TWO good films today that took me to two cities of Beijing and Ho Chi Minh.
The first one was called The Owl and Sparrow. Realesed in 2007, it was a story of three ordinary people who joined together by sheer love and compassion and the willingness to change and change for good in the emerging Vietnamese city. A tearjerker and a must see, this Stephane Gauger’s film proved again that simplicity could be a work of art. In this film, I admired Cat Ly, the only Vietnamese actress that I knew of and googled and found something revealing.
Late afternoon, I was streaming Go Lala Go! on Youtube cut in 9 parts. A romantic comedy with typical rags to riches as the film story’s foundation, this is China answer to Hollywood Sex and the City with ok bed scenes and The Devil Wears Prada as characters defined fashion and style with Chinese characteristic. Also, once in a while you’d see in the movie sponsors flashing here and there.
Sorry Gong Li, but I think Xu Jinglei (who played Lala and directed the movie), I think is the most beautiful Chinese actress living today.
Wala lang but the DB office building is the SOHO in Beijing where I worked for a week in the Spring of 2008.
TODAY I sneak out from my lair to a bank in Huaihai Rd to channel money back home. Shanghai with rain and cold weather looks very very dull yet still I brought with me my camera, a book and a notebook all in my black backpack. After the bank I went straight to Saesirya to have my late lunch and was satisfied with baked macaroni, sausages, and steamed clams for appetizer all for 42rmb.
Rode the metro train to get to Huangpi Road and walked a bit from there to Figaro near Xintiandi. I ordered a cup of chocolate and went upstairs but there were already many people occupying seats and tables and I was reluctant to share seats and finally settled myself in the ground floor. I thought I could read my Neil Gaiman paperback there but I suddenly changed mood and just pretentiously read Shanghai lifestyle magazines. Surveying the area, there were one costumer teaching Spanish to her two Asian and Caucasian students and in another tables a group of six discussing something like publishing sometimes put English word when converse in Mandarin for strange reason I forced myself to believe that they were from Hong Kong.
I felt lazy and sleepy after finishing the cup and exited the café took a metro ride to ChangShu station and bought junk in KFC to eat later for dinner. I was glad to be back home and be comforted lying on the sofa for awhile until I decided to take a nap.
Today, Shanghai is so boring and lifeless. Or is it me?
FOUND MYSELF yesterday night in one of the oldest theater in Shanghai, Majestic Theater near Nanjing Xi Lu watching Cinderella the musical.Lea Salonga played as the charming rag to riches young lady Cinderella and indeed Lea was the main reason why I went ala Broadway to watch this Rodgers and Hammerstine’s theatrical version of this classic fairytale story. I never saw Lea performed live singing or acting on a play. I know she’s world class good but that day I never thought she could be magically magnificent. (Hi Daye!). In her voice, dwelt an enchantment that would captivate the audience to believe that music, theater and art are good and should be love forever.
It was a relaxing feeling to watch musical play like Cinderella with very good thespians giving life to the colorful and wonderful venue called stage. First time to hear live music from orchestra and I thought that there was really something great in hearing live score. I personally like the song "In My Own Little Corner" and Lea did well it’s version that would make Julie Andrews happy.
Backstage, the ever so kind Lea signed my used ticket as a souvenir for my first musical play attendance and Lea did say cheese with us already starstruck for a picture deserve for Friendster gallery. Lea recently had an interview about her new musical and her coming to China and I thought you might want to listen here and know how Lea super loves the Philippines in spite of.
PS My conceited self was happy to know the prince in Cinderella was named Christopher.
OUR TWO days of boredom in Shanghai resulted to push the wanderer in us (naks), myself and John to purchase a train ticket during the National Holiday. Really, it was only when I step inside the train coach did I realize I was leaving Shanghai to conquer a far far away land, former silk road city called Xi ‘an (西安) the capital of Shaanxi Province nestling in China’s vast northwest. Armed only with an A4 map that lacked Hanzi, John’s prowess to converse in Mandarin and few notes and online readings, we were ready to conquer Xi’an by storm.
Day 01 10.02.08AD
The train fare cost us 510rmb. It’s quite expensive but we were provided a small but comfortable bed inside a train cabin for 4 passengers so we could survive a 15 hrs ride to our destination. In Shanghai, the ticketing office did not give us a return ticket and said we could purchase them in Xi ‘an only to find out later we made a big mistake.
In our cabin, we met this middle age and a very interesting Chinese lady now carrying a Swiss passport. I forgot her name but she conversed in English very well. She shared tales of her life inside and outside of China, personal experiences during the Mao era and the Cultural Revolution, her thoughts about Zhang Yimou and the Beijing Olympics. We spent like 3 hrs talking with her until we realized it’s time to have dinner.
After dinner we slept awhile and woke up nand still we were not there. Spent few hours in the dining taking booze of local beer served uncold with the train employees on the other side talking and talking loud before calling it day. I had a hard time sleeping on my bed except that I thought it was cool ala Harry Potter going to Hogwarts, but luckily, no Dementors around to piss me off.
Day 02 10.03.08AD
We arrived in Xi ‘an rail depot by 8am and greeted by the City Walls nearby. The morning weather was colder and foggy (or was it smog). In the ticket area, we saw ocean of people (人山人海)on queue buying ticket this scene we expected but the news that there were no available train seats to Shanghai this coming weekend really blew our minds and thought we were dead and stranded.
So, half day we spent looking for the hotel and thinking how on earth we would go back to Shanghai. Motel 168 was full so we tried the one beside it and luckily we got a room for 230rmb but only after manager’s intervention. Her counter people weren’t friendly to check us in for reason we did not know of. After considering a lot of things, we decided to take a plane back to Shanghai. It would cost us a lot but it’s faster, more comfortable and so sure we would get back. Thanks to John’s Mandy for taking care of us on these all the way from Macau.
Knowing everything was ok we went inside the City Walls to it’s center, where the north, south east west streets collide, taking pictures of the Bell Tower (西安钟楼), it’s people and the city itself. Xi ‘an was one of the four ancient capital of China with it walls still preserved. The southern gates provide you access for 40rmb to the walls, climbed its stairs and walk and see from a 4 storey high view point the life inside and outside the walls though the fog ruined every far away panorama. There where structures like sentry towers in the walls but to walk its perimeter was very exhausting and we made a descent. We headed south, taking a ride on this 3 wheeled motorcycle with our driver avoiding wisely traffic jam, slithering on the city thoroughfares and driving like hell.
On our destination, we were welcome by these big jets of fountains dancing on a square with many spectators encircling in awe. Paid 40rmb again, to enter to a Buddhist territory and had a closer look of the centuries old Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔). I concluded that it’s a remarkable piece of ancient ecclesiastical architecture still towering to live another day. Late afternoon we headed back to the hotel to rest a bit and to get some things. The taxi’s flag rate here by the way pegged at 6rmb.
Dark came early, so we returned inside the city center again, roamed and took night shots of the Drum Tower (鼓楼) in Xi Da Jie. There were a lots of lots of souvenir shops in the area but did not buy any. memento What we need that time was to feed ourselves and the Muslim Street (回民街) nearby was a mecca for exotic food you’d never imagined people would eat. There were people everywhere walking, selling, haggling, buying, eating and eating again. I loved the festive atmosphere in the street it was like silk road of the ancient times and we his nomads from the east. In Xi’an you’d see people with caps on their heads and sometimes women with veil in their heads and really felt how diverse the culture of China was.
Day 03 10.04.08AD
The next day we got up early, check out from the hotel, got a cab and rode the number 306 bus for 6rmb to take us in one of the most important archeological treasure of China, The Army of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses (兵马俑). It took us less than an hour to get to the place non stop from the city walls. How popular is the site could be read on hundreds of cars parked outside that early morning. The ticket a bit pricey like 90rmb and there were like three checks and a one long walk to get inside the compound. The first museum we visited gave us a look on these 2 wheeled chariots and story of the finds and the constructions of the museums. The next one housed the biggest pit and there they were Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army and Horses (and weapons of bronze) unearthed to tell to modern man the history of what was once a great dynasty. I was like 10 minutes in the viewing platform beholding these artifacts of great magnitude. The size and scale and thinking that it’s 210BC material really amazed me but that did not stop me from taking pictures trigger happy. There were 2 more pits and they were great and I love the way the interior space of the museums, generally the architecture, adjusted to the treasures it sheltered. It was really amen to the intricate details of the warriors learning them up close.
On our way out, there was long line of commercial spaces with souvenirs selling figures of the warriors from tiny to life sized. Interestingly, there were many shops selling wolf and fox fur, in all sizes and colors, which would make PETA screaming for foul.
The taxi driver learning that we were going to Qinshinhuang Mausoleum next commented that it was not fun there at all. But still we made a stop. Examining the spot from the gate we knew we would go climbing so we didn’t go. We thought our feet had enough of walking and made to believe that perhaps the cab driver was telling us the truth.
The next taxi driver was again a very kind and Samaritan Xi ‘anese. He was so very helpful and friendly to us in giving us a lift to the foot of Li Shan (MountLi). The nameless soul even taught us where to leave our bags safely and gave the direction of the bus going to the city.
To pamper ourselves we took a cable car to the top of the mountain. On the top, we saw Lintong county covered mostly of afternoon fog and personally felt disappointed. In the brochure, the tour to the mountain was promising but we have less time to carry another that adventure and so we headed back to the inside Xi’an walls and feasted on chicken, beef, egg and rice western style in a cozy restaurant downtown.
By 4.30pm we were Starbucks, near the BellTower, sipping frapuccino and buying the only memento for this grand escapade, Starbucks city mug. How’s that? And what do you know, there were plenty of buses waiting for us across the Nan Da Jie to take us to the airport for 6rmb.
It was a great trip. Using Pablo Coelho’s cliché, we believe the universe was conspiring with us all the while. This was a tour really prepared come what may but the outcome went fine, really really fine.
I have always been a big fan of the Olympic Games. This started I think when I saw1988 Seoul Olympics in tv in full color. The same Games that gave us a powerful catchy theme song “Hand in Hand” that still up to know the melody is humming in my mind. For years after, who would forget the flaming arrow being use to light the Olympic torch in Barcelona. Then there was Atlanta, Sydney, and back to the birthplace city of Olympics, Athens. Looking back, I felt the last three Olympic Games were not that much big deal to me, perhaps I was glued with studies and work more that time. In a few hours the world would witness the greatest show on earth. All eyes set to Beijing for the opening 2008 Summer Olympic Games. And I must admit I would prefer by that by 8pm I would be seating in a couch with an HD tv before me watching the opening night. I felt my excitement for this sporting event was revived. The number one factor for that was because I am in China, the host country. Though Beijing may seem very far away from Shanghai, where I was stationed for my work, I felt somehow involved and connected to the Games. It’s a lame justification yet I found it a happy thought. Also, I have been to China for almost a year now sometime traveling to its cities and countryside, to the galleries halls and fields. In Shanghai and other visits, I have a chance to learn China up close and reinforcing this with reading informative literature about them you’d really amazed how great and rich the Chinese culture, tradition and history. And these very elements made the opening ceremony an event to catch. My mind was already imagine the bang of fireworks and the many banners of red flying and floating, and the colorful music filling the air and the different dance and acts being performed by thousands in unison and in a very Chinese way. But let’s wait and see how director Zhang Yimou would orchestrate the opening. Days before the Olympic commenced, I witnessed some cleaning. Some DVD stalls in Shanghai, like the one in Jing An temple, were no longer available for transaction. Pubs in Tongren Road, meanwhile stopped operating and were closed from happy hours to midnight. The familiar scene of girls inviting passersby were nowhere in sight and Shanghai popular pub street was like a ghost town on a Holy Friday. Red Beat announced that everything would be normalized August 5, well let’s see this weekend. A Filipino friend was asked for his passport by a policeman doing a random inspection also in broad day light. So, it became a good habit to always carry your passport during this period. And since the city would be hosting football match in Shanghai Stadium, it’s a familiar sight to see a lot of police patrolling the area. In the news, the security in Beijing was tighter just see those surface to air missile near the Bird’s Nest Stadium. After 9-11 and the threats of terrorism, or after the governments of the world successfully feared its people with danger here and danger there, security became a tighter and tougher business. Lastly, I’d appreciate what China is doing in preparation to hold this event. They have been criticized on their human rights records to environmental issues but remain steadfast to make the Games realize. A big blow came this May when Sichuan was hit by an 8.0 magnitude earthquake yet the people resilient like the Chinese bamboo saw the calamity as rallying point to get the ren min closer together. Anyway saying all these, let’s all hope for a successful Olympics in Beijing. Hope the Olympics would create more understanding of China, and other countries and later the government of these countries would later disarm themselves for world wide peace. Amen. In my personal prayer meanwhile, I wish the Philippines to get first her gold medal here so this would be historical one.
I have been to Sichuan province to its capital Chengdu to be exact not for a vacation but for a weeklong workshop (read: work). Even we stayed mostly late nights working at this nice hotel by the Jin river we managed to have time touring some spots of this misty and beautiful city that offers tasteful and spicy Sichuan cuisines that would numbed your lips. At one time, I brave myself to take a cab to visit TianmuPark to say hello to Chairman Mao enormous waving statue and went to the city’s own version of People’s Square to be greeted in awe by locals doing wushu tai chi or ballroom dancing and just unwind with friends while sipping their morning tea in the courtyards. I enjoyed this city.
Last Monday afternoon, SW of China was jolted by 7.8 magnitude earthquake with epicenter in Wenchuan, a mountainous county of Sichuan. Many were reported died and more than thousands still missing. The tube camera’s aerial shot of the affected areas was incomparable to apocalyptic scene you could only imagine happened on film. Considering its proximity to the quake center, approximately 100kms, Chengdu was lucky enough to have survived the tragedy. The city with a population of 11 million only suffered less compared to its neighboring northeast counties. Pan, a friend I met here in Shanghai replied in my text saying all his family in Chengdu were fine and I was glad to hear that.
The strong quake was felt even in far away Mainland cities like Beijing and Shanghai and also rigged Indochina countries. Here, in Shanghai, it swayed the tall buildings in Pudong and Wuxi causing workers to evacuate their office and to stay outdoors for a while.
It’s a time of grieving but the Chinese government was very instant to response for relief and rescue operations with Premier Wen Jiabao on the scene taking charge and inspiring both the survivors and rescuers. I admired the Premier when he spoke impromptu to the people. He delivered very powerful yet hopeful and words. Such quotes you only find on books nowadays.
Others will claim these as mere state media propaganda but I see sheer sincerity on the leader’s face.
Seeing many homes in ruins and people lives loss saddened me. But in this time of event you’d likewise see ordinary men and women becoming heroes doing ordinary things helping the needy and in unity with other men and women aim to save lives in their own little way.
It’s almost a week now but the repercussion crisis showcased to the world how unity and compassion is always possible with the Chinese people and this might disappoint some occidental critics. With only three months left before Summer Games begins in Beijing, this tragedy and its aftermath will indeed define more of China to the rest of the world.
My prayers go to all the May 12 earthquake victims and to Sichuan province. This page is dedicated to you.
