Xinjiang: Jun 13

Ulugqat

Blind Deaf Justice

Well at least Dheiu no longer has to worry about coming up short if a conversation turns to talk of pushing the Chinese deaf around.

Here's the exchange as a montage. Cue The Benny Hill Show's 'Yackety Sax' for full effect:

1. A taxi driving off as we arrange our bikes in front of a crowd that points at, touches and takes unsolicited point-blank phone photos of Dheiu.
2. Rolling down the road, shaking our heads at people's insensitivity.
3. Leaning our bikes against a restaurant as another crowd forms and pulls out their phones.
4. Dheiu live-wire subtle as he waves/yells, No photos.
5. Young chinese man leaning forward and clicking down.
6. Dheiu leaning forward into a push that sends the guy sprawling onto his back.
7. Crowd in shock. Some angry faces.
8. Closeup of Dheiu's shirt as we walk into restaurant. In Mandarin it reads: Love is the only way to save yourself.
9. Bowls of plov half-eaten as growing police presence spills through the doors.
10. Angriest Cop in China leaning over our table with utter loathing.
11. Calmer cop talking into radio.
12. Us back on bikes, following a motorbike to the police station with a convoy behind us.
13. Us sitting bemused on the outside ramp as guy's vein-popping friend motions to police that Dheiu punched and kicked him.
14. Us looking relieved when English-speaking policewoman explains all they want is a two-way apology.
15. Dheiu nodding as he asks policewoman to explain that he would have been more likely to okay a photo if the guy had only asked.
16. Our eyes cartoon-wide when she tells us that she cannot tell him that because HE IS DEAF.
17. Us still looking dazed as Dheiu shakes hands.
18. Us walking off towards our bikes.

It was all we could think about when we finally got to Customs an hour later. The authorities there were more circumspect than the crowd had been, and rather than make Dheiu regret the long hours of his forced position as Ambassador of Black, they'd been kind enough to tell us that with the 140 kilometres to the final Chinese checkpoint being under construction, they'd find us a truck.

We returned the next morning and were soon sitting comfortably as our ride churned up dirt and loose roads towards the snow-capped mountains of Kyrgyzstan. We were still thinking about our deaf friend.

Could Dheiu's emphatic 'No!' have been misinterpreted simply because someone didn't speak English or hear words? - We didn't think so.

Did I understand Dheiu's anger? - Yes.

Did being deaf make the guy any less in charge of his actions? - No.

Would we still feel weird about it anyway? - Probably.