they don't use that word anymore

i am back on land after a very foggy, three-day cruise on the Yangtze River through the Three Gorges. i had hmm-ed and haw-ed about spending the money for this excursion. it cost me about $400 for three nights & three days by the time gratuities and expenses were factored in. this was not a "backpacker's" expense...

but in reading about the trip through my trusty (not-so-much) Lonely Planet, i couldn't pass the opportunity by - and to do it comfortably. so i bit the bullet, forked over the dough and booked the trip.

let me tell you, it was SO worth it! if you get a chance to go to China before 2009, DO THE YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE. there are less expensive options, like passenger boats and Chinese tour boats - but for me, paying extra for the convenience of having everything organized/prepared (including English-speaking guides, shore excursions, and full-on delicious Chinese spreads) made the trip relaxing and enjoyable. don't get me wrong - i also enjoy trying to figure local things out (refer to previous post re: taxis), but well anyway, do this trip.

the three gorges in between Chongqing and Yicheng are famous not only for their beauty and mystique, but also for their endangerment. with the construction of a dam in the 80s, the water level rose significantly - displacing villages, towns and people. it also shortened the height of the three gorges. in 2009, a bigger more powerful dam is set to be completed (it will be the largest, by capacity, hydroelectric station in the world), raising the water level another 20 meters. 1.2 million more people have been or will be displaced/relocated. i was able to capture some pictures wherein you can see the old village - and the new village being built on top of it.

oh, so the title of my post...

i bought a half-cabin, which meant that the cruise company matched me with another single female passenger. fortunately, my cabin mate was English-speaking - and a lot of fun! she was a Chinese tour guide for a group of 35 older Australians, so i ended up hanging around the Australians a lot, which was also a lot of fun. three of them were celebrating anniversaries during the 3-day cruise: 43 years, 49 years and 50 years! wow! (picture: Three Gorges dam)

anyway, one of these older Australian ladies asked me at one point in the trip what i did for a living. for simplicity's sake, i always say that i'm a social worker. (i am, of course - but for most people that conjurs images of welfare workers, case managers or the like. rarely does someone think of a community advocate, a non-profit administrator, a researcher or a public policy analyst. but anyhow...) she responded in a genuinely curious voice, "so do you work with Negroes? or with Asians?"

ten years ago, this would've sent me in a tirade about something or other. five years ago, i would've turned red but not said anything. i think i'm getting to the point where i'm better able to distinguish someone's intention and respond appropriately. seeing as i was from a different country and a fellow tourist like her, i didn't want to embarrass her; she obviously didn't mean any wrong. so i smiled and said that i worked with immigrants and refugees.

but i was secretly thankful when one of her fellow Aussie tour mates gently said, "they don't use that word anymore..."