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10 Jul
China
Subject: melon mountain
>Last night I watched a kid try to stand still as another fired bottle
Here they just throw rocks at each other.
>Stayed home for the fireworks.
Oh yeah, forgot about that. The chinese like to set off jillions of
firecrackers outside the new buildings they're constructing across the land.
No tightrope walking. Too scary and too high. I can almost do a handstand
though. And yesterday for the first time I bent backwards into a backbend
and stood up again. Don't think this will get me on stage anytime soon.
The other night I dreamt of this huge blue butterfly bird that I tried to
get to sit on my finger but it turned into a scary devil creature and bit
through my finger. the pain was so intense it woke me up and I drew a
picture of it.
It's currently melon season. They're are mountains of green and yellow orbs
lining every street. Watermelon carnage a few days ago on the road from
Markit to Poskam. taxi crasehd into a donkey cart. pink mealy pulp strewn
amuck.
The sand dunes drift across the roads and get shoveled back by chain gangs.
Probably of falun gong practicioners.
Torsun Barat (circus director) might have us go up to Taxkurgan which is way
up in the pamir mountains at the border with pakistan. I hope we go. It's
supposed to be an amazing road. The main reason we won't is because the
town's too poor and we might not make enough money.
Am now in Yarkand which is the historic end of one of the major trade routes
from the middle east. The women here are much more conservative than other
places we've been. They wear long sleeves and long skirts with pant things
underneath and head scarves and mouth scarves and sunglasses. All in 100
degree heat. I don't know how they stand it.
Today bought a pair of giant red fake ruby earrings for 40 cents which some
passing by guy still thought was too expensive. Guess I should have
bartered longer.
today is exciting, not only for computer access, but first warm showers in
many days. Will go take advantage of this luxury now.
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