Lijiang, the place where no one wants to leave.

hey hey, staying at this traveller's inn in the ancient city of lijiang is not that bad.. other the crucial problem of inadequate hot water during a wintery season, its really quite nice. the place is a family run business by a minority group found here calledthe NAXI(no relation to the nazis) ethnic group, which is the dominant group here. darn it, i wish i could post photos here..

the town is split into two areas, the old town and the... you guessed it!! the NEW town!!
i think quaint is the word to describe it.

ohoh.. the thing here thats really cool is that the native ethnic group here, the Naxi, is a matriarchal society, the women go out to work, the men stay at home... and it is socially accepted as the NORM!!

so the men stay at home and are literally househusbands. A great example is the family kept inn im staying in.
its the women that take care of the accounts, the big picture of the inn, the go-getters.. the men, are the cleaners, the cooks, and all in all, much more milder and docile specie here.. its quite a cultural shock i got when i first got here..

but wait, there's more!!

According to the unmarried men here,(who look really good and well groomed), the reason for them not able to find wives is because they are too THIN!! im gonna give you a while to let this swirl around a little....
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i was thinking to myself, WTH!?! too thin?? then asked the lady next to him, who's his sister,

"SO... what DO women here like??"

she replied(translated) "we like our men here more well fed, much fatter. the rounder the better, because it shows that we(the women) have ability to keep our husbands well-kept, and is a sign of good health.."

shit man.. i should consider staying here forever..
why?
1. here, the men dont do anything, stay at home, play chess, drink tea, grow flowers, take care of the kids.
2. THEY LIKE FAT GUYS!!!!! nuff said.
3. its beautiful here, there is great scenery and hospitable peoople here.
4. the air is so much better, unpolluted, and fresh, water is from the nearby snowy hoary mountains, mountain springs, clear, soft bubbling springs.. tastes sweeter and healthier than the chlorine tap water we drink back home.

yup, the place where no one wants to leave..
i have a feeling thats a phrase coined by a man.

sorry sugar, not comin' home.