Mao and Markets

The next day Neil stayed home sick while I went back into Tiananmen Square. Turning in my belongings to a nearby storage area I joined a large queue of Chinese lining up to see Mao in his mausoleum. It was a very surreal experience walking along marked lines and stopping outside the mausoleum for people to buy flowers. Quickly pulling out 1 yuan to purchase the official pamphlet on the mausoleum on the way into the entrance. Seeing the large entrance hall where there is a large statue of Mao where the flowers are placed. And being ushered through the mausoleum room where you see Mao and try to work out if that really is him or a wax figure. But you can’t pause for too long or the guards will tell you to hurry up! That was it. Over in a minute or two. It makes you want to line up again just so you can get a second look! But I couldn’t be bothered of course and probably spent more time looking at the souvenir stores at the back exit before grabbing my belongings and walking around Tiananmen a little. I then caught the underground subway down a few stops to Paul’s restaurant where I met Neil and Dad for some lunch. For consistency purposes – I’ll let you all know - I ate a chicken sandwich – tee hee.

After lunch we went to the Silk Market – another one of dad’s favourite shopping places where we bargained for some souvenirs and browsed the clothing market. Poor dad had to go back to work, but Neil and I caught the train back to Wangfujing street – a large pedestrian mall for a browse around.

Emily at the pasalubong and tea shop

Neil on Wangfujing Street

Neil was able to purchase some super-cheap antibiotics (24 pills for $1) and I bought some expensive Chinese tea (although in fairness it was 6 decent boxes for about $20), and some funky food to take back to work. Neil soon got tired and caught a taxi back to the house while I continued to walk around for a while before joining him.

That night we went to see the Shaolin Warriors. Neil seemed to enjoy it, but the highlight of the evening for Dad and I was when they got Neil and a couple of other audience members to get up on stage to do some kung fu. Perhaps even funnier was having Neil tell the story that he had been leaning forward in his seat and avoiding the eye contact of the Shaolin warrior as he walked through the empty theatre as he was trying to control his gastro problem – going up on stage he was a bit scared that he would present the audience with a terrible addition to their night of entertainment! Despite seeing Neil on stage, I think I would rather have gone to see the acrobats . . . Afterwards we got some late dinner at a semi-ritzy restaurant called the Pavillion. Run by ‘westerners’ the place had a pretty eclectic menu and was pretty yummy. We ate spring rolls, fish and chips, chicken and bacon salad and chicken wings. I had some red wine and dad had a Kilkenny. Yummy. Thankfully I was doing a lot of walking during the day . ..

Dad being silly with his Chinese porcelin dolls - they're really nice!

posted by batik billy @ 1:37 pm