Photos of the HZ marathon

@ the finishing line

Bibs and butts

Very Thirsty

Very Achy

HZ Marathon

11 November, 2007, Sunday

Armistice-day
Bachelor’s day
Hangzhou marathon day

11 Nov is a day to remember of some sorts for me, not least because it was Armistice day, and also Bachelor’s day in China – it was also the day of the Hangzhou International Marathon, where I had signed up to do a half-marathon.
3 months before, a half-M hadn't even crossed my mind – some of the serious drinkers in the Hash hounds also happened to be serious runners and they did mention the upcoming marathon but I was nonchalant. Putting one foot in front of the other continuously for 21,000m. hmm. thanks, but no thanks.

Prior to this, I’d never ran anything more than 10k (Standard Chartered marathon 10k race in 2004). Why would anyone want to torture themselves running continuously for 2 and half hours (ok, less if you run faster)?

BUT… somehow, along the way, over the course of drinks in the bar, and hash club meetings, I was persuaded by my friends that I was more than ready for it. They said things like “of course you can do a 21k run – no problem!” and “You can DEFINITELY do a half-marathon, you’re already so fit! And it’ll be fun if we all did it together!. It was this potent combination of flattery, peer pressure and the infectious mood did it and I signed up. “Surely you’d like to test your limits and see how far you can push yourself!” That’s it. They got me. That was a challenge and I was itching to do it. And there was an instant support group to help me get going. I even received a customized training Excel spreadsheet!

My goal was to complete a half-marathon and make it out alive. Very simple. Thus, I embarked on setting a “Half-Marathon Training Plan”. From 10k to 21k – how to get there. I meticulously drew up a training plan which included running 3 times a week, and yoga and hash runs as cross-training twice a week. I’m proud to say I have never managed to complete a single 5x a week training – it was a case of over-zealousness and ambition in my planning! I did join the Tuesday “Even-If-It-Rains” running club and did circuits around the lake faithfully every Tuesday evenings as and when I could make it. On Saturdays, I went running alone, increasing the distance gradually. During the whole month of October, the entire lakeside was awashed with the scent of the sweet-smelling osmanthus flowers in full bloom. It made me forget I was actually running when I inhaled the cool, crisp sweet-smelling fresh air. On Sunday, it was trail running with the hash. The weather got progressively cooler and my shoes progressively worn out over the weeks. I was beginning to get used to the permanent soreness in my quads.

2 weeks prior to the marathon day, I managed to do 16k – my last training run and it was the furthest I had ran, Ever. I felt great mostly after these runs, tired but on a runner’s high. It made me so much more energetic over those few weeks to the point I felt cranky and antsy if I missed a workout. Could this actually be happening to me?! I don’t’ even like running to begin with!

The day before the marathon, I was already pumped up with adrenaline. 6 of us had got together to do the Vasque 28k mountain race as a relay team – each of us running about 6k each. It was a great release after a rough week at work. I never felt better as I ran through the hills, it was tough but I enjoyed it tremendously. We went for a kebab afterward and shared the funny stories. I didn’t sleep much that night as I was so excited about the Sunday race. I kept waking up and thinking its time to go (when it was just 2am, and then 4am) and I was just so revved up.

Race day was beautifully sunny, clear skies as about 10,000 people gathered at the Yellow Dragon sports stadium. There was the 42k, 21k, 13.8k, 6.8k and 1.2k kiddies dash. Most of my friends were on the 21k route and we gathered excitedly at the start-point.

The race-route (touted as “the most beautiful marathon route in the world”) takes you anti-clockwise around the eastern and southern part of the lake, down HuPao road, to the 6-harmonies pagoda before looping back to the western side of the lake (Yang causeway) back to Yellow Dragon stadium.

I got off to a slow-start, feeling sluggish and stiff from the mountain race the day before. It felt like eternity before I got to the 5k mark.. It was crowded as there were several participants on the 13.8k route – mostly as part of an inter-school competition. There were cheering spectators, many of them shouting encouraging “jia you!” and waving flags to add to the atmosphere. It was a mostly jovial mood as the students ran, joking and laughing. At Nanshan road, the course split – the full and half marathoners went down Tiger Springs road and that was when the runners thinned out and things started getting a little more serious. I was tired by then. I usually hit the 10k in an hour during training but this time, I took an extra 10mins. Along the way, there was plenty of encouragement from other runners. I got some encouraging pats on the shoulder and friendly shouts of “pengyou, jia you!”, cheeky “meinu, jiayou!” from some college boys when I slowed down to walk, and all these really helped to push me along. So did the cheers and smiles from on-lookers. As much as I could, I also did the same to my fellow runners who were running on a similar pace as me. We chatted briefly and ran together, giving each other words of encouragement. At one point, I did get a little emotional as I wondered if I would make it to the 21k mark, I almost burst into tears!

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, I got to the 12k mark - 6-harmony pagoda. I had taken more time than I had anticipated but I didn’t think I could make up the speed in the 2nd half either.

My energy was waning at and I started getting hungry at the 15k mark – man, I could use a sandwich! I told myself to hurry along so I could get to breakfast. Gulped down some Gatorade for some sugar, and plodded on. Yang Causeway was extremely familiar territory – this is the road I’ve gone down several times during my weekly runs. I’m almost at the end I started slowing down more often to walk, just to catch my breath.

At one point, I was walking along almost bending over when a little kid on the kerb asked her mother loudly “Mummy, why is this auntie not running anymore?” oookay… feeling slightly embarrassed, I decided to pick up pace. So much for pressure! The spectators did a great job, each time I saw them, I felt obliged to run, and told myself to walk only when they weren’t looking. However, given there were enough spectators, that kept me going for abit. There were plenty of police on duty – and while they were mostly silent, they did have the kindly look of encouragement (or was it pity) as the tired runners filed past.

Another female on-looker I passed asked me point-blank as I trudged past “Waaaah, you are already so thin, why are you still running a marathon?”

A fellow runner who was beside me snorted “Duh! There is no correlation between slimness and fitness!!”. I would have responded exactly the same way except I was way too breathless to start a debate! We had a chuckle and commiserated over our pain doing our first half-marathon. I declined his kind offer of some chocolate for extra energy.

Meanwhile, another old grandfather zipped past me cheerily. He looked about 65 and hardly broke into a sweat. Obviously there is no correlation between age and fitness either!

Countdown … 4k more, 3k more, 2k…soon I was on Shuguang road, and Huanglong stadium loomed ahead. Psychologically, I was on a high – I ran past Maya bar – which was our starting point for our weekly runs but physically I was hurting. #2683 and myself whom I had been running on and off with started picking up speed – there was tacit agreement between us to keep going and we ran together into the stadium. The policemen standing outside the gates yelled out “只剩 600米 , 坚持！！”. Hang on, only 600m!

I knew my friends were there waiting for me and I saw a couple of them cheering for me, jumping up and down excitedly when they saw me coming in. I forgot my pain for about 30 secs as I sprinted towards them. My face broke into the biggest smile as I crossed the finishing line – I made it!

Vital statistics:
Time clocked: 2hrs 38mins
Placing: no idea, except i was the last amongst my friends!
Number of km intended in my training plan: 150
Actual number of km ran as part of my plan (excluding Sunday hash runs) : 80
Favourite part of my training: carbo-loading

p.s. i wish i could say with conviction "Wow, that was great, i can really aim for a full marathon now! but nah. There is that initial euphoria, and i'll definitely keep running to stay fit, but i think trail running is more my cup of tea than road-running. There is the Hangzhou mountain series in March 2008. Anyone interested?

Silver Mountain Pagoda Forest - Beijing

I've said it before and i'll say it again, that autumn is my favourite season of all, because it is the season where of the brilliant explosion of reds, yellows, green and all the shades in between. One gets a slightly melancholic feel that the cold, bleak winter is on its way. Yet, there is still plenty of bright sunshine and instead of the hot and muggy feeling you get in summer, the air is fresh, crisp and cold.

On the rare occasion that i got to mix pleasure with work, i stayed the weekend in Beijing to have a wander around the capital city. In a city known for duststorms from the north (as well as the Olympic construction frenzy), the skies were surprisingly clear blue. I even saw some stars at night!

My companion and i decided on a day trip out to the Silver mountain range in the outskirts of Beijing. Silver Mountain Pagoda Forest (银山塔林） is situated 30kilometres north of Changping district. The highest peak of Silver mountain range is 727m. Some of the oldest temples in this area were built around the Tang dynasty and the pagodas were renovated during the Liao and Jin dynasties, making them at least 900 years old. Monks used to live here, meditating in the naturally-formed caves in the mountains, and practicing Buddhism.

After climbing all the way to the viewing platform at the top, we were rewarded with great views of the rugged mountain range, and even a part of the Great Wall in the distance. There were also some classic Chinglish (and perhaps Chapanese) signs that i took pictures of gleefully.

The timing was perfect as we descended from the platform. It was peaceful and quiet except for a few visitors milling around. The rays of the setting sun were cast on the statuesque pagodas and Silver mountain, bathing them in a warm orange glow. It was a place that commanded a certain spiritual presence and it felt as though time stood still as we walked around it. I now know why the monks chose this remote and serene location to meditate and seek enlightenment.

My camera chose this opportune moment to die on me, after my trigger-happy Chinglish signs episode. In an attempt to squeeze the very last drop of life out of the batteries, i had to resuscitate them by shaking them and warming them up in my hands - except my hands were cold too! Fortunately, i managed to take some last shots before the batteries finally gave way.

This is definitely a place i want to return to again.

Huangshan, Anhui

The climb up Huangshan wasn’t too difficult really, it was just slightly monotonous and repetitive. We started around 8-ish and got up there before noon via the Eastern route. This is especially true for Yingtze who is a long-distance runner and has been training up for the marathon at year-end. This is a piece of cake for her! And she’s got a nice photo collection of me panting my way up, taken while waiting for me! ;-)

For the most part of our route, we managed to avoid the massive, deafening tour groups with megaphone-waving tourguides. Most of them took the cable-car up and congregated at the famous picture spots, queuing and jostling for the prime spot at 迎客松 and 光明顶.

By noon, we had reached 光明顶，the 2nd highest peak. It was cloudy at the top and the view of Lotus and Celestial peak were obscured but since we had the luxury of time, and no money to sit in an expensive restaurant, we enjoyed a bowl of instant noodles while sitting at the peak and waiting for the clouds to clear. After about 20 minutes of waiting patiently while snacking on noodles and biscuits, we were rewarded with a relatively-less-hazy view.

Every bit of food and water has to be transported up by human labour, which explains the astronomical prices of everything and anything you buy. We saw men carrying incredible heavy loads of oil drums, eggs, rice, mineral water, wooden/ glass cabinets up. Carrying loads of at least 20-30 kilos and drenched completely in sweat, these labourers have to take rests every few steps along the way. It is a long, arduous climb up endless flights of steps and I have nothing but respect for these labourers. They probably don’t get paid much either. There are workers that help to carry your bags up at 12kuai per kilo. If you are unable to/ don’t want to walk up the mountain, you can also take a bamboo sedan chair carried by 2 men. These are charged by distance (about 120kuai a kilometer), although personally, I think that they should be charged by the person’s weight! its not really fair to charge a fat git the same price as a shrivelled old granny is it?

For the rest of the afternoon, we continued to explore the westerly route towards Xihai. It was very quiet and empty – devoid of large tour groups. It was probably my favourite part of the trail.

Accomodation and food is a total rip-off on the mountain top. Just as well we brought an ample supply of snacks. We had a rather bland and expensive dinner that came with extremely rude service. Oh well. For 200kuai, you get only a bed in a 8-person dorm. We shared the room with 2 other Chinese travelers who were perplexed at our chattering away in Singlish. Hehehe..i have to admit I miss it!

We headed down early the next day after a disappointing non-existent sunrise and took the Western route this time. Crowds were mostly concentrated near the cable-car stations and there were queues to take a picture next to a one of the pine trees – apparently it is symbolic of Huangshan and therefore absolutely vital to pose with it. However, we knew better – the pine tree is fake – replaced with some artificial pine because the real one died some years back and it would be shocking if the symbol of Huangshan was gone!

Overall, I would say that Huangshan was a mixed bag. The scenery was definitely good but I’m not sure I’d return and if I did, I’d explore Xihai next time. Less crowds, less hassle.

FOr those interested: winter might be a good time to visit too. http://www.huangshanguide.com/english.htm

Hongcun, Anhui

As per my last entry, while Yingtze was here to visit, we went on a trip to Hongcun 宏村 and Huangshan or Yellow Mountain. Hongcun is located in Yi county 黟县，of Anhui province安徽. This village was first founded in the Southern Song dynasty, about 900 years ago.

Hongcun
We spent an idyllic afternoon walking around Hongcun, where we got to witness some part of village life. As with any other tourist destination, it is overrun by souvenir shops and tourist-oriented facilities. Doesn’t help its on the World Heritage List either. However, since there weren’t too many visitors around, it was, for the most part, rather peaceful.

With its unique, well-preserved architecture, old houses and pretty ponds, Hongcun is a haven for budding artists. While we were there, we saw crowds of art school students sitting on little stools, intently studying the architecture of the village houses and transforming them into sketches and water-paintings. Even at 6am, there was a sizeable bunch of determined kids out at the Moon pond (月沼).

We also toured around some old houses including Chengzhi Hall built by rich businessmen in the 1800s. Big spacious houses that reflected the stature and wealth of the businessmen.
Remarkably, some of the elaborate and intricate wood carvings in these old houses survived the Cultural revolution. Some wise person had the foresight to smear mud over the carvings and wrote pro-revolutionary statements over them so no one dared to destroy them.

The design of the 承志堂 was well-considered. The main door of the house could be barricaded in three different ways for extra security. As a snub, visitors of lesser importance had to enter via the smaller side doors. The courtyards provided ample natural light, and the ponds added an elegant touch to the house. The mahjong room even included a little shed for the mistress(es) to hide in case Wife #1 came along for spot-checks while the men smoked, gambled or played cards. And as the tour guide narrated, of course Wife #1 knew the mistresses were hiding there, but she will take heart in the fact that her husband bothered to hide them (yes, plural), thus giving her “face”. Above all, it also showed that Wife #1 accorded the respect and stature she deserved and hence she will turn a blind-eye to the mistresses. Fuzzy logic that.

Most of the villagers seemed oblivious to the tourists and continued with their daily chores. Afterall, clothes had to be washed, and meals had to be cooked!

Ancient Hongcun villagers cleverly made use of the water flowing down from the mountains and diverted them through a network of canals around the whole village before washing out to the river. Most of the village houses also have in-built ponds where fresh water is diverted in and flows out through another opening.

While we were there, we witnessed someone washing their clothes upstream (with laundry soap), and someone else washing a chicken downstream along the canals. And they also brush their teeth or wash vegetables there too!

In any case, we stayed a night and made it out alive ;-)

Early next day, we set out to climb Yellow mountain.

For a write-up on Hongcun’s history, check here:

http://www.chinahighlights.com/huangshan/attraction/hongcun-village.htm

The last days of summer ..

Sorry i haven't been posted in awhile!. So anyway here's some random bits of updates. I've been busy moving into a new apartment during the last week of august. This one isn't quite as nice as the one i was in previously. Its in a local neighbourhood thats er, rather full of character. In any case, its cheaper, much more convenient for work, right next-door to the yoga studio i go to, and its within staggering distance of the local bar! what can i say, its a hands-down winner.

In between moving house and spending many hours scrubbing it clean (i'm a true-blue hygenic Singaporean afterall), i found time to go to work during the weekdays, and also go for yoga/ running/hiking over the weekends, and show some people around from couchsurfing. I've plugged this before and i'll do it again anyway - its such a cool idea.

http://www.couchsurfing.com/

At this very moment, i'm holed up at home unusually early because there's been a warning for typhoon Wipha. It is very gusty and rainy outside. Authorities have told everyone to be on high-alert and prepare for it - remove flowerpots from the windowsill, prepare candles, water and food in case there's a power cut (egad!) I've never been in the thick of a typhoon before, and now i get to experience what "may be the most destructive typhoon in a decade, with wind gusts of up to 290 kilometers per hour (180 mph),". Exciting. We'll see what kind of damage will be done overnight.

According to Reuters:

"East China [that includes Hangzhou for you geographically challenged people], including the commercial hub of Shanghai, is preparing for what may be the most destructive typhoon in a decade," the agency said. "

hmm, what else...

2 of my friends have announced their pregnancies and sent me pictures of their bumps - gongxi gongxi! i'll see them and their babies when i'm back in Singapore next year.

Er, i've also done something crazy - just signed up for a 21k run at the Hangzhou International Marathon so..i'm now training up for this - its in 53 days. Today's preparation was carbo-loading since i was stuck indoors) Wish me luck because i'm gonna need it!!

http://www.hangzhou-marathon.com/

Summer is almost over. The weather has been cooling down considerably and its fantastic for outdoor activities. Also, its Osmanthus season (Guihua 桂花）and the streets of Hangzhou are wafting with the sweet scent of this tiny white/ pale yellowish flower.

Its a great time to be in Hangzhou.

I'm looking forward to Yingtze's arrival this saturday night. We're going to Huangshan to hike for a couple of days - Yippeeeee! it'll be a chance to do what we love doing - travel together (as we did in Vietnam and China last year) and check out some mountains!

http://www.huangshanguide.com/english.htm

6 months and abit...

It is officially autumn in the chinese calendar (or so my chinese friends tell me). However it is still 35-39 degrees outside. Anyhow, I've been doing lots of hiking over the weekends, trying new routes and trails each time. its been a ball but i can't wait for the "real autumn", when the weather cools down and i can go for longer hikes without getting a heatstroke. Out in the hills, it is peaceful and tranquil. Fresh air, great scenery and best of all, no masses of people crowded around me.





All the Longjing tea you can drink... tea fields in the Hangzhou hills grow the entire nation's supply of longjing tea leaves....

By the way, its been 6 months since i've moved here. where did all the time go...?

Lotus bloatus

Took this a couple of weeks ago with my little trusty compact, and sent it to mum (lotus flowers rank among her top favourite flora) and she then said something along the lines of "wow,you can take such a nice picture... surprisingly.. did you take lessons?"... Gee, thanks mum. I still can't work out whether its a compliment or not... but thats parents for you.

So the story about this is that apparently this year, the lotus flowers don't seem to be blooming as much as they should in the lovely city of Hangzhou, prompting panic amongst the authorities. The solution? Planted more lotus in the pond, oops i mean the West Lake. Because we can't have non-flowering lotus plants sullying the view for tourists in the top travel destination of China, can we? ;-)

The pond, one week later - somewhat more buds.

Sea of lotuses. There must be a million lotus plants in the lake, but maybe only 200 flowers.

FAQ

I've been having this intermittent problem of not being able to see my own blog and this is one of those moments again. So, in response to the question from Duanneng, the answer is "probably yes" and to landd, i am determined to save 50yuan a day for 1.5years to fund future travels, heh heh.

And lately, i have been fielding questions from all manner of curious friends, ex-workmates, and kaypohs so to save myself from having to repeat my answers all the time, i will publish them here.

• Q: So..how long have you been here?

• A: The last i counted, 5 months 2 days and 4 hours...

• Q: How's work going?
• A: Its going.. Has its ups and downs, learnt tons of stuff you can get on text books. Expanding my repertoire which is great. Getting to know Chinese working culture (which can be uh, challenging at times). Cafeteria lunch tastes the pits though.

• Q: Do you like living in Hangzhou?
• A: Yep, pretty much so. Its freezing cold in winter with no indoor heating, and blazing hot in summer (already 37 degrees today and its only beginning of summer). Plus the reckless driving here makes me fear for my life each time i'm in any sort of vehicle, or just trying to cross the road. But apart from that, its very green, lots of hills just within the city itself where i can escape to for fresh air, peace and quiet. There are different flowers in bloom throughout the year instead of just boring bouganvilleas and orchids in Singapore. In feb, there were magnolias. March -plum blossoms. April - Tulips. May/ June - i don't know what they are called.
• Taxi drivers here don't try to rip you off and taxi queen here has taken a taxi way too frequently. Buses are easy to navigate. Its generally a wealthy, developed and clean city for China, with a good standard of living for locals, has lots of affordable Chinese and Western restaurants, cafes and bars. It's not as big and polluted as Shanghai and if i really need to go there, its only 80mins away by bullet train.
• Carrefour saves lives with pasta sauce, pasta, and good cheese.

• Q: How much is beer here? (Yes that was a real question that someone asked)
• A: Tsingtao is only 10rmb (SGD$2) during Happy hour. Tiger beer 20 RMB for half-pint. And in fancy restaurants, its double the price. I've found restaurants selling Siwo (Xihu) beer for only 5RMB with the yummiest beef satays to go along. And another place with G&Ts so strong i've keeled over after just 2.5 of them. and they are only 30rmb. Huangjiu (yellow wine) is the local favourite and a specialty from this region. If you dare, go for Baijiu, the local potent drink that's only 7.5 RMB a bottle. Its so strong you can get high just from the fumes alone.

• Q: Do you foresee yourself staying here for long?
• A: Too early to say but the cheap beer might be swing a vote. Just kidding. i honestly have no idea.

• Q: Has your Chinese improved?
• A: Yes, from being an idiot in January, i have graduated to writing presentations, marketing articles, and business documents and arguing in Mandarin. But i still delete lengthy emails from the admin department in my company because it still gives me a headache to read long rubbish, useless paragraphs of chinese text. Nonetheless, i feel a sense of accomplishment.

• Q: What do you normally after work? Do you have a life? Any friends?

• A: Yes i'd like to think i do. i signed for yoga a few months ago so i do that 2-3 times a week. Now i can finally touch my toes. I'm working on a hand-stand next. I go out for dinner with my colleagues couple days a week. Sometimes we go for retail-therapy together. They managed to drag me to a karaoke once. Polite refusals and excuses to sing ("but i don't know any chinese songs!") were futile because they found me a Boyzone song. But they've been immensely helpful and patient with my stupid-foreigner questions ranging from "Where do i pay the electricity bill?", "How does xyz work?" to "Do you really eat duck's tongue?". (Answer to the last question is yes). On weekends i sometimes go out to explore bits of Hangzhou. Recently i've joined the hash hounds here in Hangzhou so every sunday we are out running in the hills, and i get to have a decent chat in English. We share our tales of woe. We share information about where to have really good sandwiches or buy pasta sauce. Intake of alcohol units have increased significantly again (as evident from my beer research). When i don't feel like sharing space with my fellow 6 million comrades in the city, i stay home to read, listen to music, do housework.

• Q: Are you dating?

• A: Yeah but i prefer to keep it low profile for now so i'm not entertaining any further questions about it.

• Q: Really??! Who?! What?! Since when?! Where?! How?! How many?!

• A: see answer from above.

• Q: what do you miss in Singapore?

• A: Friends. Family. Food. Cleanliness. Zouk/ Velvet. Swimming. Kinokuniya. Safe roads

"Pero el viajero que huye tarde o temprano detiene su andar."

Who wants a monkfish cooked in crazy water?

so tantalising...

More Westlake

Rewind to 5 June 2006

This is a whiny post.

Exactly one year ago, i was a FREE person. No job, not much money, but hey, i had a life! and boy was it interesting.

5 June 2006, 11pm. I was on a train bound for Saigon. It was one of those hard sleeper carriages where they squeeze 6 people into a tiny section. 3 beds on each side. I, unfortunately had the top one where there wasn't enough room to sit up. I had to lie down ALL the time, and sit in a semi-crouching position. Very uncomfortable ride indeed. Earlier in the day, i had been in Nha Trang, visiting the surrounding islands on a boat ride. Spent a really nice day out at sea amidst good company. The staff on the boat laid out a feast for lunch, and belted out some karaoke after. Someone on the boat had caught a sea urchin in the clear blue waters. I couldn't swim because of my nasty motorbike wound but i had fun anyway just enjoying the smell of the sea, the wind in my hair, and walking around the islands.

6 June 2006 8am

I got into Saigon and explored the city alone. Trying to avoid being mowed down by crazy motorcyclists and drivers while crossing the roads. Rejecting all the annoying touts that were offering tours, hotels, motorbike rides, taxis etc. I still remember that while walking around chaotic Chinatown, i got a bit lost. Then i wandered into a shop and was pleasantly surprised that the owners could speak Mandarin and dialect (and were very excited to do so) and bombarded me with questions about Singapore. Then while on the bus, i met another Hong kong businessman who warned me about Phnom Penh and how dangerous it was to be going there alone, and of course it turned out to be OK.

Fast forward to 5 June 2007

Right now, I'm feeling chained to my cubicle. OK, technically i AM in a foreign country but it doesn't feel so foreign anymore. Now that i've been here for 4 months, I've established some sort of a regular routine and therefore i'm already looking forward to my next time off work but its a long way to October.

I miss the taste of freedom, the euphoria i feel when i'm carrying a backpack with all my belongings for 2 months, traipsing around in a new place, exploring, taking photos of new and novel things, people around me, trying new food, and planning where to go next. I remember that i constantly felt this knot of excitement, fear and panic all the time because i was travelling alone for such an extended period of time but most importantly i felt alive.

Business trips don't quite count as travel, does it? I've already been on a few and it doesn't exactly tickle my fancy. While its a good excuse to get out of Hangzhou, you arrive in a far too developed and boring city which you have already googled out before hand, arrive at your client's place, schmooze and go. Bleah. Quite far from my idea of adventure. Weekend trips aren't quite the same either. Not much flavour. Plus there's this unpleasant thought about having to go back to work the following day. gosh, am i jaded already? Is it time to quit (again)?

Basically i miss having a REAL adventure.

UGH.

i.

want.

to.

get.

out.

(Dis)Connect

I came back to Singapore for a conference, and took a chance to visit friends, family and chill out in Bintan. Pictures of Bintan to follow soon. I missed home more than i expected, even though its just been 3 months.

In the meantime, has anyone ever got the feeling of meeting up with "close" friends and feeling like you have nothing in common with them anymore? It's been exactly one year since i quit my first job to go travelling. Throughout last year, I met up with some of my Singaporean friends on and off, and now that i'm working in China, i hardly see them anymore. And when i do, i find that these friends that i've known for years, have all moved on to different things in life, different priorities, lifestyles and viewpoints. Suddenly, when i met up with them again this time, I had absolutely nothing terribly vital to share or talk about (that they'd care to know). Of course their friendship is important to me but I suppose they've been moving in different directions for a long time (or was it just me) anyway and it has just became more painfully apparent to me this time.

Sad but true.

Yunxi and Meijiawu (云栖/ 梅家坞）

Took a hike out to the Yunxi Bamboo Trail (云栖竹径) situated in the west of Hangzhou yesterday.

I highly recommend the bamboo trail as therapy for stressed out city folks in need of some an escape out to nature! There is a feeling of peace and calm as you stroll amidst the willowy bamboo trees. All is quiet around you except for the chirping of birds and your own footsteps.

From Yunxi, i hiked north to get to Meijiawu, a Longjing tea-producing village nestled in the hills.

Longjing tea shrubs grown on the hills around Hangzhou

Our hike ended in Meijiawu, named after the "Mei"(梅）family that has produced tea in this village for generations. We took a rest in one of the several teahouses and had some tea and lunch as we watched life go by in the village.

Freshly picked leaves are first dried in the sun for a couple of hours before stove-drying. It looks to be a rather labour-intensive process since it has to be dried in small batches to ensure it is evenly roasted. This old granny is using her bare hands in a stove that is usually above 200 deg celcius. There is a secondary roasting process in another stove before it is packed into tins but i didn't get to see this.

In truth, i enjoyed my refreshingly cold Snow Mountain beer a lot more than the tea because it was simply such a hot and sticky day!

Spring in Hangzhou 2 - Banshan Peach Blossom Festival

I took a day trip out out of Hangzhou to a nearby village called Banshan in Fuyang county (半山, 富阳县）for its annual Peach Blossom Festival. I passed by hills covered with peach blossom trees and fields of bright yellow cole flowers on the way. At Banshan, families picnic'd amidst the peach blossoms. Almost everyone hiked up the hills to pose next to the(you guessed it) peach blossom flowers for photos.

If you have ever wondered where sesame seeds come from, (i have to admit it's never crossed my mind to ask) its from the yellow Cole flowers in the photos.

Spring in Hangzhou - West lake in February

Sorry! i've not been keeping up with my posts. Work got really busy last month and there was also a spell where i could not get into blogspot!

Anyhow, it hasn't been entirely all work and no play. I managed to snatch some time outdoors to enjoy the beautiful spring weather.

Magnolia trees (?) These were taken at the West Lake, on an exceptionally nice day in February. Winter has been unusually warm this year, and the flowers all started blooming early!

Crowd gathering around an inpromptu performance. The accompanying musician is seated on the right. Chinese people seem to enjoy these alot.

Spring Festival Fireworks

The Chinese New Year (or Spring Festival) celebration lasts 2 weeks here, and during this period, you ARE allowed to set off some fireworks. Its tradition to set them off, especially during New Year's Eve to welcome some new luck, and to shoo away any malingering evil spirits/demons.

The first thing i did when i got back to Hangzhou was buy some fireworks ha! My Singapore comrades, eat this!

its almost like war in the evenings during these 2 weeks -minus air sirens. You can hear explosions everywhere, and clouds of smoke linger in the air. Right in your own backyard. Can be quite annoying if you're trying to sleep!

These ones came out of a little tin that costs about SGD$10, and it set off quite a bang. Light the fuse, run a distance away and cover your ears.

p.s. Thanks for the memories everyone.

In exactly 7 hours i'm going to be on the plane, bound for Hangzhou again. Can't describe how that feeling is just thinking about it. Anxiety, excitement... mostly a sense of dread and loss.

I probably won't be back in singapore for a long time and HZ is going to be my new "home" for now.

I took a drive out alone tonight, just around my neighbourhood. My favourite radio station blasting out, the familiar roads and seemingly permanent roadworks, that comfortable feeling of knowing exactly where everything is, how things work and how i know i have to start all over again while i'm in China.

I wonder how everything and everyone will change a year from now. I wonder how I will change a year from now. Will i miss Hangzhou and feel like an "alien" back in singapore when its time to come back? Where will i go next? Everybody is moving on. Friends have found new jobs, some about to get hitched and others having kids. I won't be here for my granddad -a sweet but grumpy old man who is getting older and seemingly more fragile by the day. I won't be here for my pals to hear about their joys, sorrows or just indulge in some good old bitchin and whining. I won't be here to teach my mum how to use MS Excel.

Some of my closest friends are scattered all over the world and i was lucky to meet one back here this time. I'm going to quote her words because i can't find anything more apt.

is home where your family is? where your friends are? or just somewhere you feel comfortable in? maybe i'll feel the best in the air. like im supposed to be there. supposed to be heading somewhere. where? should i come or should i go?

Sunset over the South-China sea

The skies were clear this evening at 30,000 feet in the air. The flaming big band of orange and vermillion slowly disappeared into a thin red line before me as we flew over the south-china sea. Before long, the stars emerged from the pitch-black sky as i had my airplane dinner.

I wish... that i can see this scene before me everyday. . I would never get sick of the infinite and ever-changing shades of indigo, purple, orange and yellow. Not in my lifetime.

Farewell to the crazy Scotsman (and Scotswoman)

So this is goodbye ...

Yesterday, my ex-boss has left Singapore to take up his promotion in Florida. I felt like a part of me, and what was dear to me in Singapore is gone forever.

I'm not usually the soppy emotional type but i couldn't help but feel this incredible sadness when i heard the news, and a tear or two yesterday, which was his last day. Of course, it was great news that he got promoted but that meant he was going to leave.

I guess its hard to describe the strong emotional attachment. OK, so i left the company (and that was a hard decision too) and the country first but i've always imagined him as a permanent fixture in Singapore (figuratively speaking) and its different knowing he's not going to be there anymore when i'm back.

I didn't actually think i'd made it when he interviewed me 5 years back (Maybe it was my answer to his last question (Did you enjoy studying overseas?) that clinched it - my response to his question was "Extremely".

So i shall dedicate this post as a glowing tribute:

Gordon is more like a mentor/friend than a boss, and he always knew when to let us get on with our work, and when to step in to help us out or stick up for us. Most importantly, he taught me how to teach and how to learn. He's one of the rare leaders who truly posess leadership skills and a sense of humour. After working for him for almost 5 years, he'd watched me morph from fresh-young-enthusiastic graduate to bitter-jaded-cynic. Ah, you couldn't ask for more, really.

Whats more, he's fun to hang out with after-work for a few beers, some good chat and giving helpful pointers on diverse questions such as directions to the nearest bar with happy hours and "What should i do with my life?!"

Joyce is funner than Gordon during their house parties because she does dancing, whale-jumping and makes wicked drinks. Gordon just flashes his silent-toothy grins, even when he thinks something is really funny. I won't forget the time where we all did some crazy wrestling at the Padang way after the JP run had ended. That were plenty of "drunk but still silent and toothy" grins flashed that night!

So i thank him for so many things, many good memories, and some wonderful lessons learnt at work, and in life. I will miss all the laughter, fun times, that ridiculous reindeer do, and those feigned "what now?" roll in the eyes whenever i demanded an answer to my endless questions.

He thinks we'll never meet again but i really hope he's wrong about that one.

My HZ bacholorette pad, Version 1.0

As promised, here are some photos of the place i've rented. Its situated rather far from the main road so its nice and quiet! No traffic noise or screeching bike brakes. That really annoys me to no end, especially when masses of bikes screech to a halt at a traffic junction at the same time. It's a cacophony of nails on chalkboard. Shudder.

Living room -awesome sound system -all i'm missing is some strobe lights. TV - several chinese channels but only 1 English channel.

Lounge area -Airy and lots of sunlight although at the moment, those plants are wilting from my neglect - they haven't been sunned since i'm out working all week. Its my favourite part of the house though. On weekends and evenings, you can see lots of kids playing outside.







Guest bedroom - if you pop by, this is where you're going to sleep. (that soft toy isn't mine by the way). Some of you have indicated you are coming over to visit - i'm taking reservations now, and some black-out dates apply ;-) If you can cook and WILL cook, or bring me a bottle of duty-free liquor on the way, you will have priority.

Small kitchenette - no bar yet, haha

Bedroom upstairs

The view from my window - part of all the extra frills that i have to pay for!

So... Version 2.0 will include those darn curtains that my landlady has yet to put up. A sofa, rug, coffee table, DVD collection and mini-bar are also in the works. My life will be complete then.

Any suggestions on how to deck this up?