Beijing

Beijing 5/9
(another retro post)

First impressions of Beijing, not what I expected but I rather expected that. I suppose that I'm not letting out any state secrets when I say that it's massive, massive in every respect. The motorway from the airport into the city is at least 5 lanes in both directions but on either side there are neat rows of trees of varying heights equivalent to another 3 lanes. None of which was here 10 or even 3 years ago.
Then I am in my hotel, total time from Auckland less than 16 hours. The hotel is very fine as good as anything I have ever been in an offical 4 stars, and 10 minutes walk from Tianamen square.
After check in cool down chill out clean up and a cup of green tea a few of the delegation get together for a stroll to the famous square. my first impressions of which were an odd sense of quasi- Deja Vu an odd sort of sensation that has been folloowing me around in China a lot.
Its the sensation that you have seen this p[lace before combined with the absolute certainty that you haven't. The hundreds of pictures, scores of books and dozens of movies I have seen st in and about Beijing make this place instantly recognisable but the photos cannot reproduce the scale of the place or what my old philosophy professor called "The Qualia" the actually feeling of being there and doing it. I take a few pictures ( will try to post them soon) and while lining up for the perfect shot of the portrait of Mao over the gate the Deja Vu strikes me again as I review the shot I realise that I have seen it before and that I must have been standing on the same spot that all the other ones must have been taken nut now it's megapixel digital not monochrome film and it's hundreds of 4 door sedans cruising past not thousands of bicycles.

Rainy National day in Mianyang

So its national day October the first,
After a few days messing around and a few more trying to get this PC to reset to English I am posting again. Its another "Golden Week" which is Chinese term meaning "Crazy Week".
A few years ago the central government had this great idea that they could actually stimulate the local economy by mandating a few weeks holiday every year, the now infamous Golden weeks. It certainly worked, up to a point. Everyone who can goes some where and does something, restaurants train stations hotels and senic spots are choked and I suppose that everyone will return to work more stressed out and obviously lighter in the pocket.
I'm staying well out of it, I've done my touring for a while but tommorrow I will go to the (second) wedding of my (former) boss and his (former) employee.
Should be crazy

The Flight, Auckland - Hong Kong - Beijing

Auckland 4/9/07

The flight was good, well good enough. I certainly hope that I never become so cynical that I forget what a marvel intercontinental air travel is, although I suspect that with more exposure to it that I may.
My heart still feels a thrill when I get up close to a 747. It's an old design now but still a magnificent bird, it's lines and size are quite remarkable.
The size of the economy class seats are remarkable too, they, like the meals are a modern marvel of miniaturisation.
But then its a miracle that I am eating at all at 10,000 meters up in the air zooming along over the Pacific ocean Auckland to Hong Kong in 11 hours, so I won't allow myself to complain too much.
The in-flight entertainment I did enjoy. The Air New Zealand seat mounted media screens have a huge selection of TV, movies, games and other time wasters.
I watched 2 episodes of The Simpsons (Classic) 1 episode of Flight of the Conchords (Excellent) and 3 episodes of Little Britian (bloody hilarious).
But as for time wasters I did watch all of Bridge to Terebithia.

Mini-Movie review

The Bridge to Terebithia

Starring; That dude who played the evil robot in Terminator 2

and

A couple of bratty kids

Maybe it was all my fault. Expecting some sort of C.S. Lewis, Tolkienesque movie where youngsters discover an alternative reality, battle some Cave Trolls, knock over a few Orcs and generally give the Dark Lord a kick in the sack. But instead I got coming of age, discover your true self, the power of friendship,innocence, imagination.

Utter drek, avoid.

We didn't get so see much of Hong Kong at all, like the last time I was here this was just transit. But the madcap rush through the aiport to make my connecting flight on to Beijing was really something else. The airport is another modern marvel, massive, clean and efficient. Our incoming international was contected to the out going (semi) domestic flight to Beijing by a combination of an underground train and a cute little Chinese girl running in a very dignified manner at a surprising high speed in heels.

We got to the next gate with 5 minutes to spare

I am becoming increasingly convinced that this whole country is being run by women. They knew I was coming before I got there and where I had to go before I even knew where I was, and with their sign with my (and the other NZCFS guys) name on it greeting me as I got off the air bridge they even showed they knew who I was, which is something that I am constantly having trouble with.

2 1/2 hours onto Beijing a perfunctory customs check, another highly efficent pick up an airconditioned bus to take us into the great city itself.

Whats Going On ?

Yes it finally works after several troubled atempts I have got this blog loaded up. I am currently staying in Mianyang city Sichuan province at the apartment of my good friend Graham J.
There have been all sorts of amazing things seen and done between the time I left and today but I am not going to post it all at once, I'll collect my writings and thoughts and post them in a some what delayed but more accurate and exciting form.

Introductions and Affliations

Expecting that somebody at some stage may read this blog some sort of introduction maybe in order,
My profile is rather vague but as some people care about these things I will have to include some details of a more personal and political nature,
I have in my years so far been a member of such groups as The Roman Catholic Church (current) and A.C.T New Zealand (lapsed), The Theosophical Society (didn't pay my dues but they will pick me up on my next incarnation) and The Victoria University of Wellingtons' Monty Python Club.
If anyone can tell me which of those associations is most detached from reality please let me know.
I recently checked myself out on The Political Compass Test. It's a bizare little test only slightly more rigouous than a "Are you hot in bed ?" test from a glossy fashion mag but good on them for trying. At least they have 2 axes to measure your self on giving 4 quadrants in total.
I ended up in the Libertarian Left quadrant, a lonely piece of territory inhabited by such people as Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Llama, Horray for me !
I wonder who would win in a fight between the Dalai Llama and Nelson Mandela ? That could be a question for Spaceman Jack Dee to answer later.
I was also a founding member of the Wairarapa branch of the New Zealand China Friendship Society, which is considerably less bizarre than any of those other groups and by far the smallest.
I mention this because the NZCFS is indirectly the reason I am returning to China.
In 2007 it will be 80 years since Rewi Alley cultural hero of the NZCFS first arrived in China.
In August 1927 he stepped of the boat in Shanghai, just in time to be part of the worlds' largest nations' most brutal civil war, invasion and revolution.
He stayed for 60 years, I'm not planing to do any of that but we will have to see how it goes