More Stories from Guanghzou

So I have seen little of Guanghzou except the inside of the Coats Thread factory (more specifically the room we've been using this week for our big project), with the exception of Wednesday morning when we went to the office to do some email...the evenings have been either tied up with dinners, or in my hotel room trying to kick this upper-respiratory-whatever. I think today I am finally maybe starting to be on the upswing. I think. So, more pics from last weekend.

Below is from the first temple I went to- Wuxian guan. The 5 immortals/celestials temple. The story goes that 5 celestials (or immortals) flew down from the heavens into Guangzhou riding 5 goats and carrying rice cakes in their mouths. They promised the citizens of Gaunghzou that they would never face hunger, handed over the rice cakes, and back up into the heavens they went on their Goats. Thus, 5 goats have become a symbol of Guangzhou. This temple is "famous" (although apparently not too well known within Guanghzou) because it has a stone which bears the 'footprint' of one of the celestials as they shot back up into the heavens. It certainly is heel shape, but the celestials would have to have been Paul Bunyon-esque to have left such a footprint. It does make for a lovely story though, and as it turns out, a nice resting place for the turtles of the Temple. Guess that would make them Temple Turtles.
This is the little door I wrote about the other day- the little "cavern" type area with the door through which I heard the singing. Not a great pic, but I wasn't so sure my explanation was all that clear.
The tower was quite high, and the stairs pretty steep. I highly reccomend it, but I think it's best experienced not in a huge group. If you come to Guangzhou & go to the 6 Banyan Tree temple, try and climb the tower before or after the 'big group' has gone- you'll be all the happier you did. I took this pic just to show how small the doorways were. You really had to stoop almost in half to get through the doorway at the bottom! Oh the City Permit people in Portland would just HATE that!

This is a vew from the top of the tower. I have to admit this is something I took awhile to get used to. It's very easy to look at these buildings & say "well they must be the slums". In China there are some beautiful and huge and western style houses, but MOST housing is much more like this. The apartment buildings are more similar to what we would think of as 1960's style in the US, and there are some that just look incredibly OLD. Part of it is the pollution- things get dirty QUICK. The pollution index in Guangzhou the last few weeks has been so high that the kids at the American School have not been allowed outside for recess. Things that are new quickly look old even within a few months. Another reason that this is the "norm" in China is that people have a much different outlook on life & where they put their money. In the US, it's very important that your house is nice and clean and neat on the outside, as that's what everyone sees. In Asia, it seems that the focus is much more on saving your money, using it for education, on food, on family- although status symbols such as cars and big TV's are important too, they are fewer and perhaps sometimes bigger. One can have status based on a few key items, but do not need to "live the lifestyle" like one does in the US. Here is a good example: About 6 years ago I was in Thailand for work. I went on a boat ride down the big river in Bangkok- it was a small boat & took us down a small little route off the big river that led through a lot of local homes. Nearly every home I saw was patchworked together with pieces of wood, plywood, cardboard, tin roofing and what appeared to be twine. Not too serious looking structures, but I had seen enough of these by then to know these were standard homes. One home we went by had the door open, and I could see some guys inside watching TV on a HUGE TV. Huge- as in....it had to be at least 35 inch or bigger. MASSIVE. In addition, you could see a big stereo, other electronic equipment. The point is- their priorities are different. To this family, it was more important that they had this TV & Stereo- their house was a vessel in which they lived, but the thing they required in their life to make them happy, was the TV & the stereo. I'm sure there were many other things as well, but this was what one could get from a glimpse. So I've learned from my years traveling to China that you cannot judge the happiness, the successfullness, the achievements-of a person in Asia by looking at where they live. It's different beyond comparison. It's just not possible to look at a chinese house or apartment & say "oh this is equivilent to....xxx level of living in the US." It's also not possible to look at a house and say "oh this person must be so poor to live in this house." It's just different.
I ran into this guy at the top of the tower. He was with a Russian girl, and as soon as he found out I spoke mandarin, he wouldn't stop talking to me. I ran into him again down at the bottom of the tower & he took me all around to see different parts of the temple. I think he must have worked there, but I also think he was a little smitten. When he found I spoke Chinese, he told me he thought I must be a student since I study chinese. When finally the big question came out: 你有老公吗? (do you have a husband) "No." which means it was quickly followed by "do you have a boyfriend?" Finally I told him, I'm old. Too old for you. He was very surprised to hear 34. (Okay I fibbed by a couple of months. Given the scenario unfolding, it seemed an okay little white lie...) Given that he thought I was a student, he was surprised to hear 34! I think he said he sas 25. Finally I found my way to make my escape- I told him my friend was waiting for me & I had to go meet her. It worked. (and this time it was true!) Anyway- he was a good kid- & wanted me to take his picture in front of one of the altars. He was clearly very proud of the temple.
If Blogger lets me, I'll post a few more pics tonight as well.