“The” Room.

I’m going through photos, some editing, some thinking…and I thought I could handle looking at some photos.  But, I enlarged it and I got a big lump in my throat, my arms went numb, and now I kinda feel like I want to vomit.  But…this, for you my reader.  The room I was locked in for over 3 hours having my life threatened and knowing what he was planning on doing.  I do have a photo of “him”…but I don’t know if I can edit that one yet.  (I shoot RAW).

Can you imagine if I had let it all end here? Gross.
Learned lessons:
1. don’t be so exhausted you accept help from strangers – that don’t speak Mandarin to the laoban/laobanniang (I can’t understand Mongolian).
2. never stay in a lu dian room without a window.
3. never EVER let your guard down.
4. let him think you have given up the fight and when he leasts expects it…WHAM!
5. sometimes when you ask for real help, some people do not want to get involved or help.

I hope that SOB was in a motorcycle crash.

Email Correspondance from the Border Police in 东乌珠尔

So along the way, I exchanged email addresses and phone numbers…and the occasional QQ number.  Every so often I get a random note from someone I have met along the way.  Please use Google Translate to get the jist of this communication.
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你好  我是 你的好朋友 ,还记得我吗、我是 呼伦贝尔的  你在哪呢  什么 时候还来呀   记得来找我哦
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me: Yes, yes, yes!!!!  I remember you 🙂  I’m sorry I have been very busy. 不好意思,我没有空。
I hope to return to the town and photograph more people – I’m very interested in photographing 蒙古人 life/culture/horses/蒙古包。
您现在哪里?

Best,
Ellen (American girl on bike)
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我是东乌珠尔边防派出所的,我给你登记 和照相 还记得吗。我在单位呢。 你在哪呢
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me:对,我记得。:)
我现在上海。我回来应为没有钱。I will continue my bike ride in the Spring, after the holiday.  I must work and save money now.
你警察?你叫什么名字?如果你是警察,你是一个很亲切,我永远不会忘记的了不起的人们那里。
我的一个骑自行车的原因是要提高在亚洲的贫困儿童慈善机构筹款。
www.2wheels4girls.com
如果你是警察,我记得,会是不错返回拍摄一两个星期。我希望与世界分享这 些照片 – 有这么多美丽的地方和中国人民。
我很高兴听到您的声音!你有一个朋友,说英语,对吗?我 跟她的电话。
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哦 原来是这么回事, 我现在很佩服你的善举,你的精神值得我们学习。爱是无国界的。
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If you translate anything, run the last sentence through Google Translate…you’ll get Chinglish, but if you have a half a brain…you can ‘figger it out.
This email is from the border police of 东乌珠尔, where I suffered dysentery and made friends with the locals. Of all the police and security officers I encountered…this young man was very kind. After I had filled all the paperwork out at the local station, one of his co-officers organized a photo where I had presented each one of them with my legal stuff…a US Passport and my Chinese Work Visa…it was a fun moment…although I looked not very cute. Dirty, dehydrating, hot (41 degrees those days), tired, and trying to hold my intestines in.


View Larger Map

If you take a moment to view the larger map, see link above, you can see there was nothing around for miles, days, and I had been facing that damn headwind that TOO OFTEN comes across from the NW.

I would love to hear from you!