Train Rides in China

Ann and I are on a train from Chengdu to Chongqing. It's raining. In the rain, a city is gross. The rain spreads the dirt and grime into a mixed mess like an oil painting. We are passing through the countryside and vast fields right now. The train is very crowded. People are standing just above us and people sitting on the ground. Not everyone has a seat, but I guess this does not violate any safety regulations. Ann and I do have seats, but we have no where to put our travel sacks. People are staring at us. We are studying Chinese and listening to our iPods. An attendant is standing in the middle of an aisle demonstrating a purple light you can shine over your Mao money. The light detects whether the bills are counterfeit or not. I think the light would be handy to have, as I have encountered fake money before. At that time, I was in Shanghai and my cab driver gave me a fake 20 note. I tried twice to spend it, once at a convenience store and once at a Wal-Mart. I failed both times, and I played dumb both times. "This bill is fake?? shi jia de ma?!"Fool me once...

 The countryside is pretty, but I would not want to live there. The people who live there are farmers, but unlike American farmers, they do not drive around in SUVs built Ford tough. These people plow fields and then sell their rice or produce in the markets. I am listening to music that reminds me of this past summer in Bristol. We just rode past a small town with the dirtiest stream I have ever seen. Brown much as a source of H2O.