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You're probably wondering why I named this edition the 'Bigfoot
Edition.' That's a valid question. Well, earlier this month
I went on a camping trip to an area of China where it is reputed a
'Wild Man' lives. As near as I can tell, he is the Chinese
version of Bigfoot. Just like his American counterpart, the
Chinese Wild Man has never been spotted by scientists who search for
him; only hapless campers have spotted him, and they have apparently
been too excited to take a steady photo of him. I was hoping for
glimpse of the fella, but he eluded us the whole trip. Speaking of us, I should probably tell you that I was not alone on this excursion into the Chinese wilderness. I was joined by four friends. We called ourselves The Fearless Five . These kids had never been camping before--so it was quite the adventure for them! We had a great time together and I knew that it was going to be a great time when I spotted this . How weird-looking is that? I'd never seen anything quite like it. It only continued to get better as I got to live out a dream I've had since I've been in China: riding in a Chinese police vehicle. Apparently we had been trying to pitch our tents in a 'nuclear' area so we were escorted off the mountain! Before you start freaking out that I may have gotten radiation poisoning, let me assure you there was nothing radioactive about this camp ground. When they said 'nuclear' they meant it in the sense of a nucleus--the center. The center area of the 'wilderness' (which really wasn't that wild) was off-limits to campers. It was only because there was a foreigner and students involved that they didn't fine us. Instead, the nice police officers helped us strike camp and gave us a ride down the mountain. So I took a picture with them . That wasn't all though! We spent the night at what felt like a refugee camp , complete with army rations, battered tin cups, and people shuffling around with that vague look of displacement in their eyes. A thoroughly enjoyable time--except for the part where we had to sleep on the cement. Ouch. The next morning, though, the police officer returned and drove us up to the top of the mountain. Most people had to pay good money to get a ride up there, but since we had been caught trespassing I guess we garnered special consideration. At the top we met some nice people who offered us breakfast, and later lunch. They weren't exactly the wealthiest folks around (there's not a lot of work to be found on the top of a mountain) but they willingly shared what they had with us. My friends flipped out when they heard we would be eating rice--three days with no rice was the longest any of them had ever gone! Wild, huh? We had to leave the mountain early because of nasty weather, but we were blessed with a free ride off the mountain. In a nearby village we tried to find a hotel room, but they were all booked up. Just like Mary and Joseph, we managed to find accommodations--this time it was a storage room in the basement. They told us we could stay there for about $1.25, so we pitched our tents and went camping inside! Not exactly what I had in mind for the trip, but it makes things memorable! After a few days of carrying all our food and water on our backs, these two were pretty tuckered out . I wasn't though and was possessed with the insatiable desire to climb everything . I blame it on the fact that I was born in the Year of the Monkey , according to the Chinese Zodiac. Oh, and I almost died trying to climb down from there. That just makes things more fun. While the trip probably wasn't what you would call 'fun' (except for me--but I may be a little sadistic), when you see things like this and this , how can you not say it was all worth it? I signed my contract with the college for another year today. It amazing how at peace I am with the decision to stay. It feels so right, that I haven't had one moment of doubt or hesitation. The time I've been able to spend with a few potential team players studying the playbook has only reinforced this belief. I have so many great stories to tell you when I get back! Speaking of getting back, I'll be landing at Kansas City International on June 20th around 8:30 in the morning. After I get some sleep, I'll be hitting the road to come and visit as many of you as I can. Of course, this would be greatly facilitated by my having a vehicle to travel in, so if any of you have some wheels you could part with for a few months, I would really appreciate it. Now to the matter I loathe: finances. I've never liked this part, but I did feel a lot better when someone told me that they often saw proposals asking for amounts in excess of $100k to put a family in the field--for one year! Anyway, I crunched some numbers and it looks like I'll be needing $3936.00 for next year. I know it seems like a precise number, but I figure the Coach has lots of good things He can be doing with His money, and I shouldn't take any more than I absolutely need. Fortunately, my school has agreed to reimburse me for airfare, so that won't be an issue. |
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The Quarterly WOYT
(Waste Of Your Time) The Beauty of Socialism-I The Beauty of Socialism-II Don't Touch That Dial! The Mystery Of The Mullet |
For those of you who have already agreed to continue to help me, thank
you so much! If you haven't made a decision, I ask that you
consider it carefully. I know that next year will be even more
fruitful than this year--if I wasn't certain of this I wouldn't ask for
your help. Regardless, I'm deeply thankful to all of you who have
supported me; whether it was through money, food, or encouraging
e-mails. I wouldn't have made it without you! I would also like to ask for any comments/criticisms you may have for me and the work I've done this year. I know that I haven't been the greatest at communication (pretty sad considering that's what I majored in--sorry Mr. Baker!) and I plan to work on that for next year. If there are other things you would like me to know about, please tell me. Well, I've probably gone on far longer than you would have liked. If you would humor me and vote for your favorite Fletcher I would appreciate it--I think I've had too much fun with my hair this year! I've also posted some slightly-humorous essays about life in China that I wrote for the York College Panther Press (at the request of my brother-in-law and both of my fans). They're highly satirical, so if you're a Democrat you'll probably be offended, but they're not meant to be taken seriously. And one disclaimer: because of internet issues I'm writing this e-mail at 3 a.m., so if it's not coherent, I apologize. Faithfully, Fletcher |