Of pandas and tea

Fujian: Typing this half drunk. Had too much brandy, but the night was topped off by a visit to a kungfu teahouse - highlight of this trip because I do love Chinese tea. While I am not a connoisseur, it is still an experience that is difficult to come by. The other highlights were the conversations during the meals - the first was a discussion revolving around the more cerebral matters from social studies, to what photos Pandas look best in (black & white! ha ha ha), and the second was about how this person's family was almost ruined because of the Cultural Revolution. My fascination with Mao has always been about how he was able to galvanise an entire country and drive it to the ground with everyone still treating him with godlike reverance.  

Mao statue in Fuzhou

And I have always wanted to ask the older generations of Chinese who had been through the Cultural Revolution, about how they felt and what exactly happened. It was a eye-opening discussion.  This person's famliy was previously above average, maybe just slightly above the peasants. But because of the Cultural Revolution, the family was reduced to having nothing. He then had to pick himself up and has since created an even larger empire but not without hardship. It is stories like these that make me really really really glad that we have had a stable life growing up. Our hardships were probably silly things like - darn, I kena police in catching again! or the occasional super siong exam. Not needing to live hand to mouth has been a real blessing. Reminder to thank God for putting me in Singapore.

Anyway, here are some photos of beautiful Fujian. I can't wait to get to the Tulous (Dawn! Are you reading this!)



taken during the train ride




bookmark in hotel room about Tulou

Here's the kungfu tea set up. I do wish I can have something like this in my home in Shanghai but it is a bit crazy to do 茶道for one person. So I'm gonna stick to my ceramic tea cup.... heh.

And, for some of you who wonder what a train station in China looks like, nah! Yes, it is a bump and squeeze and push situation, but the train itself is comfortable and clean. Who's game? 



waiting area - always difficult to find a seat



mad rush to the right cabin - and I do mean mad

 And finally, some uber random shots:

ginormous dining room - we had to use loudspeakers to talk to each other



have you seen so many goldfish!! we were in a seafood restaurant and I had a genuine noooooo!!!! moment
when I thought they were gonna order steamed goldfish. voms...

xoxo,
Tracy



Don't spit, I know just what you're thinking...

Fujian: Had the most amazing plane ride today from Shanghai to Fuzhou, Fujian. There was no one yelling, no one perpetually coughing, or worse, clearing throat in preparation for a massive spit, no screaming kids, and no one jostling to grab bags and dash out like his ass on fire! Some of the worst transport experiences I have had since coming to China:
1.  Two kids yelling slogans the ENTIRE 2 hour flight and their parents and grandparents laughing as if they were the funniest comedians ever;
2.  Man who kept shaking his leg so violently the entire row in front of him shook like we were experiencing turbulence except I was on a train;
3.  Man who kept spitting and spitting and spitting - seriously, how much phlegm can a person have?! If you have so much, you are probably super sick, which also means you shouldn't be on a public transport;
4.  Man who put his arms all over the arm-rest then kept snorting, then took off his shoes and put his feet on the seat in front before sitting like a rickshaw rider. The Russian cellist has nothing on this guy.
5.  Man who was so afraid he would miss out on some massive discount in LV (except there is no such thing) that he rather stood so close to the man in front of him when disembarking the plane than to let me out of my row. He was full body on body with the man in front - I'm surprised the man in front didn't feel any thing pricking him in his back. In any case, this chap ended up on the same bus as me, and further back from the queue at immigration. Pui!
6.  The now infamous 10-hour delay in the Guangzhou airport which has made it to my official blacklist. Double pui! 

Nothing better to show for the above except a blurry picture of the Fuzhou airport, in case anyone is wondering what a Chinese airport looks like ha ha...

But separately, being here makes me wish I asked my grandfather which province and village he had come from and why he braved the seas to come to Singapore. I'm so glad he was courageous enough to have done that.

xoxo,
Tracy

Cheers to a new life!

So I'm 1.5 months into the new role and life in China and I've decided I should get started on this blog thing. Why? Because I have an incredibly short memory and this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing that I think I should try not to forget. And in my past 1.5 months in China, I've already seen a 100 new and interesting - some warped, some off, some downright gross, but most rather cool - things and places. It would be a pity if I forget all these after my 3 years here (including the gross stuff).

To start things off, here's one of the most beautiful places in China - Hangzhou's West Lake. Many a ode has been paid to this place, and it is home of one of the greatest poets/statesman during the Song dynasty, Su Dongpo. It is also home to Ji Gong (the nutty monk who ate meat), Xi Shi (one of the 4 great  ancient Chinese beauties - I love her name the most!) and the story of Zhu Yingtai and Liang Sanbo, the starcrossed lovers who turned into butterflies to be together forever. How not to be enamoured by this place? It is my third time here and each time I fall a little more in love with this place.  The guide went on and on about how some of the phrases and idioms came about because of this place and its history. That's partly why I am now determined to make the most of my time here (maybe read the Dream of the Red Chambers in Chinese!) and learn more about the culture of this place! 

There is a lot more to share about the past 1.5 months so I'm gonna take my time putting them up. Let's see how long I can tahan ah! Wish me luck!

xoxo, 

Tracy