Any wishes? ask a very powerful Buddha...

I could read what Justin was wishing for...a son? I believe so.

What do I always ask from him? _______, _________, _________.

If you were inside, what would you pray for?

A buddhist?

A believer, maybe.

What I love most about these buddhist temples is the smell of those incense sticks when lit. It always gives me some kind of enlightenment and deep appreciation for this extraordinarily odd but enticing culture.

Massage parlors and their rates..

In Shanghai, massage parlors are very popular. Want to know their rates? Please check the pic.

There's only one question that bugs me until now. Why is Thai massage more costly than body massage? It was a great pity we were not able to try this.

Actually, I was urging Reini to try but he simply declined. Hmm nice guy hehe. :-D

Good and Bad Numbers

The good numbers are eight (fortune), nine (longevity), two (easy life), three (lively life) and six (continuity).

The bad numbers are four (associated with death) and seven (connected with mourning).

This piece of info is from a Chinese numerologist named Raymond Lo. (Thank you)

This blog came to mind because I had one student who told me this morning that she is very particular when it comes to choosing numbers for her mobile phones (I think she has three). I asked why. She said that here in China, gathering auspicious numbers is a part of life. And they would pay a big amount just for a set of lucky numbers.

After hearing this, I remember my old mobile phone number which was 13844777444. Now I know why it was so cheap!

Note: Don't call the number anymore, pls. It was disconnected after a week's use. :-(

Tiny Watermelons

To tell you the truth, it was my first time to see these tiny watermelons. I couldn't help taking a photo because I was just astounded after seeing one. At the moment, Changshanese are crazy about this fruit. Ang tamis kasi, very affordable pa!

This fruit of the season costs only 1 yuan (equivalent to 6 pesos).

Bricks for life

Instead of hollow blocks, they use bricks. Mas matibay ba eto? Siguro nga. One concrete example is the Great Wall hehe.

La as in peppery

Being in Changsha (Hunan) is like being in my own region, Bicol. One very distinctive similarity is the fact that people love pepper in here.

I am surrounded by spicy dishes everytime I have my meals. At the cafeteria, everyone loves to nibble these dishes. Even if you hate the food, you are not spared as the cook always makes sure to sprinkle a lot of "la jiao" (hot pepper in Chinese).

When I was back home, I wasn't a big fan of Bicol express though for some obvious reasons, I would enjoy a little bit in front of my friends from other cities. It was just to show that I am proud of being a Bicolana who can manage to handle that awful taste. Haha just pretending.

But in here, I eventually learned to appreciate it. Food isn't yummy anymore if it's not peppery.

When I go home, I will show them that I love Bicol Express the way true blooded Bicolanos love it. No more pretentions this time.

October 1 celebration

While everyone here was busy celebrating the 57th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China yesterday morning, I found myself occupied playing with someone's kids in my secret garden.

This was my idea of blending in. At least di ako nabore sa bahay.

The outcome?

See? Beautiful, isn't it?

No wonder couples really allocate time for the photo sessions.

By the way, this is Takae, my very good Japanese friend (at university) with her Chinese hubby.

Outdoor shoots for the bride and groom

Another very engaging sight is this. I think this park is a popular place for photo sessions like this one because I saw 3 couples doing their shoots at that same day.

Two weeks before the wedding, a Chinese couple is encouraged to have this kind of outdoor photo shooting for their wedding album. While in the Philippines, our tradition is that a bride couldn't wear her wedding gown except on the very day of her wedding ceremony. For some superstitious reasons, you know.

Well, in China, they don't recognize such belief. Hence, the activity.

I don't really blame them coz I love those photo frames of newly-wed couples!