Thoughts.com Blogs - Live like Dogs, Fly like Devils

KUNMING

      Got this call yesterday that they needed a foreigner in a movie that was being shot in Kunming. The payment was decent so I accepted the offer. Went to the scene - got dressed up in old French colonial clothes - and put there to stand with the other actors. Supposedly there were some famous actors around, but have no idea who they were. There were some people taking pictures of us and some fans of the movie stars. So probably those guys who caught the attention of these young girls with the cameras likely were the stars so to say.

        There were some other foreigners too - one guy dressed up as a foreign missionary with a Bible in his hands - apparently the movie had some potential historical interest. Back in the old days, these missionaries among other Western government officials were trying hard to figure out how to make Yunnan their colony. This was around the beginning of the 20th century. Imperial England and France were almost at war concerning which country would have the priority to make Yunnan their colony. China was weak at this point so both countries saw their chances. Missionaries were everywhere, and some of them desperate to get over to Tibet too.

       Ironically aggression was also going on between the foreign missionaries - namely were they fighting on some kind of spiritual level whether the area was going to be Catholic or Protestant. All sent by Inland Missions from the West. In fact whole China was at this time abundant of these people. There were colonialists, businessmen and missionaries in almost every corner of China. The Boxer-uprising was unable to stop them - actually these people got even more privileges from the weakened Qing-rulers - once the Boxers were massacred, had gone underground or been put on trial. A few years later the French even built a railway from the Tonkin area (Hanoi) all the way to Kunming while the English were figuring out routes from Burma into Yunnan. It was a difficult and humiliating time in the Chinese history.

       Back to the scene, had a chat with the foreign actors and apparently some people had not been paid the day before. We decided that we will ask for the payment before we start shooting. The director was not there so we decided to call him. Being the only one of the foreigners speaking Chinese, I called the director, told him our attitude, and asked when he will come around. He said he will come in half an hour - well, he didn't. Everything seemed so disorganized anyway so decided to leave the scene. No money, it didn't matter. Probably resembled another greedy foreigner to the director? Not only were the colonialists greedy but also the latest generation? Well, who knows, and why to be voluntarily cheated anyway.

        Changed back the clothes and went strolling on this mountain about 15 km outside Kunming. Later went down the mountain to the city below. The area was apparently abundant of these small picturesque streets. Beautiful old streets, soon to be gone, with the feeling of the old Kunming that is more or less gone by the recent modernization. There was a temple but it was closed. What could have been the story of this particular temple? It had beautiful red walls surrounding it and inside one could see some architecture of Taoist kind or similar.

        After a decent meal in a Moslem restaurant took the cab back to the city. Had a chat with the cabdriver. He was complaining about the traffic and how good things were in the old days. He told how he as a kid used to fish and swim in the Panlong-river and Lake Dianchi. These days even looking at these rivers can cause some kind of poisoning. He showed the church on Beijing Lu and mentioned about some Jewish temple close to the Dong Si Ta pillar. Apparently he might have meant the old wooden Mosque that was previously situated at Jinbi Lu. However now the ancient Mosque is demolished. Maybe a parking lot is being built there. Or a Pizza Hut maybe? Once we passed Baita Lu we agreed that the old entry to Kunming was situated there, "dui, dui, okay, okay", was his reply.

        Later in the city, passed the Antique Market and spotted a nice looking Tibetan necklace. It was made of yak-horn. The price first demanded was outrageous, but knowing the rules more or less, got it for fifty. Now only Tibetan sniffing tobacco is needed. Not easily found around Kunming. Later, at the bar the Buddhist mafia was around. The Buddhist mafia, Ling, said he knows a Tibetan master - supposedly the the 2nd highest lama in the area - he will introduce the Lama later.