Train trip from Xiamen to Guangzhou

                                               3/2/12

We Managed to get our luggage after 5 months down to 2 suit cases, one manbag (computer bag) one backpack, and one Coles bag no Walmart   bag  full of Walmart  food for the 14 hr over night train  trip to Guangzhou. Struggling   to the train station within walking distance of our hotel ( I didn't say anything about the weight) we managed to find the train number. At this point a lady  in a red vest babbled something in Chinese over and over again. We figured out it was something to do with our luggage  and we did see guys with red vest outside the station with luggage trolleys but she did not have a luggage trolley. We decide she was legit and decided to trust what ever she wanted to do. OH did i say there was a cost verbilized , there is always a cost , 30¥ about $5. 
Whatever  she wanted to do with our luggage that was well overweight for a plane  we thought  we would go for it BUT stay fairly close to her as to keep an eye on it. After telling her hao de.(  Yes OK  ) she snatched  both suit cases , we were struggling pulling one each and forced her way through  the crowds as Chinese people do But she was an expert. Rolling suit cases in each hand (Wayne's was extra heavy , he had bought MORE books) she headed for the platform.
As you know  train travellers  you have to go up or down to reach a platform number. It was Up this time, Wayne and I still struggling to catch up with her she lifted Wayne's suitcase with an all mighty grunt onto her shoulder picked up my suit case and proceeded to haul these  two heavy cases up the flight of steps. There is not many ramps for suit cases at chinese train stations and if there is only one ramp for people going up the steps  and the same ramp for people coming down the steps AND the stairs are so steep you have to push it down the ramp to hold onto it , NOT drag in behind you because it runs away from you. Travel tip 101 when travelling in china.
This amazing women got to the top well before me struggling with a mere backpack and the all important Walmart food bag ( dinner , breakfast and snacks).
She then pushed her way  to the carriage , points to us to show our tickets to the conductor and took our baggage to the cabin area and placed in into position beneath the beds.       Wonder Women .  Wayne gave me his manbag to hold while he got out his wallet and we decided she got us onto the train so efficiently and quickly she was given ¥50 . She was sooooo happy and so were we.  If you havent travelled by train before especially  at spring festival time you will not understand the pushing and shoving that goes on for the best spot on the luggage rack for  your suit cases. 
This ¥50 has  to be the best ¥50 we have ever spent on our travels here in China.

PS a photo was impossible she moved to quickly and two many people to navigate. 

Next stop.....Guangzhou train station then taxi to Guangzhou airport for flight to KL

Our last few days in China

Monday morning 30th January we handed over the keys to our apartment to a lovely young couple Melanie and Brian from America. They had been living in the cold university dormitories for a few months. They were very appreciative of our offer to take over our apartment having an open ended stay in China.They will be sharing with a friend of theirs they met on campus Kath who at present is holidaying back in London.  Mel and Brian were thrilled with their find as we left most things in the apartment for them. There was no trouble with the landlord as she was happy not to have searched for another tenant. All in all everyone was happy and we will keep in touch to see how their adventure and studies go.
After saying our goodbyes to Melanie at the gate we caught a taxi to the train station for a 7hour trip to xiamen for a 4 day climatization holiday (it is warmer in xiamen) before heading to Guangzhou for a flight home on Friday/Saturday. Our ebike was also sold the day before we left to another American friend who's own push bike was stolen recently. Tricia you have gone up In the world of bikes. I never rode that bike but it was pretty cruisy being the passenger. Safe travels Tricia ans Ali  and on our very handy ebike. 

                                                                                                                                        1/2/12
 
Today we visited a Chengqu earth building we have wanted to go to this area for a while. We took a four hour bus trip 180klm  from Xiamen and had an amazing day for about $23 with lunch and entry fee included.   This village has a history of three hundred years and a building style common to the Hakka people found in the south of China.These houses in this village are unique in style and  sometimes referred to as  Tulou   buildings ( often  round in shape) and were inscribed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2008. One of the buildings we saw , in it's day had over 400 rooms, housed 80families totalling over 600 people living in this building , dubbed the "the king of the round buildings". 
These antique mountain villages are attracting the whole world.  The tourists visiting today were an indication of the interest in Chinese traditional cultural spirit and atmosphere recognized  by countless visitors.The construction and restoration to make the round houses accessible to the public is astounding. This amazing place is definatly worth the round trip from Xiamen or better still an overnight stay to take in more than one village.

Earthen dwelling of the Hakka  people.
Fujian province

In Yongding one can still find the Earthen Dwellings of the Hakka people. The unadorned tu lou are either round or square, and huge (10-17 metres high and were designed as a fortress and apartment building in one. The structures typically had only one entranceway and no windows at ground level. Each floor served a different function - the first hosts a well and livestock, the second is for food storage and the third and higher floors contain living spaces for several hundred people.

Hakka people still live in the houses, you can see the everyday scenes of the residents: elderly and children alike, full of life: chicken, ducks and dogs, and people cooking, washing clothes and working in the houses. The houses are nestled in beautiful villages and landscape (rivers, rich trees and blossom and very pleasant weather).

Hakkas' unique houses - Tu lou ( earthen buildings of Hakkas ) 
The Hakka who settled in Fujian province developed unique architectural buildings called tu lou, literally meaning "earthen structures". Because they were latecomers to the area, Hakka set up homes in often undesirable mountainous regions and were subject to attack from bandits and marauders.

What is special for the earthen round buildings:
• Natural beauty of the colour of the earth wall and interior wood structure
• Unique and original architecture: unadorned, huge (10-17metres high ) and in different shape (square, round and oval and quinquangular) with different rings of round houses within.
• Hakka people still live in the houses, you can see the everyday scence of the residents: elderly and children alike, full of life: chicken, ducks and dogs, and people cooking, washing clothes and working in the houses
• The houses are nestled in beautiful villages and landscape (rivers, rich trees and blossom and very pleasant weather).

Www.hakkatulou.com

My Last day in Hangzhou

My Last day in Hangzhou
Sunday 29th January off to Xiamen tomorrow

I have not got enough paper to write down my experiences in china.
 We have had 4 lots of visitors stay with us over the past five months.
Les and Valmai.  ....   Wayne's brother and wife
Sheila Overton......  My mother
Chanelle and Adam ...our daughter and fiancé
Denise Duboulay.... Chris friend.
I hope their experience of china was as amazing as ours. They all said that china was not what they expected.
We tried to show them all a  diverse china. Les and Valmai came at an extremely busy time in China so it was a learning curve for us too Never again will I travel in national week . Even though it was an experience it was one I really don't want to happen again. We took in too much too quickly with 1 billion others.
Mums visit taught us alot about Chinese hospitals, seeing as she was unwell and in hospital for 5 days. So she was thrown into the culture on a different level. She has plenty of stories to tell about her adventure. It also was a pre run for my unexpected day surgery. We knew what to do and where to go and I was able to have a day op within 3days of diagnosis. All went smoothly and we couldn't fault the care at the Sir RunRun International hospital.
Chanelle and Adam's trip was very short. They came to Hangzhou for 3 days then we all went to Shanghai for the Aussie new year for 2 days after that we helped them board a train to Xian. We did heaps of exploring in their short time with us and enjoyed their company immensely. Adam wore a winter hat and gloves for the first time and Chanelle learnt to bye subway tickets at the enormous stations in Shanghai.
Denise came for two weeks and everything was Amazing, with being a fairly new traveller she adapted to the food, culture and language with an open mind.
I loved having her with us even if Wayne did say we never shut up. I had some serious English to let out.

My stay has been quite different than I imagined. After many interviews for a job that wouldn't interfere with our travel plans I managed to volunteer at a school that I could see from our apartment window. There I made many friends and became recognized around this community. Many a time walking for pleasure I came across locals that would say, "Ni hao "laoshi" hello teacher.
I did dancing lessons at the beginning of our stay until it got to cold to get out of bed and thoroughly enjoyed the music, company and exercise.
With NO Chinese language I have done really well. I now can recognize some words and even some characters. I managed to go to the markets by myself , get into taxi's and give instructions, (charades comes in very handy). I also managed to take many a bus to various places. I think we have walked most streets in Hangzhou sometimes I would get a little disorientated, but that's a girly thing. I know where all the best toilets are .... ie clean western style with paper.
This university in Hangzhou is an international university I cannot tell you how many people I have met from all over the world. My Facebook is looking quite diverse.
The culture here is very different. Being an independent thinker, a wife and a mother of three very independent  children  and a grandmother of children being raised with the same independentsy it is very, very hard for me to get my head around this culture.

My time here with Wayne has been great. His chinese has improved , there was not  many times he got frustrated with the language (iPod came in handy a couple of times) . He has also taught me alot about this country some good, some not so good. whether  I agree or disagree with the way things are done around here it makes no difference. It is the CHINESE WAY and most of the time I don't know if they know what and why they are doing things but it is how it has been done in china and has been DONE the same for many years .It is THEIR WAY . When you think you have it figured out you haven't IT IS CHINESE LOGIC it is just the way it has to be here.
My thoughts are with the internet and technology and so many young people travelling and westerners visiting China this has to have an effect on the future generations.

Ps I have not cooked or put domestic duties to the fore front for five months.
My time here has been very relaxing and I cannot count the number of foot massages we have had. We have eaten at one or two restaurants most days and sent many boxes home with valuable stuff for me. Wayne has looked after our interests and spoilt me very much. To balance university and holidaying has been tricky at times but he managed to do it in style.
To everyone reading this, go easy on me when I get home. I am going to have reverse culture shock I know it. It is going to take me awhile to ease back into western culture and I am going to love it...........

2012 Year of the Dragon

 

Get ready for the great dragon baby boom

ALTHOUGH dragons may scare some people, many young Chinese couples are determined to have a child this year despite pressures their offspring may face in coming years.

A doctor in Hong Kong expects a 5 percent rise in births in the Year of the Dragon. Shanghai is expecting 180,000 dragon babies this year.

Maternity wards in Shanghai's hospitals were crowded during the Chinese New Year holiday.

At the 10th People's Hospital, more than 40 babies were born during the first five days of the lunar New Year. Medical workers were forced to put extra beds in every maternity ward to accommodate the new mothers and babies.

Zhou Wen said her son's birth in the Year of the Dragon was a surprise. "He was due about a week before the New Year. I think he'll bring us good luck, as the dragon is a symbol of wisdom and bravery."

Zhou and her husband named the child Wang Zhoulin, with "lin" meaning "dragon." The same character has been given to several other "dragon babies" born at the same hospital.

In Beijing, every bed at the city's Maternity Hospital has been booked through August. The hospital has decided to limit expectant mothers to 1,000 every month in order to ensure space in the delivery room when their babies are due.

Li Jing, an expectant mother in Jinan, eastern Shandong Province, is already fed up with having to wait several hours for a prenatal check.

"I sort of 'planned' for the baby to be born in the Year of the Dragon, because the whole family believes a dragon baby is auspicious," said Li, who is due in April.

"But so many dragon babies are due this year. It will be hard for them to enter kindergartens and schools in a couple of years," she said.

Li has good reason to worry, as all the recent baby booms, which happened in 2000, the last Year of the Dragon, the auspicious year of the "Golden Pig" in 2007 and in 2008, the year China hosted the Olympics, were followed by shortages in resources ranging from available delivery room beds to openings at kindergartens and primary schools.

Jinan-based office worker Yang Qin remembered having to offer "deal sweeteners" to a kindergarten chief, and then to a primary school principal, to secure a place for her daughter, who was born in 2000.

In Beijing, some "Olympic babies" have been waiting to enter kindergarten, despite the government's efforts over the past two years to open more kindergartens.

from Shanghai Daily

Surviving in Hangzhou with no Chinese language skills.

I found this interesting blog recently ,written by Michelle Chu in My Beijing Survival Diary   and it portrayed our stay here in Hangzhou so well I thought it worth reposting.

Surviving in China Without Speaking Chinese

Posted on June 20, 2011  in My  Beijing Survival Diary

 Some expats come to China to learn the culture and language. They take Mandarin courses in school, learn about China’s extensive history, and come ready to be immersed in a Chinese environment. And then there are other expats who think that the Chinese culture is intriguing, and take off on a plane to the land of the unknown, no preparation needed, so they think.

From my firsthand observation, it is, in fact, possible to survive Beijing without speaking a word of Mandarin. My roommate is the perfect example. She has been here ten months and barely speaks any Chinese. Yet she is able to get around, take taxis to different places around Beijing, order food, and get delivery from the nearby supermarket. Is it because China’s education has improved exponentially, so that suddenly every Chinese citizen knows how to speak fluent English? Or is it because my roommate has a tiny Chinese leprechaun living in her ear, translating everything for her everywhere she goes? The answer, as you may be surprised to find out, is none of the above. The reason why my English-speaking only roommate can survive in the Chinese world is the reason why so many of us get ahead in jobs we’re significantly unqualified for: It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

Tip #1: It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. And who you know is preferably a Chinese speaker.

I’ve found that a lot of meals with expats are spent in bars, lounges, cafes, pizza parlors, etc. You get the picture. Places that cater to English-speaking customers. Which means that at least one person in that restaurant will be able to speak decent, if not comprehensible, English. That solves the food problem. What if you want a midnight snack but don’t walk to walk to the nearby supermarket (which delivers for free)? For this situation, and others, I would suggest living with someone who speaks Chinese, ideally a local. Hopefully this person is laid back and doesn’t mind calling for you every once in a while.

Tip #2: For local food, picture menus are your best friend.

While hanging out with some American friends yesterday, one friend mentioned that when she first arrived in Beijing, she wouldn’t eat at a local Chinese restaurant unless it had pictures to accompany its menu. I totally understand. Even if the menu has English, but no pictures, who knows what you’re getting when you order the “Chicken Slaps the Random Flower Sop.” If you’re tired of eating all Western food in a country with so many varieties of Chinese food, eating like a local is definitely possible without speaking like a local. I would suggest learning basic Chinese (like, a Chinese kid starting to talk basic). 这个“zhe ge” means “This one.” So all you have to do is point at the dishes you want and say “zhe ge.” Over time, you’ll discover which dishes are your favorites, and if you learn how to say a few dishes in Chinese, you’ll always have something to fall back on whether or not the menu has pictures.

Tip #3: Save text messages of important locations in Chinese.

From what I’ve seen of the expat life, routine can tend to look something like this: work, Sanlitun, home, repeat (during weekdays), Wudaokou, home, Sanlitun, home, repeat (weekends). Not to say that it’s every expat’s routine. But places like Sanlitun and Wudaokou are definitely well-frequented by foreigners. So why not get your Chinese-literate friend to text 三里屯 “san li tun” and 五道口 “wu dao kou,” or other places you go quite often, in Chinese? Then, all you have to do is show it to the taxi driver! No language exchange needed. Another option is if you’re going to a specific restaurant, call the restaurant when you’re in the taxi and have them speak directly to the driver.

While I don’t condone finding a way to survive in China without learning any of the language at all, these are just a few tips for those who find themselves overwhelmed in a foreign country.

posted by Christine

Christine is not giving herslef enough credit because she actually knows many chinese words, for example

你好  nihao hello
浙江大学 zhejiang daxue  - uni
西溪路  xixi lu  玉古路  yugu lu  （ street names where we live）
小心  xiaoxin  take care
对  dui  yes
多少 duoshao   how much
没有 meiyou  dont have
不要 buyao  dont want
真的  zhende  really？
斤 jin  half kilo
牛奶 nuinai  milk
苹果 pingguo  apple
不喜欢  bu xihuan  dont like
五楼  wu lou  fifth floor （ the lift tells
her this every day）
一二三四五六七八九是 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
这个 zhe ge    this  one
两个 lian ge  two （ of these）
其肉  qirou  （ chicken meat）
牛肉  nuirou  （ beef）
红茶  hongcha （ tea  ）
后门 houmen  back gate of uni
谢谢你  xie xie ni  thank you
红色 hongse  red
蓝色 lanse     blue
黑色 heise    black


with these basic words and much laughter along with many hand gestures ( not those ones!! ) Christine is able to communicate very well

Adam and Chanelle's short visit to Hangzhou and Shanghai

Tuesday 27th December..... arrived 10.35 pm

Wednesday  28 th December

 After a quick breakfast we walked  our visitors to our local market via the local park to buy some leg warmers followed by a scenic walk through the university to a ticket office to get train tickets to Shanghai and Xian.  The ticket line was very long so decided to go via the bakery and buy a cream puff and coffee. Priorities
An hour or so later they were treated to the canteen food for lunch at Uni to see the process of feeding the hoards. Wayne then went to class at 1pm and I took them on the bus to have a look at the West Lake, after footing it for a while we then paid for a ride in an E.car.  ( a large golf buggy) for the next hour circling the beautiful West Lake.
Star bucks was next on our list , NO Adams list and decided to catch the crowded bus home in the early evening coldness. For dinner tonight we thought we would give them a cultural experience and take them over the road to our favorite outdoor local BBQ trolley. They were a hit with our local friends everyone one commenting on how pretty Chanelle was , of course I told them she takes after her mumma in my limited Chinese which they thought was very funny.
Back across the road again for Coffee and hot chocolate with our chinese friend Jingli in a civilized cafe after subjecting them to the fresh air. Early nite.

Thursday 29th December. 2011

Walked and had breakfast at a street vendor early, Wayne woke us up because he had a class at 8am then we caught a taxi  to the Linjing temple . Not so easy when the guide (me) leaves the Chinese instructions at home. Anyway with ME knowing the way and Adam's praying hands indicating the Temple we arrived easily.
After taking many beautiful photos and taking in the serenity of the temple grounds we were off to the China tea museum by taxi. Luckily it was right next to the restaurant that we were going to for lunch,I had a menu in my bag to show the taxi driver and managed to get the taxi to go a little further past the restaurant to the museum for the tea tasting. The tasting took about 35 min then a short walk to The Green Tea Restauarant where we met Wayne  and Rebecca ( who by the way can speak to a taxi drivers in Chinese ) for lunch.
One of the restaurant's signature dishes is Bread Temptation. Hot bread, cold ice cream!!!!!

We caught the bus back to the apartment because 5 people don't fit in a taxi to re - dress for the outdoor evenings event.  About 4.30 caught a bus to buy the tickets for the nights  performance on the lake then a taxi to a well known market for a few hours. Where Adam and  Chanelle bought a cosy winter hat. A taxi back to the night performance on the lake, a star bucks coffee then  Chanelle and I got out our Nanna blankets for the outside performance. Spectacular sight  "Impressions on West Lake".

Friday 30th December 2011

Wayne went to uni  in the morning at 8am so we decided to walk to my school and be entertained by the daily ritual of the very small students doing their exercises to music which lasted about 15 min. We then climbed on a bus for a short ride to Yellow Dragon Cave.

 Where we took many more lovely photos after a quick visit to Walmart and Mcdonalds and  a short walk back to the apartment. After grabbing our bags and meeting up with Wayne we managed to hail a taxi and set off for the fast train to Shanghai.
Arriving at Shanghai station in the afternoon we then caught the subway to our hotel. The evening was spent just taking in the enormity and the colour of Nanjing road the main shopping road in Shanghai. By the way it is said there could be as many as  1 million visitors on any Saturday or Sunday.

This was proven on New Years Day. Never seen so many people in one place at the same time. The temperature for your info was 5 degrees that evening. There is a huge temperature gauge for all to see in the mall.

Saturday 31st December 2011

Off to the World Trade Finance centre for a sky walk. Wayne and I had been there before so we shopped and had coffee in the tower while Adam and Chanelle walked the walk 100 floors above ground level. We then proceeded to walk to Yuyuan gardens a huge market set in what used to be the old city. Gorgeous buildings lots of atmosphere and plenty of things to buy especially Chinese new year decorations. RED EVERYWHERE.


We wondered back to the  hotel about 4ish and rested before the new years evening. 7pm Walked to our restaurant on the very famous and very busy Bund. Taking In the lights , huge crowds and the atmosphere.
"M" on the Bund our restaurant by the way was booked 6 months ago for the best position on new years eve ,it was amazing on the 7th floor overlooking absolutely everything that was going on AWESOME.Staggered home about 1pm and met Adam and Chanelle The next morning for a late breakfast at Costa coffee where we used wifi to send our New Year Happies.

Sunday 1st January 2012

We decided we had enough time to see the Chinese expo sight and caught the train a few stops to take in more of a taste of China.

The Chinese Pavilion was hosting an art exhibition so most of it was out of bounds so we bought tickets to see the Saudi Arabia exhibition which when the expo was on last year the lines were 4 hours long. No waiting today , straight in once we figured out where and how to buy tickets. Spectacular, it was an IMAX theatre which was set in a sphere (globe shape) you were on a slow moving curved escalator inside the sphere and the image was moving quite fast.  Travel sickness hit and My eyes were closed the faster the image on the sphere moved.
Back to Nanjing  road on the train and headed for Haagen Daz an ice cream experience. We shared an ice cream fondue YUM. About 7 degrees outside but the weather isn't an issue with ice cream.
We escorted Adam and Chanelle to the main train station about 7pm where we said our goodbyes they then caught the over night train to Xian for 3 day onto Beijing before they headed for a warmer part of the world Vietnam.
What a great time we had showing them around China in the few days we had with them we covered alot of cultural experiences at a relaxing pace. Bon Voy Age and we will see them in a month.
Posted by Chris

Christmas weekend away in Hangzhou

We decided to have a small break from our apartment and spend the weekend at a new youth hostel , VERY close to West Lake.

"Hangzhou Inlake Youth Hostel, located at NO.5 Lv Yang Road, near by Nan Shan Road,with traditional decoration, only a few seconds walk to the West Lake. Quiet and comfortable Cafe Bar close to the reception, serving coffee and beverage, You can spend your leisure time with friends here, lovely music, always served with a bright smile. Nice inner courtyard and a open balcony with lake-view for public use. "

Such a peacefull and quiet hostel, we will have to go again , hopefull with better transport next time .

This is what we used to get there .( actually was quicker than a car because of the heavy Christmas traffic)

and this is what we should have used for transport !!! maybe next time.

You know you have been in China too long when.......

1) everyone hangs their washing on the balcony to dry and you do the same, not even caring who sees those "smalls". [ we are on a main road with balcony very visible from street!!!!

2)  using another squat toilet doesn't even raise an eyebrow , they are everywhere . GET USED TOO IT
3) wife buys a pair of shoes with more bling than material and you agree she looks great in them .
4) spitting in the street doesn't faze you, even tempted to do this yourself [i have a bad cold!!]
5) the idea of employing a local to wait in line  to buy tickets ,[train/bus / at the doctors etc.]  seems a perfectly logical idea.

6) no longer know how to use a knife and fork and get annoyed when restaurant staff don't
    automatically give you chopsticks.
7) pushing to the front of any line seems second nature.

8) screaming at a local because they"stole" your taxi is perfectly normal behaviour.

9) talking Chinese to my non Chinese speaking wife , all i get in reply is  听不懂

10）start to enjoy congee for breakfast [a Chinese style porridge -hot soggy rice floating in lots of water]

11) look forward to another rice cake [ pulverised rice , shaped into loaf and sliced with clag glue used to maintain shape] .

12) purchasing a glass drink bottle to be able to sip hot green tea leaves all day .

13) enjoy green tea at every occasion

14) acquire a taste for lychees.

15) happy to spit bones etc onto the table when eating.

16). You go to the supermarket/deli in your padded pyjamas.

Just another day in China

 Our apartment is almost perfect, the location could not be better, only 100 metres from Zhejiang University. Theres at least 3 cafes below us and numerous restuarants within 10 minutes walk from our place. However there is one small problem. The nieghbour that lives above us in apartment 603, at least I think that is where she lives. On reflexion it could be a male but i doubt it. Every day and we mean every day we hear her running around her apartment in what we think are her high heel shoes . There are a maximum of 9 steps YES we have counted them!!  back and forth from one end of her apartment to the other , Please remember that the apartment ( if the same as ours) is only about 8metres x 8 metres.This racket goes on for hours, we thought she was running late for work every day and was quickly getting ready  , bedroom to bathroom and back and forward again and again as girls do. . 

Today I decided I had enough and posted the following notice onto her door.[ i`m counting on the fact that there is a very minimum chance that a 180cm muscle bound guy lives there ( remember we are in China hahha) .

Hello neighbour,

Christmas is coming soon, can I buy you a pair of soft shoes. Everyday I hear your shoes on the floor , it seems you are running  inside your apartment. Why? 

So, can I buy you a pair of soft shoes or can you please stop running?

 

韦恩

503 号

你好邻居，

圣诞节很快来临，能我买您一个对软的鞋子。 每天我在地板，它上听见您的鞋子似乎您跑在您的公寓里面。 为什么？ 

如此，我可以买您一个对软的鞋子或您能请停止跑？

韦恩

  what she should wear

what we think she wears

Bus travel in Hangzhou

When we are not riding our bike we resort to public transport which is actually very efficient and inexpensive. Yesterday we dediced to show two UWA exchange students directions to one of several wholesale clothes markets. These are huge multi storey shops divided into 3 metre x 3 metre cubicles selling a vast range of clothes  ( all size 4 with more "bling" than material). After spending about one hour there we decide to take the bus to SiJiQing , the largest clothes market in Hangzhou , there are about 40 of these multi story buildings , creating a huge area of shops and shoppers.. most are wholesale and we tread carefully down the narrow aisles as trolleys laden with monstrous bags trundle past us, there is no slowing of speed as the "trolley drivers" yell out some sort of warning ["get out of my way you stupid foreigners" is what they could be saying for all we know] Anyhow actually buying  is another story, before we even begin our market journey I need to relay the bus travelling experience.

The bus to the first market takes about 3/4 of an hour this was uneventful as we get on at the bus terminal,  we are first on the bus and there is plenty of seats so this trip e get to sit down.We always sit near houmen ( back door) as you can only exit from the back.. The buses in China are very frequent, very reliable because bus drivers have a schedule to work to they are also. very cheap usually about 1yuan. although the prices on all buses went up to 2 yuan on the  1st December (officially Winter) because the heaters are now operating. the buses only accepts coins as payment , deposited into a steel tray adjacent the driver , we try to use the copious amount of 1 cent coins we seems to have ( 1mao) . We notice that even when the buses become crowded as more and more passenger get on ,everyone makes a seat available for oldies. There is often a battle with Christine and older Chinese women , each determined to allow the other a seat ,thus proving who is the older. Christine always takes the seat , the poor old Chinese lady smiles triumphantly. SHE HAS WON .

Waiting for a bus is interesting, everyone keeps stepping out onto the road checking its arrival , despite there being and electronic notice displaying arrival times. as there are limited seats , as soon as the bus stops ( perhaps even before it stops) there is a mad scramble to get on , first on gets the remaining seat, despite the bus being full people still crush the doorway. One neat trick we have discovered is slyly sticking one hand into the doorway and dropping some coins into the metal box announcing  I`VE PAID SO YOU MUST LET ME ON !!  Very resourceful people the Chinese. 

The bus finally arrives and we are almost the last to get on ( we have this bad western society idea of being polite and letting other people on first). Before the bus even starts to move there is a huge commotion , someone claims his wallet has been stolen, within 2 minutes 20 peole are having a loud discussion on how he lost his wallet. Both the victim and the driver phone the police. Were not going anywhere and to prove this point the driver closes the doors. We are now stuck inside with barely room to breath let alone stand , people want to get off   THEY DIDN'T STEAL HIS WALLET. Passengers at the back surge forward trying to exit , those at the front ( us) try to tell them the doors are closed , arguments with each other and the driver ensue. Very quickly the police arrive only to find that the theft victim had been locked outside when the doors closed and has now left the scene .Many of us exit the bus just so we can breath, after some discussion between the driver and police we all get back on insisting that we have already paid, so you must let us on ,. hahha  We leave the bus stop  and head towards our next destination , the driver seems unperturbed by the recent events.However that is about to change . There is now more room at the front of the bus and I'm trying out my Chinese with the driver. Not much success there so i give up and turn to talk with Christine, as i do i spot a puppy straining its head to see out of a shopping bag , others notice and begin to pat the cute dog. This comes to the drivers attention and she quickly tell the passenger seated behind her, that dogs are not allowed on bus and she has to get off at the next stop. I suggest to the driver its only a small ( and cute ) puppy , she said ITS STILL A DOG!!  , and tells the passenger she or the dog is bad ( i couldn't quite understand which one she meant) At the next traffic lights the passenger and dog ( inside the  recyclable shopping bag exit the bus , as she does a man waiting for his bus almost falls over laughing as he sees the dog. Our driver then delays us for a few minutes longer as she enters into a  discussion with this complete stranger about dogs and buses.The words meiyou ( not have ) and buhao ( not good ) are mentioned a lot. Christine and I are laughing so much at this, the driver finally decides to continue our journey. Ten minutes later we are at SijiQing markets having enjoyed ( endured) another travel experience.

Posted by Wayne
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The Collective Consciousness of the Chinese

I found this in a Surviving China magazine and it is exactly what we have experienced but the writer has put in into words for us. The next exciting episode is about train transport.
In my infinatemins late. I truly believed that it was as packed as it possibly could be. Alas, at the next station another dozen people got on. At the next stop two got off and ten stepped on.. The passengers squeezed and elbowed their way down the crammed aisle. The ruthless ME-FIRST mentality that generally seems to dominate entry and exit procedures on any kind of transportation in China was reaching new and unbearable heights.. "seriously" I thought to myself , "why not show a little bit of consideration".
The passengers were swaying and wobbling in involuntary unison, like one single organism, and in the midst of our little 'centipede' a father and his little son had to get off. What had just a moment ago seemed like pure selfishness turned into subconscious collaboration; the teenager behind me took one little ant step to the right, I squeezed into the minimal hole he left open and the women in front pressed up against me. Thus, inch by inch, with elbows unintentionally bumping into faces and people squealing with discomfort, a narrow walkway appeared to let the father and son through.
I reckoned it was the presence of the child that bought about the goodwill of the passengers. But as I looked around i saw the same pattern repeated station after station. All of a sudden I realized that the shoving and accidental head butting was not a bad case of "ME FIRST " mentality. Rather the collective consciousness of the bus organism that sent out a signal
Saying " this person needs to get off, make it happen!" and all at once every passenger was shuffling and huffing to get out of one another's way.

So just remember that you are just two legs in a jostling centipede. And at that, a centepede whose only intention is to get everybody with somewhere to go onto the bus, and guarantee that everyone can actually get off when they reach their destination. So PUSH AWAY.

By Alex Hoe berg
Survive China October. 2011
Posted by Chris

Saturday in Hangzhou

 Last night was -1 degree so a sleep in this morning was in order after riding home from dinner at 9pm the night before we then decided it was time to get out and about in Hangzhou. Riding our bike really means me peddling for a few minutes , letting the battery take over and then coasting for the next 100 metres. gives me  a little exercise and covers a lot more territory. These bikes are of course made for 40 kg Chinese people , not for the 150 + kgs of two fat westerners.  All was going good for the first kilometre then disaster!! I had forgotton to recharge the battery!. Now i had to really pedal while Christine is "resting" on the seat behind me and  snuggling up to keep warm We get a lot of looks from locals as we weave in and out of the traffic and many pedestrians. Of course traffic in China is on the right hand side, often confusing for us , added to this slight problem is the fact that traffic turning right can go at any time  if the road is clear. Even when we have right of way!!  . so as we casually pedal the 100 metres across these enormous intersections , buses and taxis constantly overshadow us.With no battery power this is even more fun than usual Christine moves even closer to me as adouble length bus misses us by inches.

We have decided to visit Booku this morning , a huge bookshop that is maybe 2-3 kilometres from home . Heaps of books and best of all they also have a coffee shop inside. After my peddling for 20 minutes and Christine sleeping and keeping warm on the back seat, we arrive at Booku, Right next door is a battery recharge place. These are everywhere in Hangzhou, pull in ,attach poweer plug , a few coins in the machine and wait 20 minutes. Hey presto  more power.

 Before going Booku we decide to check out the local markest adjacent to the recharge battery place.While waiting for the battery to charge I buy a magaazine which includes another magazine and a free 2012 diary for 5rmb (90c). We need to have a new front  door key cut  , someone lost theirs!!!  10 rmb and 2 minutes later , another problem fixed. We bought some local  food to eat ( it is cold, maybe 4 degrees by now. ( Todays maximum was a crisp 6 degrees, but felt like -6 as i was riding). Christine spots a shoe shop. I am using the term shop very liberally here, often they are just a leanto off the side of apartments, at least this one had lights inside. 20 minutes and 100rmb ( $15) later Christine has a new pair of fluffy lined boots  to keep her feet warm we then bought a fluffy pair of innersoles just the shot. she is now 5mm taller.

Next move , onto Booku we  park our bike out the front, along with hundreds of others. Booku has 3 floors of books, many in English. I find about 10 of them within a few minutes , most are only a few dollars, i could buy hundreds of them , space is now becoming a problem , how to get 50 kgs of books home ???? in a bike basket. Wayne also purchased very cheap CDs and DVDs   By this time we are getting hungry, so time to leave Booku and head home with lunch on the way home.

Wuzhen

Sunday morning we were picked up in a mini van at 7pm and the van continued to pick up other passengers for an hour . We were then taken to a parked tour bus and unloaded for about a 1.5hr drive to Wuzhen. On arrival as usual on a weekend in China the car park, actually BUS park had at least 30/40 bus loads of tourist waiting to enter the historical town. Not before being taken to a Tea road house where you were ushered into a room and were given a sample of hot tea with the idea to purchase, this took 40minutes and not alot of purchasing from what we could see. Every corner shop in china sells tea so it wasn't a special brand.

Chinese people say that unless you visit the Great Wall then you haven't been to China. For any visit south of the Yangtze River; one place not to be missed is the town of Wuzhen.
Located in the centre of the six ancient towns south of Yangtze river, Wuzhen displays its two-thousand-year history in its ancient stone bridges floating on mild water, its stone pathways between the mottled walls and its delicate wood carvings. Also, setting it apart from other towns, it gives a unique experience through its profound cultural background.

It is said that people have lived in Wuzhen for 7000 years and over time it has produced a galaxy of talents. Mao Dun, an outstanding modern Chinese writer, was born here and his masterpiece, 'The Lin's Shop', describes vividly the life of Wuzhen. In 1991, Wuzhen was authorized as the Provincial Ancient Town of History and Culture, so ranking first among the six ancient towns south of the Yangtze River.

Wuzhen's uniqueness lies in its layout, being 2 kilometers long and divided into six districts. These are: Traditional Workshops District, Traditional Local-Styled Dwelling Houses District, Traditional Culture District, Traditional Food and Beverage District, Traditional Shops and Stores District, and Water Township Customs and Life District. Wandering along the east-west-east circuit created by these six districts, you will enjoy the atmosphere of the traditional cultures and the original ancient features of the town that have been preserved intact.
The journey home was slower due to weekend traffic , we stopped off at a silk shop which was within walking distance from the universityand arrived back about 4pm.
The whole day cost us Y125 = $20 each approx. You get alot for your money in China.

Yellow Dragon Cave & Folk Custom Garden

There were no Chinese classes today, so after two hours of study we decided to visit the Yellow Dragon Cave and surrounding Gardens , but first we found a great place for lunch. Great food , great service and only aud$18 for both of us!!

 The weather was kind to us today , maybe about 15 degrees but with almost no wind. The place wasn't crowded but we saw many people gathering with friends to chat, play cards, dance and sing.

Among the gardens was this location with stone tablets depicting much sought after virtues. Standing on these tablets and throwing coins into the centre while making a wish. Christine succeeded twice while my efforts were way off target. :" Coins" are purchased from a nearby kiosk , someone is making money from this!!

 

 

 

This terraced area ( Wish- realizing  terrace)  had numerous chains with heart shaped padlocks, which sworn brothers ,lovers and old friends could place a note or keepsake inside and fix the heart uniting  padlock to the chains. 

Eight Diagram Field 八卦田

Eight Diagram Field Relics Park is hidden north of the Qiantang river and south of West Lake. This fresh and quiet place away from Hangzhou has few people walking around as the surrounding hills shield it from the development of the inner city.
The Eight Diagram Field dates back to the Song Dynasty, when the Emperor moved to Hangzhou and created this field to farm for himself. In reality, farmers were paid to work his field, but the crops that form the octagonal shape are still tended today. In this area there are several walkways and bridges, as well as old-style markets to buy vegetables. Several water wheels and wooden irrigation treadmills can be found throughout the landscape and are still put to use today. Eight kinds of crops are planted in this field.
The shape of the field is not easy to distinguish at ground level, a climb to Jade emperor Hill gives you the best view. Although we didn't reach the top after 1000 steps we were able to get a magnificent view from a tea house after a rest of course, It was worth the climb on a gorgeous autumn day.
As a gardener this place was magic.

 a few of the mnay workers that we could see tending the vegetable garden.

Climbing to the top to take photos ment climbing 1000 steps,  some photos along the way .

Sunday in Hangzhou

Seeing as we have been here for two months we decided it was time to go to church! So we get up  nice and early to catch the number 16 bus, positive that I knew the directions.  Why is it that distance on maps is sooo much further when you are walking AND running late.  We eventually find this beautiful old church.
Si Cheng Church , built in 1927 ,  is the second largest Protestant Church in Hangzhou. During the Cultural Revolution, the church was occupied by the Hangzhou Library. In 1981, according to the revised Chinese Government Religious Policy, Si-Cheng Church was reopened. The number of Christians increased every year. Now, there are three services every Sunday.
 We estimated that there were close to two thousand people at the morning service. Those that were not able to find seats in the main auditorium were accommodated in adjoining buildings with televisions screening the service. As we were late I expected we could sneak into the back row somewhere. NOT so!!! A well meaning usher ( woman) led us right down the centre isle to the front row, where the usher asked people to move so that we could be seated!! . Fortunately everyone was standing, singing hymns so I hope it wasn't too noticeable.  Ok, so we were the only non-Chinese people attending church and were escorted to the front , then politely asked if we need an English translation service and an English hymn book. I politely asked for a hymn book and sat down on hard wooden pews. (a prerequisite for protestant churches).
The Hymns were familiar, well the tunes were , so with 2000 people singing in Chinese we join in the singing in English!!  I  hope no-one could hear us! The Hymns are a collection of old western originated songs, interspersed with some local hymns and gospel songs. According to the Hymn book several songs have been adapted from tradition songs by the Miao ethnic people. ( ok, so i read the book when everyone had their eyes closed.) The hymn books were produced by the Chinese Christian Council and Three Self Movement . This is a Chinese Christian plan for church control as opposed to western influence and refers to 'self-governance, self-support, self-propagation' (自治、自养、自传).The indiginisation of Chinese Christian Churches was evident by the roll taken by the local Hangzhou people.
Interesting the ushers ( perhaps 6 or more ) were all woman , with a woman leading the service and a woman preaching, I could not see any men in leadership capacity, maybe today was a special day , further investigation is required!. The preaching was from the old testament reading , with many of the congregation taking notes. ( Christine spotted several younger woman covertly texting or playing angry birds on their phones)  The majority of the congregation were 50 years old plus with more woman than men.( Christine says 70+ years old)
After the service a quick look around shows a connection with the local community , hot and cold water  was provided afterwards and we noticed they also provided a health clinic service, perhaps an indicated of the age group. We couldn't help but notice the pathways around the church were gopher friendly as we were almost bowled over by three run away gophers.

Wudangshan

After driving for several hours we arrive at Wudangshan in time for lunch where we treat our driver , his mother and his wife`s mother to dinner .(Stefanie`s mother) before we make our way to the hotel.

Grandmothers getting to know each other.
We stay at Wudangshan Jianguo Hotel which is situated at the foot of the mountain alongside the main entrance. It had the MOST comfortable bed Ive tried in China!! At almost ￥700/night i guess they should be good. Pure luxury  (Chris)

Wudangshan is one of several mountains in Chinese that has special significance to Daoists and attracts many visitors , both local and foreign to visit the many temples, have their fortune told and to learn the many forms of martial arts . Tai chi is one of many that was founded at this place. Wudangshan Martial arts community are building a huge new complex.

Daoist monk at Wudangshan dispensing wisdom and fortune telling.

Daoist monks.

New martial arts centre in Wudangshan  (under constrution) being built alongside the hotel we stayed in , would like to come back here when this is finished.

Entrance to mountian scenic departure area, with many small shops  all selling similar junk  ( oops valuable trinkets). The bus terminal is also located here .  in order to get the first bus and arrive at the chairlift area at the top ( almost top) of the mountain i had to line up at the ticket office at 5.00am  !!! It was worth it to arrive early and not have to wait for several hours to buy a chairlift ticket. The bus takes about 30 minutes to climb the 18 klms .  The road is very steep and windy  ...  several locals were travel sick after about 500 metres !!! not pleasant. However  once getting to the top it was worth it . SO many temples and places to see.

So many temples but oh,  so many people too.  This was october 5th an important festival date and also in the middle of the Chinese national week holiday.

Chinese people love the colour red !!!

Prayer is an essential part of visiting Wudangshan.

Children everwhere enjoy a holiday from school !!!

Enjoying the sunshine at Wudangshan .

 Christine and I trying our red ribbons to the tree. Visitors throw the ribbons as high as possiblle , if they saty on the tree it wil bring them good luck  ( it had already bought good luck to the shop that sells many 1000`s of these ribbons !!)

Chrisitne fixing our "heart shaped locks " to a post at Wudangshan summit.  These symbolise love between two people. There are many thousands of these fixed to chains on the stairs leading to the summit.