completely different compared to my place. It was even difficult to walk in the evening. However, the cloudy days and the fringe showers were able to make the environment much easier than anticipated. The packing maniac has already been started and the course was the last one. The course was more professional and industrial. It was also exerting constant stress gradually as we move into the core contents.

We visited Nanjing Normal University for the last time. It was afternoon and guys have already finished their exam and some of them were planning to leave to the country for a summer holidays. We were so excited and tempted to eat at one of the local restaurant at Nanshita. However, it was not an easy task without the aid of someone who can speak Chinese. So, we asked one of Nepalese student to accompany us to the local restaurant. We ate “ Suan Caiyu” , The Fish and green vegetables ,”Gongobao Ji Ding”, The chicken and fish, “ Mi Fan”, The rice, “Zhang Dan”, The Omlette, “Ke le”, Coca-Cola with the help of “Kuaizi”, The Chopstick

All of us were taking much about July 17 as it was the day for us to leave the Nanjing. It was emotional moment when I was greeting for the last time as we never know that when we are going to see each other again. I was simply recalling how we met for the first time and the beautiful memories that we spend together. Now the wonderful memories would only be in the tributaries of our mind and has already become the sweet history. I met my last (new) Chinese friend Alice; it was short time knowing each other as all of us in bus-stand when we were wondering about the big centipedes that was passing near us. As both of us were busy and the time was running out for me, we never got an opportunity to meet again. I feel sad when I look at my old friend. But he looks happy and vivid as usual and was busy in his work. I was quite happy that we were good friends and I was successful on teaching him some English sentences for a year. I realized that he learned English better than my Chinese.

Finally, the last day to leave Nanjing was at the doorstep. We were given buffet on the occasion of our graduation ceremony. The banquet was organized at one of the biggest restaurant of Nanjing at Fujimiao. I was so lucky that my best place in Nanjing would be the last place for us to visit. The environment gave flashback of inaugural ceremony of the last year. At the beginning I was quite excited to leave the place but I feel bitter and sad when we were about to leave the Nanjing. I never knew that Nanjing has been deeply stagnated in my mind and in my heart for quite long period of time and I feel Nanjing is my second home. We leave to train station at seven pm. I feel extremely sad and despair although I was going back to my homeland. As we were leaving the perimeter of a school, we said bye-bye to our class and buildings that has the wonderful memories.

Traveling through the train has already been the part of my life. I find it easier to travel through the train although it's hectic if it's too long but the comfort ness and environment is laudable. So we were moving north thousands of miles away from Nanjing towards Beijing. As the train starts to move I feel more emotional. I almost cried and listen the song “Tell me you didn’t say good-bye”. It was tragic moment, I watched through window as the train slides slowly towards north and I realized that everything is becoming history very fast and the end has already begun.

It was very dark and I could see the lights far away from the window. I watched it till mid-night. Unlike previously, this time I was sleeping very well. The next morning at 6:30 am, I looked out through the window, it was raining and we were already at Beijing. The train station was very crowded and everywhere peoples were like bees in bee-hives. It was again terrible experience for me when I had to move towards the bus-stop with my luggage. I realized that I will never travel in my life with so many luggages’. The big mansions, crowded peoples, seamless traffic, the big-sky scrappers were something the Beijing has been known for many years. One of the most hustling and crowded city of the world, the traffic is a serious problem and I started to think about quite and calm Nanjing. Despite of so many sky-scrappers and mansions, I feel that Beijing still needs more than that to manage the serious problem of traffic and crowded peoples. Finally we arrived at our hotel at 2 yumin Lu, Xichengu, Beijing where one of the grand hotels is located.

After eating the lunch, we quickly make our way to see the one of the seventh great wonder of the world, The Great Wall at Badaling. The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.

The Great Wall was originally built in the Spring, Autumn, and Warring States Periods as a defensive fortification by the three states: Yan, Zhao and Qin. The Great Wall went through constant extensions and repairs in later dynasties. In fact, it began as independent walls for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great" wall until the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qin Shihuang succeeded in his effort to have the walls joined together to fend off the invasions from the Huns in the north after the unification of China. Since then, the Great Wall has served as a monument of the Chinese nation throughout history. A visit to the Great Wall is like a tour through the history backwards; it brings tourists great excitement in each step of the wall.

The mystery of the construction of the wall is amazing.

The construction of the Great Wall, drew heavily on the local resources for construction materials, was carried out in line with the local conditions under the management of contract and responsibility system. A great army of manpower composed of soldiers, prisoners, and local people, built the wall. The construction result demonstrates the manifestation of the wisdom and tenacity of the Chinese people.

The Great Wall as we see today was mostly built during the Ming Dynasty. It starts from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west traversing provinces of Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Gansu.

The Great Wall has long been incorporated into Chinese mythology and popular symbolism. The most beautiful of several legends is about the collapse of a section of the Great Wall caused by Meng Jiangnu, who cried bitterly over the death of her husband in the construction of the Great Wall. This legend has been spread widely through textbooks, folk songs and traditional operas. It is well-known in China.

We feel easier to move around the city in public vehicles as we have already contacted one of our friends from Beijing. First, we took the bus number 305 from Badaling free way to reach the last-stop of the bus from where the bus number 319 to Badaling great wall departs. It took almost one and half hours to reach the place. It was 2:30 when we reach the place. Once I made a glance towards the great wall, I was amazed and spellbound. I feel that I am in the china after eleven months to see this majestic achievement of human civilization. How human can create such a beautiful walls that runs through the hill stations seamlessly for thousands of kilometers, the only human made artifact that can seen from the moon.

As we start to climb the great wall by paying 25 RMB as a discounted rate because of our student card. It was stiff from the base but enjoyment and feeling of ecstasy, a feeling of china, a feeling of greatness. The place seems very crowded and each time I see these crowds I remember myself watching the bees in beehives and ants collecting the food in winter for the rainy season. There were many children and they seem very happy and delighted. It’s the desire of every Chinese to visit The Great Wall in their life, we took many pictures and I feel I was climbing the highest mountain of the world, The Mount Everest. After walking through hundreds of meters, we make our way back as we feel very tired and it's impossible to walk around the seamless man-made artifact. Finally after buying some souvenirs we made our way towards our hotel. We were tired and exhausted.

At 8 pm, we decided that we will go to Tiananmen Square although it was too late. Tiananmen Square is a modern creation, China being a land where large public gathering places were not traditionally built. Its construction broke down walls of the Forbidden City to make way for the large thoroughfare, Chang'an Jie. Previously Tiananmen Square was occupied by imperial offices which were inside the Forbidden City and connected the Temple of Heaven to Qianmen and the palace. Tiananmen (translated from Chinese: The Gate of Heavenly Peace) is the original gate of the Imperial Palace, commonly known as the Forbidden City. It is now one of the entrances for tourists visiting the Forbidden City.

Built and burned down a few times starting in 1417, its recent incarnation dates to 1651. Today it is a world recognized symbol of where Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) declared the foundation the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949.

We rushed towards metro station. As we reached the sub-way, we were so surprised to see the underground two sub-ways and the metro was very crowded. At first, it was so confusing for us to travel through it, however we manage to reach the Tiananmen square west gate after changing another metro. We were able to reach the place at ten. Hurriedly, we manage to take some pictures of this memorable place. When we were coming, we were lost somewhere in the middle; eventually we reached our hotel after taking the taxi. The other day, I realized that I missed one of the precious-thing; my diary in that I used to tabulate information in chronology.

The other day we were pretty sure about the route of underground sub-way, we make our way again towards Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City. It was easier than the last night as we were more used to with the system although the place was very crowded no matter train comes after every few minutes. We took some memorable pictures, drank ice-water as it was very hot and has to rush towards hotel very soon as two of our friends were leaving at afternoon.

In the evening we roam around the busy-street of Beijing. Peoples were everywhere and foods in the street was making environment very amusing and alluring although I have seen it before in Nanjing. We were lucky to find cyber cafe that was very cheap and quickly informed our friends and relatives that we were in the lap of the great wall. We could even see one of the Olympic stadiums that's under construction and realized that the tariff of hotel has already escalated for the next year Olympic at Beijing. Everywhere we can see hoarding boards of the Olympics 2008 and realized that Olympic maniac has made the environment more colorful.

The next day I woke up very early as it was the last day in China and we have to reach an airport at 5:00 a.m. We rushed towards airport and there was traffic problem as the highway was under maintenance, however we were able to reach the airport at time. So, we were preparing to travel 1238 miles to Hong Kong and left the Beijing at 7:40. Eventually at the mid-day we reached the Hong Kong airport and were disappointed when we were informed that our plane was delayed for nine hours. So, we were spending more than 15 hours in the Hong Kong Airport. I feel bit exhausted as I couldn't sleep well in transit and was afraid of sleeping disorder although I was using internet and was enjoying the environment. After getting tired of looking at electronic board several times, I realized that at 0400 its time for us to leave for Nepal.

Finally, we landed at Airport at 06:30 in the morning and I was warmly received by family members. I was happy to be at home after a long time but as soon as I see the poor infrastructure, political chaos, economical and social problems I feel sorry for my country and was missing Nanjing more than ever.

After spending my holiday for a week and trying to adapt myself again to the old environment, I realized that I was in the heaven for last eleven months which I will always miss in my life no matter where I go and where I live. Nanjing would always remain in my nutshell forever. Xie Xie Ni ,.Nanjing!