Blogs from Fuzhou, Fujian, China, Asia

“Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.” –Mark Twain When my plane landed back in Fuzhou two days ago, I was stricken with a few things. First, Fuzhou really pulls no punches during the winter, because damn, it was cold compared to the balmy Indian subcontinent. Second, wow, China is a very sober, very organized society, chugging along nicely towards modernity. India, by contrast, is still much encumbered by its poverty and its backwardness, though sometimes you have to wonder if it really cares. For the feeling India gives you is not of a country who is in a desperate race to catch up with the world and is dying to liberate itself of the shameful fetters of poverty ... read more

I take a glance out the window, and it feels like we are floating across the winter-worn countryside—defying space, but not too immodestly; this is one of China's slower trains after all. The snow, beaten hamlets and open land look like sliding pictures from our floating tunnel, where sore bottoms, chattering Mandarin, and hot, smoke-filled air make up the most immediate reality. It's so warm, in fact, that a man in front of me just rolled up half his T-shirt to cool off. A kid behind is complaining "it's too hot" over and over to the half-agreement, half-annoyance of those around him. Many, including me, are waiting for the next stop, not because we'll get off, but because the open doors will flush some this sweltering cramptness out, and bring some of that cool country in. ... read more

This is more of a biking blog than travelling but I thought I'd include it. Life is boring in Fuzhou sometimes. Go Explore the nearby mountains. Gushan seems to be incorrectly labeled on the maps, or on the roads. On the roads it says Gushan, on the map its titled Dongang or something. Its pretty much a direct climb for 8k up with great views of the city. After the first half it gets steeper and the way the light goes through the tree's looks absolutely picturesque. Qishan in the opposite direction, the ascent is up and down. Its only 15 or so km from the city city but then has a good 25km of circling the hill and slowly sliding up the side of the mountain. By the time I got to the top I ... read more

You are in Fuzhou. "Go SouthEast 60km." You enter a small town comprised mostly of one long Mainstreet. The road is dusty and the colours on the buildings are faded. Dirt roads stretch from here and there, behind buildings, and towards a line of palm trees that may be hiding the South Chinese Sea. As you move around the town everyone turns and looks at you to stare. Your companion is tired. What do you do? "Stay for the night." The first hotel you go to appears abandoned but upon entering is clean and pristine. A frightened girl tells you there are no rooms available. What do you do? "Look for new hotel." The second hotel is off a dirt road. It is clean in the inside and a sensous woman with a fancy haircut informs ... read more

Wow!! What a full on day today. Whatever doubts I had about whether I could do the presentations about our school were quickly wiped out, along with our nerves, as we were thrown straight into marketing all day long. Considering the three of us presenting spoke no Chinese and were sent off to the second agent on our own by taxi, as the lady from the international education division travelling with us had another appointment, I think we all did really well. We started the day by visiting two different agents and going through our presentation with each of them. After that off to visit a massive school where all four us worked together to present a demonstration lesson about aboriginal dot painting to a class of about 50. Then I was wizzed off by taxi ... read more