Letter 10
Wednesday 21.04.10
Today I was biking all afternoon. I think I left at 13 o'clock. First I went to
a shopping and walking street area where I hadn't been before. Went through it
in all directions. There was a huge underground area witth tiny shops in "streets".
I look at a small pair of binoculars in stead of that I lost with all the rest
of my equipment in Maoxian. 8 x 2,5 is 289 RMB. Another one 12 x 2,5 something
like it. It's too much I think. The old one which was bought in Aldi was only
99,- d.kr. I think.
And that was sufficient. It's not that cheap here. I practise taking "discrete"
pictures. I don't like to put my camera up the nose to people - and they don't
look natural then. So when I want to take a picture of somebody walking in my
direction I get the camera ready. Sometimes I can zoom by looking down at the
screen from a steep angle. Then I'm ready. Now I look around in all other
directions and when I find they're at the right distance, I press the button,
while I look away. I don't succeed everytime but after some practise I'll surely
improve.
At some time I go and get my bike at the parking guard, it's only 3 jiao. I
don't know which expenses he has, but 1000 bikes a day, which seems realistic,
gives 300 RMB a day. When a street cleaner gets 600 a month it's not bad. But
there must be more to it. They don't look like they earn THAT much.
Illegal vehicle in the walking street | Recycling |
Afterwards I go to a park with a lot of different kinds of bamboo. And a great
number of tea houses, where men and women, most elderly, sit and play and drink
tea.
Somebody is practising these spinning tops that you get turning with two sticks
tied together with a line. Some of them make sounds when they move fast.
Others are practising tai chi, or what ever it is. They're led by a voice from a
taperecorder.
I need to pee. Later I find out there are several toilets, but just then I
choose the one closest to the tea houses. There's a que - even to the mens
urinal.
I want to go passed something called Tibetan Religious Art Street in the map,
and roll ahead. Unfortunately I confuse the first and the second ringroad. I
think I'm on the first. But I am on the second. So I get lost and end up going
across the city all the way to the river. It's on purpose I go there, because
even it's a detour, I can go fast on the left side of the river.
But it's 18.30 when I reach back. It's hard to ride in the rrush hour here I
have to say. I'm quite exhausted. Have acup of tea and some cookies that taste
of - onion?
Afterwards it's time to eat. It's time for my favourite once more: "Gong Bao Ji
Ding". This time I takee it "no spicy". Last time they'd only halfed the amount
of insanely hot chilies. I'm going to have an early night.
Tableau from a tea house | Tai Chi in the park |