China, We Love Thee

We loved China even more than we hoped we would. We can't wait to see how the Olympics shake down for them in August because the country is REALLY excited about it. We learned that 2008 is China's Year. 8 is the luckiest number in China, so already it's a special year. Add the Olympics and the press China is receiving for it's unrelenting modernization, and you can see why this year is a HUGE one for them. Security everywhere we went is ramped up (Ty had his bag searched at airport security) and censorship is high. We didn't realize what tight control the government keeps on the media in China. Any web-pages/news articles not approved by the government's firewall are blocked. Certain words uttered during a Skype call have led to unexplained dropped calls, and TV media in China is censored, cutting to commercials whenever any news related to Tibet or the flu is announced. Amazing.

We visited the Jesperbots in Guangzhou, a BOOMING city of 12 million and not incidentally the factory of the world. We mean it, literally. Chances are very high that anything you have that is "Made in China" is sourced, manufactured, or assembled in Guangzhou. Actually, even if it says "Made in Vancouver, BC - Canada" it could be made here, as we found out.
Shopping in Guangzhou is irresistible, and the best way to experience the city. It's hard to turn down factory-direct deals on basically ANYTHING. Electronics, outdoor gear, shoes, watches, clothes, instruments, etc. etc. etc. If we were flying home today, we would have bought everything we needed for the next 5 years.

The Food. Oh the food. Every preconception we had about Chinese food was shattered. It's not the MSG Noodle buffet they serve at the mall, or the Chinese/Western cuisine found in any small town in Canada, but a rich and varied palette of deliciousness! Our favourite dishes include any kind of eggplant dish, cold noodle salad, sugared ginseng, and kung-pow chicken. There are MANY more that we loved, we just can't remember what they were called, but Yum! Many thanks to Hav and Scott for touring us through these and many more culinary delights.

Playing in Guangzhou:

I never would have thought I'd be playing Irish folk music in a Canadian owned pub in China. That's an understatement. Scott invited me to sit in with this group for the St. Patrick's Day festivities. It was my first paying gig in WAY too long. After the jigs and reels were all played out, I joined the next group to play some familiar cover tunes at an ear-splitting decibel level.

If ever there were Olympics for seniors, China would reign. The complex the Jesperbots live in has a great public park with ping-pong tables and lots of fun exercise equipment. We saw lots of oldies in one park EXPERTLY playing what we'll have to call "Chinese hackysack", and it's not uncommon to see an 80 year old woman kicking her hands held above her head.

Scott and I practicing for the Synchronized Swinging event for the Geriatric Olympics.

We had the best possible tour of Guangzhou from our expert locals, Hav and Scott, and our expert Mandarin translators, Tom and Anne Marie.
Our main contribution was good looks:

Interesting sights in China

Thanks again to Hav, Scott, Tom, and Anne Marie for hosting and touring us around. Also, for some of the photos in these posts. We hope you enjoyed this little taste of China. Now if you feel the need to use a toothpick, be sure to cover up in true Chinese custom.

We're hooked on China and will definitely keep it on our Return-To list for the future. We wish them much success at the Olympics!

T & K