more Guangzhou
I boiled water to brush my teeth. Some people think that's overkill, but I am not one of those people. Considering that there was just a scandal in China where some company was using chemicals or bleach or something horrifying to change pork so that it looks like beef and then selling it to people, I don't think taking a few extra precautions with the water is unreasonable.
I'd also like to add that mosquitos seem to be extraordinarily patient. Also, certain breeds seem to have the ability to teleport short distances.
I have seen 4 public urinations so far I think. Three were children under the guidance of a parent. One was in the Hong Kong train station on the way to Guangzhou with a parent holding an empty bag from Ichiban for the kid to piss in. Just now I saw a kid pissing into a plant next to the entrance of my hotel in Guangzhou, again at the direction of a parent. Last night I saw a cab driver pulled over to piss on the side of the road, facing traffic.
I have passed my time in Guangzhou counting offenses against humanity, but also visiting with some friends, some friends of friends, some parents of friends, eating at vegetarian restaurants, and acclimating to things I'd forgotten about. In the three or so years since I was last here, it is incredible how much the city has changed and is continuing to change. There are whole new neighborhoods filled with enormous skyscrapers that were not here last time I was, as well as many new subway lines that completely did not exist. It makes me wonder a little why the Second Ave subway is taking so long and why the new WTC is going to take another two years to build. The economic progress made here is impressive. That said, watching how people behave towards each other can be a little depressing, though I suppose that's true in the US too.
Today I went to a vegetarian restaurant called Loving Hut for lunch. There are many locations of this restaurant, over 100 world-wide. The restaurants are presided over by Supreme Master Ching Hai, a woman who is a spiritual teacher of sorts with about 20k followers according to Wikipedia. At a lot of the restaurants, there are televisions playing propaganda about her recommended method for reaching enlightenment. On one hand, I'm glad there are more vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the world. On the other, the glassy-eyed look of the servers in most of those restaurants I've visited gives me the creeps. Also, the tea tasted funny and now I am experiencing an uncontrollable urge to apply for a job there.
After lunch I met up with a CSer friend I'd met in New York. We went to Yuexiu park, probably the only tourist thing I have done really in Guangzhou or possibly on the whole trip. I showed her some of the Taiji moves I have learned to the bemused stares of passersby. People still stare at me kind of a lot, more than I remember. I wonder if I just got used to that last time.
As nice as some of the new Guangzhou is, particularly last night walking around the new "Central Park of Guangzhou" (the way Carrie put it), I'm ready to move on to Shanghai and Hangzhou. Those are both cities to which I have never been, about which I have heard much, and that I am interested to explore for myself. So far on the trip I have only been in places that although I like, I have already been, and I think I am craving for some new locales. I fly to Shanghai tomorrow afternoon and I booked an actual hostel which not only sounds comfortable, but where I hope to find a nice common area where I can socialize more easily. I also have several friends in Shanghai who I'm looking forward to seeing. In Hong Kong hostels there is no space for a common area and in Guangzhou I stayed at Carrie's empty flat for two nights and a random hotel in Tianhe for the second two just cause it was cheap and in a convenient location to where I needed to be.
The last night in Guangzhou involved Indian food, some beer, and a couple of nice long walks in what has actually been slightly wet but very comfortable weather about which I really can't complain. I just took a shower and there was nothing between 30 and 1000 degrees. At least the shower was clean which I think I might prefer to reliable hot water. I can learn to enjoy 1000 degree showers if necessary.
Anyway, 24 hours I'll be in Shanghai for the first time. More then.
I'd also like to add that mosquitos seem to be extraordinarily patient. Also, certain breeds seem to have the ability to teleport short distances.
I have seen 4 public urinations so far I think. Three were children under the guidance of a parent. One was in the Hong Kong train station on the way to Guangzhou with a parent holding an empty bag from Ichiban for the kid to piss in. Just now I saw a kid pissing into a plant next to the entrance of my hotel in Guangzhou, again at the direction of a parent. Last night I saw a cab driver pulled over to piss on the side of the road, facing traffic.
I have passed my time in Guangzhou counting offenses against humanity, but also visiting with some friends, some friends of friends, some parents of friends, eating at vegetarian restaurants, and acclimating to things I'd forgotten about. In the three or so years since I was last here, it is incredible how much the city has changed and is continuing to change. There are whole new neighborhoods filled with enormous skyscrapers that were not here last time I was, as well as many new subway lines that completely did not exist. It makes me wonder a little why the Second Ave subway is taking so long and why the new WTC is going to take another two years to build. The economic progress made here is impressive. That said, watching how people behave towards each other can be a little depressing, though I suppose that's true in the US too.
Today I went to a vegetarian restaurant called Loving Hut for lunch. There are many locations of this restaurant, over 100 world-wide. The restaurants are presided over by Supreme Master Ching Hai, a woman who is a spiritual teacher of sorts with about 20k followers according to Wikipedia. At a lot of the restaurants, there are televisions playing propaganda about her recommended method for reaching enlightenment. On one hand, I'm glad there are more vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the world. On the other, the glassy-eyed look of the servers in most of those restaurants I've visited gives me the creeps. Also, the tea tasted funny and now I am experiencing an uncontrollable urge to apply for a job there.
After lunch I met up with a CSer friend I'd met in New York. We went to Yuexiu park, probably the only tourist thing I have done really in Guangzhou or possibly on the whole trip. I showed her some of the Taiji moves I have learned to the bemused stares of passersby. People still stare at me kind of a lot, more than I remember. I wonder if I just got used to that last time.
As nice as some of the new Guangzhou is, particularly last night walking around the new "Central Park of Guangzhou" (the way Carrie put it), I'm ready to move on to Shanghai and Hangzhou. Those are both cities to which I have never been, about which I have heard much, and that I am interested to explore for myself. So far on the trip I have only been in places that although I like, I have already been, and I think I am craving for some new locales. I fly to Shanghai tomorrow afternoon and I booked an actual hostel which not only sounds comfortable, but where I hope to find a nice common area where I can socialize more easily. I also have several friends in Shanghai who I'm looking forward to seeing. In Hong Kong hostels there is no space for a common area and in Guangzhou I stayed at Carrie's empty flat for two nights and a random hotel in Tianhe for the second two just cause it was cheap and in a convenient location to where I needed to be.
The last night in Guangzhou involved Indian food, some beer, and a couple of nice long walks in what has actually been slightly wet but very comfortable weather about which I really can't complain. I just took a shower and there was nothing between 30 and 1000 degrees. At least the shower was clean which I think I might prefer to reliable hot water. I can learn to enjoy 1000 degree showers if necessary.
Anyway, 24 hours I'll be in Shanghai for the first time. More then.
posted by Dan at 10:43 AM
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