I like walking through this city and seeing new things. I’m also getting acquainted with where things are.I am taking a closer look at maps to find gardens and parks to visit. Nicole and I stumbled upon this park walking one night. We came back during the day to get pictures.
Walking home we saw a dragon boat. Teams are practicing for dragon boat festival on June 7.
Up near the sports center are malls. Okay, actually there are malls on every corner it seems.There are always fountains and decorations.
This is close to where I run with the Nike run club. Pictures from my last run with them:
Author: admin
A few weeks ago…
The weather has certainly warmed up here. It is definitely tropical. Very hot and humid with pop up thunderstorms. But I still try to walk as many places as I can to get exercise.
I am fascinated by the men who write Chinese water poems on the tile. I see them often when I walk through parks or along the river. They use special brushes to make the characters.
Every different season, workers plant flowers in the many gardens around the city. Each season brings different beauty. On one of my runs I actually stopped to smell these flowers.
In the past weeks I have gone to a few activities here in Guangzhou. This was the Am Cham ball. The theme was the greatest show. It was a fabulous time with friends with great food and lovely dancing. Here I am with my friend Nicole. She leaves in a few weeks to move to Egypt. I’ll miss her.
The food was wonderful and artistically presented. This was just the desserts.
What a wonderful night.
The next morning I participated in a helipad workout again for charity. It was a beautiful day and a great workout.
The city is so large.
In this direction is where I live now towards the river.
This is the direction towards Tianhe. I will be moving there to a new adjustment at the end of this school year.
A week later I met with Lilly. She was at the Am Cham ball and we had a great time dancing. She was a lot if fun and I met her son at a Cantonese restaurant.
Deep fried squid.
Afterwards we visited the largest bookstore in guangzhou. It was next door to the restaurant.
Many levels with cafes mixed throughout.
Foshan pottery
Thanks to a colleague, a group of us rented a bus to Foshan. It is not too far away from Guangzhou. There is an antique dragon kiln, pottery museum, and pottery stores.
Nicole and I started the day buying a ticket to see the kiln. Outside the gate has pottery accents.
In this area there were 100 dragon kilns which are long mounds of earth. The area used to look like this model. The long cylindrical pieces are the dragon kilns that point down the hill. The tiny pieces are homes.
Inside you can climb the stairs to see the view of Shiwan town as it was known. This ancient town has many dragon kilns and made it the pottery center in south china. The stairs are flanked on each side by dragon kilns. They are under cover here on the right.
A picture in front of the God of fire.
At the top of the hill looking down at the artisans shops. We never made it out of here to the rest of the town as there was so much to see. The details on the roof lines are gorgeous.
This is the dragon kiln. This ancient Nanfeng kiln was built during the Ming Dynasty in the early 1500’s. The fire inside has continually burned since then and is the oldest surviving and used kiln. The kilns mouth faces South and gets the south wind (nanfeng in Chinese). It is 34.4 meters long and has 29 lines of fire holes.
As we wandered through the old town every corridor and turn had beautiful elements.
There is a tree that is growing on cement. This is soil-less rhizome growth.
At one spot we took a selfie. What is really funny is a group of Chinese women who wanted their pictures taken with us too. This actually happens every once in awhile as we are the token foreigners in most places.
There were many water features throughout.
This is a waterfall flowing over a wall of pottery pieces.
It was a great day looking at the pottery work of so many artisans.
The details through the area was fascinating.
I loved this row of bamboo trees growing against the house.
This is called the Manger waterfall.
Throughout were interesting feature walls.
We found a great restaurant that is some of the best food I’ve had yet. There is no English menu but with the help of a translation app we managed. Waiters are always nervous with foreigners as ordering can be contentious but we are easy going. We ordered potatoes on a clothesline. It is potato noodles served cold with a spicy tasty tomato sauce poured over top. There were cherry tomatoes in an orange infused sauce.
We also ordered cauliflower in the lightest tastiest sauce. Lastly, was the shrimp in a sweet yet spicy sauce that was delicious. Even the rice was flavorful.
We were happy to find this restaurant. It was the statues out front that caught our attention!
More pictures from wandering around. On this site there is also a temple.
We had tea with the gentleman who owns this shop after making a purchase. He did not know any English and we communicated with our broken Chinese.
This sign was funny. There are many weird signs throughout China. This would actually be truth in advertising!
In the end, I bought a few pottery pieces including a Buddha head.
The small pieces are water whistles. When filled to the correct amount with water they actually make bird calls.
This tour was on Saturday which is my son Ryan’s birthday. The fun part is I talked to him on the phone while I was writing this post on Sunday morning. Not only was it still his birthday in the states but was now mother’s day here in China!
Peking opera
Banana tours in guangzhou has been putting together interesting excursions. I first met them with the pottery outing over a month ago.
When they had free tickets for the Beijing youth opera group performing Peking Opera, I jumped at a ticket. I did not know what to expect but wanted to experience Chinese culture.
Peking Opera combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It began during the Qing Dynasty (1700-1900). It was extremely popular in the Qing court and is considered a cultural treasure.
The actors have heavy makeup to accent their features as their expressions are a large part of the storytelling.
Journalist Henry Chu wrote in the Los Angeles Times;
“What turns off many Westerners and younger Chinese from Peking Opera delights its older fans: the high-pitched, almost whiny singing; the cacophony of cymbals and clappers; the heavily stylized movements; and the bountiful symbolism, by which the slightest gesture on the nearly naked stage conveys meaning and action.”
The pitch of the singing was high and took some getting used to. Think of it as very high falsetto.
However the expressions, hand and body gestures, and movements were beautiful. It takes many years to master this.
The stories that make up Peking Opera come from the history of China, and include tales from the dynasties, historical events, and stories about emperors, ministers, and beautiful women, and some not so true accounts from literature.
The opera was Farewell my concubine. There are two wives and one becomes jealous of the other and sets out to poison her, instead poisoning the husband. There is treachery as the new widow is poor and the other is able to bribe others to have her imprisoned. You can see where the story goes.
Screens along the side of the stage give the storyline but I was slow translating so missed post of the story.
Some video of the performance.
After the show, we met many of the actors. It was explained that the voice is so high as there are no microphones and they need to project their voice far. They focus the sound to come from the back of their head out from above their eyes. It is a different way to project and quite interesting.
Couch potato
Every once in awhile you need to just stay in and watch TV. In this case, waking up with a sore throat but feeling otherwise fine turned into a fever of 101 by the end of the day on Friday.
Sleep and cat cuddling was necessary. Taking a walk between rain storms then taking some more naps…
It was nice to talk to my brother and sister in law Sunday morning despite the fact the call was to let me know my mother was in an accident. So glad to have all these ways to connect these days. Will make the updates easier to get.
I joined the land of the living on Sunday to watch Avengers End Game with friends. Sometimes it is the little things like learning to order movie tickets on a Chinese app then being able to use the touch screen at the theater (no English) to print them that makes you feel like you can accomplish something in another country. Small wins are good.
They had many theater rooms showing at the same time, some with VIP perks, etc. Concessions are there but not as big as in the states.
We ate at a Chinese restaurant before hand. I had a Calamari and shrimp congee. It is like a rice porridge and amazingly tasty. The beans are the best vegetable dish I have had here so far.
Before the movie started we bought these cooked breads baked into bears and took them in with us. We had every intention to portion them throughout the movie but that didn’t happen. They were gone before it started. It is not the first time we had them. They are so good.
Of course, why not have ice cream after the movie. We went to Häagen-Dazs and I ordered a Jasmine raspberry pomegranate scoop of ice cream in a cone. Very Yummy.
Hong Kong and old friends
So we are getting older, but I don’t mean old in that way. David and Candy Shively, who I have known for over a decade, are cruising the world on their retirement cruise they planned some time ago. It sounds awesome and I have actually considered a long around the world trip when I retire too.
One of the cruise stops was Hong Kong. I took the train and stayed in Tsim Sha Tsui. Severe weather delayed the train but after I arrived we had a delicious dinner and then walked to avenue of the stars along the promenade.
We talked a lot about schools here vs what I was used to and the IB program. It was good to talk to them and hear what they were up to as they made a big move to Atlanta from PA recently too. I also heard about some of the great places they have visited over the last few months. It is quite the adventure!
Part of the promenade was closed at Christmas. Now open, I was able to see the Bruce Lee statue.
Hong Kong Island across the water was beautiful at night.
The clock Tower where the old train station used to stand. The star ferry that goes across to points on the island and to Macau is near here.
David, Candy, and I. I don’t think my generation is good at selfies.
This morning I went to the Bruce Lee statue again to get a picture with the pool of water under his feet. His quote “be like water” pertains to mindfulness being key.
And of course a selfie with the golden pig. I really don’t know the story of this statue.
We went to Kowloon Park to see the birds.
And turtles…
And fish…
We went down to the promenade to take the Star ferry to Central on the island.We walked to the botanical and zoological garden.
Scarlet ibis.
At Hong Kong park we visited the aviary.This is a black crested yellow bulbul.
Crested pigeon.
Blue winged leaf bird.
Bali myna.
Other pictures from Hong Kong park.
We were quite hungry and wandered around to find something to eat. On the way back to the ferry, we saw this monument known as a Cenotaph to those who died in the world wars. Many people were picnicking around the parks on such a beautiful day.
And where else but in Hong Kong will you have street performers with all kinds of music and show stoppers like Captain America?
The ferris wheel.
At the mid point of the afternoon, all was tired. After saying goodbye to them I walked to the train station as it was only a short distance. It was beautiful walking along the water and I snapped this panoramic shot.
Even going to many of the same places I managed to see things I had not seen before. It was a great way to spend a weekend after a somewhat stressful week. It was also great to talk to those two as I have not seen them for a couple years. Will miss them and now to catch up with them on a different continent!
Pottery
Even though I saw a lot on my vacation, this became somewhat of a pottery tour. I began and ended with the purchase of pottery.
In Japan I bought two porcelain bowls and a tea mug. Both bowls would work well together combined into one serving piece.
In Yixing, I bought a teapot from one of the sellers near the pottery museum. The family was very nice and they are artists who make many of their teapots.
The teapot had bamboo etched on one side and Chinese characters on the other. The cups were bought in a different store.
The family invited me to drink tea with them. This is the daughter of the owner of the store and one of the artists.
They were very nice and even through broken English and Chinese we were able to converse. The translate feature in We chat is helpful too. The best part of traveling is meeting new people.
Yixing half marathon
I was doubtful I would be able to complete the half marathon given the hamstring strain from 12 days ago. Generally it takes up to 8 weeks to heal and have me some trouble in Japan on my heavy walking days.
A trainer would probably not recommend this but I supported the spot at the back of my thigh with a tight band. My plan was to walk when needed and if I had to walk most of it that would be okay (except I might have missed my train).
It was a gorgeous day and was 18 degrees C (65 degrees F) at 7:30 am. It was a hot one by the end of the race and 27 degrees C. During the race there were many stations including sponges and water hoses.
We were separated into groups based on speed but they have their hands full trying to separate. I was in group C, but 5 minutes before starting they pushed the boundary and did not listen to the police. Crazy. I am good at saying “Zai gan ma” or what are you doing? There is no sense of personal space. I am not sure a hard barricade would help here.
We ran through a local park that was beautiful.
I walked more than I wanted as the hamstring have me trouble and other muscles compensating were tight as a result. I finished in 2 hours 11 minutes and 42 seconds. My next to worse ever but wanted to finish as the medal is made of the clay from this region. They also give you green tea ice cream right away.
After you finish you actually walk a distance to get your medal. They give you a lot of goodies by the time you go through the finishers tent. It’s like trick or treating.
I’m not sure what the snacks are but I’ll find out. Yes the plastic banana is a banana keeper. And good thing I checked that there was a banana inside. I drank the soy milk and finished sushi from the night before. I now have snacks for the train. After I take nap.
A close up of the medal.
When in Yixing, go to a pottery museum
Why Yixing? I always wanted to go there after buying Marty Chambers a teapot made from the clay in that region. When looking for a half marathon to run, I saw this, it was during spring break and I thought it would be a great stop on the way back from Japan.
After a full day traveling to the Tokyo Haneda Airport, flying to Shanghai Pudong, bus to the Hongqiao train station and a train to Yixing, China I arrived late at night to a beautiful hotel.This morning I walked 1 km to pick up my race packet then walked back through a waterfront park.
I found a great bakery for lunch. I did try to find better food, but I was very hungry. This is different than Guangzhou. Very few English menus and not many speak English. I know enough Chinese phrases but then do not know what they say back to me. However, I can get my point across and with the help of a translator app, it is okay.
The bracelet they give you for the race gets you into various places for free. Since I want to relax a little today, I only chose one and that is the pottery museum. I did some mall shopping too (I was actually looking for something to support my hamstring but found clothes and sushi instead).The museum was really interesting. I love pottery and fascinated by how the teapots are made.
The museum honors the master teacher who had apprenticed several dozen craftsmen over the years as well as pottery through Chinese history.Beautiful pieces are found throughout the area.
This is a Cong, an sacrificial vessel. Each symbol means something. Spirits to guard the 4 directions (dragon, suzaka, tiger, tortoise), clouds are for happiness, and waves for tranquility. 
The dragon is not painted, it is embossed clay.
Much of the old pottery was found where dragon kilns were excavated. Shards and complete pieces of pottery would be found near them. This is a mock up of what one looks like.
Pottery was also buried with people in grave pits. This was found from the Zhou tomb of the Jing Dynasty. It was used to celebrate bumper harvests of fruit and grain. It is called a soul bottle when used as a funeral object.
Each Dynasty had access to different clays, tools, and established new techniques.Ming Dynasty.
Qing Dynasty oil pot and mould for making impression designs.
Suri and Tang Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Late Neolithic age.
Warring States period.
Thoughts on Japan
I leave soon to go to the airport. From here I’ll go to Shanghai and visit the city of Yixing.
What I love about Japan is its mass transit system. Part of it is chaotic only because it is so big. It has to move a large population. Anywhere you go in the city is also very walkable. Obviously not large roadways but there are ways around those. So many people walk and bike. Healthier cultures have that in common.
No matter what food you get here is great. The Japanese take pride no matter what job they have. It is ingrained. That being said, they do have problems with work/life balance. There is a drive to succeed which is also true of every Asian country. I see the stress and long hours students put in.
Regardless they are very polite and helpful. Even if they do not speak English they try to help. They also are very beautiful and age well. I enjoyed going to the Onsen. Every person is a little different in body shape but we age similarly across nationalities.
Things are very efficient. Everything is recycled with different days for different items. All other trash is burnable. There are large “gas grills” by apartments where trash is burnt. There are few trash cans on the streets. Despite this, there is very little litter on the streets. This is a very clean city and everything is maintained well.
Space and resources are optimized. In Sarah’s apartment, the parts of a bathroom are separated. The toilet is in a different room and I thought this was ingenious: you wash your hands at the top of the toilet while it is refilling the tank. Before you think that is disgusting, it is the same water that goes to any tap.
Plus the controls on the left side are for the bidet. Don’t knock it. It has been shown to be a healthier way to get clean.
The shower is outside the tub. Yes, you shower on the floor. It stays cleaner. The tub is awesome and you can fold down a top for a platform. The sink, mirror, etc. Are outside this room.
Laundry is next to it.
I could write more, it is fabulous. Expensive though.
There are places I did not visit, like the Imperial Palace, a Samurai museum, boat tour around Tokyo, Art museums (though if you go to the National Museum you will see various art forms there), and I am sure there is more.
For only being here 5 days, I did see a lot. I am glad the cherry blossoms were delayed a bit due to cold weather. It is breath taking as there are so many around the city.
At the airport I am glad I had time to mill around and look at some shops before and after the security. They even had places to shop by a lounge with a playground.
I am still amused with the sound of running water that plays when you sit down in the bathroom. It works at moving people through faster.
I will need to come back and visit more areas in Japan.