[Zhejiang Province, China] The Hanging Cloud

I can feel winter creeping up on me. It's seeping through the rows and rows of concrete apartments and over the stagnant rivers in a cloud of fog and cold air.

I left Shanghai last Wednesday. Leaving Shanghai by the south railway station is little like leaving Britain from Gatwick airport - the station is huge! I guess that a station that links a city of 18million people to the Southern provinces and Hong Kong needs to be big, but it can take 1 hour to find the ticket office alone!

I met a Canadian woman in Shanghai who is teaching in a small (4million) city called Jiaxing, in the Zhejiang province. She offered to put me up in a spare apartment at her boarding school and show me around the local area and Jiaxing city: an offer I couldn't refuse!

Jiaxing was very very different to Shanghai. The first thing you notice is that it is far less crowded. People seem to be wandering around with no real purpose, and at a pace which suits them alone. It is not uncommon to see people holding a conversation whilst standing right in the middle of a 4 lane road! The second thing that struck me about Jiaxing is that people stare here. They stare at foreigners. It's not aggressive or impolite, but it takes a bit of getting used to. The best action to take is simply smile back and say 'Ni Hao'. Invariably, people will holler a 'hello' across the street to anyone white in Jiaxing.

People are much more friendly here and I met people in the school, and the Canadian lady's friends, both local and foreign who were accomodating and hospitable.

On Friday we took a bus (well, actually it ended up one taxi and two buses) to Xitang. Xitang is a small town and the main attraction is a 1000+ year old town set by canals and lanes which survived the cultural revolution. People still live and work in the ancient buildings and there are quaint little restaurants, shops, gardens and temples to explore. Again, the pace of life in a place like this is almost backwards!

On Saturday we took a trip to a huge shopping mall. NB 'Huge' in China means 'gigantically hugely massive.' I have been thinking about the plans I have for the North and really needed to buy some warmer clothing. I came away with a great furry hat (with ear flaps) and some especially warm under-trousers. I don't think I spent more than 10pounds in total... China is cheap!

I am in a city called Ningbo now. An American friend who I did the TEFL course with is now working in a school here, so she is giving me a free bed and lots of food. Tomorrow we will explore the city which is a coastal city full of fresh seafood and a bustling modernising business environment.

I can also catch a ferry from here to the island of Putuo Shan. It is a sacred Buddhist island with many temples, pagodas, monastaries and statues to explore. Plus there is no city or urban deveploment so I will be able to get out of these crazy metropolises for a few days!