Well, my stay in China is coming to an end. Just four more days to go before im back in Australia and getting to work. Looking back on the whole experience, it has been good for me in many ways. Firstly, been having a rather simplistic existence with very little distractions. As such, ive had lots of time to think of things and make some important discoveries regarding myself. I think its good that i had some time to myself to consider things.

Firstly i realised just how…significant a language barrier can be. NOt in the most obvious sense of course, but in the sense of understanding people. It is true that the things which drives people  are the same no matter where you go in the world. People are people. instincts and desires are the same. But the specifics…how they interact, and how they WORK…now thats different. Language is a means through which we communicate our desires and feelings. Over time it becomes a reflection of our culture and after that, it becomes who we are. When i was in London, a lot of people are bilingual. We could chat well enough in English, yet when i see them talking in their native language, they seem….different. A different side of them seems to be revealed. Its because something are only found within their language as they are culture specific. Back to what i said about language becoming our culture, so much so that there are certain aspects of people that can only be discovered through their own language, rather then the common one. Its something i notice again with the people here (as we have quite a mix of nationalities and languages). It is something i wich i realised earlier….but you know what? better late then never. With this, i now have a chance to learn…the next time i meet someone from a different nationality or who speaks a different language…i will keep that in mind. So much more then what is….

Secondly, it will be good to get back on with my life. Although i have enjoyed the time i spent learning here, its time to start moving on with my career. Ive spent the time here thinking and seeing the future i want…more specifically within the next few months, although ive made some extra plans (but with all plans, they change). I sort of see the life for myself for the next few months…sucessfull career…getting on the way…working on my self and my soft skills. Cooking, badminton and reading my books. Things i want to do with my time. Its about…i dont know…living for the moment. Taking time to find myself. Which brings me back to the longer term plans. Having been here and meeting my mum’s friend and relatives, they both have children about 5 years old. Very differently behaved kids…but kids around the same age nonetheless. I enjoyed spending time with them, but what its made me realize is that im no where near ready to have kids. No where near at all. Why? Its simple…although its great to play with them, i was talking to the, about what it means and some of the responsibilities involved with  with raising a child. Its all so….much. The considerations and the time…moreover, ive seen whats it like when the father is away more then half the time on work…the poor kids grow up without a ready father and the wife? Left…not alone..but rather…raising the kids alone and only seeing the husband once in awhile. Its not the kid of life i want for my child or my wife…one where im not around much and spend very little time with them. Just another reason i want to get the majority of my career out of the way so i can spend time with my family. Im not saying no to a relationship…more like…its not the time to settle down. Not yet…not now…but not too long in the future. Just…got to find my feet first…untill i do, i dont feel like i can be responsible for another person or be with someone…its just going to cause problems as im not sure where things are headed with myself, its not fair to ask someone else to put up with it either

Anyhow, managed to catch an acrobatic show the other day. Simply amazing! I never knew the human body could be so bendy…lol. Seriously…some of those girls could bend everywhich  way. …I think this shows what the human body can acheive if it is trained day in and day out. Most of them were feats of agility and coordination which simply defy belief. Again..shows what people can acheive if they really put their mind and body to it. Still, it was my first acrobatics show so i really dont have anything to judge by… but i can safely say  that it was a really top class performance. Especially that bit at the end where 7 bikes got into a big metal ball and started driving around, all pimped up with lights and all. Lol…courting death really but again….feats of coordination and pin point accuracy.

Will be back in melbourne on the 7th of july. Looking forward to it! Get to catch up with some friends again

Fingers crossed! Im also coming back to aussie in just over a week so thats all good Looking forward to proper coffee…bathroom…western food. SOON! But that said, its been a good time over here. Have improved quite alot in my chinese but still have a ton of a way to go.

Yi Yuan. It looks alot like those in Su Zhou…

The main tourist hub out side the garden. Funny because i thought THIS was the garden.

In one of the many houses along the garden

So that was the garden. On friday, I went down to meet my aunt in the Pu Dong area of town. Right across the Bund. Its the modern, financial centre of the area and that place is HUGE. All the skyscrapers are 80+ stories or something. Its all very big and grand. And the shops! Posh like you would not believe it. I took a look into one of the malls. It was gaudy, big and had floors and bridges going every which way inside. And I loved it. I dont know…it summed up another thoughts i have of China. Bigger is better and more is better. The mall was called Superbrands Mall (no surprised there). The feel walking around there is all about making a big mall. Its design wont win any awards but is interesting enough to be amusing. Wandering around there it felt like moving through a rabbit warren. Rabbits everywhere! Lol….just corridor after corridor of shops. Anyhow, met my aunt and she took me up to the 30th story of the HSBC building where she worked and the view! Man…really quite a site. Normally when i take in panorama views im just like “meh”…as most things looks the same from so high up. But in large cities such as this, man…its a view. The variety of architecture and the sheer size of the city is something to behold. The Titan of Industry that is China. Also made it down century avenue ( 8 lane road running for some 2km straight to a massive park from the heart of Pu Dong) to the park at the other end. Was nice to have a wander around if a little hot. The big lake in the middle did nothing to keep the heat away…bah….ive got funny tan lines now coz of the sun Nevermind…melbourne weather will sort me out well and good. Aunt took me around to see her apartment (again lovely and about 6 times the size of my melbourne place) which commands almost as good a view as from her office ( she has a balcony which faces out towards the river, complete with deck chairs, foot rest and tables for wine and cheese. Her husband is the manager of Shang Grila running some 20 odd hotels here in this region alone). I never was much of an apartment person, but i just warmed up to the idea of one a little.

A family walking through the park. Its an oasis from the buzz of the city as can be seen in the distance

One of the parks many features. Also one of the few moments that there was enough light from the overcast to let me shoot in color

Man fishing by the stream. Im not sure what he is actually hoping to catch…

A couple walks down the bridge leading to the science centre. Its century avenue all the way till Pu Dong in the background

So that was Friday. On saturday, i woke up bright an early and headed to train station to catch my train to Hang Zhou. Had been looking forward to this trip for a bit and was hoping for some epic sunsets and misty mornings. Well, the train ride was nice enough. Took one of the fast bullet train ones. 40 mins and your there! Those things travel at about 330kmh or something so it was quite an enjoyable ride. As a city, Hang Zhou is not that amazing. Its like what you expect from a smaller city (although its easily 4-5 times the size of melbourne) in the sense it has less stuff and its like a major city of a third world country. The bus system is a god damn nightmare though. Seriously…..For one thing, there was nor formal bus route map. Just a massive picture with numbers on streets that are so small its almost impossible to make out. Another thing, the buses dont stop at regular intervals. I got on one of the busses thinking it should stop one stop before the street i was going to, and instead the damn thing kept on the high way for another 2 kms before finally stopping -.-llll….mad….seriously….But aside from that, its not that much different from other cities in less developed nations. Cab drivers try to cheat you and tourists destinations are always chalked to the rafters with people. I managed to walk around the ENTIRE lake on foot Took me too days, but its not really my fault. When i got there on the first day it was about 11 the morning and the hordes of tourists had already descended on the place. Was quite overcast as well, so i decided to take it easy and just stroll along the lake side and stop where ever i felt like. First of all, once you get over the size of the lake and the initial novelty of the things, its just a lake. Its steeped in history, with lots of emperors enjoying the lake over the years but those are the things you can read about in books. Alot of the historical buildings have been lost over the years for various reasons (political, neglect and time) so most of the buildings around the lake are fairly modern. Also, the city has encroached all the way to the city fringes and the local economy has taken advantage to the loss of the lake. As it is a hit spot on the local tourist trail, most of the buildings encroach to within 50 m or less of the lake. The hordes of tour groups do not make moving around the lake and trying to enjoy the peace easy. That said, its still big enough that some of the less know areas are quiet enough to just sit and enjoy the view. The two main causeways spanning the lake are only nice to look at from afar. Once your on them, its really a tree lined avenue…from the side though, its quite nice to look at. I believe some poets of compared it to a chinese painting. With the sky as the backdrop and the causeway of people doing activities like those in a scene.

 Boatmen just having lunch

Couple by the lake on the Bai Causeway

Tortise seal statue from the Seal Engravers Society

Migration of the boats

Wrath of the lake dragon.RAWR

The city lit up at night

I managed to make it round half way when i found the botanical garden area. That part i liked. It was alot of bridges linking smaller islands along the lake, each with its own bit of history and scene. Also, there was lots of blooming lotus flowers along the edge which made for a fragrant air (as long as you were isolated from the smell of sweaty tourists). Decided to stop along a bridge with a roof an everything and decided to savour the view. Good choice as it started to rain after that and as i arrived early, i have a seat to enjoy the view. Others were not so lucky and had to stand. It was really nice just taking in the feel of the place. The West Lake had a sinister feel to it with the lightning and storm clouds and all, but you know its kinda poetic if you think about it. Its as if some dragon had been slumbering under the lake and decided to wake up and found its home invaded by tiny humans I know alot of legends contain water dragons and the like. Anyhow, a whole procession of pleasure boats could be seen making their way to the shore to berth and wait out the storm. Quite amusing the see them row across and it also made for quite the scene. Was nice to just sit there and take in the view and slow it all down. Anyhow, I waited out the rain (which took awhile) at several spots as everytime i walked it decided to get heavier. But as i always say, you dry off…your kit does not. Had to keep camera and phone dry Made it back to the city and had dinner. Nothing special there and decided to turn in early. Took a nice hot bath and shower in a CLEAN DRY BATHROOM at long last. Something to really perk up morale. Also turned in early as i was hoping to catch a misty lake the morning after. Unfortunately thats not what happened. I was disappointed as last nights rain had effectively ruined any sunset shot. Little did i know when i had gotten up at 5.30 to head to the lake, the rain had also prevented any chance of a misty morning -.-lll And what i didnt know is that the locals start their day early and do exercises and dance in the park. Ah well…what can you do? Got a few shots off while the morning light was still good and the cool air made it enjoyable to continue my walk. Made it all the way to the other side before it was about lunch time. Stopped at this pagoda which was rebuilt after the original was collapsed. Its interesting because this is the one where the story of madam white snake is related to. It was said she was imprisoned within this pagoda. Had read about that story as a kid, so it was worth my climb and walk to the top. You could just make out the other end with the city in the distance and the whole lake spread out before you. Again, another good time to slow down and take it all in. After that, it was just a casual walk back to the hotel. Stopped at a few more sights along the way including a red carp pond and old street. The carp pond just smelt of fish and i think the carps were taking a nap, as it looked brown not red :S The old street was worth a wander down. Its always fun to look at the medicine shops and all manner of funny stuff they sell.

Morning by the lake

Lotus flowers across the lake

Old folks by a well

House by the lake

Made my way back to the train station and was going to board the train when i realised that i had the wrong ticket -.-ll Normally, i dont trust anyone with my travel arrangements. Its not personal, its just me. Anyhow, when i went to get the tickets with my aunt on friday, she insisted on talking to the lady had buying the tickets for me. Yes i should have checked the ticket…but i didnt…because if i had got them myself i would have checked 3 times before i asked the lady and read the tickets as soon as i got them back. Instead i spent 5 minutes trying to pay my aunt back which she was really not having any part off :S Thats krama for you. By the time i realized i had the wrong ticket, it was already 6pm with the last train (last fast train that was was 40 mins instead of 2 hours. Its no point going back to the city and taking a cab for like 200RMB as the subs close at 10) Ran to the ticket counter and managed to get a standing ticket for the 7pm train so thats all good. Seriously…had walked the whole day, whats another 40 mins standing? Made it back ok, came home and just crashed after that. Didnt feel like getting up for class this morning, but managed to any way. Have this new guy teacher who is really quite full on. Nice guy…his style is alot more interactive and surprisingly i feel we get more done (rather the stuff he teaches acually sticks in my head after that although we do less). Got something on Chinese Calligraphy tomorrow! Really looking forward to that one. Hope we can do it. Going to study later and think of something cool to write

Grr….hate having so many thoughts and concerns. Hopefully can get some sleep tonight. Gots plenty to write about…just no strength to do so :S Will do so on monday afternoon. Going to come back from class, take it easy and crash

So i gets on the train and I find that there was no designated “standing” area. Its more of a “find an unoccupied patch of floor and move only if youre asked to” kind of thing. Luckily I was one of the first to board the train so i had my choice of floor to stand at. Settled in right next to the assistant conductors room (or rather broom closet) and pulled out my book and just began to read. Gradually the train starts filling up and things start getting a little crowded. But i had my little corner so alls good. Eventually, the train starts to pull away from the station and i get the impression that maybe this ride will be manageable after all. I was wrong…so very very very wrong….About 10 minutes into my hour long ride, a bunch of people start gathering around the conductors room. I figure maybe their waiting to go to the loo or something….Yet the crowd does not move…if anything it gets bigger and they start crowding onto my patch of floor. With the growing crowd, my personal bubble shrinks ever smaller, untill its shoulder to shoulder. People moving pass just shove and manhandle their way through the crowds. Even the women have no qualms about grabbing the nearest person and forcing their way through a tight press of bodies -.-lll Peering over the hordes, i see the conductor just reading his newspaper and nothing much is happening..excpet maybe the cool rush of air from the AC in his room. Well….maybe thats why everybody is gathering here….So the ride goes on and on and on… till we approach my stop. Its as this point the conductor starts keeping away his paper and performs on the spot sales for train tickets. Right…..so thats what they were all waiting for….and i tell you…they have no concept of personal space. There was this chap who walked right up to me and sat down on the floor and took a nap. Then this other girl with a really short skirt stands right in front of him and proceeds to buy tickets…-.-lll im quite sure if the bloke was awake he would have had the view of his life….Bah…anyhow, I figure with my stop approaching and the press of bodies not getting any lighter, I had to join them if I wanted to get off the train. Steeling my guts, i grabbed my bag and waded in…and it got worse! turns out the other end of the train had sinks and toilets….and well…there was people sitting in the sinks and lightning up cigaretts….and the platform was even worse…theres a press of bodies at the foot of the train as well -.-ll Finally made it out…but still……ive been on worse trains before in Europe so i am unfazed…enlighted for the experience and probably would not wat to repeat it…but unfazed

So thats how the trip started out. What happened next was rather dull and uneventful compared to the start of the day…but oh well. Just had a look through the major gardens, older streets and some of the pagodas. Hell…must have walked more then 8kms that day. Glad my ankle is holding up well enough to handle the strain. Could have taken the bus but i didnt have a clue where i would end up. I could read the signs and all…just had a route planned out already and it didnt make sense to keep changing the plan. The gardens were nice enough (although it costs a pretty penny to get in) if a little crowded. Perhaps winter would have been emptier but summer is chalked to the rafters with tourists. Sad to say it did detract from the gardens feel…but what can you do. The gardens on the whole look very similar…full of green and life. The differences are subtle and have to do with use of space, theme and size…but aside from that they all have very similar feels. Exploring the villas, i could just picture back in the days…living here…just like those Chinese dramas. The courtyards…bearded men walking about drinking wine and composing poetry. Its very different in feel when compared to European gardens. Where that style is more about size, grandeur and being austentations with fountains, statues and broad walkways, the Chinese style is more for contemplation. Its ment for more reflection and intellectual discussions rather then showing off (ok some of it is…but still). The paths tend to be narrow and winding as if through a bamboo forest or perhaps a rocky canyon. If it was empty, i bet it would be quite a treat to wander and enjoy it but alas….the ills of tourism. I mange to hit all the main ones…and even found time to head to the smaller pavilions. Those i really really enjoyed. Its was for all intents and purposes empty and i had it to myself  and took my time to walk about and just take in the atmosphere. Sat down at one point and felt it would be really nice to own something like this. Well not exactly like this, but a place to sit under the eaves of a tree on a hot summers day…snow lined paths on a winters day…a red leaf carpet during autumn or stroll through on a cool spring morning. contemplation and discussion…thats the point of these gardens.

Went to the museum today to look at some of the Chinese artefacts. The bronze bit was really impressive. Its world renown after all…and i can see why. The level of intricacey and craftsman ship required is truly amazing. Manage to nerd out for almost an hour looking at the techniques used for casting the bronze and how the chemical composition affects its finish….:) Nerd much….but yeah was really a treat to look about. The rest of the exhibition did not catch my eye except for the section on Chinese paintings and calligraphy. Having been learning Chinese non stop, it was nice to see how the characters changed from ancient times into their modern form. Aside from that, i bumped into my other house mate…some guy from canada. Nice enough chap…but its the first time i’ve exchanged more then 5 words with him  -.-ll Most of the other students are too young and i just cant click with them on their level…either that or they dont speak english at all…so oh well :S Funny thing was that after talking to him, his friend asked if I was from Aussie because of my accent yays…..i sound aussie at least…better since i’ve been living there for the last few years…i had better had taken some of the culture with me. Anyhow, going to Hang Zhou this weekend for 2 days. Should be good. Going to make sure that i get the right train this time….none of that standing nonsense :S

I only had to touch up two photos with Photoshop (as i normally hate doing so) but this one was an all out just to see and get and “old” feel to the shot…came out ok :S but then again, I try not to tinker around too much

This was the second one…I came back and liked how the rock looked like a roaring lion (use your imagination) and decided to play around to get the feel i was after. As you can see, it was cloudy as hell again and it made shooting tricky in the lighting conditions…not to mention the people

Its a garden of both jade and emerald

How the locals make their living in the hot summer sun

Fruit vendors ply their trade to tourist and local alike

The old fashioned way

Su Zhou for what it is…a Canal Town

People flock to the road side stalls

A vendor smiles as he has a chat to his friend

A whole street load of vendors

Anyhow, on the way back it rained like hell….The worse bit was that it looked as if it was letting up, so i decided to walk…within 2 minutes it came back with a vengence….soaked through and through….But at least i didnt get my kit ruined so that’s all. People dry off….cameras and ipods dont :S Didnt feel like doing anything after that…lol Just climbed into bed and read a little. The next day was the same…just minus the rain. Had a look at Jing An temple…its mostly reconstructed and thus very fake and artificial. Nothing great…I guess a common theme im seeing and ive tried to capture in the pictures is what Shang Hai (and probably the rest of China) is like. Its old mixed in with the new. The minds of the people have yet to catch up with the development. Its evident in their culture (most are still rude, unclean and have very little civic sense) , its evident in their cities (the destruction of heritage building to make way for shopping malls and modern living. Old building and temples dot the city, but they are a island in this urban jungle) and the old people in the park (for them its practicing old arts such as Qi Gong, Chess and ball room dancing)

The temple grounds…set within a urban backdrop

So as you can imagine…im quite disappointed with most of my shots so far :S I’ve had a few good shots….maybe one or two per trip round the city. Its not bad…but im getting quite tired of urban settings. I went to the Peoples Park and Peoples Square today. The park was really nothing special…just a refuge in the city like any other…although there was 2 highlights which are really worth a mention. First was a meat market like no other. Lol….its a matchmaking market. Literally its rows and rows of advertisements put forward by parents. A CV of sorts. As best as i could make out from the writings, most list age…income…where they live, occupation and hobbies. Very few have pictures on them. Its quite amazing seeing hordes of old people browsing around and looking at “who is on sale” lol….Most of the candidates are a few years older then me…26-30 is the main age there. Im quite astounded to see it being done on this scale…by math…there are at least 5 thousand or more on open display there. I didnt know it existed to this scale…but if you think again and consider the size of the population in China….Its really not that many..but it happens every weekend..so who is to say. Anyhow, I would not want to be those people on “sale”….its irks a certain part of me to be up there like that……Anyhow the second thing was a beautiful pond filled to the brim with lotus flowers on bloom. Its would have been magnificent if there was not so many tourists…but what can you do. It was quite nice to sit around and just take it in and imagine if during spring what it must be like…a sea of green and pink. Made for some very nice shots…really happy about those Peoples square was next after that but nothing special. Its not quite  Tian An Men square in Beijing…big, cold and imposing…this was more like…a park with lots of benches in it -.-ll Just had a wander about the area and took in the sights and sounds. The shopping centre underground had a really poorly done mock up of Shanghai in 1920. If the city had a place which still looked like that….it would have made for a wonderful sight…such is the price of development.

A meat market like no other…

Lotus flowers

Wonder what it will be like in spring

People’s Square indeed

The Coup de Grace. My shot of the day

Im planning to go to Su Zhou tomorrow. Was going to go at like…6 am in the morning…but frankly i need my sleep. And well….i do want to wait for sunset. Its goes down at around 7 and 13 hours in a small town is a little bit much considering people get it done in half a day. I figure i’ll head in mid morning around 10 ish and just wander and take my time. Really looking forward to the change of scenery. Will also be going to Hang Zhou next weekend. Debating if i should spend the night there. Its quite a nice town and i hear that the early morning mist on the lake is something to remember. Plus…it will be nice to have a proper shower in a clean room after being here for a week or more….Most likely will do that. Just have to book and see if any rooms are available. My ankle has recovered enough, so i can probably cycle round the lake and really enjoy the place.  Let there be sun!

So the class operates on the principle of teacher speaks and the class follows. Most of the other students have trouble putting things into words and speaking right. Some have found it too hard and dropped down to lower classes. They have their reasons i’m sure and im not judging them. Despite me having to look up a ton of words, I aint gona drop down to a lower class. I actually enjoy the challenge presented to me here. I know my weakness and whats the best way for me to get the most of this class. Its like life…and im sure i’ve used this analogy before. “Life is just like a candy machine. The value you get out of it is only as much as you put in. You cant choose what sweets you get, but thats life”. So true….lol. Several things. I no longer feel the temptation to slack off and take things easy. Im not sure if its the years of work or what ever, but for me I want to make something happen with this. Its my choice to be here and like that candy machine, I only get out of this course what i put into it. So im glad im motivated. Im glad I decided to stay in tonight and work (mostly beacuse after the first day, I realised i am in dire need of a pencil and proper system for recording the vocab. I spent most of the evening transcribing and learning new words) Some may disagree but thats ok. This is how im going about it and aint nothing going to change that.

Before I get into something else, I really want to share, I have to mention that lunch today was interesting. The university administration system may not be a well oiled system, but their lunch canteen is as greased as a tub of lard. You walk in, buy yourself a value card. All stores are on one wall, pick your stall, get your food, tap your card, eat and clear the table to the dish washing guy. Lol…reminds me of the book i read, “One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich”. Its like in the Gulags, all the benches, trays and everything lined up. And with the crowd that was there, i do believe that it would have very much felt the same way. Couldnt figure how to go about ordering and all when i gots there, so i just stood there and saw how the whole system worked. Thats the wonderful thing about observation. Monkey see and monkey do. Lol…Its amazing what you can learn by observation and repetition. Just like in the class room. Just shows how teachable humans are and at the same time…how simple minded. We see, we do, we copy. Simple. But we are not all like that, and thats why we are not living in trees. For some monkeys are brighter then others and decided innovation was more interesting then mimickery and so began human civilization.

Anyhow, dinner last night was very very enjoyable. I met this gentle man the other day. Old guy with grand kids and all. Names Antony from Orange NSW. Told me he was a lecturer at Sydney University for 20years teaching business law and was living in Manchester during the war years. Anyhow, he asked me to have a beer with him and i agreed. So we found a restaurant and decided to make it a meal instead. I really enjoyed his company. He is a very good speaker and very well travelled and learned. He told me many stories experiences and views regarding life and so forth. The most amazing thing was…we didnt disagree at all! His thoughts are very much like my own…just more tempered with age and other experiences. He commented on my schooling and was surprised to find I was so well read and travelled. Happiness…I dont know why…actually i do…and although im reluctant to speak because i want to be polite….well hell….its my blog. I do what i want on it

Its vindicating of sorts…..and a real confidence booster for me to have met and talked to him. I guess many times i wonder if how im doing things with my life is the “right” way for me…or will it just lead to a rather mundane ending. I told him of how i have this burning desire to change and grow as a person. Of how I had the chance to speak and meet people much wiser and better experienced then me. Of how I had travelled and taken away something meaningful from each place ive been to. Of how I choose to approach life, challenges and trials. And you know what he said? He said ” Jae, i dont doubt that for a moment you will stop growing. I’m sure that you will keep growing as a person because its in you. Your that kind of person who will. And dont let anyone, ever, tell you otherwise stop you”. I cant tell you how much those words mean to me. I know i just met him, but still….earlier during the conversation he said ” im sure we will find something we disagree about eventually! But we havent found it yet!” Hahahha….its nice i guess. I feel that he is like in me in many ways. We were talking about photography and I was trying to explain to him about human spirit and why I like taking the pictures of the old people in the park. I was going about it and he said “i understand how you feel and what you mean exactly when you talk about them” So yeah…i think i see abit of myself in him and I think he sees the same in me as well. He was very nice (and despite living in Australia for 30years he still had a British way of speaking) and he flat out refused to let me pay for dinner. -.-ll I really tried not to without being rude, but he insisted that he had enjoyed my company and wanted to pay for dinner. Well next time dinner is on me…definitely. He is only here for 3 weeks i think…not the full 4, but i definitely want to meet with him again. See what other stories he has to share and tell……

I asked my friend once, that was i just naive and that i found all people interesting? or is it I am just lucky. His response was luck rather than my view on people. I brought up the same idea with my dad. He had a rather different view and said people are interesting because they tell stories well…rather than having a whole heap of experiences. I originally thought it was just experience…and that people who have been round the block just have a lot more stories to tell. I figure its probably a bit of both. No matter how good a story teller you are, if you got no stories, you got no stories. And if you have a ton of experiences and are just bad at telling….well your life story will be about a minute long. But a good friend of mine said something else. The chinese word is called yuan fen. The meaning is hard to say in English, but it means fate or chance that brings people together. So perhaps its abit of all of it.

The modern woman

Anyhow, hopped onto the metro. Its quite modern really. Almost like Singapore…cept there is bag scanners at all the entrances -.-lll Its good, dont get me wrong. Im just constantly astounded at the sheer man power available to China. They can afford to have people to fill these roles at every station, “official” guards at every shopping mall entrance and more then enough staff to run a fast food outlet. But anyway, I decided to head over to Lu Xun park as photos in narrow streets wont look good in this overcast. It was quite enjoyable really, walking through the park, albeit a little humid and dank. The first few things that strike you is that most of the individuals are senior citizens. I think its wonderful that they are out and about, looking after themselves and engaging wide variety of exercises. Its good for both the mind and the body. Too often I see senior folk in KL or Singapore sitting at home, wasting in front of the TV, or reading the paper at the local coffee shop. Not these old people. They engage themselves…keep themselves busy, they meet in groups to discuss times past, present and future. They play cards as well (face it who doesn’t) but they also sit in the park doing Qi Gong, play musical instruments and dance.  Its great to see them entertain themselves so and for me especially, it shows human resilience, spirit and life.

I really like this photo. The old man on the left is smiling while the other guy teaches him. For me, it shows how passion and the desire to learn dosent change over the years. Even at that age, you can learn…and infact, once you get to that age, things start to slow down. Its important to take stock and make the most of your time. An easy day in the park, under the cool shade of a tree does it for me.

Old people playing cards in the park. I look at them and wonder how many years have they known each other. Have they been friends all that while? What stories have they shared over the years and what stories are they telling now? How have their lives changed? And through it all, they still meet and spend time as ever.

Qi Gong is still practiced today by thousands of people across China. Its a past time that calms the mind and body. Even after thousands of years, somethings down change.

For me, this is alot like the other shot I made the other day. Its the smile that wins the shot. There is pride in that smile and stride. Confidence and self assurance. Its a simple dance, yet for them its a moment. A moment in time where its all about the moment. Be it reliving days gone by or just…lost in the moment. I dont know really how to express it. For me, its the look and feel of it. It speaks to me on many levels.

Anyhow, had my placement test done. Got into a class and homework on the first day. Going to meet someone later for a drink. Elderly British chap who had been living in Australia for the last 30 years. Looking forward to my first day tomorrow!

But the rest of the house….. :S There is a prevailing smell of smoke that lingers and cloys in the corridor. Its dank and dark and quite unpleasant. The washing machine is normal enough and the kitchen (lets admit it) is not THAT bad as ive seen apartments in Melbourne that are worse. Its the toilet. There is a layer of brown filth on everything and a rather questionable pool of something in the main shower area -.-ll. The toilet bowl is manageable. So if you manage to keep your feet of the ground, your golden.

SO…conclusion?? The one Chinese guy living in the apartment has single handedly ruined it. Literally. There is this Italian dude who is leaving tomorrow or something, but he seems decent enough. So how the hell did one guy manage this mess, i will never know. Sigh….i just hope i dont drop my lens or im porked. FB and Youtube is blocked as expected so this blog is the only means of communication with the rest of the world.  And since the living room is uninhabitable….I have decided how I shall live my next 4 weeks

First, Im here to study, so I’m sure i will be doing lots of that at night. As the rest of the house does not warrant much lingering, my room and the books shall be my good friends. Second, as near as I can tell, the classes are only till about 12pm. Considering the Uni is on the way to the station, I can spend the afternoons eating out and touring the rest of Shanghai. Im sure there is more the enough things to occupy me  touring this city. Expecially the photo opportunities. As evening is the best time for shots, im golden really. Good way to maximize the time out of the house. After some quick night shots I can come back and study. Thirdly, I was chatting with friends and im approaching the prime of my life. So to complete my monk like existance and build up some strength in my weekend ankle, I shall exercise Yes you heard (or read) right. Some walking all day for cardio (albeit weak cardio) and Pushups, sit ups and whatever else I can devise to work out. On the whole….not too bad. Work, photo and exercise…so zen like….

Anyhow, I will be meeting the rest of the students tomorrow. I reckon there is 280+ of us in total just from looking through the name list. The registration today was….TERRIBLE. I guess i got used to the australian system of working. Everything is a well oiled machine. You arrive, your shown around, a buddy takes you here and there, your shown to your accommodation, everybody speaks english as its your first day and even though your doing immersion, it takes a while to submerse. But no……thats far from what happened

Having left my friends house, I was sent to FuDan University. After about 20mins of asking random people on the road which building i was after, I hauled all my kit inside into the registration room. There I was greeting by several chairs and people looking confused and filling up forms. So a chap promptly gave me a form and asked me to fill it up. Barely knowing what was up and carrying about 20kg of kit on me, I moved off to a corner and proceeded to fill in the form as best as I can. As you can imagine…i didnt get very far. As the whole form was rather uninformative. So i gave up, walked into the queue and hoped for the best. Here and there I was pointed at, asked to move along and hand in a form i had no idea what was on. Eventually, I was given what passed for a student card (issued from a piece of paper, sticky tape and a photo I had with me) and told I could go and report tomorrow for the placement test.

-.-ll

I asked the lady rather nicely as best as I could in Chinese where I should report to make payment for dorms and stuff as I didnt know where I was staying. She promptly passed me over to another lady who could speak even less English and asked to wait around while I was taken to a bulk student accommodation. So I was bundled up into a van with a few others and driven round the block and told to get off. Ok…..it looked like a hostel so thats not so bad. Ushered into reception was more like being ushered into utter chaos. Chinese PRC’s screaming at the top of their lungs trying to get everything organized. After a few hasty comments, I was given a playing card with the 4 of hearts and told to wait. Crude….but rather comical and cute if done intentionally. Some paper work, 3.5k RMB and shouting later, I found myself once again being ushered off by a guy to show me to my room. And thats where I am now.

Had a few minutes to catch my breath and regroup after that rather hectic morning before I decided i required some supplies to get through the next four weeks. Had a wander about nearby just to see whats about. Quite a lot as it turns out. About 20 mins walk is the train stop and a Massive shopping area full to high end brands and what not…all linked together by underground walkways. Kind of like Singapore…but tackier…Anyway, found a supermarket of sorts, got some water and other essentials and hauled all my gear back. I dont think I will be going out tonight. Going to start planning which days to go where for my little forays about the city. Will sort out the train tickets tomorrow or something…hopefully the orientation tomorrow will be better then today. Will have to see. Gona read and plan like I said tonight. At least find out where I am on a bloody map -.-lll I’ll get there eventually….I always do.

SO! After my rather eventfull arrival at KLIA from Melbourne in the morning in which i would have been porked, had it not been for my friend, I managed to make my way home. But no rest for the weary. First thing was to get my Chinese Visa organized and my laptop fixed.  So thats the mornign really. Running about the city and getting thigns done. Also made an importnatn realization then…I realize that the importance of desire, dreams and hardwork. The price of failure…is driving around KL at 9 am in the morning in a tiny Kancil. Its not something I want nor I could stand for my self. Such is the way of people…or rather me. Once I have tasted better, I want more… Sometimes its bad and in those cases I must learn to be content. But for others, its the springboard onto glory and better things. Of course, its a discourse for another time.

The rest of the day, well, just meeting family and touching bases once more. The last time I left for Melbourne, I had no idea when I would be returning to KL and this trip was a bit of a surprise visit. More importantly I had a chance to meet my grandmother. Told her I was going to China and would visit when I can, but her response was “Visit me or not, I dont care! I will just do my own things…and you young people these days, always doing other things” Some truth in it there…honeslty I was abit taken aback by her response. Because its true. We rarely make time for family and when we do only briefly. For her, she has decided to not let it get to her. She is happy to live her  life and if she gets visits from us, thats a bonus. Ever pragmatic and practical…thats my grandmother for you.

But anyway, main thing is, Im in China now. Uneventful flight and getting to the city was a story in itself. Wanted to sit the maglev train to the city but was advised by my mum’s friend to take a taxi as its more direct. So hopping onto the cab, the little guy behind the wheel floors it and speeds of the free way. Well….cant be taht bad i thought. I go fast too….. then

BAM. Heavy traffic. So what does the guy do? He SPEEDS UP and starts weaving in and out of the traffic. You know how people jostle and move about in large crowds and even if they are in a hurry they weave in and out of people? Well its the same thing. Just in cars at 80km/h  -.-ll I though it was just my cab driver, then I look out and everybody is doing the same. Heck, it reminded me of egypt a little. There was no rules, no lanes nothing. Here is like….the lanes are drawn as guildelines then actually rules. pft…….U-turn when you want, stop when you want speed when you want. Its quite the experience. Anyhow, that was yesterday. I made it to my mums friends place as I’m staying there for the next two days (enrollment on monday). Its like a little oasis of peace there. Its modern and clean.

Just like any city in the world, there is poverty gaps…and in a land where all men (and women) are supposed to be equal, all men are not. A perfect comparison is Malaysia and Melbourne. In both these countries, the migrant workers from India, Mynmar, Loas and Bangaladesh take the odd jobs and the menial work. Thus the lower class is made of foreign nationals who have less rights then a local citizen as expected. However in Shanghai, that role is replaced by the migrant workers from the country sides. When they get to the big city, they arrive with hopes and dreams for a better life. In stead, they find reality offers them a shoe box to live in and a few pennies to their name. Apparently the government and employment laws provide them LESS rights then a local Shanghai individual. -.-ll Second class citizen within your own country. In many ways its sad. As a nation, are you all not Chinese? The only positive side is that at least the jobs are going to chinese citizens (albeit unfairly treated) so no one can complain about foreign workers stealing off all the jobs

Any how, dinner last night was a hot pot! Or steam boat ish…..You come in and the first thing you do is choose a fish. A LIVE fish. Kept a whole tank of the poor things round the back and let you pick and choose -.-ll. Terrible. They take the whole fish, chop him up, and by the time it reaches your table, its less fish and more fishballs. They of course save the head stewing in the pot as the “best bits” Eyes, lips, brains and what not….bleh. But having watched some Bear Grylls and as he says “you’ve got to leave your prejudices behind”- so i went for it. Eyes, lips, brain and what not. -.-ll Its not BAD…really fishy…but to borrow another quote from the Bear, “tell you what, they can keep their delicacies” Once….and probably never again. But still, on the whole its ok. Wandered around the super market later. They have whole tanks of live fish on sale there…but i figured…thats not THAT bad…i’ve seen that before. But looking closer they had frogs! and poor little turtles Poor thing! And the butchers had all manner of food….pigs trotters…gizzards, guts and the works. Not much fresh veggies tho…lol

Woke up real early today…body kicked me up at about 6 am even though i didnt get much sleep last night. Had a wander out to the market today. Whole area is under heritage. Its quite nice and what you expect of a market. Shops selling all manner of trinkets and toys, food vendors and lots of crowds. Nothing too amazing, I guess the setting is what was interesting. There are several rivers criss crossing the area and old chinese style bridges spanning them. That area was mainly local tourists and i only saw two other westerners there. Lol…stood out like a sore thumb.. Anyway, they have all manner of deepfried and roasted foods there. Including the smelly tofu, whole pigeon gizzards on a stick, a strange kind of coconut and tid bits all about. The feel is exactly what you would expect from an old chinese market. Cramped and smelly, lots of haggling. Reminded me alot of the bazar in Egypt i went too. Just that the language is different, as are the goods on sale. In Egypt it was assorted spices, lamps and clothes. For here it was toys, cheap clothes and all manner of chinese local produce. Its quite amazing really….cultures are so different but we all speak the language of trade and commerce.

Will be going out a bit later to seem some other sites. Will write again tonight if time allows. Going to be enrolling tomorrow! Which is always nice. A bit worried about the placement test, but nothing much i can do about it really. Looking forward to meeting some new people tomorrow and hopefully they are interesting. Will be good to find out more stories and experiences that they have to offer. Of course, I am hoping to meet some adventurous people and maybe get a group going to do some days trips out of the city. But we shall see!

Qi Bao Bridge Area. The over cast day made it nice to walk…but bad for shots :S

Wine But its a little early to be drinking

Laterns used to be an industry of the place

In one of the small side streets

Pu Dong skyline at night from The Bund in classic black and white

And in glorious colour!

Some of the smaller streets around Qi Bao

Modern rendition of the God of Longevity

This is probably my favourite shot of the day. I like it because…well it captures to me what Shang Hai is. The tourist and service industry is growing everyday. Times change and the role the people play is different. Yet despite that, some tradition endures. These two are probably chefs cooking chinese style dishes and are having a stroll round the foreign area. Their outfits are modern, yet the cooking styles and recipes dates back hundreds of years. Amid all that, their easy and sincere smile throws into focus the human spirit. That no matter the tough days, work and development, a smile will always be at the heart of showing human emotion