Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follet

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet

I read this book years ago because I've always had an interest in English history. Apparently, Follet has written a sequel that, thanks to endorsement from Oprah, has climbed to the top of the best-sellers list. Before getting it, I'd like to re-read the first one. It is still a good read, especially now that I've learnt more on English history, and have been to England.

China

Trip Photos

I'd been to Beijing twice as a kid, so most of the touristy spots were not new to me. For the Great Wall, we picked a quieter section called Mu Tian Yu, to visit, and it was a good choice because it was down right deserted by Chinese standards. We had a nice hike there for a couple of hours. The traffic was congested everywhere in the city. Taxis were cheap and so plentiful that they came looking for you, but in the afternoon rush hour, no cars got anywhere fast. The drivers had a total disregard for traffic rules. Jeff, himself an aggressive driver by Canadian standards, was on the verge of a heart attack a few too many times. We tried the subway, which was fine when it wasn't crowded, but utterly impossible during rush hour unless you wanted your lungs crushed.

In Xi'an, we admired the Terracotta Warriors, browsed through the impressive collection at the provincial museum, walked in the interesting Muslim Quarter, and had a fun bicycle ride on top of the old city wall.

Nanjing turned out to be Jeff's favourite city because it has mountains, a big lake, tree-lined boulevards, an authentic old city wall, and an excellent French restaurant in our hotel. (A foodie, Jeff judges cities by their food.)

Next, we took the high-speed train to Shanghai. Since it was my first return trip to China after nearly twenty years, there were lots of relations and friends to visit. Naturally, Shanghai had changed beyond belief. To my delight, my grandparents' old apartment building in the old French Concession was still standing, and the old neighbourhood was still quiet and tree-lined, the way I remembered it. It was great for me to see everyone again although Jeff, being unable to speak or understand a word of Chinese, was bored to tears. November happened to be hairy crab season. At our hotel, we had a wonderful dinner done in the Japanese Kaiseki style where every course, including dessert, had a crab theme. It was a very clever idea.

While in Shanghai, we took two day-trips, one to Hangzhou, and one to Wuzhen. Hangzhou is an ancient city famous for its scenery and history. Wuzhen is a tiny water village built along the Grand Canal six hundred years ago, a picturesque town and very Oriental-looking. I got a couple of potentially award-winning photos simply by closing my eyes and pushing the camera button.

Our last stop on the Mainland was four days in Yangshuo, near Guilin. That part of China is entirely different from the big cities. We stayed at a mountain retreat on the banks of the Yu Long River, amidst dreamlike fields and karsts. We went boating and rafting on the beautiful Li River, hiked and biked along the riverbanks, going in and out of the karsts. It was my favourite part of the time in China.

Finally, we arrived in Hong Kong. It's impossible not to like vibrant Hong Kong because one has so much fun walking the trail on the Peak, taking the Star Ferry, having high tea at the Peninsula, shopping on Nathan Road, eating dim-sum in a bustling Chinese restaurant, and doing a million other things. Our seven days there were not nearly enough.

Japan

Trip Photos from Japan

Our much anticipated trip to the Orient started in Japan.

Tokyo is mostly modern, but like all of Japan, it has managed to blend its traditional side with ultra-modern settings. Our five days in the city took us to different districts with different characteristics: Asakusa's old Edo feel, Palette Town's international stores, Akihabara's (Electric Town) tech toys, Shinjuku's funkiness, Ginza's sophistication, Roppongi's foreign flavour, ... Two other places of note are the Edo Tokyo Museum which is extremely informative although I do wish they had more signs in English; and the Mitsukoshi department store, which is nothing like the department stores in North America. Where else would you see salesman and customer bowing deeply to each other, have a beautiful young lady operate the elevator, order a small cake only to receive a package in return that is too perfect to touch?

In the Hakone region, we took various modes of transportation in the mountains and on the lake. I didn't have high hopes of seeing Mt. Fuji since sightings of the famed mountain was fleeting even in the ancient days. At one point while we were on the tram, I thought I saw good ol' Mt. Fuji peeking out from the clouds, but the image was too faint to be captured on camera. The highlight of the day was the Open Air Museum in Miyanoshita. It was a large park set against mountains, and dotted with sculptures by world-famous artists. What a brilliant idea.

No trip to Japan is complete without seeing Kyoto, the ancient capital. In three days, we saw enough temples there to last a life time: Kinkakuji, Ryoanji, Kiyomizu, Sanjusangenko, and Koryuji and Todaiji in Nara. (Jeff got yelled at in Nijojo for not following proper protocol in taking off his shoes.) A walk through Gion turned up no geisha sightings. Apparently, it's exceedingly rare for a dumb tourist to stumble upon an elusive geisha.

The legendary Japanese train system went beyond my expectations. The transportation lines in Tokyo covered every part of the city. The Shinkansen (the bullet train) was mind-boggling: punctual, super fast, quiet, clean, comfortable, its conductors bow upon entering and leaving each car. One could get spoiled rather easily.

Eating in Japan was an eye-opener. Here in North America, we think of Japanese food as basically sushi and teriyaki. Over there, I was confronted with so many more selections. Most restaurants focused on one specialty, so we had tempura at Asakusa, fresh sushi at the Tsukiji Fish Market, teppanyaki at Ginza, ramen at Shinjuku, yakitori at Roppongi, traditional Kaiseki at Ginza, Unagi (eel) in Kyoto, and French food in Kaiseki style on the Pontocho in Kyoto. In addition, Kyoto has its famous Kyo-style cuisine which is supposed to be more delicate. We tried and loved them all. Two particularly noteworthy meals were at the Fujiya Hotel in Chokoku-no-Mori in the Hakone region. In its glory days past, the hotel housed the Japanese royal family several times. Today, it still held a formal air. Dinner was a multi-course French fare with white-gloved waiters rushing around in silent efficiency. Breakfast was more of the same. I was more amazed by the whole presentation than the food itself. To the Japanese tourists (who made up most of the clientele) it must have been an exotic experience.

There was so much to see that our nine days barely scratched the surface. Of course, I know that things are not all they appear to be. Japan is not without its problems and worries. Because I happen to value many of the same qualities held in high regard in Japanese society, I enjoyed my time in Japan immensely.

The Mother Tongue, by Bill Bryson

The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson

I took four books with me for the trip to the Orient. The other three were not so memorable, but the Bryson book is a keeper. The back-cover states that, "with dazzling wit and astonishing insight, bestselling author Bill Bryson brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience, and sheer fun of the English language." The book is all of those things. It was a particularly absorbing read for me because I have a general interest in languages, both of the natural kind and of the formal kind (such as programming languages). As a student of English, I've wondered often about many of the idiosyncrasies of the language; and I was relieved to learn that English words really are difficult to spell, and English pronunciations highly irregular. How Bryson managed to turn such a dry topic into something both humorous and informative is a true testament of his skills as a writer.