The black dog returns

Dragon array at a Taoist temple

The wife has been away for three weeks now, which if you followed this blog the last time she went to visit family in Taiwan, is the cue for another whining, pity party of a post. Off we go again...

The first time I arrived in China was back in the summer of 2013, when the family and I showed up in Shanghai 上海 for my first posting in the Foreign Service. It was something I was very much excited about, especially as it meant finally escaping the more than year-long trauma that was language learning at the Foreign Service Institute. It was an interesting time to be in the People's Republic, with the bilateral relationship being on steadier ground compared to now, and with many Chinese curious about the outside world. Shanghai itself was a fascinating place, and because we assumed we would never be back in the country, the three of us traveled extensively to various places within China. However, as you're probably well aware, we would return, first to Beijing 北京, and then Guangzhou 广州, where we're currently ensconced. These assignments were not the result of professional development, but rather represented failures in bidding - I had preferred to do another tour in Africa, or perhaps a stint in one of the southeast Asian countries (such as Singapore, Malaysia or Thailand).  Poor networking skills instead means I'll end my career with half the time spent here in China. 

Whenever Shu-E goes back to Taiwan I find it difficult to cope on my own in the PRC. There's no motivation to do anything - I don't want to go out anywhere on the weekends, don't want to interact with anyone in my free time and don't want to try and make myself better understood in Mandarin. Having been diagnosed with depression means that having to deal with China on my own, even if for only a few weeks, is even more of a spirit-breaking challenge, especially as the wife unfortunately doesn't understand or want to undertand what depression is or what it entails. When you're a middle-aged Taiwanese woman who grew up in a conservative rural area during a time when the country was under the rule of an authoritarian regime, it's only natural to think men should just silently endure and accept their impending earlier demises due to excessive alcohol and tobacco consumption. 

Still, I completely understand why the wife needs to see her family from time to time, and for this most recent visit of hers I was hoping to make a better go of enforced, albeit, temporary bacherhood. What follows is how I tried to cope this time around...

Home, sweet home:

The boys weren't too happy, either, to see Shu-E go:

Every weekend I tried to get out of the apartment if even for just a short amount of time. Like this walk around Huacheng Square 花城广场, where a large boulder rests in front of a branch of the Agricultural Bank of China 中国农业银行. There was no information I could find on how or why it is there:

The tons of cash that have flowed into many of China's biggest urban centers in recent decades have resulted in some interesting architecture, similar to what it was like in Japan's big cities during the asset price bubble バブル景気 of the late 1980s:

Parklife on a drizzly weekend afternoon:

A rehearsal for...something. I arrived home from work one evening to find my living room lit up with flashing strobe lights that continued until well after midnight. According to signs onsite it appeared related to a "520 Carnival", although other signage referred to a "Guangzhou Betel Nut Street" 广州槟榔街. The wife pointed out that businesses often rent out sites for promotional events but hadn't a clue what was going on here. Whatever it was, it only lasted for a few evenings and appeared to have wrapped up even before the 20th of May: 

A dance club trying to appeal to as many kinds of clubgoers as possible that I passed on the way to the Taikoo Hui Mall 广州太古汇, and in particular the Fangsuo Commune bookstore 方所. Back in the day in Shanghai there was the Foreign Language Bookstore, a great source for books in English on Chinese subjects ranging from history and travel to language study. It's still around (the one in Beijing was closing its doors at the time I visited), but there doesn't appear to be a branch here in Guangzhou. Fangsuo, unfortunately, only has a few titles in English, mainly focused on the arts. There were some interesting books on architecture, including some on noted Japanese architects such as Kengo Kuma 隈研吾 and Shigeru Ban 坂茂, but selections in other genres appeared either limited or non-existant (despite one website claiming 40% of the stock to be in foreign languages). The mall meanwhile has the usual collection of designer shops, with the more proletarian businesses consigned to the basement floors:

The Central Business District (CBD) on a relatively dry evening (Guangzhou is currently in its rainy season)...:

...and on a rainy one:

Memorial Day weekend. Three consecutive days off with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Bored as always, I went for a walk down to the Pearl River 珠江:

Crossing the Liede Bridge 猎德大桥: 

A Haizhu Tram 广州海珠有轨电车1号线 train passes by:

The CBD looks more attractive at night, which could be said for most large Chinese cities (as well as Las Vegas). Walking by the Guangdong Museum 广东省博物馆:

A drone show, a common sight these days all over China:

Tianhe 天河 becomes much more subdued after 23:00:

On Memorial Day I finally dragged myself out of the CBD by revisiting Enning Road 恩宁路, an older section of Guangzhou that is home to some fine examples of Qilou 騎樓 architecture. It's an area we've been to several times; for this occasion I brought along my seldom used these days Canon to take some photos, starting with the Bahe Academy 八和会馆, a guildhall for Cantonese opera performers. The 3 meter/9.8 foot-tall wooden door dates from 1889, and somehow managed to survive Japanese bombing in 1937. It also managed to recover from being used as a parking plank for heavy vehicles during the Great Leap Forward : 

The entrance to Yongqing Fang 永庆坊, an alleyway last visited when our daughter was in town at the end of last year: 

Luanyu Tang 銮舆堂 is a 200-year-old union hall for Cantonese opera actors who perform martial arts and acrobatic roles: 

The ancestral home of Bruce Lee, whose father was a Cantonese opera actor and member of the above union. I went inside (again) to have another look, but it was surprisingly busy for a Monday and so I left:

Passing by the Cantonese Opera Art Museum, which was closed this day. A pity as I could've availed myself of the air-conditioned restrooms inside:

Walking past some interesting building facades:

Renwei Temple 仁威庙. It was past opening hours the last time Shu-E and I were in the area but this time I was able to enter and have a look around: 

At 35°C/95°F and being very humid I gave up after the temple and returned in the early afternoon to the air-conditioned comfort of our apartment 

The uncomfortable weather keep me mostly confined indoors this past weekend as well. Still, I made a feeble effort to get out on Sunday. I had hoped to check out Li's Ancestral Temple 李氏宗祠, a walk of fewer than thirty minutes from our building. Unfortunately, the entrance was blocked by a sea of banquest tables being set up (the previous weekend I had also tried to visit, only to encounter a large wedding party in full swing out front). So instead I crossed the street to a smaller temple which I believe is called Huaguang Temple 华光庙. There wasnt much to see, but it was further evidence that traditional forms of worship are far more prevalent in this part of China compared to in the more ideological north of the country. And by the time I returned home after this short excursion I was drenched in sweat: 

If nothing else the relative paucity of photographs connected with this post should be indicative of just how dull and spiritually-sapping these past several weeks have been. At least this time around I was slightly less of a hermit, having enjoyed myself at a trivia contest on one Friday evening, as well as a recent Sunday brunch at a colleague's house. And having the cats to take care of and keep me company this time did much to make the time spent at home a bit less tedious, even it meant having to keep a constant eye on the Siamese to make sure he didn't tear into any packages to get at the cat food inside (like he did one recent night while I was asleep). Still, all things considered, I still do not like being on my own in China. Not one bit.

The wife returns tomorrow, which should put an end to this self-pity party. It's too bad Shu-E won't be able to do anything about Guangzhou's increasingly uncomfortable temperatures. At least all that rain offers temporary relief:

How I hope the soundtrack to my retirement years sounds like:

Sweating it out in Singapore, part deux

From the Singapore River 

Saturday, the second of May and our third day in Singapore. We had spent the previous evening strolling about Chinatown; this morning it would be Little India's turn to be explored. My guidebook describes the atmospheric old quarter as having "retained far more of its cultural integrity than Chinatown", and it's an assessment I completely agree with. We started off in the Tekka Market (established in 1915), a genuine wet market with water covering large parts of the floor. Stalls had it all - meats, seafood, fruits and vegetables. And while there were plenty of tourists like us having a look around, there were also many locals doing their grocery shopping there: 

Upstairs were shops selling clothing and household items. It was relatively quiet up there, but did provide good views over the market below:

Ironically the first building of note we came across in Little India after leaving the market was the Former House of Tan Teng Niah, a two-story villa built in 1900 for a prominent Chinese businessman who owned some factories in the area: 

Little India appeared to be much less gentrified than Chinatown, and on weekends the neighborhood is busy with Bengali and Tamil migrant laborers (the workforce behind Singapore's shopping malls, subway stations and upscale condo complexes):  

The Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple was my first time to experience a Hindu shrine. While my wife waited outside in the shade, I donned a shawl to cover my bare, varicose-veined legs (no doubt to the relief of all those around me) and joined the throngs inside. I wasn't familiar with any of the deities, but the atmosphere within was energetic and lively. Hindu and Buddhist temples share some similarities in the way the gods are depicted and worshipped, which isn't surprising as Hinduism was very influential in the development of Buddhist architecture, art and philosophy: 

Thanks to my Rough Guide I now know the temple is dedicated to Kali, the Hindu goddess of time, death and destruction. Flanking her in front of the main prayer hall are her sons, the deities Ganesh (on her left) and Murugan (to her right): 

This multi-armed deity subduing a demon of ignorance is Shiva: 

The day before we had visited the Chinatown Heritage Centre. This time we would escape the heat at the Indian Heritage Centre, one of Singapore's several showpieces dedicated to the local ethnic cultures:

We started at the top floor, which provided a general overview of Indian traditions. You can read all about the, um, interesting object below:

A polychromed 19th-century Burmese depiction of a forest ogre, made of lacquered and gilded wood:

I spent time examining this 19th-century Chettinad doorway and its 5000 minute carvings:

Ornamental items:

A wooden gable from a house (20th century):

On a lower floor I came face-to-face with the Indian nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose, who spent time in Japanese-occupied Singapore during the Second World War: 

Bose led the Indian National Army (INA), created by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore in early 1942:

Other exhibits covered the stereotypical jobs done by Indians in colonial-era Singapore: 

Back outside, where Shu-E was amused to see laundry hanging on poles outside a high-rise apartment building. I was reminded of my first visit to Hong Kong in the early 1990s when I encountered similar scenes:

 

Lunch was had at Kumar Mess, where I ordered the Melur Chicken Curry. The dish proved to be a bit spicier than what I'm used to, but the iced milk tea helped to soothe the burn. My wife, who likes to eat food to go with her spices, had no issues with her meal:

Our final stop in Little India would be at the Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple:

On the left as we entered the temple was a large Buddha's footprint:

The temple housed a kitschy-looking 15 meter (49 feet)-high Buddha ringed by a thousand electric lights, with dioramas depicting the Buddha's life adorning the pedestal. It was built by a Thai monk, which explained its appearance:

It was possible to go inside the figure, where there was a statue of a reclining Buddha (photographs of the interior were not permitted). Speaking of which, while I at the temple I learned that in Thailand there was a Buddha for each day of the week:

At this point my wife, citing the oppressive hot weather, decided to head back to the hotel. Truth be hold, unlike her spouse, Shu-E doesn't have much interest in the peoples and cultures of Southeast and Southwest Asia. I don't know what the effect on her would've been had I been successful in previous bids on jobs in Chennai, India. Instead, we seem to keep ending up in China, so she at least has been content with my career progression. I, on the other hand, decided to press on to the Sultan Mosque, located in Singapore's Arab Street neighborhood: 

The mosque looked very impressive from the outside...:

...but the interior was a bit underwhelming compared to the exterior. The staff were very welcoming, however, especially the woman who helped this old man who was struggling to wear the robe he needed to put on before going inside:

Similar to Chinatown, the surrounding neighborhood was more tourist-oriented than Little India, with many Middle Eastern restaurants open for business: 

I eventually made my way back to our accommodations and took a dip in the outdoor pool on the second floor. Here is the view overlooking Clarke Quay:

For dinner that evening the two of us made the short walk from the hotel to Brewerkz:

I had the 4AM Double IPA:

Shu-E reacts to the size of the chicken wings "appetizer" she ordered as her dinner:

I had the fish and chips:

At my wife's sugggestion, following dinner we took a boat ride on the Singapore River:

Passing by the Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino: 

Shu-E was sitting closer to the Merlion so this photo was taken by her. Created in 1972, the Merlion is an ugly half-lion, half-fish that has inexplicably become the Singaporean national symbol:  

A glimpse of the Merlion on the far left as the boat makes it way back to Clarke Quay:

Singapore's nightscape was quite striking, especially in comparison to the ostentataious after-dark displays found in many Chinese cities, including the one where we currently live:

Singapore's former General Post Office is now the luxurious Fullerton Hotel: 

Shu-E and I were both taken with the appearance of the 1934 Old Hill Street Police Station, with its 900 rainbow-colored louvered windows. It now houses the Ministries of Communication and Information, and Culture, Community and Youth: 

There was a full moon that evening that my iPhone could not capture:

We ended the evening with a stroll through the Boat Quay, a district of waterfront shophouses that has been regenerated into a thriving area of bars and restaurants:

Heading back to the Paradox:

Sunday, the last day. Our return flight to Guangzhou wasn't due to depart until late in the afternoon, and check-out at our hotel wasn't until noon. Shu-E preferred to relax in air-conditioned comfort until then, but I decided to tackle the morning heat and explore a bit of Singapore's Civic District:

Parliament House:

The National Gallery is housed in two old buildings - the former Supreme Court on the left (the UOB Southeast Asia Gallery was closed for renovations on this Sunday)...: 

...and the old City Hall on the right. The DBS Singapore Gallery was open, so I went inside to have a look: 

The general admission ticket I purchased (with a senior discount!) provided entrance to three galleries on two different floors. The higher exhibit was devoted to works by He Xiangning, who appeared to have had quite the artistic and political career. And, no, I had never heard of her either. Lion (1914), ink and color on silk:

Tiger (1910), ink and color on silk:

Pine and Chrysanthemums (1931), ink and color on paper:

Green Plum Blossoms (1943), ink and color on paper:

Appreciating the Snow (1962), ink and color on paper, in collaboration with Fu Baoshi:

The interior of the gallery:

Before heading down to see the other two galleries, I detoured up to the roof to take in the view:

The Marina Bay Sands in the background, with the Padang in the foreground. A cricket match was being held - it doesn't get more colonial than that: 

The Old Parliament House, built in 1827, making it the oldest extant building in Singapore. It now houses a contemporary arts center: 

Visitors can ring the bells of the rooftop installation Temple, by Vietnamese-American artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen:

Looming behind the rooftop is the Norman Foster-designed New Supreme Court, looking like a flying saucer from a 1950s sci-fi flick: 

The remaining two galleries I could enter were both located on the second floor. One was devoted to Singaporean artist Tchang Ju Chi, while the other focused on more than 350 artworks telling "a layered ever-changing story of Singapore's art history" (according to the pamphlet I was given along with my entrance ticket). What follows are a few representative works from the collections, including My Ah Kong's Big House (1999) by Chua Chye Teck: 

Tchang's Self-Portrait (1939), oil on canvas: 

Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery by Tchang, an oil on canvas painting he did in 1927:

Cartoons by Tchang. He was executed by the Japanese in 1942, so it was probably a good thing that I had worn my Japanese national soccer team jersey the previous day instead of this morning: 

An untitled still life by Tchang done sometime in the 1930s:

Rooster (oil on canvas, 1989) by Vincent Leow: 

Working at the Brick Factory (oil on canvas, 1954) by Liu Kang: 

Storyteller (oil on canvas, 1962), by Wee Kong Chai:

Civilisation (polyurethane paint on board, c. 1970s), by Vincent M. Hoisington: 

[Title Unknown] by Jaafar Latiff, batik and acryllic on canvas (c. 1976):

Grey Shadows (quilted stitching on cotton ticking, c. 1970s), by Eng Tow:

Outside again, meaning I was back in the stifling heat of the day:

The Cenotaph, commemorating those who were killed in the First World War:

Looking back at the National Gallery on the opposite side of the Padang:

On the way back to the hotel I came across a hawker selling ice cream from a pushcart. I bought a slab of chocolate. Yes, a slab, because in the traditional Singaporean way the ice cream came in bricks, and the seller would use a cleaver to cut off a large piece. I also went traditional by having the ice cream rolled up in a slice of milk bread: 

For our final lunch in Singapore Shu-E and I went to a Japanese tendon 天丼 restaurant called Kohaku 琥珀, meaning "amber" in Japanese. IYKYK:

And with that we took the metro to Changi Airport to check in and await our flight. Changi is consistently ranked as one of the best airports in the world, and in particular is noted for the large Jewel Changi shopping mall next to Terminal 1. The mall is home to the Rain Vortex, the world's biggest indoor waterfall, and I had considered arriving at the airport earlier so we would have time to go over and see it. However, there didn't appear to be enough time to do so once we reached Changi, so we checked in, went through immigration and made our way over to the lounge to wait for our flight. 

Except that we would've had time after all, for our flight back to Guangzhou 广州 had been delayed by two hours. I seem to have poor timing at Changi - way back in 1997 I had a seven-hour layover there on a trip going from Tōkyō 東京 to Vienna. After landing late in the evening I ran to catch the final free bus tour of Singapore of the day provided for in-transit travelers, only to miss the bus by mere seconds. As nice as Changi was even back then, seven hours was still a lot of time to kill. As for the present day, thanks to the delayed flight, and then a long wait at Chinese immigration after arriving at Baiyun Airport 广州白云国际机场 (thanks to a Korean man in front of us who didn't appear to have the correct visa, and was claiming not to understand either English or Chinese), it wasn't until 0200 on a Monday morning that we finally arrived back at our apartment. Fortunately Monday was a Chinese public holiday, otherwise I would have had to call in sick at work that day.

I really enjoyed our all-too-brief time in Singapore, though I'm sure if you asked my wife she would just complain about the hot weather and the cost of eating out (restaurants in Singapore are somewhat dear when it comes to the bill). Our trip really made me wish that I could have done at least one tour in what the Chinese call 新马泰, meaning "Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand", respectively. Unfortunately, though I put in bids on positions in Chiang Mai and Kuala Lumpur in the past, I didn't succeed. Instead of the diversity in assignments I've striven for, I always seem instead to end up in China. My ultimate retirement photo on LinkedIn will be a middle finger extended in the direction of the Consular Affairs assignments section.