China Day 9: Creatures for Dinner at 正呌

~ 3rd February 2016~

Dinner was at this beautiful place 正呌 which looked like a resort. It was not, though. The different rooms were meant for private dining. No dining in the open. The thick wooden door shuts away the loud noise. Again, we were extremely loud. 

I followed to see what's for dinner. There were cages and aquariums with weird looking fishes. I found a really cute squirrel. It was sitting like a hen laying egg, all limbs curled and hibernating. It was so cute that I wanted to buy it home to keep as a pet or let it run free in the jungle. But it will be caught again and ended up in a restaurant. How could they eat such adorable creature?

Hey, snakes~! Go away~! I won't eat you but I do not want you in the pot. Not on my table~! I love you chicken... I mean, I love to eat you. I'm sorry. Don't be angry. I cannot have mercy towards chicken. I do not want to turn into a vegetarian. I do not want to snatch the goats and the cows' staple.

We ordered twelve dishes and I only have two dishes to look at now. It's not possible for a Chinese table to have two dishes only unless you're in my house. I have neither the energy nor the time to cook 10 dishes unless it's the hubby's birthday or I have invited guests over then I will cook a storm. Thanks to the useless micro SD card. I want to kill the SD card so much but it's already dead and gone. 

Oh, Chinese New Year was just around the corner. Business by the roadside selling flowers were making money. Back in Penang, we were so busy buying and making cookies and mandarin oranges, over there they were buying pots and pots of flowers.

China Day 9: The Emperor's Coin?

~3rd February 2016~

Look like four gangsters by the roadside...

After having our breakfast, first uncle went to meet two other people who wanted to give Chinese New Year goodies. They gave lots and lots of fresh produce which can only be found in abundance in their land. In Shaoguan, it was rich with water chestnuts and we were given boxes and boxes until there was hardly any place to put in the car. 

While waiting by the road side, Pinky found a stall selling dried sweet potatoes which I find *ugh*

The drive back was smooth sailing. Nobody was heading down south. The whole of China was moving up north and east where the old villages were. Anyway, first uncle used another route. He dared not put his life into my hands thus he has to endure the long drive. Second uncle must be too sleepy to think more when he asked me to take over the steering wheel. 

I like to see bridge structures in different styles. China has so many different bridge designs. This one looked kinda messy and I like messy and complicated designs. The messier, the better. 

Then, I saw this huge emperor's old coin rolling on the road. Oh, it wasn't rolling on the road. My head was rolling. I was dozing on and off from the long drive. We woke up to see the big old coin with a hole in the middle. It was not a coin, duh~! It was a building which housed offices. Fancy working in that kinda building. Really unique~! But I prefer my building like Alcatraz or any form of fort, to reduce space wastage. That big hole in the middle is a waste of air space. 

China Day 9: The Devil's Lair...

~ 3rd February 2016~

They wanted to go to the temple. Entrance fee must be paid. I have been to various kinds of temples when I was young as my own father likes visiting temples. 

This one was an eye opening one. There was this whole building where photography was not allowed and the devils of sorts were handcrafted. They looked just like how those people who have journeyed to hell and described what they saw in hell. I don't really know how to describe what I saw from the bottom to the ceiling of the building. There were so many of them I shudder to think humans can be so disillusioned to acknowledge these demons from the pit of hell as gods. 

And see how that child prayed. She was not the only one kneeling down. How many people in the church kneels down other than during altar calls? Hardly any... How many actually kneels down while spending time quiet time with God? Maybe only when they need God's emergency intervention but many will be quick to point their fists towards heaven when prayers are not answered. 

There's no life in this place. Even the fishes died in the pond. But they were serious in rescuing the dying century-old trees. They did their job very well in helping the tree. That was human trying to save a tree. What happen to the thousand of gods inside the building? Can't the many gods rescue one or two trees?

China Day 9: One of Those Relaxing Mornings...

~ 3rd February 2016~

We woke up in the morning feeling very relaxed. It was our last day in Shaoguan and mother has yumcha appointment with her old friends. First uncle made yumcha appointment with somebody else which I could not remember who. We just tagged along looking forward for dim sum. 

We really relaxed and enjoyed ourselves talking about nothingness. Being friends need not talk about something serious every time we see each other, if not life will be very stressful and I will not want to see anyone anymore for the rest of my life. Pinky has to look through the many words on the menu and tick the ones we wanted. She knows what I like, so I don't have to tell her what I want. 

While waiting for the food, we took a few pieces of photos together. We hardly have our photos together because as you see, she was always in front of me walking fast while I walked at a leisure pace. Actually I consider myself fast enough but she chased after the train every morning. She has to chase after the train because she is just like me. She wakes up on the third snooze of the alarm, washed up, changed up, hopped into the car, drives to next station where the parking is unlimited hours and chase after the train or else she will miss it. No, we cannot be earlier.. I understand her... we just can't bring ourselves to wake up an hour or two earlier. We enjoy our sleep. 

The food arrived. It was not that good but we enjoyed chatting with each other more.

Broken SD Card = Broken ♥

I viewed the photos on camera. Needed to take some more photos before transferring them all into the computer. One memory could not be read. Reformat... reformat... what the heck? Why do I need to reformat? So, I was looking through the photos and I have 17 000 photos to look at but I know when one piece is missing. 

I became really upset like one piece of my flesh has been cut out. The expert says that the data could be retrieved. If it's my paperwork inside the card, I would not be bothered but these were memories gone just like that. 600++ of memories... kaput. 

My heart runs away like those lights. The costs of retrieving those photos would be RM1000 but the neighbour is willing to give it at RM500. I can get a flight ticket and fly away to Timbuktu and create new memories. ARGGHHHHH~!!

Oh, broken SD card does not produce such electrifying photos. Broken SD card has no ability to even produce one piece of shit. Those photos mirror my emotions perfectly. I'm....whatever... *sigh* Nothing wrong with camera. That's part of self-entertainment and I call that art or preference. Some people like clean photos with not even a dot of noise. Some love their photos all blurry and I like mine this way.

China Day 8: I Heart Shaoguan...

~2nd February 2016~

After such tiring hike, we were recharged after having the hot meal. On the way back to the hotel, we saw so many people walking to the night market. The whole street was closed from vehicles. We became excited and could not wait to walk to the place. First uncle wanted to find a parking spot somewhere so we could go together but the somewhere was never found.

He ended up going to his room for a rest. I think he's knackered and he's very cold. We started walking here and there, down this lane and down that lane. The night market was gone. We could not find it so we just walked around. We arrived at the building where father used to work. The building was still operating, doing the same thing.

We arrived at a shop selling bedspread. It was so comfortable I would have carried them home but I couldn't. I was not able to. I do not have the energy to do so. I found what I like but in the I stepped out of the shop because temptation was too strong, I had to get away. Pinky bought them back to Australia. It's really cheap buying from China and the quality was good. I told ya' export stuff was not as good. Export stuff was so second grade. 

I was entertained by a doggie outside the shop. Beside the shop selling bedding was a convenience store. The dog was hungry so the master slave went in to buy the vacuum-packed hot dogs for the dog. The dog finished the hot dogs so fast and looked hungrily at its master. In the end, the master went in to buy a few more dogs for the dog. I hope the many dog words do not confuse you. Those hot dogs the dog ate was the exact same one selling at our supermarket. They are not dog meat but chicken sausages. The dog was happy with the hot dogs. I was happy taking the dog's photo. The dog smiled at me.

After the dog left, I played with the camera a bit. The night lights in Shaoguan was really mesmerizing. It was so beautiful and I fall in love with Shaoguan. If our gahmen decorates our first and second Penang Bridge with these ever-changing lights, Penang will have people from all over the world coming in. And place colourful lights along big smelly drains. I tell you those big drains will be a hit in town and become popular tourists spot and romantic place to take photos.

We went back to have dinner. This time mother invited another friend. We wanted to try other restaurant along the stretch of restaurants. Pinky eats neither mutton nor lamb. I do not fancy mutton unless it's mutton curry from Jaya Catering in Penang. The body odour of goats can be smelled throughout the whole restaurant. We skipped out of the restaurant and started walking back to 添口福 . This time round there were not that many patrons like the previous night. Pinky scanned the bar code again but no more 1 yuan steamed egg with a whole river fish. 

The basketballs were full because the weather was great. We have no energy for Wal-Mart. It's time to sleep. First uncle drove us around a bit because we no longer have the energy to walk around. I just wanted to take a hot shower and curled up in bed.