AN AFTERNOON IN GUANGZHOU

Today we take the relatively short bus to Guangzhou (also known as Canton), the third most populous city in mainland China. Half of the world’s cranes must be here, as construction crews modernize and renovate the face of the city around the clock. The first place we journey is underground to the brand new state of the art metro system that snakes its way beneath the massive city. The slick and efficient trains are packed beyond imagination, and Albert advises me take my wallet out of the “sucker pocket” (back pocket) and guard it more closely. We disembark at a stop called “Comic City”, which we soon discover is an extravagant and colorful shopping mall. Several signs display slightly flawed English translations, such as “Please Do Not Littering”, or “Stay Here is Prohibited”, which most likely refers to homeless people or loiterers. Hey, at least they are trying. In America, it’s English or nothing.

After perusing the aisles of pirated DVD’s and various electronics (avoiding fashion clothing stores like the plague) we stop at a quaint but sleek looking sushi bar and order all-you-can-eat. We are seated and given hot tea and fruit flavored soda, and the rules are explained to us. There is conveyer belt carrying an assortment of sushi dishes by, and we may take any we like (except those on blue plates, which are expensive gourmet dishes). Since each color dish has a certain price value, we immediately decide to eat at least double the value of our “all-you-can-eat” price. Also, we insist on eating more than everyone around us, and make a big show of measuring our stack of plates against our neighbors. The young Chinese couple next to us thinks it is all just hilarious, and explaining why we consumed so much, Albert jokingly tells them, “We are robbing them,” which only elicits more laughter.

Next we head over to “Beijing Street”, a district of the city boasting the historically preserved remains of roads dating back to all of the ancient dynasties of China. The roads lie at various levels beneath the ground, and can be viewed through glass floors in the center of the main street. As usual, tourists are interested in China’s past and tradition, while locals are attracted to the future and to progress.

I get to do my own bargaining for the first time with a street vendor, who punches his price for a jade bracelet into a calculator and shows it to me. I push the calculator away, wanting to practice my Chinese, and tell him the price is too much, and offer a lower amount. We eventually settle on a price, and although I probably could have bought it for less had I been shrewder, I feel satisfaction for having navigated the transaction successfully on my own. On the streets, although littering is common, there are tireless workers everywhere sweeping the roads with giant witch brooms and gathering trash.

We later visit a peaceful nature park on an island in a lake in the heart of the city, with serene walkways winding through dense greenery offering splendid views. It is a perfect example of the eternal battle between civilization and nature. In China, progress and expansion are crushing nature, but it is good to see parts of it preserved even within sprawling cities. We stumble across a small deserted carnival, and after playing a few short games of air hockey and one involving shooting at multicolored balloons, the dreary staff is crushed to see us leave.