Yes, I'm Still Alive

Whew! I am sorry to not write in such a long time. Once I reached Hong Kong, it was difficult to secure a computer. So I will just provide a quick summary of what I've been up to.

Shanghai: I liked Shanghai, but as my first city in China, I was not overwhelmed by culture shock. It's not Chinatown, but it's not too much different either. The views of the Bund (where the Europeans built their offices) and the views of Shanghai's new skyscrapers are amazing, though a little tacky because it was almost too much. Still, it was like a light show. Even brighter was Nanjing Road which has so many neon lights on the facades of its buildings, it puts Times Square to shame. My only regret is that I did not see Shanghai 20 years ago when it was a swamp. What was farmland is now an economic powerhouse. Someone told me that between 2001 and 2004, Shanghai was completing at least one 25 story plus skyscraper EVERY DAY. Of course, whether these buildings will even be used is another story...

Shenzhen: On May 31st, we flew to Shenzhen. Shenzhen too has been built up by the government. Fifteen years ago, it was a fishing village of 30,000. Now it is about 800,000 people! We stayed there just for the night, and now found ourselves in a subtropical climate so it was pretty hot and humid. We just walked around the streets and watched the teenagers who eat street food and talk on the sidewalks every night.


Hong Kong: The next day, we crossed the border into Hong Kong. I was amazed at how green the city is. It is a cosmopolitan city that borders hills lush with trees and plants. Hong Kong island is actually very similar to New York. Same pace, same variety of offerings, but still very Asian. The subway is great, trolley trams still glide down the street, and there are very few private cars by comparison zooming down the street. HK has the world's most expensive car fees. We rented a room from a very nice family. A small woman named Leeli held the nightwatch and she was so sweet tending to our every need. She grew up in Indonesia, but had moved around so much, she could speak some 10 languages. I visited a monestary on Landau Island, home to the world's largest bronze seated Buddha. Very tranquil place situated so high in the clouds, I was engulfed by fog. We looked at the fantastic skyline (easily the world's best) along the promenade on Kowloon. Afterwards, Anne and I found a skanky gay bar and got drunk. One day it rained terribly so we saw X-Men 3 on the biggest movie screen I have ever seen. Hong Kong would be a cool place to live, but I don't know if the hot humid weather would suit me. It is difficult to secure a work visa too.

Macau: Anne and Brett needed to depart back to Shanghai, so I was on my own. I boarded a turbojet ferry to Macau, 35 km from HK. Macau is cool because it is the first place settled by Europeans in China. And it shows. The architecture of the city center is so European, it felt like I was in Portugal, not China. The history of the island was great, complemented by the modern elements like Macau Tower, the 10th tallest structure in the world. Macau is home to a thriving gambling industry. MGM Grand and Steve Wynn have already constructed casinos here.

Guangzhou: After Macau, I took a bus to Guangzhou which used to be known as Canton. There is no doubt I arrived in the rainy season because it did not stop raining with the exception of a few hours. I managed to walk around the cute little island I was staying on, Shamian Island. I saw so many white people walking around with strollers and there were so many baby clothes stores. Why? This is where many westerners stay while they adopt Chinese babies!
The rest of Guangzhou was nothing to write home about. Maybe because it was raining, but maybe because the infrastructure was so poor. Just lakes of water everywhere with people on their toes trying not to soak their feet in dirty water. That reminds me, the Pearl River, kind of like a toilet. The sight of people selling fish laid out on the floor of the pedestrian tunnel didn't sit well with my stomach or nose.

Guilin: The next day, I headed to the train station for my first Chinese train experience en route to Guilin. I arrived at the station and I asked myself when the Red Cross would arrive. I can best describe the station as being what the Superdome probably looked like during Katrina. Food, trash, hot sweaty people sitting on the floor everywhere waiting for their train. Not sure why so many were waiting, but once I boarded the train, it was pretty nice. I befriended an English couple who have been backpacking since November starting in New Zealand. I then sat in the dining car and drank wine with a Belgium couple. I'll probably see both of them around the city, and when I go to the backpacker's haven, the city of Yangshou later.

That's all for now. I'll try to keep up, and I'll throw some pictures in too when I get a chance. The picture above is Hong Kong.