Tuesday, May 19, 2009

My Sunday Run

The last post was about our class's performance. It went off great, we got fourth overall and I even won best supporting actor. But that's old news now. I turned all my focus from the skit to preparing for a big run on Sunday. I've been running with the China Hash House Harriers since last fall, but I've stepped up my participation this spring. For the uninitiated, a Hash group usually runs once a week. Each week a different pair of runners plan out a course somewhere in the forests surrounding Taipei. Everyone meets up at the start of the run, and the two runners who planned it (the hares) get a 15 minute head start before everyone gives chase. This past week, an English guy named Michael Topham and I prepared the run in PingLin - that's east of Taipei. It was a bit of a special week because my roommate since last August, Tommy, is leaving at the end of this week. He's been a staple on the Hash over the past year and a lot of people are going to miss him. We had a big send-off bash for him on Friday night and Sunday was his last run.

Michael and I spent several hours up in the hills planning and clearing the run on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This was really his run. He spends a lot of time in that area just wandering around enjoying the atmosphere and the scenery. It's high in the mountains and dotted with tea fields and small villages. He had most of the run planned in his head before we even met. We spend a lot of our prep time on finalizing the route, clearing out overgrowth, and practicing for the run so that we (I) wouldn't get lost. We planned spots to stash the flour we use to make the trail. We also picked out where we could throw down checks. A check is a spot where we stop leaving a flour trail and the runners have to figure out which way to go on their own. The trail starts up again within 100 meters.

This was my first time going as a hare. I've been getting faster over the spring and I've done well against some of the better runners in the group. I wanted to do this run as a send-off for Tommy. I'm also hoping to plan my own run this summer; I needed to learn from a veteran like Michael who's done many runs before. Michael pointed out endless tricks and pitfalls about planning the course, he never wanted the runners to be sure about where they were or where they needed to go next. If they figure out the plan early in the run, it's much easier for them to catch you.

It's not often that the hares get caught, but it does happen. Before the run on Sunday I was pretty nervous as a perfect storm formed against us. It was my first time running as a hare and experience plays a big part of who you perform. My partner was running the very beginning and the very end of the run. Because we get a 15 minute head start, the group wouldn't have time to catch him at the start and he was going directly to mark the end of the run after that. He was only doing a portion of the run. I made a rookie error, too. I left the start with two big bags of flour on my way to a grueling uphill when I wasn't going to use the flour until the middle of the run. I should have stashed the flour out on the trail instead of hauling it up the side of the mountain.

But the biggest mark against us was the crowd that had gathered to give chase. It was large and fast. Two buses came along with many cars, we probably had 70+ runners. More concerning was the speed of this crowd. One guy who's new to Taiwan was a serious distance runner back in that states, clocked a 2:30 marathon. Another guy is named Rocket Man. He's Taiwanese and he usually wins when he runs. He's a serious runner and on an average Sunday he'll do a half-marathon before coming along to whip all our butts. But then he started bringing along a friend of his who is even faster. We had to call him Super Rocket Man. He's reputed to run a 2:20 marathon and he may be the fastest person on the island. He's easily in the top ten. I was nervous before we even started.

I went up to those guys before the run and told them, "慢慢走。" That's what a polite server would say to some diners encouraging them to relax and take their time.

The run started and I realized what a mistake I had made lugging those bags through the first part of the run - it was as straight up as you can get without needing a ladder. I was puffing terribly by the time I reached the area where I had to start marking the trail with flour and I couldn't move quickly. I did my best to make a good trail, there's no joy in getting everybody lost. I made it to my first check, I put down a circle and cross and stopped laying the trail. I ran on as quick as I could, but I was into the next big uphill and I was slowed down again. My insides felt tight and twisted because I could hear the runners shouting trying to find the trail. I'm lucky that we made that check such a tough one because the pack was close and I was moving slow. I swear the uphill cutbacks in that section went on far longer than I remember during our planning sessions. I expected a simple V turn to the top but I ran into more W's than a Woodrow Wilson signature - it went on forever.

I really wasn't thinking too clearly when I reached the top. I laid down another check, but I had to much flower. I went to dump some and accidentally gave away which way the trail went. By that time we were on top of the mountain ridge and I was more in my element, I can cover that kind of ground very quickly at this point. I ran as fast as I could laying down a handful of flower whenever my mind got around to it. I was on total auto-pilot cruising over the wooded, shady trail at a fast clip. I felt good because I hadn't heard any voices since my first check near the tea field. The only problem I had was that my focus was so intense that I ran straight past my last flour stash without grabbing the bag. By the time I realized what I'd done there was no way I was going back for it...but I started to get low on flower.

I tried to conserve my supply a bit, but I was really praying that I would quickly find where Michael had started marking. My supply dwindled down to a couple handfuls, but I was doing ok because you don't have to mark as much on a closed trail with limited places to turn. I turned downhill and finally found my partner's trail. I closed up my bag and ran as fast as I could straight down the mountain. Downhilling is another thing I do fairly well, no idea why. I felt much safer. The trail went through the driveway of a family in the mountain village there. They told me which way Michael had gone and I took a shortcut to the main road. I told the family it was extremely important they not tell anyone which way I had gone. Once I got to the road it was simply a few cutback turns down to the start. I made it in a full three minutes before Rocket Man and Super Rocket Man.

Saturday, May 09, 2009

What I've been doing...

Ok, so it’s been about a month since I put anything up. I’ve been spending
all my time working on a skit for my Chinese class. On Friday we performed
in a competition along with 15 other classes. The day before the performance
was one of the most stressful days in all my time here, but Friday was
fantastic, the performance went off without a single hitch. To make it up to
anyone waiting for more news, I’m going to try and translate the skit for you
all. Some helpful background first: My university is right next to an area
near Taipei called MaoKong that is famous for its tea.

Narrator:

150 years ago, Taiwan had just a few tea farmers. Those few only grew tea
for their own use, they never thought of selling it. But every year in
England and the US, more and more people were buying tea. Merchants in the
East started looking for tea to export, so some people in Taiwan started to
grow tea commercially. At this time, MaoKong was still covered by forest.
But there was a man in MaoKong, Farmer Zhang, who wanted to start a tea
farm…this is his story. We open with Farmer Zhang and a local aborigine
discussing renting some land.

Farmer Zhang: Hello.

Aborigine: Hello.

Farmer Zhang: The land here looks pretty good, the air’s very fresh and the
sun is big and clear. The water around here is clean, too. Tea plants would
certainly grow well here.

Aborigine: Tea plants, really? What do you want to do, what’s your
plan?

Farmer Zhang: I want to start farming tea plants, you shouldn’t waste such
rich land. I want to rent your land, then when the plants are grown, I’ll
give you a share of the tea, what do you think?

Aborigine: Good, sounds great to me, good luck, good luck!


Narrator:

Farmer Zhang worked hard preparing his plants and farm. His relationship
with the aborigines grew strong. One day, at work, he discovered one of his
workers was a very beautiful young woman, he instantly decided to marry her.

Farmer Zhang: My house has everything I could possibly need…except for a
beautiful wife. Will you marry me?

Mrs. Zhang: That is my greatest wish.


Narrator:

Congratulations! A few days later they were married.

Three years after that, their tea was nearly ready. They started to look for
a merchant to buy their tea. Farmers in Taiwan were slowly growing more and
more tea, but there were still very few merchants. And in northern Taiwan
there was just one, a man from England. To help do business in Chinese, he
had hired a comprador from the Mainland, from a trade city called Xiamen.
They were famous throughout northern Taiwan, all the tea farmers feared them and knew they were bad men. That was because they were the only ones in the area buying tea. Whatever price they offered, the farmers had no choice. The Englishman had a monopoly, so tea prices stayed pitifully low, but the farmers couldn’t do anything.

Merchant: (Speaking Chinese with a heavy foreign accent) Comprador, do
you think this tea is worth buying?

Mrs. Zhang: Hello, may I ask who you are looking for?

Comprador: These tea fields are very beautiful, we’re looking for the
owner.

Mrs. Zhang: That’s Farmer Zhang, he’s right over there, wait a minute and
I’ll call him over…Hey! They’re looking for you!

Farmer Zhang: Hello, hello, who are you looking for?

Comprador: We’re looking for the owner of these fields.

Merchant: We’re looking for you Farmer Zhang.

Farmer Zhang: Do we have business?

Comprador: Of course, we are looking to buy tea and we’ve heard that you
have some of the best, I just looked it over and it looks great, smells
fantastic, too.

Farmer Zhang: That’s right! All my tea is first-rate!

Comprador: We want to buy it all. We’ll give you a thousand dollars,
how about that?

Farmer Zhang: What?!? Did you misspeak? That price wouldn’t even pay for
my shoes! My tea is very special, it should cost at least ten thousand!

Comprador: Huh?!? Did I hear you wrong? Too much! Ok, ok, how about
two thousand?

Farmer Zhang: I’m sorry, that just isn’t enough. I won’t sell!

Comprador: Farmer Zhang, I think you won’t be able to find a merchant
who’s willing to pay any more. You should be smart and do business with us,
how does three thousand dollars sound?

Farmer Zhang: I’m sorry, but the price is still too low.

Merchant: Ahh! Chinese people…

Comprador: Are you stupid? What’s going through your head? You’ll
never find anyone that will pay more than that. Three thousand and not a
penny more, our final offer!

Farmer Zhang: I’m sorry, but the price is really just too low.

Comprador: Farmer Zhang, you’re not being smart, we have very special
friends who’ll make you regret this decision! You should be careful looking
after your farm and your family!

Farmer Zhang: You can’t threaten me here! Get out now!


Narrator:

Now the merchant was afraid. If Farmer Zhang found another merchant to buy
his tea, his monopoly would be broken and prices throughout the region would
go up. The merchant and his comprador went to Taipei and hired some tough
guys to attack Farmer Zhang’s house. Fortunately, as they were traveling,
they were discovered by one of Farmer Zhang’s aboriginal friends who then
raced ahead to warn him.

Aborigine: Farmer Zhang! Farmer Zhang! You’re in great danger! That
merchant and his comprador are coming back and they’ve brought a bunch of
thugs with them!

Farmer Zhang: Don’t panic! Don’t worry! Please run ahead to your village
and ask a group to come back and help us, go now!

[The merchant, comprador, and thugs enter together.]

Farmer Zhang: Ah, I see you’ve already decided you want to offer me more!

Comprador: We’ve made no such decision! Yesterday I told you that if
you didn’t agree to sell to us, you’d be in serious danger. If you won’t see
to us, then we’ll take your tea by force! Boys, take it all!

Mrs. Zhang: No you don’t! Don’t you dare touch it!

Farmer Zhang: Hey, wife, don’t get angry, they won’t dare do it!

[A group of aborigines enter to help Farmer Zhang.]

Farmer Zhang: You really are good men.

Aborigine: You’re are friend, of course we came.

Comprador: This is your last chance to give us the tea!

Farmer Zhang: This is my house! Get out! Get out and never come back!

Merchant: Go get them!

[The scene closes with a tremendous fight.]

Narrator:

After the fight, the thugs, the comprador and the merchant left Farmer
Zhang’s home and they never returned. Farmer Zhang went out and found
another merchant. He persuaded the merchant to start trading in tea, and the
merchant was willing to pay a higher price. The original tea monopoly was
broken and tea prices throughout northern Taiwan began to rise. More and
more people started growing tea in MaoKong. To this day, that is why MaoKong tea is still so famous.