September 5 2010

Today was a special day.  I inquired about the Ji Ming Temple last week and Alice the Chinese economics teacher said she would take me.  Today we meet up and walked first to her friends Ceramics Art Gallery.  I was able to see all kinds of ceramic and porcelain tea pots, cups and jewelry made by local artisans.  They had throwing ribs made of bamboo, that was very unique, and durable.  What fun I had there.  Ended up with some sweet gifts and earrings for me.  Figuring how to ship small items may be interesting, will have to check into DHL.  Alice’s friends have a bamboo caged little pet in the shop, named “Leader”, like leader of the government so Guli the owner calls him.  The pet is a large grasshopper.  It makes the funniest noises while you shop.  I want one!  so Guli said he will keep an eye for the woman vendor who sells grasshoppers on the street.  He said he saw her with 200 caged grasshoppers.  His is a month old and eats pumpkin and cabbage.  I got to touch it’s foot.  Alice bought a teapot and got a lotus pod.  They said the word for seeds means children. So the lotus flower has many children, I can relate!

Alice’s husband met up with us after his Tai Chi class and we took a taxi to the temple.  It was many flights of stairs.  I threw coins in a giant tripod container — if your coin goes in you become wealthy. Took me many tries to get that darn coin in that hole.  At the top of the temple you can eat Vegeterian food and it was very crowed today.  We got a seat and I finally ate “mock meats” instead of just vegetables.  We had a vegetarian beef meat and a bowl of noodles with mock shrimp.  It was very good, similar to Sumi Veggie in Richardson. I tried Plum Juice, very tasty.  We looked at all the Buddha sculptures, very large, colorful and quite impressive.  I saw only four real monks, all bald, even the girl.

We then strolled  Xuanwu Lake Park next to the temple.  The temple has a huge pagoda and a great wall around it and continues down to the next pagoda and another temple probably a mile or so away.   It is similar to the Great wall in Beijing.  These walls were built to keep the enemy out, the Mongolians.   It is quite old, but in good shape. The entrances have arches and are magnificent.  On the lake was hundreds of small boats similar to paddle boats.  It was a colorful site to see.  In a park area, the senior citizens dressed in yellow Chinese old fashioned clothes were preparing for the fall festival, by practicing their music.  Another group was singing Chinese opera.

As I am writing this I hear opera outside my hotel window.  A student is practicing his singing too.  Occasionally I hear piano coming from the music building.  It’s all very soothing and delightful.

Another good day and tomorrow, school.  Maybe I will figure out how to do laundry in the morning, since my class starts at 11:20.

I need a “Leader!” and I shall name mine “Obama!”