The small wild goose.

Small group English classes

 Arriving back in Xi'an was very familiar, but still a huge change.  I took some time to get over jetlag, hook up to Wifi, get a phone card and re-connect to old friends.  Getting back on my motor-cycle to thread the mazes of Xi'an traffic.  Relaxing with a good book in a comfortable coffee house as all the world flows by on the street. I alternate between two worlds and become a slightly different person whenever I cross the ocean.

Who would expect this?

The hostel is called BC for Bilingual community.  They take in foreign guests, teach English to local people and follow a philosophy of 'Play With English'.  The location is right off the busiest main street of the city, but it doesn't look like China at all. There are European style buildings with Grecian columns and spacious balconies. One building is painted pink and houses a classy beauty parlour; another has a swimming pool (not functional unfortunately).  The place looks to have seen better days, but the location is 50 metres  from a subway station.  BC has a huge fan base on the social network. There's an activity on most evening: games, discussion groups, cooking classes, movies and anything that people find interesting.

Graceful living in an urban setting.

It's a very friendly place.  Most of those attending are between the ages of 18 - 25. Usually they have some purpose for learning English, such as admission to a foreign university, or improving the appeal of their curriculum vitae.
This afternoon I walked around the corner to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda.
As you enter this ancient compound the outside city seems to fade away.  The 7 story pagoda dates from the 8th century when the temple was dedicated to the translation of buddhist scriptures into Chinese. You walk along leafy pathways between trees as old as the buildings they surround.  I examined a tall stone perched on the back of a giant turtle. It had a map of the entire compound which, although etched into the stone over 500 years ago, gave a passable description of the complex as it stands today.  For about a dollar you can strike this immense bronze bell three times and disperse any troublesome demons by swinging the log against its side.

Even though the reasons for naming the complex after a wild goose seemed a little shaky I did actually come across a couple of rather sad looking white geese.
More interesting were the stone sculptures that capture an echo of the spirit of the great Tang dynasty and the glory days of the silk road to the West. Fleshy musicians cavorting in their flowing garments, playing stringed instruments behind their heads.

Tang Emperors valued the arts

The question of 'What am I doing in China?' arises quite often.  Its as if when separated from my traditional Western routines I am brought to confront the search for meaning on a daily basis.  What are any of us doing here?  It's better to ask this question without expecting an answer.  Daily life is itself the answer. From time to time I have the opportunity to help someone improve their English.  I don't ask for money - helping a fellow searcher is its own reward.