Back in Hong Kong

When Case and I left 5 years ago, a local barmaid said calmly: "You will miss Hong Kong".  True.  We did and do and it was so nice to get back there.  More crowded, if that is humanly possible, now, with busloads of mainland day trippers in for the luxury shopping (no extra takes on the inescapable Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, Gucci), it still feels calmer, more focused and relaxingly familiar.  The greenery really struck me, and the smell of the harbour, and the warmer, so much more breatheable air.  This trip in particular was fantastic because I was able to meet up with Peter A. Lewis, and his traveling companions Ulf and Karin....all back from their adventure in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Suzhou

Lucky enough to spend a day exploring Suzhou with new friends.  Known for it's classic gardens and silk industry, Suzhou is a canal city that dates back to the 6th century.  The old part is luckily preserved, and it is really pretty.  White buildings with black tile roofs border the canals, and the noise of the modern world is somewhat muffled.  The day was cold and rainy, but that didn't seem to deter the crowds, although we were reassured that this was better than say in the spring, when everyones descends to "enjoy" the gardens with 5 million other people.  The crowds do seem to impact the serenity somewhat, but it is beautiful nonetheless.  One garden in particular, Lion Grove, is famous for the rocks, which are brought up from the bottom of the lake and arranged in various formations throughout the garden. Completely different than the Japanese gardens, where you could sit in one spot and let it roll over you, Chinese gardens are a bit more unformed, maybe rougher, but they do grow on you.

Shopping

It seems there is no better way to learn a city than by shopping. Or maybe that's just me. The exploration of open markets brings everything together - it forces you to dive in, interact and communicate. And market shopping is not a place for neutral salespeople. Once an item is touched, a body appears. Asking, showing, anxiously trying to convince that this is the best, the least expensive, the most genuine thing. Somewhere between a mixture of chinese, english, and finally a mutual language of snorts, smiles, laughs and a calculator (and groans if you are successful), you reach understanding. The span of Shanghai is so vast, you can only pick a few areas at a time. This trip, made with a new co-worker friend Shiaw-Ling and her buddy Dan from Beijing, both old hands at market shopping in Shanghai, started at the "antiques" street, where nothing is older than a year old. Then we progressed to to Yu Gardens. Originally built by a filial son for his parents as a place of peaceful meditation, it now is surrounded by shops, teahouses, and food stalls. And a mass of humanity like I have never experienced. It makes shopping in Hong Kong on a Saturday look like child's play. Once inside the actual garden, it is indeed more peaceful. At least there is some breathing space to contemplate, if not meditate.