3D REFLECTIONS OF LIFE

Here are  the links to all the posts about my experiences in China. How not to pack for overseas travel. Time for Guanzhou morning tea and savoring dim sim at Nan Yuan restaurant. Our visits to Flower City and the Guangzhou Public library Cruising on the Pearl River in Guangzhou on a starry night.

This is post number eight in the Ni hao (Hello) China Travelogue. Mina, our tour guide and me on the boat. We knew we were ending our stay in South China with a cruise on the Pearl River, but not in my wildest dreams did I expect such a spectacular experience. It was drizzling and foggy almost the entire day, but the evening of our river cruise the heavens opened. Landie and Jean having fun.  One of the bridges lit up  We boarded our boat and were mesmerized for the next hour or so. All the buildings that surround the Pearl River switch on their headlights to create a static pyrotechnic display. Each of the riverboats glittered with their neon displays on the dark river waters. Even the bridges became part of this multi-coloured, fantastic playground. The Pearl river is 2,400 kilometers long and it is the third largest river in China. Many such colourful boats are seen on the river The lights on the buildings reflecting in the ...

This is post number 7 in the Ni hao (Hallo) China Travelogue . After our tea experience, we spent the rest of the day at Guangzhou's Flower City Square. It is now the largest square in Guangzhou. On Flower City Square.  There are many attractions that surround Flower City Square. You can see the Opera house, the museum, the massive public library and the Canton Tower from the square. Because it was raining (again) and misty, we could not see the Canton Tower. Our tour guide, Mina, said " she was hiding because she was shy. Landie Diamond walking in the rain. In the background is the stadium where the opening ceremony of the Asian 2010 games was held. The Guangzhou Public library The Guangzhou public library designed like a "Z" and it resembles an open book The Guangzhou library is an architectural and cultural marvel. This public library was designed by an international team from Japan and China. The library resembles an ...

This is the sixth post in the Ni hao (Hello China) Travelogue  and the focus is on the morning tea we had at Nan-Yuan Restaurant. We experienced diumsum, a traditional social event when friends and family gather to drink tea and enjoy a variety of exotic dishes. And did we have an awesome time! part of our group in the courtyard Firstly, the  Nan-Yuan restaurant is elegant and opulent. Its garden setting and the courtyard is fairytale like. When you enter the large dining hall, you are greeted by a crowd of happy tea drinkers and tons of chandeliers to add to the charm. soups that were served The usual 'high teas' that we have pale in comparison to the diumsum. The menu includes a variety of tea, including flower tea, savoury snacks, sweet snacks and different soups. All these delicacies are served on beautiful porcelain platters or in bamboo baskets. savoury snacks Jean in deep concentration  seafood parcels me and one of our...

This  fifth post in the Ni hao (Hallo) China Travelogue series, covers our experiences of various aspects of Chinese culture. Enjoy the trip with us. The Chinese Flag The country's flag is red with five yellow stars. The big yellow star refers to the party of the country, the Community Party of China (CPC). 80 Million Chinese belong to the CPC. The four smaller stars represent the different groups in China. In the other post, I mentioned that there are 56 different groups in China, with the Han being the largest. China is shaped like a rooster on a map.  The three main cities are Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Guangzhou, where we spent the first week, is 2,000 years old. Guangzhou is also nicknamed the Flower City or the Five Goats City. According to our lecturer, Guandzhou is the gateway to understand China. Words to describe China: LARGE: because of the size of the country, 56 peoples, 54 kinds of characters and 120 dialects. According to recorded histor...

This is post number 3 in the Ni hao (Hello) China Travelogue.   This post marks the beginning of our China tour. The first day started on a high note. Visit to Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) in Guangzhou.  Our first day in China started off with a welcoming ceremony at Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) in Guandzhou. Guangzhou is in South China, in the Guandong Province. The North gate of SYSU. The Pearl River runs parallel to this gate. We learned about the history of SYSU. This university was founded in 1924 by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, one of China's great revolutionary leaders.  About 83,000 students attend SYSU, of which 3,200 are international students. SYSU is one of the top ten universities in China. It is a multi-disciplinary university with an inter-cultural centre for research and language courses, we were told.  We met a Zimbabwean and a European student during a tour of the campus.  There are many green spaces on the campus. We saw a group of p...

My travelogue, "Ni hao China", is a series of posts of all the amazing experiences I had when I participated in an educational tour of China from 09-20 April this year. I have never travelled overseas and we had planned to visit Thailand later this year as our first international destination. However, life happens. I was invited to participate in a Study/Cultural Tour of China that was organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Town. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity! In my travelogue, Ni haChina, I will capture all the amazing experiences from the clumsy travel packing, to the experiences in China and the rich conversations I had with my fellow travellers. This page will double as a central page that sets the scene for the travelogue. The travelogue will consist of two parts: Musings about the BEFORE China preparations and the IN CHINA highlights. Conversations with the travelling principals. The Education delegation ...