China - Part 2�

2004-10-22

My latest plan is to include a bit of a current entry before I put in my China entry. The world keeps turning no matter what I did yesterday.

I don't know if I have the worlds worst case of jet lag or what. The first couple of days after we got home I slept 16 to 18 hours a day. The Wonderful Spouse, too, oddly enough. I'm not sleeping quite that much, but still way too much. How long should I live with this before I go see my doc?

Before we went, I volunteered to work at one of my Dad's highschool reunions. Remind me not to volunteer for anything immediately after a long trip.

Dad decided I should video the scene, along with my brother-in-law. B-I-L has done this on several occasions. I've never used a videocam before. At least Dad asked which one I wanted to use and I picked the small one. After five hours of holding up the small one my wrists and arms were shaking.

Note to self: Include wrist and arm exercises in daily workout.

China - Part 2

When we flew into Beijing, I noted to the Spouse how much it looked like everywhere else I�ve flown into. He concurred. The differences between home and here were very small when viewed by air.

Hu Tong Tour (Wellspring Houses) Summer Palace

Way too long a day today. I don't think anyone took into account how tired we would be after all of the travel. We�d all pretty been up for nearly 48 hours by the end of the day.

Added to that our national guide loves to hear himself talk. He knows his stuff, but he never shuts up.

He also took us to a place that served a very crappy imitation of Western food for dinner. Which just happened to be next to a government shop. If we make any purchases at such a shop, he gets a cut.

The stuff in the government stores is all crap. Nothing you couldn�t get at home for less. Nothing you would really even want to bring home for the most part. Unless, of course, you like plastic imitation sculpture.

I liked the Hu Tong tour. The guide said that these neighborhoods were built around wells or springs, and most of the neighborhoods have been torn down to make way for modern buildings. Except for a few neighborhoods that have been �preserved� for tourists. Does that mean that they are also preserving the poverty of the people that live in the buildings?

I saw one young mother run out of one of the house with her baby held out in front of her. I didn�t know what she was doing until the baby started pooping. Right in the street. . I understand the pragmatism; diapers cost money, but if you�re going to China, be careful where you walk. This was an endemic behavior

After a few moments in this neighborhood, I started to feel uncomfortable. I was a voyeur. It was fascinating, but I still felt like an intruder in someone else�s private life. After a couple of more intimate shots I started sticking with the outsides of the buildings. And felt like I could live with that much more easily than intruding on people.

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