Our Journey to the Middle Country

---

Sunday 26 March 2000: Guangzhou

Guangzhou continued to give me odd feelings when we had just exchanged money at the desk and went outside. People walked up and asked if we wanted to exchange money just outside the hotel. I found out later that there was a huge problem with conterfit money. There was a new 100 Yuan bill coming out. I had seen a poster for it and it highlighted a dozen or so security features about the bill. It was all in red and didn't look nearly as nice as the current 100 Yuan bill.

One day when we went past McDonalds, there was a boy out front of dressed in tatters and laying on the sidewalk. There were all of these Chinese adults standing around him. We asked David about it and he said not to give him anything. He probably had more money that we had.

Also around that corner were several children who only begged from people who didn't look Chinese.

Bus ride to Buddhist Temple

Tammy took notes this morning and I held Delainie in the snugglie.

• For Weddings the traditional color is Red - it is a celebratory color - but those with a western style wedding will wear white
• For Funerals White is the traditional color
• Buddhism - largest religion in China
• Taoism - second largest religion in China
• Everything is Yin Yang - balance
• Theory of Chinese medicine
• On the way we saw a sign for the Guang Dong Arts Museum.

  
  

Six-Banyan Tree Buddhist Temple

Mary Lou sent us two pictures of Delainie with me at the Temple. I had her in the snugglie.

This was an old temple in the heart of the city. I think there are only two of the original six Banyan trees lefts at the temple. We went and lit incense and spent some time contempating where we were. We were to have received a blessing for the babies from the monks while we were there, but they were busy chanting in mass, so the blessing would come after we had left. There were some beautiful penjing (bonsai) trees there.

Coming up on the 29th of March is the birthday of Guang Ying who was a very important Buddha In the gift shop we picked up:

• a Prayer Bell 18 Yuan ($2.23 USD)
• a Coin Ball for about the same price

Jade Shop

We stopped at the Jade Shop which was up on a hill. Some of the group were tired of all of the shopping. We bought several things:

• a scroll with poem - a cuplet with Delainie's Chinese name in it
• a Jade Budda $25 USD(?) about (201.75 Yuan)
• a red band with jade shapes for Delainie
• a life saver jade necklaces
• 3 jade string bracelets - one with jade shapes and wooden beads
• a scarf for Carla
• a three inch koi pot with women painted on it
• 10 to 12 small porcelain cups with pictures painted on them

David gave each family a mahjongg tile keychain.

There was a wonderfully skilled artisan painting porcelain.

Sightseeing tour to Chen's Family Temple

It was also the Chen Family Home and School.

Diana talked about going to this during their last trip to China.

There was a great deal of art for sale, but we were most happy when we found something to drink.

Dong Fang Hotel - Guangdong Foreign Languages Bookstore

When we came back to the hotel, I went downstairs and bought The Pocket Interpreter: Chinese book 18 Yuan ($2.23 USD). This has turned out to be a great book.

Guangzhou Friendship Store

We went to the Friendship store which was the large department store. This was a trip by ourselves, just Tammy, Delainie and I. The taxi ride was 19 Yuan ($2.35 USD).

Our first order of business was a stroller which I ended up sketching and showing to a clerk. She replyed, "Oh, fourth floor." with four fingers in the air.

• Taxi 19 Yuan ($2.35 USD)
• Stroller 108 Yuan ($13.38 USD)
• Various Clothes and bottles 240 Yuan ($29.74 USD)

I was looking for the Tanya CD and found one by Penny instead. I'm quite happy that I bought it. It's excellent. I was determined to try and find it though. I remember talking to Steve about it later on, asking if he wanted to go to a music store that was someplace close to the shops up near the Hard Rock Café. He said that got most music off of the Internet.

• Penny CD 130 Yuan ($16.11 USD)
• 3 cassettes of Childrens' music 14 Yuan ($1.75 USD)
• Bus and police car for Tammy's nephew Sidney

We looked at many things and picked up a flyer on computer or sort of Web TV box made by the people at (http://www.legend.com.cn/)

The taxi back to hotel 14 Yuan ($1.75 USD) - quite a bit less.

7-11 and Deli near the Dong Fang

This 7-11 and Deli were around the corner from the Dong Fang. I went with Steve one evening. We were baraged by children given away flowers and then asking money for them.

• Water and Soda at 7-11 30.20 Yuan ($3.74 USD)
• Bread and Juice at Deli 20.00 Yuan ($2.48 USD)