Went out front of the hotel at 730 am to check the weather and noticed that in a plaza in front of the adjacent building there were a large number of people dancing. Went closer and heard music, haunting Chinese music, and saw that indeed there were around 40 people dancing, or doing exercises. It was enchanting. Some of the dancers were in pairs, some alone. The couples were doing a very stately, formal sort of dancing, ballroom style. A fast number was played and some danced accordingly; others continued their slow-dancing. I was fascinated. As I went back in the hotel I met our CCAI hostess, Ellen, in the lobby and asked her about it. She said it’s a group that does this every morning on the way to work. Susie and I went out the next morning, Saturday, and they were dancing again. Here’s a picture.
Front page China Daily picture showed this picture of the world’s tallest man. He’s 7’ 9” tall. He was called on to lend a hand (attached to a very long arm) to remove some life-threatening objects from the stomachs of two dolphins in an aquatic park. The vets and their instruments had not been able to do the extraction.
Dec. 16.
Today, Saturday, is travel day – to Guangzhou. Took a short walk in the morning and came across this building, called the VIP Tower. Actually, the building sort of came across me – it angles out over the sidewalk. Must be exciting to look out of the upper floors.
On the way to the airport I wildly shot some pictures out the bus window. We saw some open territory – gardens, rice paddies, and single-(extended)family dwellings. After six days in the heart of a very large city, it was great to see some greenspace and elbowroom. Pardon the window glare, but I hope you’re excited, too.
Last, but not least, as we leave Changsha, here’s a shot of our CCAI host, Ellen. Ellen was an English major. She said working for CCAI was the perfect job – daily using the language and interacting with all sorts of accents and different usages. She told us that when she went to a university, just a few years ago, about half of the applicants were accepted. Now, with a push on for education, 80-90% are accepted. Ten years ago, when, I think, her sister applied, about 10% got in. So, you can see the trend (she didn’t say it, but I think it’s reasonable to assume that the numbers of applicants have been increasing, too, not just the percent accepted). Oh, also, if I understood correctly, her family could have two children even under the one-child family rule, because she and her sister were six years apart in age.
In a book in our hotel room Susie read that one concern when the one-child rule was in effect, was that the single children would be spoiled, lazy and pampered. Instead, they’ve turned out to be overachievers – as the above university statistics would suggest. If the young men and women you see around the hotel are any example, I would concur. They have the air of being very serious and industrious about what they’re doing. In fact, it seems like you see very few middle-aged businessmen or –women – not nearly the fraction I think I see among the traveling professionals in the US.
Well, enough social comment. On to Guangzhou!
Cheers.
Rob and Susie
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