Hey Hey and a Big G'Day to you
 
Man how beautiful is this little south eastern city.
I am so totally happy to be here.
 
It is so full of a combination of both old and new that I found it hard to know where to begin exploring. My map tells me nothing at all. It is in Chinese so I'm guessing that where ever the Chinese writing is that means there is a noodle house...tee hee!
 
I figured the best place to begin would be anywhere near and along the river since that is usually where any normal person would begin the building of a town or village. The other evening I found an old stone arch way that led into one of the cities 'old quarters' so I figured that would be a great place to head towards.
 
So I headed back to the cities main bridge and began my journey along the river from there.
 
My school is only half a block from the river and I soon found another archway that lead into an alley way that ran along the side my school. Here I found another 'old quarter' that actually ran along the river behind all the glitzy shop fronts that ran along 159 Street (or is it 519 Street) which is the cities main shopping street which is actually my address.
 
How cool am I!
 
I zipped in and out of the alley ways lined with moss covered little houses, noodle shops and old men and women hocking and coughing up lungs all over the place. Somehow I ended up back in the other 'old quarter' and spent many hours ducking in and out of little alley ways and dodging hand pulled carts and three wheeler bicycles. I found the old church and played some badminton with some young children for half an hour. During the game an old gent came out and pointed to the church and told me that it was built in the year 1882.
 
Lucky for me I know how to count in Chinese (ee ba ba er - 1882).
 
I then headed further along the little main street until I finally came to the cities edge. It was too dark the other night to see what was here but today I found beautiful vegetable patches in which farmers were hand watering them with old wooden 'double buckets' with sprinklers.
 
Unfreakingbelievable!
 
They were totally amazed to see me and motioned for me to come over and take some pictures. They were so full of life and huge smiles. They wouldn't stop giggling like little school girls.
 
Maaaaaaaaate, I've still got it!
Go Baby Go!
 
Anyhow, that is enough from me. I am so full of 'street eats' that I need another walk to even begin to try and digest the food I have eaten today. I love China so much more each day. I just love the life here, they are such vibrant and colourful people. Life away from the glitzy shop fronts is such an indescribable experience that houses so many happy feelings that fill my stomach full of butterflies.
 
Life is an awesome experience my friends.
 
If you have the courage to leave behind everything you know and that feels comfortable, you too could be eating 'street eats' in little cobble stone streets in a mountain town on the south eastern coast of China.
 
Beers N Noodles to you.....shane
 
The soundtrack to tonight's writing is brought to you by two of Australia's most colourful bands.
 
The first was none other than: The Cruel Sea and their award winning album 'The honeymoon is over'.
If you don't have it...Get It!
It really is like a panoramic experience for the mind.
Beautiful!
 
The second...HHhhhhmmm, well they are one of my favorite bands and the singer is one of the most unusual people you'll come across on stage: the band is The Fuck Fucks and the album 'Here'
Get it if...I don't really know...maybe if you want a listening experience to a lot of my past which was spent in good old Aussie Pubs where you feet stick to the carpet.
Awesome!