The China Diary (final entry)

A rather disappointing end to the diary, I'm afraid.  One would think that I'd've at least left off with some reminiscent commentary on the overall experience.

But no, just a single page of text describing the mundane detail of my second last day in China.

To compensate for that, I've also included the only postcard I sent home and, to close things off, the really lame poem I composed while on a tour bus.  I've left out a couple of stanzas in order to preserve what vestiges of dignity I may have remaining to me.

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Tuesday, 28th March 1989
Hua Du Hotel
Beijing

Today I lost my breakfast coupon so I couldn't eat breakfast.  Then we went to the Summer Palace and had a bummer of a time.  Then we went to lunch and I got a new pair of chopsticks that were really nice.  After lunch we layed down on the grass and soaked up some rays for about ten minutes.  After lunch we went to a Budda temple and then went to a zoo for 20 minutes and then left for the hotel for a couple hours and then left for dinner and an acrobat show.  Then came back here and did the usual.

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Positively underwhelming, isn't it?  We didn't go to lunch twice, I just mentioned it twice due to an utter lack of creativity.

Here's the postcard.  Note the markedly different tone here versus all the other diary posts:

Hi gang!
I'm having an excellent time here so far.  I've already spent about 1700 dollars here in Hong Kong alone.  I've got myself a neato T-shirt, Sony walkman, wallet, pen, post cards (obviously), and that's it.  I'm not going to tell yous guys what U got yet.  That's a surprise.  I've been here only 2 days & I've already spotted 4 different McDonald's restaurants.  The only bad spot in my trip so far was the 13 hr. plane ride.  I read the first whole book and had 3 hours to spare.  Well I guess I gotta go now.  See ya later.
Lub, Simon

I'm such a hypocrite, eh?

And lastly, to end this little series, the poem...

Away in a Tour Bus, by Simon Fraser

(sung to Away in a Manger)

Away in a tour bus
no room for his feet
a tourist named Simon
thought China was neat.

The clouds in the dark sky
are constantly grey,
and lots of the Chinese men
seem to be gay.

The streets are so filthy
the people are poor,
and the tap water looks
like it comes from a moor.

The buildings are dirty
and very unkempt
and prostitutes roam the streets
waiting to tempt.

The Great Wall is humongous,
it takes the breath away,
it was quite the adventure
but it wasn't worth the pay.

I took lots of pictures
I used up ten rolls,
the rice in the restaurants
is served in large bowls.

The shopping in Hong Kong
is a shopaholic's dream:
they have everything from Porsches
to chocolate ice cream.

The service in restaurants
is something to see,
you have to wait for an hour
for some french fries and tea.

There's more to be said
but the words can't be found,
before going back
I would sooner be drowned.

I chalk up most of the trenchant tone to the fact that I was straining for rhyming words.  I just wish I had put that much effort into more of my actual journaling, and a little less of the 'tude.

For the record, I would go back.

THE END

Comments

[Mark]

Considering the previous entries, I wasn't surprised by the lack of breadth. Hilarious poem, however 'tudinous it might have been.

[Linda]

Welcome home, hope you had a nice trip. ;-)
The weirdest thing, I was just getting ready to watch and see what Dex was going to do with his fork. He 'distappeared' and there's this awesome new banner up there. Kinda creeped me oot a bit, tho'.
Lub,
Linda
PS Did I read this poem before or is all your poetry set to "Away in a Manger"?

[Simon]

It must just sound familiar, Linda. That's the only poem I have ever written to that particular song.