Nanhu Park and Downtown Nanning

Yesterday, being a nice day and being my 8-930 am work day, Yen and I decided to hop on the subway down to Nanhu park. We headed to Nanhu station and got off at the park exit. The new subway makes life in Nanning incredibly easy, as you walk out and are basically in the park.

It is the largest park in Nanning, and runs next to a big lake which has been dammed to keep it full year round. It is a decent place for a walk and a spot to take a few pictures. There isn't much else to say about it, and information in English on China is surprisingly scarce (internet censorship I guess). What I have learned is that the park was established in 1972, though the lake itself was formed when a tributary of the Yong river was dredged during the Tang dynasty. It has tropical plants from all over Guangxi province. There is a museum there dedicated to Zhuang (the local minority) revolutionaries in the 1920's, though it is all in Chinese.

For us though, it was a nice stroll in the park on warm winter afternoon.

After that we headed to the Nanning elephant statue, said to represent the city. Then a subway to MixC mall for a meal (what is it at 4pm?) and then home.

Yangmei Ancient Town

A couple weeks before Yen got here, I went out with a few of my new coworkers to the Yangmei Ancient town. It is a Ming era merchant town that rose to prominence in the late Qing (1800-1912) before losing its status to Nanning, just down the river, and becoming a bit of a backwater. It has had a revival as China has opened up, and a middle class has developed which is eager to go explore on the weekends.

The name ancient is a bit misleading, as many of the buildings are less than 100 years old, and even the oldest are no more than 300 years old. That being said, it is still a great place to visit.

To get there, go to the bus station on the south side of the road just past the Luban rd. subway station (walking west away from the university). You can also get a bus to other tourist places in Guangxi.

Anyway, despite not technically leaving Nanning, it takes 90 minutes to get there, and it is not a gentle ride. Once there there is not a lot to actually DO. It is a neat place to walk around for a few hours and grab lunch. It was a fun trip.

Yangmei itself is more an "as long as you're here" destination rather than somewhere you would fly a long ways to see.  But I kind of like that. Much as I love Hong Kong it isn't exactly a place no one has ever heard of before. These small gems are often what make their way in to stories down the line. It was a fun trip, and I may have to take Yen there soon.

Mobile Pics Fall 2017

I've done this a few times before. I sometimes enjoy taking a few random pics off of my pgone and sharing them. I have to admit that I sometimes get the urge to just snap a random shot on my phone, and am not always sure why. But they are fun, so here are a few pics.

yet another beer that tastes the same

as all the other beers.

Guangxi University St. 

On campus, on a (genuinely) foggy day.

old habits die hard

Old Nanning meets new Nanning

old relic at Yangmei Ancient Town

in Yangmei

view from Tad's

In front of the gym.

yellow snow

west of Nanning

Nanning pagoda at night

Yong river

Zhongshan rd.

again

again

November

This month has been an interesting one to say the least.

First off, Yen finally made it to China. I went ti pick her up a couple weekends ago in Guangzhou. She flew in from Manila after getting her S2 visa. She can stay until Feb 2nd. The good news is that now that she has had visas in a couple of countries, and we have some cash in the bank, getting her a visa to another country shouldn't be as difficult. We have a G20 on there, though we don't have a G7 on there yet. I am assuming Canada will be the first.

Anyway, it was a LONG mission to Guangzhou from Nanning, then a subway ride across town to the airport. We then took a taxi to our hotel. I splurged on the Crowne Plaza. Afterwards we essentially went to the same places I went to the last time I was there. Walking along the Pearl river to Shamian and dinner near the hotel.

Yen on the banks of the Pearl river

again

me, same place

Guangzhou flowers

stopping for a very Chinese lunch

Yen by the river again

a fine brew

Yen in the hotel district

Other than that it has been quiet. Winter is here, though it is Vancouver winter, not winter winter. Rainy and 9 degrees. Work is going, and while I am happy here, I don't see us here next year. There really isn't much for Yen to do in Nanning and my job, while enjoyable, is also not one with any long term potential. We are looking at bigger cities in China or back to Korea for now, with the eventual goal of kids and a return to western Canada down the road.

Fall 2017

I've been back in Nanning a few weeks. There isn't a whole lot new, but a few things worth recording.

Yen should have the cash now to FINALLY get her Chinese visa. About bloody time. I should know by next week. If it all works out I will meet her in Guangzhou as soon as it is issued.

Semester is well under way, and I am now doing a course in academic writing, which I am loving. It is more work for sure, but it feels good to actually be doing something substantial. The classes I have been doing have been good, but these new classes are more in line with what I was hoping to be doing when I got here. That is nice.

October still has most days in the high 20's, though 12 and wet is right around the corner.



I am also starting, slowly, to look for my next job. Though it is almost a year away, I do want to start thinking about it. With two years university experience my options really open up. I am looking at doing IELTS training for international students, teaching EAP full time, or else.......?

Finally, I am planning on finally seeing a bit of China. Heading out on Sunday to an old village near Nanning. Want to hit Guilin when Yen gets here. Will be fun to get out a bit more.

Summer Vacation Pt. 3

The rest of the week went by very quickly. We had a last dinner with my Mom and sister at 801, the restaurant/bar at White Sands, before they left for Taipei the next morning. On Tuesday I met Will and Mike for dinner at Ayala Terraces and met Mike there again on Wednesday before he flew back to Tampa. Both times ending up at TGI Friday's. Thursday we were at the resort all day before my Dad, Sue, and Braden all left from the long trek back to Vancouver.

With everyone gone, Cebu suddenly got a lot quieter. Yen and I moved to our condo in San Marino. We've stayed there before and, while it is a decent place to stay a few weeks, I am not sure why you would build a condo there, and I am sure I would never buy in it. Only 10 years old but looks and feels at least 30 years old. We had a good couple of weeks though. Travelled around the city a bit, did the last few things we had never done in Cebu, and relaxed. Yen's cousin Ivy came by for a couple days with her daughter, and we did a tower in Cebu, the Daoist temple, and went to see a band at the terraces at Ayala mall. Fun, but hardly stuff you'd travel across the world to see.

While I love the Cebu/Mactan area, I doubt I will be back anytime soon. As a city Cebu itself is fairly quiet. I've well and truly done the tourist trail there, and with no good friends there, there isn't much for us to actually do there anymore. If I owned a condo there, and could spend my vacation swimming, fishing, and reading and I'd probably feel differently, but to rent a cheap condo for two weeks isn't exactly something I'd want to do every year. I think the next time we are in the Philippines together we will try for a resort area. Boracay or Puerto Galera.

Still, it was the best August of my life. Next August I am assuming we will be back in Vancouver for a visit. I think we have a couple more years before we come back for good, but it is hard to see much more than a couple years in to the future right now.

Summer Vacation Pt. 2

We landed in Cebu and walked out right in to the biggest rain storm we would experience the entire trip. However, it was a dry cab and a short run to White Sands.

I was actually one of the last to arrive. Yen had arrived with her family from Dipolog that morning, and most of my friends has showed up during the day. Only Mike and Will were still in transit. I ran in to Bobby first and met his lovely new girlfriend Karishma. I didn't have much time to talk with friends or family though, as we had to meet with the wedding coordinator.

After all that it was a bit of a family and friends reunion and a day at the resort.

The next day of course I got married.

On Sunday Yen and I moved to our condo, back at San Marino, which we had stayed at in February. Then it was back to the resort for more visiting and dinner at 801, the rooftop bar at White Sands. Sunday was also the day that much of the wedding party left Cebu. Yen's family were all off home, Darren back to Daejeon and Bobby to Seoul, and UK Mike off for a week in the Philippines with his wife.

Monday was our first real day trip. Rosie had organised a trip to Oslob, to see the whale sharks that go there to feed every day year round. It was an early start and a long trip to south Cebu island, but well worth the effort.

a whale shark.

south Cebu island

After the whale sharks we went to see a waterfall, which was cool as well (in every sense of the word, that water was downright cold). It was great to get in to the countryside, as that is where the Philippines really shines. I do like Cebu city, and I even like Manila, but if I were to ever permanently relocate to the Philippines it would not be to the city, it would be a chunk of land with a view like the one above. Anyway, after the waterfalls we began the long trek to Cebu City.