A Dark Day in Guangzhou

Early this morning, Casi and I flew to Guangzhou. We're in the Victory Hotel, which I've always enjoyed...until tonight. The peacocks...now I understand all the online complaints. These birds are LOUD. I've heard, for years, about the flock that roost on the nextdoor school. For a long while, I thought it was young children outside (we're on the 4th floor-I should have figure out something was odd). Then the noise grew louder and louder. Do they do this all night?? Guess I'll know by tomorrow a.m.

Today was not a good day. My local guide, as sweet as she is, is having difficulty communicating with me. Not a good thing on the day of the US Medical Exam. She told me that Casi needed shots. 3 shots??? And someone failed to tell me exactly how many RMB would be required for the appt/shots/and record. I came prepared with envelopes of USD and no time to do an exchange; had to hurry from airport to exam appt.

Poor Casi. The nurse giving the shots was brutal! She literally slammed the needle in each time. Casi came close to crying as did I! A big thunderstorm was occuring all afternoon. We quickly went back to our room to hide, play cards, order room service and hope that tomorrow is a better day. The guide has a consulate appointment on our behalf, so Casi and I are free to wonder around lovely Shamian Island, home of many nations' embassies.

Maybe the sun will come out, tomorrow.

Someone asked if they were examining her teeth....
Look closer.....The nurse is using an instrument to look inside her nose!

A Mother's Ordeal

While walking thru Yingze Park today, we saw a very young mother kneeling over her beautiful, sleeping, toddler girl. My first thought was that the baby was ill, so I asked my guide to talk with the mother. Simply, honestly, and with the sweetest face I've seen in a long time, the young woman answered No, she is healthy; I am begging so we can eat. She went on to explain that she is a farmer from the countryside, but it's been very dry and crops are bad. She came to the city for money. We gave money, the contact info of the church I visited Sunday and explained that they could help her in some way.

Her words and picture are enough for now.

Jia You!! Jia You!! on June 26

Jia You! Jia You! (pronounced jye-yoh) The crowds shouted over and over as they walked along in an unorganized parade. The Olympic Torch came to town today! and we were there! Sidewalk Tshirt and flag vendors appeared overnight. Sales were good. Flags were waving. Everyone was excited about the One China, One People. That's the local slogan for the Olympics and they plan to win big! Jia You is a phrase you'd use to gas up your car. So, roughly it means Let's get Going! or Let's Do our Best!

It's Sunday, Time for Church and a Walk

Online I found an index of churches in China. Just type in a city or province to find listings. Christian Church of Taiyuan City is about 15min from our hotel at No.98 Qiaotou Street (ph202-7557). We arrived during the music service to hear hundreds of voices singing To God Be the Glory. There were several more songs, some that I knew and a special from the choir. Then the congregation did a reading of scripture. It appeared that all the prayers were scripted because, in unison, the congregation would say Amen! at appropriate intervals. Today’s sermon was given by an 81year old preacher from Shanghai. His passion and stamina during his one hour sermon hid his age well. The text was from Psalm 34:9-22. I’d ask my guide What is he saying? occasionally, hoping to keep her attention on the message. Just as with the Beijing church I attended in April 2007, there was no Invitation given.

The crowd was so large and packed into a medium sized auditorium. I just had to know the number attending, so counted seats and rows. 27 across x 38 rows=1026 seats and more in the balcony which I couldn’t see. Leg room was like on airplanes, so they get more seating here for the space. The locals and I don’t have much leg length, so it’s probably a good design plan. Over one thousand people in church in Taiyuan on a Sunday morning. And this was the 10am service. They also have 7:30am Sunday and 10am Saturday services.

As with any large church, there was moving around, folks leaving, and some obviously not paying attention. Like the guy sitting next to us. He kept rubbing his arm. Finally the lady in front of him turned to politely ask (I’m guessing here) Is something wrong with your arm? No, he said (I heard this part) and continued to rub his arm. Some folks had to leave early and some came in late. It was raining and cool today, so the un-air conditioned auditorium was comfortable. I wonder how many are actually Saved? Is this a weekly social gathering for some as it is in many American churches?

We walked home and stopped at a sidewalk kitchen to buy JianBing (like a rolled thin tortilla, smeared with beaten egg, sprinkled with chopped green onion, chunky pickle relish and a secret sauce (salty and bit spicy). Fried, then folded over and over, cut in half and put in paper sleeve to eat as you walk. Casi said she did not like it. The pickles added an unexpected burst with each bite. Cost was 7y (about $1

Sidewalk pet stores were abundant and Casi begged at each display to bring home: 1st, a baby duck, 2nd, a puppy or a kitten, 3rd, a hamster, or rabbit, or giant turtle. And there were birds. Thank goodness for Airline rules! And I didn’t stay to ask prices!

She brightened when we passed Yingze Park and found the cotton candy man. As my guide told me, this is not the same taste as our cc back home. The sugar is different, sort of tasted like brown sugar although the sugar he used was white. Just 2y (about 25c) for a stick.

Calling card and stamp collector sidewalk sales were in full swing today as well as a giant flea market. Looked just like what you’d see back home except for the chops, antique Chinese carved furniture and Chinese bird cages. There were even beautiful giant, truck size stones for sale. Maybe tomorrow we’ll visit here if it’s open.

We had dirty clothes to drop off at a local laundry, which is also the young couple’s home. 90y (~$11) for 22 pieces . They will deliver everything to our hotel tomorrow afternoon. Each piece will be clean, pressed and individually packed inside a plastic bag.

What Do We Do When There's Nothing To Do?

I've been asked what do we do when we're not at appointments or touring. At the pace our guide keeps us, we don't have much time that we are in our hotel room.

Casi and I agree that we miss home (family). We would leave right now if we could. We count off the days on our fingers at least once everyday. We talk about what we would do if we were home right now. We try to watch TV, but are weary of Chinese programs (the women cry all the time). We read books. We play WAR often and the games usually end in a tie. We don't have to boil water as on previous trips, so we have more spare time. We watch the phone/clock awaiting a call from home. We wish we were home.

Ping Yao

10am Left the hotel for Ping Yao, the ancient treasury city of China. Shanxi Province (before Mao took over, it was called Sanjin Province) is part of the cradle of Chinese culture. PY is on the UNESCO list of historical preservation sites.

Our 1 ½ hour drive took us thru East(Dong) and West(Xi) ranges of the TianLong (SkyDragon) Mountains. Shanxi people are called the Dragon People. The legend began with the 10th Emperor who was from Shanxi Province. The three mountain ranges near the rectangular city of Taiyuan are called SkyDragon, BigDragon(BaLong), and SmallDragon (XiaoLong).

After leaving the mountains, we entered farm country. The corn is waist high right now and as with everything else, is coated with coal dust. Strip mining operations abound in Shanxi Province. Respiratory cancers and poverty make this one of the poorest provinces in China.When we arrived at PingYao, we switched from a car to a dian-dong-che (motorized rickshaw). The only automobiles allowed inside the tall fortress walls of the city belong to residents. PY is 1700 years old, built in the Han Dynasty.

Our first three stops on the tour were of the Tao, Buddhist and Confucius temples. At that point, I asked if there were any more temples. No? Good. Casi and I did not accept the many invitations to enter the temples or to burn incense for a prayer.

We moved on to visit the Body Guard Agency which provided protection for the transport of monies and officials. Remember, this was almost two thousand years ago. Next we visited the local Bank and saw the underground gold and silver vaults as well as the accountants’ offices. There were other sites, but Casi was tired of the walking thru dusty old buildings so we looked for a source of lunch.

Our guide once again, did well choosing a quaint restaurant with delicious authentic local foods. She ordered three dishes that we shared, again using chopsticks, no forks! Garlic broccoli and RouXiaMo with pork&seasoning. The pork mixture is spooned inside the slit of the rouxiamo. Canned drinks were a treat after days of nothing but water.

Christina and I enjoyed talking about family, God and some politics. Apparently Pres. Bush is disliked by many Chinese because of the war he “started.” I asked her if she’d heard of 911. She said Yes, and remembered where she was that day. She became thoughtfully quiet when I asked What would you do to a group of people who entered your country, destroyed properties and killed thousands of innocent citizens?.

Our last property to visit was a family residence of 25 rooms. The paint was fading, yet, from the detailed wood trim and ornately carved stone stairways and benches, it was apparent that this must have been elegant in the days of its private family ownership. Sadly, during the Cultural Revolution (1969-76) the family was driven from their ancestral home of many generations. No one has lived there since.

One interesting design I noticed in several locations were “heated” beds. There's a picture of one in the Slideshow. You'll see the stack of white pillows on a red bed. Imagine a hip high platform bordered by the three stone walls of a narrow room and a brick covering of the fourth side. Underneath is an area for a coal fire which heat the entire area under the bed. I’m thinking fire water buckets must be nearby.

10am Left the hotel for <

Our 1 ½ hour drive took us thru East(Dong) and West(Xi) ranges of the TianLong (SkyDragon) Mountains. Shanxi people are called the Dragon People. The legend began with the 10th Emperor who was from Shanxi Province. The three mountain ranges near the rectangular city or Taiyuan are called SkyDragon, BigDragon(BaLong), and SmallDragon (XiaoLong).

After leaving the mountains, we entered farm country. The corn is waist high right now and as with everything else, is coated with coal dust. Strip mining operations abound in Shanxi Province. Respiratory cancers and poverty make this one of the poorest provinces in China.
When we arrived at PingYao, we switched from a car to a dian-dong-che (motorized rickshaw). The only automobiles allowed inside the tall fortress walls of the city belong to residents. PY is 1700 years old, built in the Han Dynasty.

Our first three stops on the tour were of the Tao, Buddhist and Confucius temples. At that point, I asked if there were any more temples. No? Good. Casi and I did not accept the many invitations to enter the temples or to burn incense for a prayer.

We moved on to visit the Body Guard Agency which provided protection for the transport of monies and officials. Remember, this was almost two thousand years ago. Next we visited the local Bank and saw the underground gold and silver vaults as well as the accountants’ offices. There were other sites, but Casi was tired of the walking thru dusty old buildings J so we looked for a source of lunch.

Our guide once again, did well choosing a quaint restaurant with delicious authentic local foods. She ordered three dishes that we shared, again using chopsticks, no forks! Garlic broccoli, , and . The .. is spooned inside the slit …. Canned drinks were a treat after days of nothing but water.

Christina and I enjoyed talking about family, God and some politics. Apparently Pres. Bush is disliked by many Chinese because of the war he “started.” I asked her if she’d heard of 911. She said Yes and remembered where she was that day. She became thoughtfully quiet when I asked What would you have done to a group of people who entered your country, destroyed properties and killed thousands of innocent citizens?.

Our last property to visit was a family residence of 25 rooms. The paint was fading yet from the detailed wood trim and ornately carved stone stairways and benches, it was apparent that this must have been elegant in the days of private family ownership. Sadly, during the Cultural Revolution (19) the family was driven from their ancestral home of many generations. No one has lived there since.

One interesting design I noticed in several locations were “heated” beds. Imagine a hip high platform bordered by three stone walls of a narrow room and a brick covering of the fourth side. Underneath is an area for a coal fire which heat the entire area under the bed. I’m thinking fire water buckets must be nearby.