Despite the charms of the Chinese train and that to travel hopefully (and painfully) is better than … not at all, it’s always good to arrive when the destination is beautiful Lanzhou. It’s the most polluted city in China, possibly the world, so how can it be so great? It must be because of its wild west frontier charm combined with its leisurely pace.
As well as the fact that every other restaurant is a Sichuan one, and not ‘pretending to be Sichuan’ either. In addition it is now the great fruit season of northern China and by Jove, you can live off the succulent, so beyond sweet they are sub-sweet, grapes and melons forever. Or during the season at least. We spent the day walking around the gigantic park clinging to the sheer cliff-face just behind the station, ending up on a barge on the Yellow River with tea, sunflower seeds and card playing.
As we commented upon how civilised life could be, we noticed people floating past on the Yellow River, surprisingly swift considering its mud-like appearance, in fact they were hurtling past tied to floaty things. It was part of the “River Floating Race.” Strange leisure activities have well and truly arrived in China.
The day ended with more Sichuan food and beer; a perfect day in the most polluted paradise on earth – which astonishingly many people, if you look online, call a hellhole! Unfathomable.
But if you really are one of those curmudgeonly sourpusses who insist on breathing all the time, you could always go shopping in one of the many upmarket designer shops in the city:
Yes. Lanzhou. There’s something for everybody. I’m just filling up my water bottle for another outing; a day trip to Tibet as it happens. On the bottle it says: CONS TANT CREATIVE MAJOR IN THE OUTPACE LINE.
Ah, young love. It is splendid. ‘taller than’ is 高過 (gou go) whereas just ‘taller’ is 高啲 (gou di)。Could it be any easier?
I don’t know why I suddenly posted that photo. So, it’s almost Easter, and therefore I’d like you to cast your mind back to Christmas, three years ago. That’s when we shot the legendary Romeo, →
Is Happy Jellyfish People’s Democratic Language Bureau’s Cantonese course the only course currently in existence where the teacups provided by the course venue match your outfit? It’s hard to say, but I’ll wager it will →
So it’s a new year again, this time rather more important than just old 2012 – it’s the year of the DRAGON. Full of upheavals and excitement, it is also the luckiest year in the →
Wei wei, Friday night it’s full forge ahead again with Happy Jellyfish People’s Democratic Language Bureau’s Cantonese FUNdaMENTAList Crash Course!!!! You’ll learn everything you need to know about drinking in bars, paying for drinks and →
Why this photo? Found it and liked it again, innit. Anyway, the other day one of my students suggested that I set up some kind of counting device; you know, something like the count-down to →
– from a Norwegian! A glimpse behind the scenes of Happy Jellyfish People’s Democratic Language Bureau:
I’m not a property owner but even if I were,I think I would still find it difficult to fathom how, when someone looks at the above vista, he thinks: I can dump a lot of crap there.
But crap has been dumped, the wetlands are shrinking every day and it’s completely legal.
How can it be? Listen to what the Man in the Know, Martin Lerigo, has to say about it on Resident Voices on Radio Lantau.
垃圾 – laap saap (rubbish)
呢度有好多垃圾 – li dou yau hou do laap saap (there’s lots of rubbish here)
貝澳濕地有好多垃圾 – Bui Ou sap dei yau hou do laap saap (there’s lots of rubbish on the Pui O wetlands)
Here is a film I feel hasn’t had the number of views it deserves. Chinese New Year is coming up and what better way to celebrate it than being at one with nature? Tomorrow we’ll →
I was hoping I’d never have to write this (again) but here it is: My blog www.chinadroll.com has disappeared from view, and it’s SO not my fault. I was a customer of theirs for 3 →
To give or not to give up? Last week one of my students was almost … not close to tears exactly but … what’s the word? Oh yeah, ready to use a blunt weapon. She →
It’s not a rare occasion for Happy Jellyfish People’s Democratic Language Bureau to go to Shenzhen and have clothes made, as well as buying fake Ray-Ban’s. But no trip to Lo Wu Shopping Center has →
It’s Christmas Extravaganza number 3! Please forward it your friends so we can get some viewing figures here. And Merry Christmas, hoi hoi hoi, 聖誕快樂！
How to learn Cantonese: By doing the above. Carefully sliding down, into the water, then swimming. In my first post about this topic a couple of weeks ago I used the swimming analogy – how →
I think one of my biggest weaknesses is my temper, or rather that I sometimes can’t control it. I specifically blow my top at government officials and other puffed-up people in uniform, telling me what →
I’ve realised for many years now that learning a language, especially a language like Cantonese where the locals’ resistance to foreigners (Caucasians) acquiring their language can take on epic proportions sometimes, is about personality, not →
Wei, language enthusiasts everywhere, or should I say: Konichiwa! Or Bunka kakumei! (Cultural revolution) Yes, I’ve been to Tokyo （東京）and what a lovely trip it was. The air was so fresh, the train stations so →
Ah, I have to say it’s quite satisfying to go into some bookshop in Prince’s Building and suddenly see one’s own book on top of the big pile! I think you should buy it (from →
