Jade Flower (A New Adult Travel Memoir)

Chapter 6

Over a street dinner of BBQed meats and vegetables on skewers- mushrooms, squid, lamb, rabbit hearts, all kinds- and more beer, sat on plastic stools on the sidewalk, we got to know each other better. I hit it off with both of them, and by the time dinner was over, I felt like we had known each other for ages. In fact this was a common occurrence among expats: it took little time to bond with the other English teachers especially. Even if they were people you'd normally never spend time or get along with at home. There was something about the shared experience of being a foreigner that made it easy. We needed each other to provide normalcy, to keep us sane.
When Jack went to the toilets at one point, I asked Naomi about the two of them.
'We've just been spending a lot of time together' she said coquettishly. "He's shown me around a little, which is funny cause he's only been here about a week longer than I have."
"But you like him?" I said.
"Yeah I guess so, but you know, he likes Chinese girls, and they certainly like him. I think that's what it's like here: the foreign men go for the Chinese girls, and there's nobody for the foreign women, unless you like the Chinese men. And I don't. What about you?"
"I'm not sure,"I responded, because I really didn't know. "But I think I'll like it here. I just got out of a relationship before coming here anyway. It's not really something I'm looking for."
"Yeah me too. It's cool so far. Still strikes me as strange that this city is considered small though: over a million people!"
"Yes but Dandong is a most beautiful city," I imitated a Chinese accent terribly and we giggled.

As teachers, we all had Mondays Tuesdays or Wednesdays as our weekends. Since it was Thursday, they were teaching the next day, so after paying, we decided to pack it in need for the night and they walked me home. fiona lived a few blocks away anyway, and tom wasn't much further.

Jet lag hit me much harder that night and I couldn't sleep. I think I was also pretty excited about what I'd seen and done already. For such a long time I had been worried that I wouldn't make friends and I'd have a miserable and lonely time teaching, but it was clear that wasn't how it was going to be.
I stood st my apartment window for awhile, looking at the other lit apartments in the complex throughout a sleepless night.

The next day I decided I would take a quick look around my area before I was due for my first day at Heidi English.
I went in search of food nearby and came across a small covered marketplace. I was attracting some attention, which made me feel uncomfortable, so I hurried to buy some apples, an egg bread pancake thing, and something that I guessed were dumplings (I was right). I knew how to say "how much?" but not how to understand the answers I was given, so the vendors showed me the total on a large calculator. On the way out, a distant 'harrooo" could be heard. I enjoyed my food back at the apartment and got ready for my first day at school.
As planned, Jane-angel showed up at 10am.

"Oh Anna! Hello! How are you? Some exciting news! You hear? The school! Someone came inside last night! They broke windows and made a mess."
"Like burglars Jane?
"Bah GE lahs?" She repeated.
"Yes burglars! Robbers! Thieves. People who steal."
"Oh no Anna! That is the strange thing, nothing taken. Only searched. They searched everything. The police are there today, now. Taking finger prints. See?" She held up her hands to show me the ink on them. "Now, we are free today. You should come tomorrow instead."
I didn't put much thought into this at the time because as soon as she told me this I thought about going back upstairs for a sleep. My night awake had left me drained. "What do we do today, Anna?"
Jane asked me with hope and excitement in her eyes.
"I don't know Angel. I'm pretty tired. I didn't sleep last night. I think I'm jet lagged. Do you want to come upstairs for a bit? Maybe after a tea I'll feel better."
I served some black Lipton tea with milk. We debriefed on the night before. She told me about the man she had been taking to: his name was Steven, he is a teacher at Heidi and has been there for a really long time. I told her about Jack and Naomi and Lovable. I didn't say anything about Kym just yet.
"Nice tea! I like western style tea. Do you know Chinese tea? Always green. It's nice too! You go for sleep and maybe I see you later. Maybe you go Lovable's again tonight?" I did not realize that lovable's and his bar would become a staple in my life.
***
Once there, I met BJ- a 40 something American who also worked at Aston english. Bj (shirt for big john), had recently returned to Dandong after having finished his first contract at Aston and being offered a rather lucrative job outside of Hohhot, the capital of the province of Inner Mongolia, which was north of Beijing. However, he had gotten off the train to be met by a staff of the new school he was to teach at, brought back to the school and the manager apparently had taken one look at him, made some comment of the likes of 'oh you're black, and you're fat, you can't work here, the parents will not accept that." Bj got back on the train to Dandong that same day. Aston moved him back into the apartment he had just left a couple of days prior (he had taken the 24 hour train between Beijing and dandong. It was shocking, how explicitly racist it was. BJ however, was not offended. Apparently, the parents really would stop sending their kids to study at Language schools with black teachers. Bj didn't seem to care that that had happened.
"So, how long are you planning to stay in Dandong?"
"Six months I think, You?"
"Yeah I said 6 months too. But it's been three years now. I was supposed to get out, but I got pulled right back in. It's not a bad place to be for a little while though, but You'll meet some lifers sooner or later. I'm worried about becoming one. Who have you met so far?"
"Just a few people: Jack and Naomi of course," I jerked my head towards the next table, where the two of them were in deep conversation. And now you of course, lovable. And then in addition to the staff at work, I've met Kym, You know him?"
"Pretty sure everyone does."
"Or you mean everyone has met him, but nobody knows him,"
"Exactly, and Wayne?"
"No, haven't met him."
"Wayne and I are going to the museum this week. Should be fun. You should come!"He drained his glass and slammed it on the table. Bj was not drinking beer, he had a transparent drink in the glass, and judging from the occasional whiff I got, it wasn't water, neither was it rum or vodka.
"The museum?"
"There's a Great War museum in Dandong, about the Korean War."
"Actually, I've heard of it. It's called the resist America aid Korea memorial hall. A Propaganda machine I guess," BJ shushed me, and glanced around nervously. "Gotta be careful about saying that kind of stuff,"
"What?"'I laughed.
"I'm serious, just be careful I mean. You never know who is listening. Anyway, I've never been, but the museum's meant to ver interesting if you know anything about the Korean War."
"Ok sure. Thanks. Now what is that, you're drinking? I can't work it out."
"Ah. Bai jiu. Chienese alcohol. Means white liquor. I think it's made from rice, but I'm not sure. Some say it tastes like gasoline. Here Try some."
"Such an enticing offer!"
He went to the other table and grabbed a small bottle and one of the extra glasses that was sitting there to pour me some, handing it back to me as if making an offering to a shrine. I took a sniff, and then shot it back. And promptly broke into a fit of coughs. A shot of fruity gasoline had entered my body. He burst out laughing.
"Well you're not wrong. That is not good." Bj was smiling.
"You're a rookie. It's an Acquired taste I suppose," he took another sip. I smiled back trying to ignore the horrible after taste and coating of filth remaining on my tongue.
"So, what do you know about Kym?"
"We've met a few times. Often here actually."
"What does he do?"
"Some people know, I'm certain. Just not us. I have a feeling it's better that way. For all of us."
"Ah speak of the devil!" Kym has entered the bar. I had sat myself facing the door so that I could keep an eye on it. Since arriving, a couple of older foreigners with younger Chinese wives had entered, and a couple of Chinese men as well. It looked like it was going to be a busy night!
"Look Anna, you're new here, and I haven't been here too long myself, but- Just be careful."