DRAGON GATE, FANGBANG
I went to Fangbang which is this old-town street with tons of little shops and the like.... It was relatively easy to get there. And I happily watched this old caucasian man get a polymer figure made in his image, he was so pleased at the craftmanship... it looked so much like him I was tempted to get one, but what would I do with it? He even applauded and beckoned us to as well; I did so and fed off his joy. I kept thinking "Damn, if only Neal came, he'd enjoy this." as we had been looking for street foods the yesterday and now, down one of the offshooting roads there were many many little local eats, being made on tables at the side of the road. I also missed Kyle an exceptional lot for some reason, I suppose because I kept imagining how nice it would've been if he came with me here, we could soak up all the culture in the roads together. Missing him is terrible, or do I just miss affection? While I thought that, I checked my phone for the time and he had texted me. There was a man who was paralysed waist down so he was a crumpled little thing(his legs looked like Harry Potter's arm when he had broken his arm during Quidditch and had the bones removed accidentally and his arm was all floppy), pulling himself by his hands on a board with wheels... I gave him my change and he smiled thanking me. I was a bit intimidated at first so I only donated on my second time walking past him.
I walked around Fangbang for about 3+ hours. I walked back out as sun was setting and got a bit lost in a maze-y network of slummy housing which I felt embarassed of walking through. In fact, I was ashamed most of the time at having an iPod in my pocket, a really good camera and 300-some yuan in my bag. Also at my fascination with their living space, the clothes hanging outside and the cramped, dank alleys. The pictures I took never looked as I saw it while walking through, but what to do? After emerging and making it back to the train station(the way back always seems much shorter...), I thought about continuing on to Sun Yat Sen's former residence further down Fuxing as that was the initial plan for today... but it would've been a race against the setting sun so I took the train back here instead.
Hopefully Neal agrees to go out of town with me tomorrow to see ZhouZhuang, I really want to see it and would be looking forward to the 1-2hour bus ride there for some reason. However, it does mean the risk of having trouble making it back as well as an earlier start. Whatever the case, there is still some stuff to do so if we don't go, there are other things here. For some reason I don't want to go back to Singapore, or I don't want Monday to come... but I remind myself of all the things back in familiar Singapore... and I grow optimistic about returning. Ah my knees hurt, and my calves a little, I've been walking alot... 7hours for the past two days, about 4 today.
I walked around Fangbang for about 3+ hours. I walked back out as sun was setting and got a bit lost in a maze-y network of slummy housing which I felt embarassed of walking through. In fact, I was ashamed most of the time at having an iPod in my pocket, a really good camera and 300-some yuan in my bag. Also at my fascination with their living space, the clothes hanging outside and the cramped, dank alleys. The pictures I took never looked as I saw it while walking through, but what to do? After emerging and making it back to the train station(the way back always seems much shorter...), I thought about continuing on to Sun Yat Sen's former residence further down Fuxing as that was the initial plan for today... but it would've been a race against the setting sun so I took the train back here instead.
Hopefully Neal agrees to go out of town with me tomorrow to see ZhouZhuang, I really want to see it and would be looking forward to the 1-2hour bus ride there for some reason. However, it does mean the risk of having trouble making it back as well as an earlier start. Whatever the case, there is still some stuff to do so if we don't go, there are other things here. For some reason I don't want to go back to Singapore, or I don't want Monday to come... but I remind myself of all the things back in familiar Singapore... and I grow optimistic about returning. Ah my knees hurt, and my calves a little, I've been walking alot... 7hours for the past two days, about 4 today.