Friday, June 29, 2007

Under Shadow Of a Green Tree




Most of the days were very dry and humid. The mercury goes above what we have anticipated and the shadow of green trees that were abundant around the periphery has been our humble friend for a long time. The days were very muggy and sun seems stronger than ever. As I looked from the window of the terrace of my class-room, every thing seems lousy and looks tired of the long and hot days.

The packing maniac has already been started as it will take couple of weeks to months to send items through postal office and peoples seems crowded to post office. Definitely, it’s a marvellous idea to manage things before getting stressed in the eleventh hour to leave. The counter to go back has already been started as many of us have already got our ticket confirmation for the next month flight. The excitement to leave or stay here was not omnipresent as we were here to leave one day. It was simply a matter of time that will decide the fate of everything. I visited my Chinese friend’s university frequently at the University area of Nanjing where many universities were located into same arena. It was good experience to see big University. I was fascinated to see how big University looks like and how they operate? It was completely a new experience for me. I was so surprised when I know that more than ten thousands students were studying in the same University. Sometimes, we used to play the badminton and enjoy the time to look around the different blocks of the University. It was immortal days.


The Fujimiao trip has always been remarkable and memorable no matter how many times I went there. The long antique homogenous buildings with slanted roofs, the crowded street, the wooing shopkeepers and snaky narrow streets with identical doors would remain in my gray matter for longer period of time when remembering Nanjing. One muggy afternoon, I was so obsessed to talk with one of the Chinese girl when I see her in the streets of Fujimiao. I gather enough guts to talk with her but it went in vain after she didn’t understand little English. But again, that was a fun, trying to talk with someone who doesn’t understand any words of English at all. I feel sorry for myself and her. This is one of the serious problems I have been encountered over here from the beginning. It was more curious when one of the girls gave me her business card and thought that I am from middle-east. So it was very funny when they make you originate from US to middle-east? –although I am from their neighbor country. This is the first girl I met who was not the student and she works full-time although she studies part-time. Eventually, the cell-phone was always acting as the translator better than ever. The following day was very tough when I spend my day with them, walking around the fujimiao again knowing more about Chinese people and their life-style irrespective of their poor English. Also I realize that most of the Chinese who use msn or yahoo messenger are the person who works in the international business environment and use it to talk with their foreign client frequently.

Traveling in the bus and alone has already become the part of my life and I find it very easy, exploring and exotic no matter most of the time peoples were staring at me as I was from alien’s space.

The last course become most productive and I spend substantial amount of time nurturing myself and enhancing my programming skills. I feel I am taking back some skills in my life that could be very helpful to shape my future in computing profession.

Everything was in countdown including 1912 street-The night hub of Nanjing. As usual we have found many of our friends were keener to enjoy this place as they realize that they have to enjoy this place before leaving. It was so fun when I went to podium and many girls including the manager was giving me the hand. It was exceptional moment again dancing and enjoying the night. We met few girls and had a good time chatting with them. I was so surprised when one of them knows so many things about my country from everlasting fragile politics to Gurkhas, The Front Line Warriors. Although the girl sounds honest for me; I feel bad when she bullied her email address as she was drunk. But again I have to admit that she was the most intellectual woman I ever met in China.

The night life became more vivid and frequent as we were counting our days to go back. 1912 street seems place that’s completely isolated from another space with its own identity and environment. As the twilight begins, the colorful light of 1912 starts to attract every street-hawk who is passing through-by. The place was very crowded as usual and we enjoy roaming around the street and seeing the funky young Chinese crippling the night-life ever than before. The girls look soberly beautiful, modern and fashionable, although they lack the natural beauty. The L narrow lane of the 1912 street was always glowing in the night no matter how things are moving on other part of the Nanjing. The girls were seen vomiting and feeling nausea in every corner as they were over drunk. The smoke inside the chambers make you feel that you are inhaling smoke seen in colorful sparkling light and enjoying the taste of music that beats your ear-drums. I danced a lot as usual and I feel I am becoming dance-addict. I was so tired that I just catch the bar at podium and just look at peoples 360 degrees around me. I feel this world is completely different and unique and find peoples were hypnotized in their own fantasy with music and alcohol. The imaginations and experiences looking at all peoples from the podium was fantastic experience. At one time, I was freeze in the podium as my muscles were cramped and I couldn’t move. The following morning the clothes seem they have been soaked in the smoke-chambers and when peoples start to leave in the morning, they look tired and exhausted. The taxis were waiting in the queue to serve these nocturnal inhabitants. Some of the tables were seen occupied even up to early morning and you will find plenty of them who are taking morning nap under the open-sky hypnotized in their own world. Slowly the confetti would be cleaned up and the person starts to move to their place. Thanks to McDonald and Coffee, they make our life easier as they operate round the clock. The morning Coffee was something I will never forget in my life after being nocturnal for whole night. Walking in the quiescent city in the early morning and taking metro was fun and adventure. The cold but soft wind makes the environment more subtle and hypnotize that we are pretty well no matter how tired we were physically.

The environment was muggy; very dry and humid. Sometimes, it was very terrific and most of the time I enjoyed staying inside my room and playing with the small techno-gadget my roommate bought recently. The green trees around us were always giving us accompany and we enjoyed sitting in the shadow of green trees before falling off to go to class every day. I feel these trees were only happy and protecting us in this hot environment. The days were extremely hot and frustrating as we start to sweat in no-time. We used to feel completely tired after hectic day. However, every evening we used to take walk for a while and use to drink soft drinks and ice-creams. It was again fun to talk about this place and thinking about our own country; staying in the stairs and watching the sporty basketball creeks that doesn’t care the hot. On one evening, we went to one of the Muslim restaurant with one of my Muslim friend from Nigeria. I enjoyed a food a lot even though I was bit skeptical about my stomach. Eventually, we were handed the visa of Hong Kong as we have connecting flight of Kathmandu. I feel the time is running out and the shade under green trees will be history.

On another rainy day as I was busy peeping students with umbrella in their hand, the beautiful trees and greenery around us looks glistening and sparkling after being washed by the virgin rain. I look at the cross-section of high-way that I always enjoyed every morning and in break-time for the last ten months, watching and simulating the fast and rushing traffic with cosmopolitan life over here. I even used to have a good time talking with few Chinese students who were majoring on English. I was so shocked when one of the Chinese students has very bad impression with attitudes and behavior of some of our friends; I gave him few reasons behind those behaviors that must have been reflected because of social factors. After all, people from all around the world do have different types of culture on which they were brought up and we have to give space for everyone. However, it should be kept in mind that it shouldn’t hurt others when someone is imposing his culture.

The last week of the month was better as we feel relieved when there was a fringe shower and cloudy day. After the rain, when I look from the same window that I look everyday, it seems that the place is completely washed, fresh and green. Eyes feel good to see these green trees which look more greenish than before and hopefully to sit under the shade of these green trees would be better than ever. On one evening, I realized sitting under the shade of green trees that this must be last time thinking and writing blog from Nanjing before I finished it next month from Nepal after writing for last nine months. Adiue Nanjing…… and Green trees…