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Published: October 20th 2012
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A Saturday off, so today’s plan is to head toward the Spring City Park which is further south than Spring City Square.
It’s called Quan Cheng and is a huge expanse of forest areas, water features and paths. Pine trees featured in the area I was in, reminding me a lot of New Zealand and the South Island’s parks and domains of my childhood.
I took the 79 bus up Ji Shan Lu South and stopped off at RTMart and McDonalds for a little treat; latte and muffin!
Kinda thought I would walk it off, no harm done!
McDonalds was so full, the Chinese have embraced Western food wholeheartedly and despite the big prices compared to street food, they were buying up big. A burger is around Y15-. KFC is hugely popular here too; 24 hour places are everywhere, as is Pizza Hut and Starbucks. Have not seen a Subway at all in Jinan.
Directly opposite the entrance to Thousand Buddhas Mountains was a market area seething with a mass of humanity, smells, sights and sounds.
The usual beggars are around these areas, most have quite grotesque physical deformities
that are on display and people stare but seem to give them scant regard.
Health care is available for all in China at a minimal price and I am sure some of these people make a fantastic living this way.
One beggar was lying on the road, he had various limbs missing, and people just drove around him not taking any notice much at all.
Bought some bracelets at the market place, 5 for Y12. I suppose I could haggle but could not be bothered. This was a sum total of $2-25 so I really would feel cheap, the price was on display so I knew what I was getting.
Sugar cane juice, freshly squeezed, is a popular drink, the Mackay people are missing a huge market here LOL.
I walked west to get to Spring City Park, and then north on the major road on the east side of the park to get to Spring City Square.
Very leafy quiet well to do suburbs in this area; no huge apartment dwellings, just 2 storeys.
Spring City Square was busy, people just go and get out of
their small apartments and head outdoors. At one end was a giant screen with what looked like Idol auditions, lots of old ladies who thought they were great singers, needing to have the microphones wrestled off them to stop their awful sounds.
There are little garden areas with tiny white fences in one area of this square and I saw a small child frolicking in one of these patches in the daises. I think that is what they are intended for; they were all trampled down in each plot.
The department and fashion stores in this area rival anything I have seen anywhere and so do the prices. Y799 for a pair of shoes, Y999 for a jacket. (around AUS$160- $200-)
Chinese are really embracing the 3 C’s. Consumerism, capitalism and Commercialism.
People are so well dressed, girls teeter around on high heels, I was wearing my trackie daks and gym shoes, feel like a Western slob.
Outside one department store was a live tableau of gorgeous models, barely discernible movements.
I escaped all this nonsense and headed off to the food alley which
is parallel with this street. Too hot today for meat skewers, there were flies hanging around, so I chose the tiny eggs cooked on sticks. These are cooked quickly and on the spot, 6 little eggs on each stick, some hot sauce, and 2 sticks for Y5-
And hot sauce it was, I can still feel it on my lips despite the chocolate sundae I bought to cool by lips, throat and insides.
Number 3 bus home, with a seat! 1Y for the fare, sure saves a lot of walking.
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