Breakfast: Noodles being made at the local univeristy cafeteria. Noodles, soy sauce, chilli, pickles, and cilantro. they love cilantro here.
So this weekend I decide to visit my main man Fu YiLin (I have his permission) in Hangzhou. I’ve never been to HZ, but this is the city of West Lake, a really popular tourist attraction in China. Also, it’s not as a big city as Shangahi and lots of rich people and retirees come to settle in HZ because it’s so beautiful, or so I’ve been told. So Friday after work, I go back home to get changed and grab my stuff, and MLK is going to go with me. I told him I’ll meet him at the train station. Now MLK and I have a tenuous relationship and I think he knows it too, but I’m not going to discuss the details here. Anyways, so I’m waiting to take the subway to the train station, and I swear I look at which direction it’s going and I get on the train and two stops later I realize I’m going the wrong way, and my train will leave in 40 minutes. Thankfully, I get off and get back on the right direction and make it in time for the train. Phew. We get to HZ and Fu Yi Lin is waiting for us and we take a cab back to the hotel he has arranged. Excellent Hotel, it’s brand new which is good because everything is clean, and I feel comfortable.
MLK goes back to his friends place, he graduated from the university in HZ. So Fu YiLin and I decide to make a trip to West Lake at night. We walked through some bamboo gardens which are very peaceful and finally made it to West Lake. It’s huge, I mean I don’t think it’s any of the great lakes huge, but it ain’t no pond either. I’m really tired since we walked a good hour or so and we take a taxi back. I get back and I crash.
Next morning SW and MLK came by the in the morning and we had noodles for breakfast. Oh here’s a note, if you are into some sort of low carb atkins bullshit diet, don’t come to china, this is the land of rice, noodles, and bao zi and dumplings. Lots of carbs and lots of processed carbs. So yeah have fun with that. Oh and guess who did one of those diets, yeah you’re lookin at him. EGH. Really sometimes I truly despise myself.
So we hit up west lake again, it was hazy, but its nice you know. I’ve seen better, but its nice. To be honest, I'm surprised how much my chinese colleagues and friends rave about this place. It's nice, but from their description I was expecting more, but I didn't see a lot of the city. There isa lot of history there I don't know about either. Ancient poets, warriors, legends, etc.
So we hit up west lake again, it was hazy, but its nice you know. I’ve seen better, but its nice. To be honest, I'm surprised how much my chinese colleagues and friends rave about this place. It's nice, but from their description I was expecting more, but I didn't see a lot of the city. There isa lot of history there I don't know about either. Ancient poets, warriors, legends, etc.
We rented a small boat for an hour and relaxed in the water. I took a little nap…mmm naps. Love naps. We had lunch and the guys took care of me. Unbelievable, the whole weekend, they paid for everything and when I thought I would pay the final lunch on Sunday morning, MLK beat me to it, the cheeky bastard. Didn’t know he had it in him. Man these guys are in school and really don’t have that much cash at their disposal and still took care of me like a king and they just refused to let me pay for anything. What can you say huh?
Anyways, then we played some ball at the local university outdoor courts. The talent, I’d say on a scale of 1-10 they’d be about 5 or 6. There was this kid, a freshman probably, who really was a damn assassin. He definitely shot from the outside close to 60%. You could not leave him open and he never missed two in a row. Moved without the ball, rebounded and he was only about 5’8”. Really fun to play with. We played for about an hour and half and then went to dinner Now this part of the university is about an hour bus ride from West Lake and it’s pretty brand spanking new. I might have some pictures.
I didn’t check out any of the buildings inside other than the cafetiera. There are two levels, the more expensive one and the common one. Which I guess you can find in universities stateside as well. Oh andby the way, the courts are crazy. This out door court, which is one of several in the univeristy, had a total of 30 half courts, and each had at leasta 4 on 4 game going and several people waiting. 300 kids, at least, easy. that's just one set of courts....unbelievable. sports/shoe company wet dream. It's just that these kids are in the university and couldn't afford your average Nike shoe, not by a long shot, but they love it, they really love it. the whole basketball culture. I've played with a guy who's goal is to collect all 2o some Jordan shoes. He wore Jordan's favorite pair the other day, the one he wore during the 72 win season. I love basketball, but there is no way, I plunk down 150 for a pair of shoes.
Aftewards, more bball this time with Fu Yilin’s friends. The competition was slightly better and there was one court where some serious ballers were playing. These guys were like 6’4” and can move and shoot pretty well. So the skills are definitely there in China, but not NCAA skills or NBA skills, but they can survive on any of the suburban courts. However, there are a lot of people playing who absolutely suck as well. Just remember population…..
Anyways, so after bball, everyone is tired, and I get back to the hotel and I just stay there. I’m a little hungry, but I keep watching a bad movie and by about midnight I’m starving. Room service is closed and I decide to venture outside and see what’s what. I take a couple block walk for 30 minutes, listening to my mandarin audiotapes, and I’ve got nothing. Now I’m really hungry and the only shop open is a convenient store and a local restaurant and it’s safe to assume that there are no English menus. So I come back to the hotel and ask for directions for a food place and I still don’t know what the lady said to me. The only thing I understood was turn right out of the hotel. If it was her right or my right I still don’t know.
And now it’s almost 1:30 AM and I’m officially starving and sleepy but damn it I want food. I walk two blocks, nothing, left or right, always left, and I see a club, this is promising, but no food, and I keep walking and I see some neon through the trees to my right, and I walk over and look at my left, and look into the valley and low and behold, there it is the Golden Arches of Delciousness, and what does that glorious sign say? “24 hours.” Baby, daddy’s been livin right. Practically giddy, but way too cool to show it, I mosey on down to the MickeyDs and order myself a double cheese burger, big mac, and fries. Oh healthy livin, don’t you love it. I guess as anywhere else, this is where people come down to eat after some clubbing and there are definitely some drunk fellas in the line today. Coupla guys are from the sub continent and I give them the nod and one of them is really drunk and being a semi-jerk. Then he goes to the counter and spits out fluent mandarin. Egh. If this guy can do it, damn it I can. One of these days brotha. One of these days.
So I walk back, it starts drizzling, no umbrella, I jog it back to the hotel just in time to avoid the rain. Plop down on my bed, and scarf down both sammiches and go to bed. The whole time during this adventure, even as I started to walk out the first time for food, I’m thinking, this is a pretty good blog story, and I am thinking of the exact words to write, and realized that I need to be a bit more adventurous for the sake of my readers.
So here’s to more adventures, but they won’t be happening anytime soon as I am somewhat working a little lately. I know I know, I’m shocked as you are.
Anyways, then we played some ball at the local university outdoor courts. The talent, I’d say on a scale of 1-10 they’d be about 5 or 6. There was this kid, a freshman probably, who really was a damn assassin. He definitely shot from the outside close to 60%. You could not leave him open and he never missed two in a row. Moved without the ball, rebounded and he was only about 5’8”. Really fun to play with. We played for about an hour and half and then went to dinner Now this part of the university is about an hour bus ride from West Lake and it’s pretty brand spanking new. I might have some pictures.
I didn’t check out any of the buildings inside other than the cafetiera. There are two levels, the more expensive one and the common one. Which I guess you can find in universities stateside as well. Oh andby the way, the courts are crazy. This out door court, which is one of several in the univeristy, had a total of 30 half courts, and each had at leasta 4 on 4 game going and several people waiting. 300 kids, at least, easy. that's just one set of courts....unbelievable. sports/shoe company wet dream. It's just that these kids are in the university and couldn't afford your average Nike shoe, not by a long shot, but they love it, they really love it. the whole basketball culture. I've played with a guy who's goal is to collect all 2o some Jordan shoes. He wore Jordan's favorite pair the other day, the one he wore during the 72 win season. I love basketball, but there is no way, I plunk down 150 for a pair of shoes.Aftewards, more bball this time with Fu Yilin’s friends. The competition was slightly better and there was one court where some serious ballers were playing. These guys were like 6’4” and can move and shoot pretty well. So the skills are definitely there in China, but not NCAA skills or NBA skills, but they can survive on any of the suburban courts. However, there are a lot of people playing who absolutely suck as well. Just remember population…..
Anyways, so after bball, everyone is tired, and I get back to the hotel and I just stay there. I’m a little hungry, but I keep watching a bad movie and by about midnight I’m starving. Room service is closed and I decide to venture outside and see what’s what. I take a couple block walk for 30 minutes, listening to my mandarin audiotapes, and I’ve got nothing. Now I’m really hungry and the only shop open is a convenient store and a local restaurant and it’s safe to assume that there are no English menus. So I come back to the hotel and ask for directions for a food place and I still don’t know what the lady said to me. The only thing I understood was turn right out of the hotel. If it was her right or my right I still don’t know.
And now it’s almost 1:30 AM and I’m officially starving and sleepy but damn it I want food. I walk two blocks, nothing, left or right, always left, and I see a club, this is promising, but no food, and I keep walking and I see some neon through the trees to my right, and I walk over and look at my left, and look into the valley and low and behold, there it is the Golden Arches of Delciousness, and what does that glorious sign say? “24 hours.” Baby, daddy’s been livin right. Practically giddy, but way too cool to show it, I mosey on down to the MickeyDs and order myself a double cheese burger, big mac, and fries. Oh healthy livin, don’t you love it. I guess as anywhere else, this is where people come down to eat after some clubbing and there are definitely some drunk fellas in the line today. Coupla guys are from the sub continent and I give them the nod and one of them is really drunk and being a semi-jerk. Then he goes to the counter and spits out fluent mandarin. Egh. If this guy can do it, damn it I can. One of these days brotha. One of these days.
So I walk back, it starts drizzling, no umbrella, I jog it back to the hotel just in time to avoid the rain. Plop down on my bed, and scarf down both sammiches and go to bed. The whole time during this adventure, even as I started to walk out the first time for food, I’m thinking, this is a pretty good blog story, and I am thinking of the exact words to write, and realized that I need to be a bit more adventurous for the sake of my readers.
So here’s to more adventures, but they won’t be happening anytime soon as I am somewhat working a little lately. I know I know, I’m shocked as you are.
No comments:
Post a Comment