Tales of Asia - Part 11, Lost in Guangzhou (again)

On Saturday, 16th September, I went up to Guangzhou (GZ) again for the third time.

The trip started off a little unsteadily. Taxi's from my apartment in Tsim Sha Tsui to Hung Hom Staion were slow and so I only got to the station by the skin of my teeth only to find out that the train I was scheduled to go on was cancelled. I had to wait for another hour for the next one but that was no problem as I explored the large station complex in the meantime. The train finally left and I got to GZ mid-afternoon.

I booked into a hotel near the park that I explored the first time I was in GZ as I like that part of that city. The first time I stayed in GZ the hotel that I was staying at was on the other side of the city and it took a long time to get over to that park so I could see the historical sites and buildings. Anyway, this time I was in the right part of town. In the evening I wandered down the street, found a Chinese massage place that looked okay and went in and had a one-hour foot massage.

The next morning I went for a walk, had some breakfast and then took a taxi to a place called Shamian. This place is essentially an island that sits on the Pearl River. It is a place where envoys from the West made their home at the early part of the century when they tried to set up trade relationships with China. The architecture is really interesting to look at as there are buildings designed and constructed to resemble French, English, American, Indian, Japanese, and all other matter of architecture from the turn-of-the-century circa 1900. The streets are set out in a grid pattern and it is a really nice place in a park environment to spend a few hours. After I had wandered around there for while, I decided to come back later and take some video footage as somebody told me that it looked really nice there at night.

I then decided to catch the taxi back to the massage place near the hotel. I then had a two-hour body massage and a one-hour foot massage. I felt like a new guy after it was finished. A taxi back to Shamian to take some video footage and then a taxi back to near my hotel and had some dinner. All in all, a nice day.

Next morning, I just really got up and took the subway system to the Guangzhou East station where I caught the train back to Hong Kong.

A few people have asked me why I go to Guangzhou and Shenzhen in mainland China many times. They sometimes seem a little confused at my answer which is "because I can". What they don't realise is that, for many years, I never travelled outside Australia. Now that I am able to travel, I am just so happy to be in Asia where I always wanted to be. When I get the chance to go " to China" and it's so easy just to go and get on a train to get there, I just go to the train station and take the opportunity to go " to China" one more time.

Bye for now.

Best wishes to you all.

Alan

Tales of Asia - Quote of the Day - Posted September 20th 2006

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.

-- Lao Tzu

Tales of Asia - Quote of the Day - Posted 11 September 2006

Before you judge someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you judge them, you are a mile away and you have their shoes.

- Unknown -

Tales of Asia - Part 10 - Lost in Guangzhou, China

Late in August and again early in September, I took the opportunity for a couple of quick trips up to the Gateway of Southern China, Guangzhou. (pronounced something like "Gwon Joe"). This city is close to Hong Kong and only takes two hours on the express train.

Guangzhou is the capital city of Guangdong, and the center of its political, economic, scientific, educational and cultural life. Sui (Ears of Rice) is short for Guangzhou and the City of Ram (Yang Cheng) is also an alias of Guangzhou. Guangzhou is located north of the Pearl River Delta. It lies close to the South China Sea, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Covering an area of 7434.4 square kilometers (2870 square miles), Guangzhou is home to more than 11 million people, including a 3.7 million transitory population. With the opening of China to the outside world, a large number of people from other regions of China swarmed into Guangzhou, one of the first “open” cities in China. This has accelerated its economic development.

Guangzhou is also a famous historical city. In ancient days, Guangzhou was the capital city for three Chinese dynasties: the Nan Yue (South Yue), the Nan Han (South Han) and the Nanming (South Ming). Thus it was put in the list of the 24 most famous historical cultural cities and became a tourist destination. You can not understand most Chinese cities deeply until you know their history. This is true of Guangzhou. Many historic sights: the Western Han Nanyue King's Tomb Museum, the Zhenhai Tower and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall tell us the 2,000-year history of Guangzhou.

Today, Guangzhou retains its ancient customs, but is also a large city full of vigor and current fashions. You can find something worth taking home in Shangxia Jiu Lu, Beijing Lu and Di Shi Fu Lu.

During my travels in Guanzhou I visited Zhen Hai Lou. This was built during the Ming Dynasty as a five-story tower located at the hilltop of Yue Xiu Park. This is one of the oldest edifices of Guangzhou which was originally used as a watch tower. Nowadays it has become a museum showcasing Han porcelains, artifacts and treasures.

I also visited the largest park of Guangzhou, home to the Statue of the Five Goats statue and Zhen Hai Lou. It's situated on the Yue Xiu Mountain as well as six other minor mountains. Besides the beautiful views the park offers, there are other famous edifices such as the Five Rams Statue, the River View Pagoda of Ming Dynasty, the Tomb of King Nanyue of Eastern Han, and the Cannons of Ching Dynasty.

There are many other places of interest in Guanzhou such as the Jade Market, rows and rows of merchants in buildings selling precious jade and other stones. if you go make sure you cut the merchants opening price in half to start with. The Chinese have a belief that foreigners have loads of money and therfore should pay a highre price than Chinese people. Don't take this as an insult, just acccept it for what it is and bargain for a "Chinese" price. You'll be amazed at the bargains. (for example an RMB135o pair of shoes in Shenzhen a week prior was bought at a final price of RMB50. Yes, its not a typing mistake, I said RMB1350 to RMB50 in less than 5 minutes)

Until next time, this is Tales of Asia signing off.

Tales of Asia - Quote of the Day - Posted 9 September 2006

Eighty percent of success is showing up.

- Woody Allen

Tales of Asia - Quote of the Day - Posted 9 September 2006

Never hate your enemies, it affects your judgement.

- Michael Corleone

Tales of Asia - Part 9 - Lost in Melbourne (again)

Sunday the 30th of July 2006 found my wonderful daughter Alana arriving in Hong Kong to spend a week with me. Alana had previously come to Hong Kong with me last December but had returned home soon after because her grandfather was sick at that time. Alana returned to have a weeks holiday with me and do things that we missed out doing the time before.

During the week that Alana was here we were able to have a look around Hong Kong, go up to the China mainland to Shenzhen and have body and foot massages for three hours and then go shopping afterwards. We went to Macau on a high-speed ferry and then returned on the ferry during a Typhoon Signal 3 warning whilst many people were calling for Ralph in paper bags. We had a great time enjoying our time together as dad and daughter.

When the week was over, on the 6th of August, Alana and I both boarded a plane and flew off in the direction of Australia. We had been under the impression we were going to Melbourne so when the plane landed in Adelaide we were a little perplexed. Things were okay though and soon we were on the same plane again hopping over to Melbourne. We hadn't been made aware that the plane goes in a Hong Kong-Adelaide-Melbourne-Hong Kong circle. Alana's mum Sue came to meet her at the airport and graciously offered me a lift home which I gratefully accepted.

A word in passing on ex-partners. I know a lot of people who are either separated or divorced and hold resentment, anger or blame towards their ex-partner. Whenever these people talk about their ex-partner it seems that they talk about them with disdain and negativity. I have been privileged to be in a situation where Sue and I have been divorced for some years now and both wish each other well. I don't think that my divorced relationship with my ex-wife could be any better than that currently is. Thanks Sue.

Anyway, after Sue gave me a lift home and I had an emotional reunion with my cat Stussy the Incredibly Amazing Wondercat, I unpacked my bags, got squared away and got prepared for my two weeks in Melbourne. What a two-week period it was going to turn out to be!

During the next two weeks I was able to meet with members of my staff at my office in Melbourne. I must say that there is a deep sense of satisfaction when a person can come back to a business after being away for some time to find that the business is performing exactly as it should be performing. This consistency is directly attributable to the wonderful people who work in my business and who are so loyal and dedicated, hard-working and conscientious. Thanks everyone.

Musically, I played in the three bands that I perform with when I am living in Melbourne. The three bands are Loose Connections (a three-piece acoustic outfit), The Screaming Teabags (a blues/jazz/funk outfit) and Kool Change (formerly Audio Assassins who are a rock covers band). It was great to catch up with all of my friends again and to be able to play music with them. Although we are all amateurs in the sense that we have other jobs and do not rely on music for a livelihood, the sound and the attitudes are always professional. In particular, it was great to see the growth of the band Kool Change who I joined for their performance at a private function at the Point Cook Air Force Base on the middle Saturday night of my stay.

I was also able to attend a couple of other musical events, one being to go and see my mate Wayne Trethowan perform in his band Oz Rock Revolution at the Bayswater Hotel. The band was really great performing covers of classic Australian rock songs and the sticky carpet at "The Baysy" well..thats another story. Wayne is the general manager of a multinational company in the same area of endeavour that I am in and is affectionately nicknamed "Poosey Bear". Each year Wayne hosts an day long outdoor rock concert in Eltham called "Bearstock" (after "Poosey Bear" and Woodstock). Bands play throughout the day and there is a hippy theme where guests come dressed in 60's and 70's gear and look as hip as possible. Its a great day.

The other music event I attended was a Weekend Warrior concert held on Sunday afternoon at the Croxton Park Hotel. The Weekend Warrior organisation helps get mature aged musicians (regardless of skill level) back out in public and playing music in concerts. As the inaugral President for two years of the Weekend Warrior music association in Victoria it was my pleasure to go along and see more musicians being presented to the public for the first time in many years. Well done to everyone, organisers, musicians, supporters and families.

Socially, I was able to catch up with many of my friends but unfortunately I was not able to catch out with everyone that I would have liked to. I had purposely made this trip two weeks in duration so that I could do everything I wanted to do and catch up with everybody I wanted to see, but time just got away from me. Next time I might have to stay in Melbourne for longer. As it was, I didn't even get to spend one evening relaxing in my own house as I will always be out seeing people and getting home late in the night.

A couple of highlights for me personally this time was having lunch with my good friend Mark Navin (he's the guy I wrote about after my last trip to Melbourne). Mark is a great guy, one of those really decent and wholesome human beings that you come across from time to time and you just feel like it like to be friends with forever. Having dinner with Greg and his partner Halia at their house in Eltham the night before I went home was also another highlight. Greg is the percussionist/backing vocalist for Loose Connections and his house is set in a bushland setting in Eltham. I was accompanied on the night by my close friend Melissa Ding and drove out to Greg and Halia's house in Melissa's Porsche Boxster. It was raining so letterbox signs or house signs were difficult to see. In the end Melissa and I were driving up and down the road for about 30 minutes trying to find Greg and Halia's house until I had to ring them up on the phone to ask for their assistance. As it turns out we were parked directly opposite their house but would never have known.

A major highlight of my trip back to Melbourne this time was to check out my son Dylan's new business PSX Playstation Extreme. The business provides Playstation and Xbox repairs, upgrades, accessories and software. It was wonderful to see Dylan in his business which although in its early days of operation showed signs of being very successful. Dylan has had to qualify himself in game console repairs, learn how to run a business and then start a new business all from an idea he had a little while ago. I was very proud as his father to see him making his way in life and ensuring a way of being self-supporting through his own contributions. Well done mate.

All too soon my trip to Melbourne was over and on the 19th of August 2006 I boarded a plane again and came back to Hong Kong. It was interesting for me to note my own thoughts that, when leaving Hong Kong, I felt like I was leaving home to go somewhere. When I was in Australia and leaving to come back to Hong Kong and the feeling was leaving home to go home. So it's a bit weird.

While in Melbourne they also came to the realisation that I have a fantastic life in Melbourne while at the same time having a fantastic life in Hong Kong. The quality problem that I have from this realisation is I have a fantastic life overall. How lucky am I.

Until next time, this is the intrepid traveller signing off and wishing you all well.