Day 1 (1)

August 21, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China


Morning in Xi'an. The view from my hotel room window.

I awoke around 8 on my first full day in China. I didn't know what time it was, my room has no clock, and the power was off. The power in my room is very strange. You must leave your keycard in a slot by the door to activate the room's electricity. I suppose it helps to save on energy by turning it off when you leave the room. My keycard was no longer activating the power, however, so I went down to the main desk to inquire about it. The girl at the desk was the same who had been there the previous night, the same who would be there again that night. I began to wonder if she ever had time off.

With the electricity situation fixed, I showered and prepared to go to the bank and market. Xiao Liu (小刘) had told me the following night that she would meet me in the lobby at 1pm to help me with the bank and any errands I wanted to run.


Xiao Liu. My first friend in China.

“你吃饭了吗？”("Have you eaten?") I asked her. I had not. I hadn't left the room yet, and the small amount of Chex Mix I had wasn't enough to constitute a meal. She had eaten, but said she would take me to find food. "有什么地方特产？" ("What is a local specialty?") I asked. 面 ("Noodles") she replied. The couple on the plane had told me that noodles were the food to eat in Xi'an, too. I didn't quite understand this, I though 饺子 ("Dumplings") were the local specialty. As it turns out, Xiao Liu explained to me, noodles are popular in the North, while rice is more common in the south. So, everytime I asked some one what to eat in Xi'an, noodles was the most obvious answer. Xiao Liu lead me down the street from my dorm and took me into a noodle restaurant she said she frequented with her friends. The restaurant was little more than a hallway, with small tables on either side.



The Noodle Restaurant. Inside and out.

I had never been to such a place, and Xiao Liu helped me order. The only question I was asked was "Do you want noodles with or without water?" Having no idea exactly what that meant (I assumed it meant in broth or not), I said without. Something was ordered for me, what it was I wasn't exactly sure. In the kitchen, a 9 year old boy prepared my noodles. He smoked the entire time. Xiao Liu and I made some smalltalk while we waited. I asked what would be in the noodles, she asked the owner, who was sitting at a nearby table, and he said something to the affect of "vegetables." The 9 year old brought my bowl out:


My First Meal in Xi'an. A noodle bowl at a local noodle restaurant.

I ate the noodles, and everyone in the restaurant watched me. I guess they don't get many redheads. The noodles were delcious, in a slightly spicy sauce, and mixed with green onions, potatoes, and fried tofu. I don't have the vocabulary to describe the flavor, it was so far outside my realm of understanding. It was savory, not the least bit sweet like American Chinese Food. I ate the bowl and asked for something to drink. Again, the ordering process was strange. Xiao Liu asked if I wanted something like Coca Cola (可乐), I said sure. I was handed a bottle of something else entirely.


冰峰. (bīngfēng, lit. "ice peak") The soda I was given with my first meal.

Ice Peak Soda, which is apparently made in Xi'an, at least according to the label. The soda was good, slightly orange flavored, and very carbonated. I went to leave holding the bottle, but was told that I couldn't take it with me. Neither Xiao Liu nor I understood why.

to be continued...

Hayden