The Turning Point...!

It was the cold and windy but beautiful evening at Hunan Lu, the food-street of Nanjing. We were roaming around the artificial flowers that were decorated alongside the whole street with our Chinese friends in the last week of spring festival that was wrapping off very soon for a year. We were invited by Li and Lu for the Chinese food on this beautiful evening. It was astonishing moment as the climatic environment were subtle and euphoric as the sun was already down and we could feel cool and soft wind blowing through our ears. The delicious Chinese foods were waiting for us as we marched towards one of the Chinese restaurants where hundreds of peoples were enjoying their food in the beautiful evening. As we were used to with these Chinese foods, our friends were amazed and were staring us as we were using the chopsticks comfortably. The food constitutes few new items that we had never eaten before. As girls were busy cooking food in the master pan that was embedded in the center of table with electric heater and were asking awkwardly and repetitively about food and our choice, however we were nodding happily with pleasant environment rather than eating. We were enjoying the moment in full spheres with fun and lust of excitement. As we were wrapping off our dinner and our friends were dubious about our appetite when we ate too little as compared to what they have anticipated. Nevertheless, it was wonderful hospitality and courtesy. As we were planning to leave, we experience short shower that was predicting that autumn is coming and which was obvious after cold and heart-throbbing winter. Later we enjoyed biting “caomei”- the strawberry and walked in a light frenzy shower with whirlwind that was blowing in the beautiful evening at Hunan Lu.

With the change in climate, temperature in centigrade scale increased drastically to two-digits and the days have already started to become warmer and were stretching for wee hours. The flowers and buds started to blossom, the green leaves popped out from every tree that looked dead and deserted like a cactus plant. The natural environment became greenery and verve as the students started to return and the buildings seems occupied after a long winter break. The small shops started to open at usual hours with its stereotype layout and smiling sales girls. Again, to communicate with these girls to buy something was fun and irritation as we have to use sign language or have to point specific commodity that are in the range of our eyes. Again to know the price, we have to use tiny machine-calculator that always acts as an interface every time we went for shopping inside the premises or to do some bargaining at the town. The monotonous school-siren started to buzz every half an hour. The rooms were filled up and streets along with basketball courts and football grounds were occupied with green uniforms as usual. Hearing of “Er Er Shan Si " ..,1, 2,3,4.., The military drill has started again with girls and boys marching in homogenous pattern. Life started to become colorful after a long break and was moving fast and was more stringent in order. The falling off of students in the early morning became bread of life. I feel how human makes environment perfectly social with these artificial entities. The deserted place started to look lively again and seemed that everything is coming on track again after one month of long break. Students seem to be happy and energetic as smile occupies their tiny face and were busy gossiping their holiday experiences. The environment became perfect and I am enjoying it with new hope and excitement as the new semester begins.

Surprisingly, I received two books from one of my well wisher a day ahead of my birth-day. It must have been the birthday gift I received after a long time in my life. It was apparent that I was also becoming the victim of numerical illusion as my 28th birthday passed very swiftly and cryptically. I believe this month was one of the important months in different perspectives. In diverse views, some people might say I am getting old, some (myself and oldies) are saying I am still very young, I might be saying it’s a numerical illusion again incremented finitely (you don’t know that finite value) till your physical existence. So I am 28! There were neither a cakes nor any celebration as I keep myself mum.

But again something more than this submerged in my mind that has no turning point at all and it’s less likely to be reversible reaction in chemistry. Starting with Dale Carnegie’s positive thinking, I moved to secular humanism of Dr. Paul Kurtz. Finally, I am landed to Infidel- Ayaan Hirsi Ali and I realized myself that its time for me to take a big and bold decision that was resided in my mind for a long time.

Again Traveling from Asia to Africa and finally to secular china has made me think eccentrically that this is right decision for me that I have been waiting for a long although it has invoked my mind for more than a decade. Although I have taken this decision long time back but I believe this is my birthday-present from inside me. It’s again not important to dictate these things again and again as it might hurt somebody who has a deep and a profound faith on it. But I have to confess it, I am an atheist. Finally, I took a bold decision and I have realized that Infidel and Atheism is ruling me forever more strongly more ever than before. I feel more stressed as I was reached the answers of my imagination and weird thought that has been dominating me for more than decades. As I started infidel earlier this month, a book by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, I was inside the concentric and eccentric circles of principles and philosophies of religion that I was trying to free myself out from it. I realized that I was getting closer in a single dimension of secular humanism. It was the week of enlightenment with excitement and joy for me. It was a transition, a revolution that has been sketched in my gray matter for a long time. It was like a maternal pain every woman has to suffer to have a baby as I was crying and surviving desperately to feel the changes that have been accumulated in my mind for a long time. Finally I was emancipating from the close boundaries of religion forever from the secular land of China. It was opening up new horizon but again hard in beginning to distinguish thin lines of ethics, freedom and religion. It was seeing different things in different perspective, the fading religion and stronger infidel. It was a sort of transitional phase for me, still I feel awkward to decide in crossroads as I was brought up in orthodox society where religion has been key and dominating issues for last 28 years of my life. The roads were trembling but again I had strong determination. I was getting more addicted with philosophy as I read some philosophical theories of Kant and Marx. I was looking for unique aspect of human who can produce cognitive theories that can address the aspects of materialism, communism and rationalism in a more stratified manner.

The course was focusing more on microscopic components of operating system and the professor was the most influential one with substantial experiences and knowledge in course matter. Course was the toughest one I have ever read as it was more abstract where cognitive theory rules and the professor was very skillful to address the problem with his full strength to convey the meanings of subject matter with his strong technical skills and visual aids along with superb and satirical examples. Sometimes, I feel it was more like philosophical class (that I had never taken) where there were convergence of mathematics, computer science and philosophy.

Many new students joined us and it was fun again to see the different new faces from different part of the land that I have seen in television and some I have never heard of. As these new students survive hard to acclimatize with new environment for first few weeks and were cunning hard to follow the rules, I was more curious to know about them and their country.

The life became more stressful as the book infidel and the course was exerting constant pressure on the tributaries of mind. However, the colorful night made the feeling of ecstasy and utopia accompanied by our new friends from Nepal. The meeting with Vicky, my first Chinese friend after couple of months was merely a co-incident again at the lift of Nanjing Normal University. She was happy to see me again but I saw shyness along with despair. I realize something was becoming barrier for her to continue our friendship as we used to have before. Later I realized that she has a new boyfriend. But I feel I miss something although I didn’t have serious relationship with her but she was the first Chinese girl I ever met in my life and I was keen to learn so many things about china from her. It would be difficult for me to reach her again and I thanked her from my heart. That night it was one of the most enjoyable night life I ever had in the disco as I was more rigid in my thought as well as my decisions were vivid and fresh although it was in a transition period. It was again the fun, enjoyment and art of dance with colorful light and heart-throbbing music that I had always loved in my life.

The worst part will always be the morning in the 1912 street when we spend whole night in club. In the dawn as we get out from the club, we used to shiver and were tired and hungry after waking up for more than twenty four hour. We look for twilight dumplings that were already available in the narrow street behind the 1912 street. But many of them who came out from the closed chamber never ever feel it disgusting as they still have the level of OH high in their blood. It was not amazing even to see some vomiting in dawn. As we walked with shivering in the morning of 1912 street, we see the natural face of all young Chinese girls and boys who were inside those close chambers and have enjoyed the whole night but despair and lousiness looms the dawn with tiring and exotic night. Many yellow taxis were waiting for the queue.

I met guys from Lebanon and Yemen. I was so inquisitive to know about Israel-Palestine issues that seems as it is from the time I was a kid but was looking for answers that has been not easy for many decades. No matter, he tried to give answers in his perspective but again it sounds it was lacking something from other part of the coin. Had it been so easy, I might have not remember the day I asked my father about this problem and he said that he is even seeing it from the time he was a kid. He is still searching for the answer and so do I. I remembered the BBC program where Simon Perez, deputy premier was interviewed by some of the young Arabs. The program was one of the most influential political debates I have ever seen in BBC. To analyze the problem from the mid-line was not easy and I was just happy to get answers from his side of coin. Nevertheless, it was an experience I would remember always in my life as I have known from the guy who is directly involved in the everlasting conflict.

On one evening, I was delighted when the administration informed us that they are showing us an orchestra. But later we realized that it was simply a cultural and musical program of the institute. Again, the show was very interesting and curious as we had never seen these types of performances before. The performance was all in Chinese and it was obvious and we were simply the spectator to listen Chinese tone and a melodious music that we never had acquainted even though we had spent more than half of year. As thrilling sound and colorful light starts to rotate into the podium, the beautiful girl in the military uniform with her tall and elegant body, murmured in Chinese and all of them clapped. Apparently, we clapped imitating the Chinese students who were there. We were sure that she must be a good anchor and she has a lovely voice despite of us not understanding anything she murmured. There were more than ten performances, half of them were songs and half of them were short-dramas. The show started with a woman singing (probably) a national song followed with hundreds of claps of students each time. However the music and the tone were universal and was a proof of human civilization. Then the other performance was all about the comedy drama that we never understood besides watching gestures of the different actors. The environment for two hours was univocal with constant flow of vibration of music and laughter and claps. Then I managed to ask one of the students about what the woman was saying. She was singing “Woman is a flower”. I find every modern romantic song irrespective of different language conveys almost same meaning, the abstract and enduring romantic feelings, a joy and eudemonia. We were blatantly supporting the zeal and enthusiasm of the actors along with hundreds of Chinese students. The two hours passed swiftly although we felt sometime the time should move fast as we were not catching anything no matter the musical melodies were striking our ear-drums.

The following weekend seems very busy as we roamed the Qin Jiao and Shin-Jekou with our new friends who joined us. Although the road and city seems familiar but again it was unique experience in different perspective as we went to town each time. We were more used to with public bus system as we find it more easy and fun to travel in public bus although it was too crowdy and slow. It was the tradeoff between quality and economy. But I was inquisitive to know more about this place from a wide window, traveling along the bus gave me more time to think about this country and peoples as I get acquainted with different peoples and environment. We were more frequent in McDonald and KFC and it had already become the part of our life. Eating became fun again no matter each time we get inside MCdonald and KFC; we have to struggle hard to get the place to eat. Although it seems that these multinational companies were everywhere in modern china but again the flow of traffic is beyond their capacity and it shows the leaning of the Chinese society towards the western life and their life were becoming more hectic as economy continue to grows in two digit. The tennis phobia continued as the weather became warmer and the days started to became longer. Sportsmanship predominant higher than before and the life was more stratified and hectic.

We went to the Fujiamiao, another city of Nanjing. As we were not sure where we should get off from the bus, we asked a young Chinese girl to help us to track the way to the heart of Fujimiao. She was cute but was blushed and embarrassed at the beginning as the normal Chinese girl. I was amazed when she told me that she loves physics and she is planning to study physics in her University. I have never found in my life woman who loves to study physics. The more important thing was that it was her own decision but not her parents as it happens in most of the developing and least developed countries. The city is decorated in old architecture with many doors but blended with modern styles and shops. The city is also called the light city as it is decorated with colorful light that dominates the entire spectrum. The narrow stream passes through the edges of the city where peoples were boating in the heart of the metro-city. We were also surprised to witness Rick-Shaw or the goat-carriages! The place was wonderful and there were sale everywhere as spring is on the way and beautiful sales girls were attracting every costumer by their gentle claps. The weather of the Nanjing is very weird, the temperatures goes up and down abruptly. But again, no matter how it fluctuates, the days will become warmer and warmer. The turning point for climate and my principle has already started to show delineation and was aiding me towards existentialism and secular humanism. The last day of the month was shabby with gloomy days and light shower in the morning with temperature dipping slightly and I was feeling melancholy using my fingers and brain as fast I can to give the finishing touch of these words. Finally my fingers were tired and ended up with saying adieu March!!! 2007

FADED HOPE AND SILVER LINING

The hopes were shattered inside the womb. Finally, a long month holiday was in the door-step. This long holiday gave me glimpses of schooling days and University life, the perennial beauty of those golden days that would be in tributaries immortally.

I finished the book of Secular Humanism by Dr. Kurtz as I was eagerly waiting it with pertinent lust and desire. Certainly, it gave me a lot of pleasure and helped me to vindicate my principles and attitude of secular life. This book is the best book I have ever read in my life depicting the life and different societies in completely different dimensions.

Again food etiquette was never going to end as this time we were offered a banquet by the University as the semester ended. Enjoying the food with different taste and wearing the plastic glove was again the fun with chopsticks problems as usual. But it was a sheep restaurant everything we ate was entirely sheep.

Feb 14 was definitely a special day for romantic lovers around the world in one or other way. Interestingly, that was one of the worst days of the holiday as we have to desert the plan at eleventh hour because of the weird telephone call. We were called immediately to be present inside the premises. With frustration and despair we were rushing but again the taxi hunting was not easy task. However, when we were back to our apartment we realized that it was nothing serious, was neither a hoax nor it was an April fool. They were distributing us a box of oranges. We were laughing for a long time but couldn’t resume our plan as it was too late. But oranges worked pretty well when we enjoyed it after the lunch in the sun.

As my hope of touching snow feathered away forever and I have realized that I don’t have luck anymore. Surprisingly, there was a miracle in Kathmandu Valley, in Nepal where there was a snowfall after sixty two years although the snowfall is common in northern part of Nepal where Himalayas including Mt. Everest lies. I feel how unlucky I was that I couldn’t enjoy such a beautiful moment in my country and being unlucky again at Nanjing. So the hopes have been permanently faded away.

I was obsessed with serial “The Lost”. It was making my life hell. Never been addicted to movies like this before, watching the movie even at wee hours was a sucking experience but feeling you are inside the movie was charming. But now I am suffering more to see the new episodes as it’s not released yet in the market and I have to download it through internet using P2P networks. Also keeping pace with sports was another achievement as we have nothing to do to kill time.

However, the month holds very special meaning to Chinese people as New Year and autumn festival begins. Most of the schools and universities have a long month holiday and this month is the time where highest number of human migration takes place inside the earth. We could see peoples always in a rush with their luggage in the hand everywhere. It seems that whole city was traveling and we were being deserted. The building premises inside the University looks empty and deserted as we could see hollow building without any human activities. As I pass through it, it means nothing without human, completely deserted without any verve.
Chinese New Year is the first day of the lunar calendar, so it is also called the Lunar New Year. And it is also called Spring Festival since it is the beginning of the spring term, which is the first term of the 24 terms on the lunar calendar. It was recorded that Chinese started to celebrate Chinese New Year from about 2000 BC, though the celebrations were held on different times under different emperors. They started to celebrate Chinese New Year on the first day of the lunar calendar based on Emperor Wu Di's almanac of the Han Dynasty.
Legend says the celebrations of Chinese New Year may be related to a beast known as Nian. The beast Nian came out to eat people on new years until an old man found a way to conquer it. Then people started to observe and celebrate Chinese New Year. The word "Nian" now has the same meaning as Chinese New Year, which is used as commonly as Chinese New Year.
Usually the preparation starts a month before the New Year. The preparation includes thoroughly cleaning and decorating the house, buying new clothes, preparing enough food for at least two weeks. The decorations are highly symbolic with a lot of lucky words, printed paintings and red colors everywhere. Kids are busy in shopping for different kinds of firecrackers. Everyone gets a haircut before the New Year.
Celebrated internationally in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered to be the most important holiday for the Chinese as well as ethnic groups such as the Mongolians, Koreans, the Miao and the Vietnamese, who were influenced by Chinese culture in terms of religious and philosophical worldview, language and culture in general. Chinese New Year is also the time when the largest human migration takes place when Chinese all around the world return home on Chinese New Year eve to have reunion dinner with their family.
The New Year's Eve is the time for families. The New Year Eve's dinner is the biggest dinner of the year, much like Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner is full of symbolic meaning, such as Chinese dumplings implying wealth since they have the shape of ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots. Everyone, even kids, drinks a little Jiu (usually hard liquor), which symbolizes longevity since Jiu has the same pronunciation as longevity in Chinese. Then the family chats while watching national TV shows or listening to radio together until the coming of the New Year. In China, the national TV shows have been prepared for a few months by a group of famous entertainers.
Giving Hongbao or red packets during Chinese New Year is another tradition. A Red packet is simply a red envelope with money in it, which symbolizes luck and wealth. Red packets are typically handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends.
Chinese New Year's day is celebrated within the family. Usually family members gather on the morning of New Year's Day. At this gathering red packets are given to unmarried members of the family. The second day of the Chinese New Year is usually for visiting the family of the wife if a couple is married. A large feast is also typically held on the second day of the Chinese New Year. The seventh day of the Chinese New Year celebration is traditionally everyone's birthday, the day when everyone grows one year older. It is also the day when tossed fish salad, yusheng, is eaten. People get together to toss the colorful salad and make wishes for continued wealth and prosperity in the New Year. Dragon and Lion dancing is another tradition of Chinese New Year
Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao Festival is on the 15th of the first month of Chinese New Year, which marks the end of the New Year celebrations. Chinese celebrate the first full moon of the year on this day. It is the time for family reunion again. Yuanxiao is also a kind of cake, which looks like a table tennis ball (a little smaller) made of sticky rice with sweet stuffing inside. Everyone eats a few on Lantern Festival, which symbolizes family will stick together
2007 is known as the Year of the Pig. There are 12 animal names; so by this system, year names are re-cycled every 12 years. Current year is Year 4704 by the Chinese calendar. Posters with the word ‘luck’ are often seen around the New Year's. Each year is also designated by one of the twelve animals. For instance, 2005 is Year of Rooster; 2006 is Year of Dog; and 2007 is the Year of Pig. This system is extremely practical. A child does not have to learn a new answer to the question, "How old are you?" in each New Year. Old people often lose track of their age, because they are rarely asked about their present age. Every one just have to remember that he or she was born in the "Year of the Dog" or whatever. Since this is the Year of the Pig, any one who was born in the Year of the Pig is now either 0 or 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 or 96 years old.
The two most popular greetings during the Chiense New Year celebration season are (in Mandarin): “Gong Xi Fa Cai”, and “Xin Nian Kuai Le”. These roughly mean “Congratulations and be prosperous (financially)”, and “Happy New Year”.
Far in the horizon, I was able to see shimmering flashes and silver lining at the horizon in my grey matter after ill-faded hope melted away and we were able to plan to celebrate New Year in the small city Xu Zhou in one our Chinese friend’s home. I was wondering about that beautiful moment after being frustrated for a long time. So we were ready to start our three days trip to the Xu Zhou that was exotic, adventurous and skeptical.

Located in the northwest of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou is the largest city of northern Jiangsu as well as the most ancient city of the province. Thousands of years' history has blessed the city with profound culture, especially when it was the second political center of the Han Dynasty (260BC-220). Now, Xuzhou is the center of the Huaihai economic development zone of China and also one of the nation's most important agricultural product bases.

The Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Han Dynasty is something very interesting. Unlike Terra Cotta Warriors of Xian, the pit is aquatic and is located in the west side of the Lion Hill, the museum shows thousands of terracotta warriors and horses. The ancient artisans emphasized to show the inner heart world and the characteristics of the warriors through their different gestures and expressions.

Guishan Han Tomb, located in the west side of Guishan Mountain in the Jiuli District, is the most famous Han tomb due to it's large scale, exquisite architecture and mysterious building ways. It is the tomb for the sixth prince and princess of the Western Han Dynasty-Liu Zhu (128BC- 116BC) and his wife. The workmen at that time dug out the mountainside and built this palace like tomb, which is consisted of two corridors, two tomb paths and five halls including bedrooms, parlors, kitchens and stables.

Xuzhou Han City is located in the Jiuli district. As a modern architecture built in the Han Dynasty style, it is one of the television bases of CCTV (China Central Television) where many teleplays and films are made. Also, it is an artistic palace both to enjoy the Han culture and to relax and recreate. The Imperial Palace displays nearly all the artifacts from the ancient palace. The statues of the emperor and other officials give it a realistic atmosphere.

Quanshan National Forest Park is located in the south suburb of the city, is praised as the 'Nature Oxygen Bar' due to its breath- taking natural beauties and rich varieties of plants and birds.

Yunlong Mountain (Dragon in Clouds Mountain), lying in the south of Xuzhou, is a well-known scenic spot of the city. The mountain is divided into nine sections just like nine dragons winding in clouds, hence its name. There are many historical relics hiding among the ever green pines and cypresses and beautiful ravines, including the huge stone sculpture of Buddha of the North Wei Dynasty (386-534), the inscriptions carved on cliff surfaces of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, the Setting Free Cranes Pavilion of the Song Dynasty and the Xinghua Temple of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Yunlong Lake is to the west of the Yunlong Mountain and is the sister lake of the West Lake in Hangzhou. Encircled in three green mountains, the lake is just like an emerald setting in the city. The most attractive place there is the Above-water World on the central island of the lake. Seen from afar, the park just looks like a huge whale playing with water.

Xuzhou Museum, located on the north side of the Yunlong Mountain, is a comprehensive museum responsible for collecting, restoring and exhibiting the cultural relics discovered in the city. It now shows various cultural relics in the eight exhibition halls, including ancient calligraphic works, furniture, stone tablets and some precious relics once buried with the dead in the ancient tombs. The souvenir center provides you with stone inscription rubbings, calligraphic works and pictures as well as other traditional handicrafts.


The true glamour of any cities cannot be described in words, however you need to explore it and feel it.

We were restless and were very eager to start our short but exciting journey of three days. Nevertheless it was an exotic, adventurous and skeptical as we were traveling alone for the first time. We have confidence and eagerness to start the journey; however the Chinese language was our weakness and were skeptical in one or other way.

The skepticism materialized when I bought the wrong ticket but we were quickly able to figure it out as it was written somewhere in English and the cost price was less than what our friend had told us. Later I showed full address written in English language and the women gave me another ticket with a smile. As we were taking rest in the lobby at train station and were eagerly waiting for our train to arrive. We were waiting in the wrong lobby and it never showed status of our train. We realized it later as I showed ticket to one of the women luckily and she showed us the way and we realized that we almost had missed the train. As nihilism was rising and our heart-beat was rising fast but we were able to feel relaxed when we were inside the train. We were lucky as our destination was the last station of the train. But peoples were staring at us as we have long beards that were grown up after many years in this vacation. Luckily, it was a double-decker train but the day was gray and gloomy. Most of the peoples who are traveling in train are either sleeping or playing cards or sticked with the tiny-box-mobile. We passed through Yangtze River again as we were moving towards north. This was the first time we traveled in the day in the train as we were enjoying every moment of the greeneries and terrains. We pass through ridges, fields and small villages. As we passed through it we can see agricultural and industrial revolutions happening alongside the track. Every house has a New Year stickers printed in the walls and doors. It seems that everything was red. Our friend Qi was bit worried and he was busy on taking status from time to time through our newly bought mobile phone. The message was giving us more companionship and we were feeling more confident and enjoying our journey.

Sometimes I felt disgusted when a person tried to avoid us when you are simply showing your smiling gesture and affections. I was confused, we are scared or they are scared. But I never let my spirit down as inquisitiveness and eagerness was ruling us. Finally almost at the end of our journey, it became more interesting as we were able to break the tip of an ice-berg with some of the people around us and was happy to share our basic information with minimum communication skills.

Finally we arrived at XuZhou, as we came out from the train station, it was 1900. Our friend was waiting for us at the train station and it took no time to locate him as he has already passed the information about his geographical location outside the train station. Once we were out of train stations we heard bursting noises of fire-crackers and we could see fire-crackers everywhere in the sky. Thanks from our heart XuZhou for welcoming us and Qi for inviting us.

We were happy for their warm greetings although it was a new year-eve and it’s common in any part of China. As we were in front of the train station, I couldn’t figure out differences between 6 million inhabited Nanjing and one and half million inhabited XuZhou in terms of physical infrastructure city possesses. The cities architecture looks similar and it didn’t make a lot of differences to me in any way. But we were struggling hard to find a taxi again.

As we reached his home, we were warmly welcomed by his family members including his father, mother and grandmother. Later we shared the eve dinner with his family. The chopstick problem was again there and also there were some gaps because of the language as Qi can only understand English. We enjoyed the delicious dinner with wide varieties of food. More importantly, the compliments, gestures and hospitality were of great concern to us. We were amazed again when grandmother told us that we are the first foreigners she saw after the Japanese invaded China. All of them drink alcohol as it is the culture to drink on that day. We ended up with almond drinks. Family members were busy making foods for the New Year. We could hear the fire-crackers and see colorful lights whole night. The Chinese nation threw itself in a Diwali-like celebration whole night with sound and light ushering in the new year of the pig.

The next day early in the morning after taking noodles as a breakfast we went towards Lion Hill Mausoleum. However, whole-day we could hear the bursting fire-crackers. Even inside the house, it’s a customary tradition that before having breakfast, lunch and dinner. Firecrackers should be ignited inside the house.

Lion Hill Mausoleum is one of the unique mausoleums we visited in China. It has a full of verve. As life and dead holds equals’ importance, so everything you have in your life should be there in mausoleum. It was divided into four parts and took nineteen years to build it. We were surprised to see this unique mausoleum and watched different chambers designed with care and profound skills. People in Han Dynasty believe that Jade could prevent from decaying of physical body so Jade was used everywhere and was a precious element. Most of the precious elements including belt-buckles and gold ornaments were taken to the Museum. Also we visited the aquatic pit of terra cotta warriors. There were cavalry regiment and different warriors. The pit tries to describe how horses and cavalries play a vital role in the military formation in earlier days.

Later we had a delicious lunch at one of the modern Chinese restaurant. The restaurant seems to be fully occupied as peoples were enjoying the New Year day. It was the same old way to eat, you have to become a cook by yourself and have everything in front of you that you need to cook. This time, Qi takes initiatives and he himself established as a professional cook who can make delicious Chinese foods. It was wonderful experience again eating and seeing the charm of the city from the window.

Again we opted to visit Museum. We were lucky as it was open and we were crossing the finger for it from early morning. The museum was very modern and we were able to see so many antiques that have been excavated from the different monuments and historically important places around the periphery. One of the most interesting part of the music was a color, the different colors in a different floor of the museum makes it more allure and attractive and was thus able to attract enough visitors with wide variety of antiques and monuments. Not only that, I find the museum very modern and psychologically designed.

Later we move towards a bank of Yunlong Lake and enjoyed the beautiful evening. As we walk, we inhale fresh air and can see the big and beautiful lake and behind us we can see peoples traveling to Yunlong Mountain through cable-cars.

Finally, we enjoyed a New Year dinner with the family again. It was simply a re-union and it was again the emotional moment rather than something that could be described in words. We enjoyed warm hospitality along with delicious foods deep inside in our heart that would be immortal in our life. We eat dumpling and we realized that there are few foods in the Nepali and Chinese that have identical meanings like Tofu and Mommo. Again the environment was more interesting rather than foods as it was a completely a new and blended experience for us everything amazing and inquisitive.

Later at night, we watched the fire-crackers in the sky for almost an hour and we could hear and see the colorful flashes whole night. There were different types of crackers some were bursting in different types of lights other following a different track and some were bursting with unique sounds. I was amazed how much money that could have been spends on these things although firecrackers were invented on china. I had never seen so many fire-crackers in front of my naked eyes except in the inaugural ceremony of Olympics or any mega events happening in other part of the world in the TV. It seems that whole-china is a bridegroom and covered with bright lights and colors. We really enjoyed watching it as it was completely a new experience for us again and it was making the environment verve again.

The next day after our breakfast and giving tons of thanks for the kind hospitality and care, we had to say good-bye as we have to catch the train early in the morning to Nanjing. But this time we were more confident and were happier as we have gathered enough experiences and we were not novice anymore.

As the train moved on, we can peep the beautiful rural part of china and the sun was rising slowly as we moved towards south. Children have already started to eat the breakfast but we didn’t care for it as we have it already in the Qi home. However, Qi mother have also given us a lunch packet so that we can enjoy in the mid-way. But again peoples were staring to us and we were even more frustrated and embarrassed when a kid spitted us for no reasons but we simply smiled at him again as we have no other options. As usual, mobile warfare, eating and sleeping are the three common activities of peoples I realized in the train. I realized last time that I need a coke desperately so this time I was able to buy it at train station and enjoy the journey with beautiful scenery and a coke. Again we were finally enjoying the trip as we were able to talk with people around us and I was even amazed when the guy told me that I look like Taliban. So, it makes me think seriously that an outer appearance plays a vital role no matter how you feel inside. I smiled at him and said yes, however, I was finally able to convince him about my country by making the map. Finally we arrived at Nanjing very easily and relaxed.

Finally as holiday was going to end very soon, we were able to make get together with some of our Nepali friends at Nanjing Normal University and we make our way towards 1912 street again. The twilight at 1912 street emerged but I see it more differently and weirdly this time.

As we enter the club, the verve of music was again inviting us with colorful lights and heart-throbbing music. This time I was able to meet some of my friends again. I can even see the existence of Pluralism in different forms inside the closed chamber. It was simply a common juncture for peoples to enjoy their feelings and emotions with the aid of music irrespective of different walks of life, regions and cultures. The life at 1912 street was going like before as we have been there after a long duration.

The world is moving towards determinism and relativism that’s what I feel inside this close environment where smoke and music rises higher than any other tangible objects. Feeling transcendental with the art of music and dance makes you feel you are at the utopia. Jugs of ice and alcohol keeps on coming as different light moves in different angles, the music keeps on going, the time ticks on, people moving for a whole night, the security continuously keeps eye wide open every time and DJ jack keeps on playing the same old but verve music, a sort of melagonia existed forever.

Peoples quelling the thirst of their feelings in different ways some are laughing, others are shouting hard, others just move their legs in the beat of music, no restrictions anyone from old to young, from a young girl to a mature woman , from radical Islamic woman to religious Christian , from Jews to radical Hindu, from black to blondes, from Africans to Asians, from Europeans to Americans, everyone meets here, there is no boundaries and an open place where people from different walks of life just mixes up and enjoys the moment in the land of of Zion. I enjoyed it with a full verve after a long break but never took a long time to catch the beat of music to move the pace of my body.

The month was also interesting as we started to use the public vehicles effectively more than ever. We enjoyed traveling through bus and we started to realize that it’s very easy although it’s late and sometimes it’s crowded. But again I realize it has different blends of experience and we need to experience it to know more about this place and a country. Traveling in double-decker was again another fabulous experience that resided inside my gray matter from the time I was a kid.

Finally, the half-year in Nanjing is finished and the holiday is going to end soon. I know I would never have free time like this in my life. The countdown has already been started as faded hope fades forever and silver lining gives more gleaming hopes in the Chinese New Year. Xin Nian Kuai Le…