Chinese Tea Museum followed by Green Tea Restaurant for lunch.

This morning we took mum to a Chinese Tea museum a taxi ride away.
I t was set in a beautiful garden over many acres where tea is grown. We were taken to a lovely place where we were seated and shown the art of tea tasting. Sampling many different types of tea some tasty and some not so tasty. Poured with TLC by a lovely Chinese lady. This process was quite lengthy but very relaxing. We then of course were shown through their show room where our purchases were made. Worth the morning though.

We then decided to go to the popular Green Tea Restaurant just within walking distance. I t is so popular you take a ticket and wait. After about 40 minutes we were shown to our seat and the tasting of this popular restaurant began. It did not disappoint. Menu's were given to you while waiting so orders were taken quickly.
Our Menu as ordered

Vegetable salad
Egg steamed with minced pork
Garden green fried with eggplant
Cheese baked mushrooms
Bacon asparagus
Sweet and sour pork. See photo
Bread Temptation. Let me explain
Half an uncut white loaf of bread with the bread cut out into cubes and placed back inside the loaf with a scoop of ice cream on top. HOT
Sounds gross BUT yummy. Check out the photo!

All this with 3 Drinks was 188¥ about $30

Very enjoyable Saturday Lunch

P.S. The 2 buses home were'nt that enjoyable.

                        

Chinese National Week Travels( cont)

We leave Yuyao on Monday morning and are lucky that our factory manager can drive us back to Hangzhou airport  ( about one hour) in time to take a flight to Xian.We arrive in Xian at 2.00pm after some delay at Hangzhou airport and we are met by Stefanie our travel guide/transport. I met Stefanie 2 years ago when Tom and Monique (fellow UWA students) and I traveled to Xian.  As Les and Valmai had not been to Xian before, it was a must that we see the Terra cotta warriors 【兵马俑】. The traffic there was chaotic, every man ( Chinaman) and his dog wanted to visit at the same time. Eventually our driver gets us to within walking distance and we set off on foot . ( we later find it takes her one hour to find a parking spot!!!)  Heading towards the ticket sale office  we meet ( Christine said accosted )  a local selling entry tickets , price is right they look ok. So we purchase 4 tickets instead of lining up .  This seems a common practise in China were an enterprising individual purchases group tickets at a discount and then on sells them at a profit. either that or he has a relative in the ticket office . We dont care as long as we get in!  As time is short ( we head off to another city the next day) we make our way into the  Terra cotta warriors to find so many people . It is ten deep at least inside the viewing area.and almost impossible to see anything. So glad i`ve been here before.

There really are Terra cotta Warriors in here somewhere !

Found one !!!!

Xi’an also famous as Chang’an during ancient times is dated back more than 3,000 years, indeed, for the duration of 1,000 years (13 dynasties with a total of 73 emperors) the city was the capital of China. Xi’an sits at the root of the Chinese civilization mainly because it served the Country as capital during four major dynasties such as Qin, Han, Tang and Zhou. For this reason the city offers the opportunity to discover its historical background thanks to several museum, relicts, historical ruins and culture. Furthermore the city during the past represented an inevitable destination for traders as Xi’an was located at the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. Traders from all over the world, visiting the old Chinese capital were inspired by new ideas of good exchange, sales, bringing them back to their native countries. The city hosts the terracotta warriors which it worth the price of the visit itself, also it has often been said that “if you have not visited Xi’an you have not been to China”.

We can only spend a short time here before we find our driver and head back into the city for dinner and a cultural performance .

Tuesday morning we take a quick look at the city wall. ( the best preserved city wall in China at 14 kls long )

       

Tuesday morning our driver takes us to Wudangshan , about a five hour drive ,  the highway is excellent with so many tunnels through the mountains followed by elevated roads to link them.

Volunteer Work at Feng Hua Fu Di Nursery ( kindergarten)

After trying to find a job that suits our situation in china without any success. Not because of lack of experience but days,times and locations did not suit me. I have decide to do volunteer work. I have been in Hangzhou for about 2 months now. And have walked down a quaint local lane many times. Buzzing with Chinese families trying to make ends meet amongst the high rise of the modern china.
We did not notice construction going on behind a closed gate because in china workers blanket a construction site so you cannot see what is going on to keep the environment from looking like a builders site.
On my return from my week in Australia after walking my mother down the lane I notice a very flash set of new gates I have not noticed before. On further investigation I find we have a new local community kindergarten just 3 minutes from our apartment,infact I can see the ornate gates from our lift window. I was told the school opened on the 8th October.
Perfect, so off I go to investigate it was about 1pm only to be told by the two guards at the locked gate that the children and TEACHERS have a sleep in the afternoon. So I decided to come back at 3pm when the children finished school. Arriving at 3pm i was taken to the principles office. The principles name is Amy and she only spoke limited English. After much laughter I told her I would come back at 5pm with my husband who has limited Chinese.FUN! anyway at 5pm Wayne and I were once again let in the gate by 2 batton twirling guards and we met Amy who also convinced an english speaking friend to come help us communicate. So the four of us discussed my intention to do volunteer work, and we all shared much laughter and departed Very happy after about 2 hours. I was asked to start the day after next to meet and greet the children, parents/grandparents at the heavily guarded gate with Amy. You can imagine military style , two guards with batons the principle,nurse and myself individually greet everyone every morning.
I came prepared with stickers and a very smily face.
The nurse also sat at the gate behind a folding table and checked all the students by looking into their mouths and looking at their hands. Apparently she does this every morning.
An old foreigner standing at the gate greeting small chinese children first thing in the morning before class was a bit to much for some of them but others were not fazed. I did really well with my stickers only a few refusals even got a hi five from one of them.
LOVED IT. Back on Saturday ( once off) and Amy has asked me to please help out at this stage on Tuesday's and Thursday.
OH , she gave me 2 stories books in Chinese to read to the children next week in English.
Wayne will be doing more homework roughly interpreting these kindi story books into English for me . Very good practice don't you think?
I need to take my iPod for interpreting next time would be easier than Amy ringing a friend and the friend talking to me. All good fun.
WE received this email this morning inviting us to an excursion on Sunday.we are Looking forward to it!!!

Hi Christine：

 In this Sunday our Daddy’s Cub will visit Tong Lu for a Bee’s couture day, during the visit every families will experience the activities of real hunny production and orange harvest. We would love to invite you and your husband to join us.

The schedule is:

8:30 Feng Hua Fu Di Nursary (Hua Xin road No. 6-2)

8:30--10:00 On the bus to Tong Lu

10:00--12:00 Visit the Bee’s factory and make candles

12:00—13:00 Having Lunch

13:30--15:00 To the orange garden, experience the orange harvest, every family can take 8kg oranges.

15:00—16:30 Come back to Hangzhou

Shanghai - Yuyao

The next part of our trip is travelling to Yuyao  where Christine and I own a small factory. After making our way to the bus station as advised we discover we are at the wrong bus station for long distance travel. No problem a quick trip on the subway for another two stops and we are at Shanghai south bus terminal. it looks like half of Shanghai is there as well. The crowd is enormous with lines to purchase tickets stretching for miles . I finally get to the front of one queue to be told the only bus leaving for Yuyao departs at 4.00pm. I decide to get tickets to Ningbo  which is about one hour east of Yuyao. We get on the bus at 1.00pm after waiting  there for several hours.

one of dozens of waiting rooms at Shanghai bus station

We finally get onto the bus and travel south to Ningbo via the Hangzhou Bay bridge ( 37 kms elevated road/bridge over the bay)  Arriving in Ningbo at 4.00pm. Now to find a car/taxi or even a donkey or two to get us to Yuyao , another one hour away. after some discussion ( code for lots of arguements) we manage to find a mini bus to take us.  it has no suspension , seemingly no brakes and only one speed  .FAST . We get to Yuyao Plaza Hotel after 6.00 , in time for a business meeting at 7.00  ( although it is October 1st ..chinese national day  we find some Chinese still willing to work and hopefully make a sale  [ they do]

A very clever anti drink/drive sign we see on our travel  . using the chinese character for alcohol 酒

The next morning we have an early walk in Yuyao , visiting the local sunday morning market were some locals seem either pleased to see us or just amused .

 Two local girls in Yuyao selling beauty products. for ￥500  you too can look like this ?

 Christine trying to sneek up on this with the idea of a highjack!! A quick visit to our factory to inspect soem new products and see the staff followed by lunch at a local restuarant.  Monday is going to be a very hectic day of travel and siteseeing.

Chinese National Holiday week 国庆节

 Chinese National Day   Oct 1st  ( 国庆节）

On Thursday afternoon the four of us commenced our week long travel by first taking the fast train to Shanghai.  The train trip is only about 40 minutes , but it takes us more than one hour to arrive at Hangzhou train station from our apartment. On arrival in Shanghai ,during peak period)  it will take us a further 30 minutes on the subway to reach People square station ( the closest stop to our hotel.)

  

After settling into our rooms  ( about 7.30pm) we go for a quick stroll down Nanjing Road .. the main shopping area in central Shanghai... where all tourist go !! . After a brief glance into shops we head down to the Bund , a river front boadwalk that serves to primarily keep the river out of the city but also allows fantastic views of Pudong district.

 Nanjing Road at 7.00am ,, almost deserted !! a much different story at 7.00pm

Typical overpass  system in Shanghai.

Shanghai Bund at night


Friday morning starts with a hour long walk to YuYuan  ( Yu gardens)  ,  in the old part of Shanghai  , mainly converted to shops selling cheap and not so cheap souvenirs.  We could spend more time , perhaps on our next visit.  We have plans to see Shanghai acrobatics that night ,  So busy!!.

Yuyuan  with World Finance Centre building in background.We visited these buildings and tried the skywalk at 435 metres, looking out the window we were suprised to see snow falling in October ( it very quickly melted as it fell away from us)

 

Ten yeas of visiting Shanghai has seen many changes , not the least of which is the now less common sight of bikes and more common sight of flash cars.

Away from the touristy street one finds the real Shanghai.

On our way to Ningbo/Yuyao, Christine playing games while waiting at the Shanghai long distance bus station along with about 1 million local tourist, all returning home  for the national week holiday.

ATM transaction Shanghai style.