What to do on Sundays when you live in Korla (an optional destination for Silk Road travel)? Play billiard of course! On several places of the city, early morning or late afternoon, you can watch people playing billiard; there are all sorts of people playing billiard, ethnic Chinese, Uygurs, others, men and women. . . . It seems there are competitions, and all take it very seriously; local champions are watched with great attention. I like billiard, but I felt a bit shy (? Well, shy in the sense, they looked much better than me!)to ask to play with some of them. What are these people doing when weather is rainy or in winter? It seems a very good idea to play billiard outside and it should be promoted in other parts of the planet!
2.Other physical activities
Other people play with some sorts of “rackets” and a ball and make movements to keep the ball on their “pan”. Other have swords and play with the sword. I can imagine that in that sort of society and mentality collectivism (not necessarily in a bad sense) has a better chance to find interested people rather than in anarchist-individualist educated groups like in western Europe (not anarchists of course!!) .Well all this looks interesting, may be it is well developed in Korla or other remote places where you do not have a lot to do, but to me it appears strange to try to go in a group, to try to be part of it. . . . to see all these people doing the same thing; are they happy? Does it contribute to happiness, to wellness? I have no answer.
3. Fly kites
This is a nice activity, you can practice from the day you can walk till the day your legs do not want anymore. . . Flying kites! It is a very popular activity here in Korla (which you can also see in other cities of China like Shanghai, a must-see for last minute China travel deals), and it is nice to watch the kites in the sky and very interesting to watch the people who “play” with he kites. The elder people seem to like a lot playing kite and I never have seen big reels like the ones they use here.
4. Morning gymnastics
8:00 morning, I hear music from my hotel room; it comes from the big square in front. A short walk before breakfast. Lots of people are making collective gymnastics; several groups of 5 to 50 or more persons with or without music are keeping fit!! It is always strange for me, as a westerner (and a almost pathologic individualist) to see groups performing together. Here in Korla, there are young groups with “leaders” on a stage, other groups wearing the same uniform, smaller groups, making not exactly gymnastic, but rather something which looks like “kata” (the Karate movements), but in a slow decomposed way. . . .
This behaviour is interesting to watch at but I do not understand this mentality to do things same time, same day, same place, with same persons, . . . . well other places other behaviours, usages, cultures. . .
Although the local China tourism is not developed, it is worth to a visit.
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