Window Of the World - Amusement Park

One of my most favorite movies is “Overboard” with Goldie Hawn. In it- one of projects that her pseudo husband makes- is a putt-putt golf course with tacky copies of the 7 Wonders of the World to “teach the people of Elks Cove” about the wonders outside their area… Well this place was a lot like that. The Changsha park, "Window of The World", is filled with miniatures of famous places with scary rides thrown in for good measure.

You enter the park thru the LOUVER Glass Pyramid, you walk around a small lake to see the Statue of Liberty located in MAMHATTEN and the SIDNEY Opera House, London Bridge on semi-dry land (it was drizzling), around the Pyramids and Sphinx located in the lake, pass the “Hill of Presidents” (Mount Rushmore) which is located in South DAKOTO, by the heavily graffiti-ed Alamo, Cowboy Fast Food Shop, and the TOTERN (Totem Pole) PILLER. There were many more mistakes in translation but we got bored with looking for them.

It was sort of fun trying to figure out if I could remember where the replicas were from and it made me realize that there were still a lot of places I wanted to see in the world.

Re-Gifting

March 8th was “Women’s Day”and the students brought their female teachers flowers. Since I don’t have any students yet – Cynthia gave me (regifted) her spare bouquet and a really tacky glass vase that we snickered about. (Some Nerds at this school seem to lack good taste- It probably is a good thing that they wear uniforms and don’t have to pick out their own clothes)

Side Note – besides the Chinese inventing all sorts of great things – I am positive they also invented “ReGifting”. They are so skillful. I know why lots of their meats are dried and salted – so they can regift it over and over and it doesn’t go bad. Cynthia’s father is an adviser of many PhD students at his university. It is customary to give the adviser elaborate gifts – LARGE statues, artwork, rugs, silk flower arrangements, etc. Cynthia’s new apartment is furnished (regifted) by many of her dad’s presents, even I have been lucky enough to be regifted with some of his bounty – Tea and Fruit. Let’s regift more often……

Walk In the Park

Just a short walk from my noisy apartment is Martyr’s Park, which is a fairly large park and lake. I first ventured there a week ago on a white and cold day. Amazing, how it suddenly turns quiet when you get in the shelter of the trees …Quiet until you get to the lake area and they are blasting some Chinese music or Karaoke. I guess they don’t want you getting too comfortable with the very rare silence.

Last Saturday morning it was warm, sunny (and white) and filled with lots of families. Not as quiet but definitely more interesting. There were so many young children – it didn’t appear that China is actually following the 1 child policy.

Barry’s Beach Service – Chinese Style

Hey Barry – these guys, when they rent out the umbrellas and chairs they give you free tea….. least you could do is pass out free sunscreen…..

PS almost got hit by a cement truck trying to cross the street when leaving the riverside park. It is definitely survival of the fittest, and quickest – and yes Paula we were crossing at a crosswalk……

Fireworks – Chinese Style

Hunan Province has one of the largest firework factories in China and they seem to enjoy demonstrating that fact FREQUENTLY and not just during the night. When they open a new store, a baby is born, a floor is finished on a new building, a birthday or just because, they will set off huge rolls or boxes of firecrackers. With all the building that is going on in China – you generally can hear them hourly.

There is an island and river dividing the city of Changsha. Every Saturday night, if it is not raining, they have fireworks. The college students on the other side of the river (and where Cynthia parents live) line the riverbanks to watch. After an afternoon of shopping and eating in town we joined them for the 8 o’clock show. It puts our 4^th of July SSI fireworks to shame. They had 5 stations set up along about ¼ mile stretch of the island. I just kept clicking away on my camera figuring the law of averages would work for me. I just love digital cameras.

Side Note – on the long narrow island is a park and a HUGE sculpture of Mao’s head – it sort of looks like the sphinx from far away. Taking and posting a picture of that is one of my goals.

East Gate Street Picnic

There are lots of restaurants outside the east gate of the university. One of them is the round table pictured. Unlike most established eating establishments this one is on the sidewalk. Stools and a boiling pot of soup in the middle with lots of sticks poking out of it. You pick the sticks you want to eat and when done - the owner counts how many sticks you have for the cost. It was 11 yuan ($1.60) for BOTH our dinners. And Cynthia and I had lots of sticks…… rice noodles, beef meat balls, mushroom/pork meatballs, mushrooms, tofu, green lettucey things, lotus root, bamboo shoots, and a couple more that I can’t even describe. It was spicy and good and cheap and surprisingly filling.

Laundry Day

This is my laundry hanging in my second bedroom – no dryer. You generally see the laundry hanging outside on balconies, windows, trees or laid on top of bushes but since I have an empty bedroom I decided to rig up a clothesline inside. It takes a little longer (3 days for jeans) but the air is a little cleaner. The tiny clothes washer is situated inside the small bathroom. You scoot the machine into the middle of the bathroom so that the plug will stretch to the outlet on the other side.

Cynthia and I met in town Saturday afternoon for a pseudo American day - we ate a snack at a German bakery, shopped at Walmart, watched an American movie "I Am 4" and ate dinner at Subway - I was able to ride the bus to and from (Cynthia was with her folks on the other side of the bridge) my apartment all by myself and not get lost - about 20-30 minute ride - I am still not sure I can navigate the construction and crowds to get from the bus stop to Walmart by myself but at least I can get into town.