Nanjing is a definite kaleidoscope/cacaphony of sights and sounds – there is the constant din of traffic accentuated by horns and shouts – this is backgrounded by the hum and throb of the cicadas throughout the city. On our walk by the city wall and the lake – suddenly a lonesome saxophone playing Red River Valley over and over – very plaintively – all of a sudden, he is joined by another sax doing counterpoint and harmony – Saxophone Fridays at Xuanwu Lake? In the evening, there is usually some traditional Chinese music wafting up from somewhere - haven't found the source yet - and sometimes someone singing a Chinese traditional song - last night as I was starting to head off to sleep, the song suddenly became recognizable - well mostly. They were singing "Country Roads - in a version of English - but definitely Country Roads. Amazing!
Walking along the wide boulevards there are great opportunities for people watching. Riders of every age on every possible contraption – mopeds, bikes, scooters, motorcycles – often crammed with families or goods wending through the side alleys, sometimes up on sidewalks – women have sun bonnets with matching aprons lined with silver embossed fabric to keep off the heat and matching oven mitts on their hands to protect them from the sun and the hot handlebars – no two alike. Animated conversations around an impromptu market on the sidewalk: counterfeit gucci bags; rainbow colored parasols (gay pride props?).
I spent Saturday evening hanging out at the Blue Frog – a foreigner friendly bar and grill a block from my apartment. Happy hour runs from 4 to 8 every day during which drinks are buy one/get one. Very nice. I had a nice couple of beers on the patio while I read and people watched and enjoyed a very tasty bowl of penne arrabiata – or firecracker pasta. A young Chinese hipster couple was sharing a bottle of white wine at the table next to me and lit up a joint after their dinner – pasta and a contact high! At another table – two women and a strikingly handsome young man were drinking, smoking and texting – suddenly he left – it seemed to go to the restroom – a half an hour later, he hadn’t returned – the girls gave up finally, paying the bill and leaving a forlorn order of fish and chips untouched on the table – later I saw him emerge from inside the restaurant with another couple.
Today I took an extensive city walk through the exact center of Nanjing – through the Deji plaza with its huge Armani, Prada, Tiffanys, etc stores and on to the Confucius Temple – a series of alleys surrounding the temple filled with tourist shops (and today with loads of people). I was enthralled by the individual styles of dress and demeanor of everyone – striking for a so-called collectivist society.
Favorite T-shirt of the day: You to be my sunshine.
