Bookends

My venture to China started six months ago at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa where I sought out my visa. Wednesday I returned to Canada, leaving Beijing by a route which unexpectedly passed the Canadian Embassy which I had also visited. Pretty good bookends would you say? A small incident at the Beijing airport I will report to anyone who cares to ask me face to face 'cos hey, I'm back! This blog is archival material now.

Selling Cockles and Mussels A-Live-a-Live Oh

Nice Early Morning Stroll at a Secluded Shoreline at Rizhao 

Jinan Springs Eternal

Jinan is a hot, dry city with nothing special to recommend it. It has one of the poorest air qualities in the world. For one reason or another I have spent a half dozen nights here. Batou Park with nearby Spring Square is the focus of the city. Spring water rises here fed by the nearby mountains. A friend showed me around yesterday. Since then I have moved along, yes back to Xingtai though it will be a cameo appearance. I have already said good-bye, twice in some instances. The bus trip here took five hours but was a window on a sea of activity. Corn harvest is just starting, the cotton pickers are out in force and water melons continue as a bumper crop. Rice elsewhere is doubtless being gathered (too dry around here). Wheat and peaches are pretty well in for the season. Our monoculture wheat harvest seems boring in comparison. Do you think Estevan should diversify into Chinese dates?

The East is Red (and blue too it seems) from Sunrise Peak, Tai Shan 

The world is small from atop Tai Shan, 6660 steps up. 

Tai Shan

Confucius climbed it and said "How small the world is". Mao climbed it and said "The east is red". Colinfucius climb big mother mountain and say "I'm knackered".

Summit

To-day I am in Tai'an at the foot of Tai Shan, holiest of China's five sacred Taoist Mountains. This is staging camp. The Austrian I met in Qufu said the climb was the "summit" of his six trips to China. What would he know, he's from Vienna where all there is of note is coffee and chocolate cake? To-morrow around this time with any luck I shall be looking down from 5,000 feet up. Some people make the ascent at night to see the sun rise. Should I dare?

Chew Food

Colinfucius a bit peeved. Apparently wannabe sage on the loose in China by name of Confucius. Ostensibly he say many wise things, becoming well known. Who is this interloper? Colinfucius tracked him down to hometown Qufu (pronounced chew food with silent "d"). It is certainly indigestible that he say so many things people keep in mind. Do people remember anything Colinfucius Say? Colinfucius not wish be uncharitable but somewhat relief interloper turn out to be dead (although not recently).

Colinfucius Say

Just like New Orleans, Yellow River like big flood. To-day Colinfucius walk on water. Since was a wee nipper Colinfucius have Yellow River in heart and soul just like one hit wonder Christy. Yellow River look brown to me but I'm not telling any locals case they be insulted by Colinfucius. Just so you know, pontoon bridge between Colinfucius foots and swishy swish river. I am philosopher not miracle man.

Leftover Wine

What do you do when the party is over and your friends have gone home? A bit like Melanie I feel nostalgia for the good times. I have come to the end of teaching, I have said good-bye to my Xingtai folks and also to the tour group who left a few hours ago. I have come to the sea again for a few days and am at Rizhao, Shandong. But my stay with the tour group is over and they are on the bus half way through a ten hour return trip as I type this. I hope Pretty Girl gets some shut eye on the makeshift pillow I bought - some inflatable swimmers' armbands. The coast was inundated with tourists over the week-end, the last before school goes back, but now is virtually deserted. The sea breeze is pleasant but skies are grey and threaten a storm. I now am virtually free from responsibility and have my freedom - but human nature being what it is, now freedom is within my grasp it doesn't seem so appealing.