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Published: December 8th 2012
I decided to go for a walk in the beautiful winter sunshine. Blue sky, little wind, half my wardrobe on me and out I ventured around 11am.
According to the internet it was -4C, yes it was cold and water froze in puddles from mops and bowls of water being thrown out on the footpath, but walking in the sun it seemed OK.
My new beanie which I bought from Carrefour for Y9 kept my head warm, my jacket crackled in the cold and off I went to walk the whole side of Daming Lake from the East to the West.
As usual there were people out and about everywhere; winter does not deter the Chinese from the great outdoors. They just rug up with the children wearing so many layers their arms almost stick out at right angles.
The hot sweet potatoes and hot pears are a popular item on the streets.
Steam rises from the carts selling them, little coal stoves bake them on the spot and the caramelised smells as you walk past are very enticing.
There are so many sellers of scarves, beanies
and rugs on the streets, but nothing seems to be wool, all synthetic which is not near as warm.
At the south end of Daming Lake runs the city moat feeding the spring water that makes it an all season’s fresh water lake.
I had yet to walk along this section and found another swimming section of the moat close by the lake.
A group of men were having a lovely time stripping off to just bathers and swimming the moat as you would lengths of the pool. It was still minus something, and who knows what the water temperature was but they were in there looking quite happy.
A little farther up at one of the waterfalls from the springs flowing into the moat there was someone doing their washing, water brings life to anyplace.
A pet market specialising in goldfish was nearby so I had a wander through this area and eventually found my way to QuangCheng St.
Coffee, food and movies at Parc66 Palace cinema, in that order.
Funny thing when you have little choices in life such as books to read and movies
to watch, you find little gems you would have previously ignored.
Today I saw the move “Life Of Pi” chosen because it was the only one in English or with English subtitles. An Indian film about a boy and a tiger and being shipwrecked, in 3D. Odd but entertaining.
Last week I saw “The Cold War” which was filmed in HongKong and was about a threat to the police there, an action thriller which I would normally avoid. Subtitled in English I was flat out reading it at times, the action was that quick.
And the week before I saw "2012", in English, again in 3D which was quite spectacular with the special effects that movie has in it. Loved the cameo from Woody Harrelson in that movie and today in Life of Pi Gerard Depardieu played a great little 10 minute cameo in French.
My normal reading habits are pretty much biographies and autobiographies but I have run out of the books I brought with me so Clayton the teacher from USA has supplied me with a John Grisham novel which he thought I would like. And I do!, what a
great writer. I read “The Client” in 2 days and 2 nights, so hard to put down and am about half way through “The Testament”
Visited the food street near Parc66 for lunch today after I checked out movie times and had my McD latte, and bought a favourite, deep fried banana on a stick. Today it was steaming in the cold air and finished off lunch with a kebab; hot roasted chicken meat, onion and lettuce in a freshly cooked bun. Total Y8- less than $2-.
McD you pay Y15 for a burger. Why pay that for a burger when you can get some wonderful eats for a third of the price. Gloves are worn by most food makers I have seen, money is never handled with a glove or food hand, and at this time of year meat is a lovely fridge temperature.
The No 3 bus tonight had around 100 people on it when it pulled up and a scrum attack of what seemed like 100 to get on, I just could not be bothered so I walked one street back and caught the more expensive K91 home. Y2- compared
to Y1- and a seat all the way with the X factor as entertainment.
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