TEMPLE WALKABOUT

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My intention yesterday was to go to Longjin tea plantations (Hangzhou is famous for its green tea leaves - and silk) to pick up litter (honest!) with some other expats and their Chinese friends. I found out about it on the expat website, Green Drinks, and thought it would be a great way to meet people and visit a destination I had heard about and wanted to see. (And, of course, to continue my long-time tradition of picking up other people's trash). Another primary expat site, Hangzhou Scene, waxes eloquent about local watering holes, encountered problems and restaurants, for the most part, which is how I discovered where to get han bao bao (hamburgers, natch) for 20%!o(MISSING)ff on Wednesdays. Went. Hamburger just okay (mama huhu), tempura-style onion rings to die for. Anyway, the green activity got cancelled due to rain (imagine handling wet litter all morning), so my student, Rex, and I went nearby-temple visiting instead. Quite a contrast between the cacophony of the city streets and the prayerful silent bowing and monks' dormitories a few blocks beyond. Rex wanted to take me on an hour-long, steep, uphill, upSTAIRS trek to the top of the north peak of some blasted mountain or other. Seriously. All stairs. I declined...as in, no WAY. But then, as he pointed out, I was tired, had a chest cold, and he was young and full of energy. Making me...? Right. THAT'S the English he remembers. Check out my Facebook page for pix.

Then I hunkered down. A few chapters in my book ("Boomerang"), and a few episodes of "The Closer". Normalcy. It's so interesting, the energy it takes me to go to China: leaving my familiar room to go anywhere, do anything, not inside it. And I have yet to go anywhere that far afield--alone, anyway. It's a process, and I'm proceeding.

Dinner twice now at the canteen. 75 cents buys me any one of the three squares. I had homemade "stretch" (because they do) noodles with chicken the first dinner. Noodles 10, chicken 0 (as in none on the bones inhabiting the bowl). Tonight I had "Little Purses", tiny Huck Finn knapsacks of dough around not-bad, meat-resembling blobs. Dipped in a little vinegar mixed with soy, and I was a happy camper. Next time I'm getting dumplings! Where else can I eat for $2.25/day, I ask you?

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to go to West Lake with "Tony", a Chinese English teacher WITH A CAR. I'll parley free English lessons (and steal some Chinese-speak) into a ride-me-around with a nice Chinese guy any day. West Lake is the primo tourist destination in Hangzhou, and famous nationwide. (Google it and prepare to be amazed.) And I have yet to do anything but a drive-by.

Hatching plans with Sean and Galyna to go to Bangkok over the National Holiday coming up on Oct. 1st. We have the whole week. I just need to get my passport with work/resident visa back from police--supposedly tomorrow--so I can get a train ticket to Shanghai airport. My travel companions are looking into $20/day hostels. Ay yay yay... No problem. I'm IN:-)

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