07-13-2024, 02:44 PM
The conference was exhausting. It had its interesting presentations but many were dull and everything was done in Chinese and English so it took twice as long. Our presi had tech issues with our slides so it didn’t go well, but we got it done
Had lunch in the monks hall which is very ritualistic. It begins and ends with chanting and the meal is eaten in silence. There are special hand gestures used to communicate how much of each serving you want in your bowl. Three different veg dishes, a bean soup and rice. It was simple food but fresh and tasty. Plus it was a zen meditation of sorts, surrounded and being served by monks. A special experience.
I made it to the wushuguan and saw so much change. All the building in between are gone, including a small stadium. All replaced with pine trees and bamboo groves. It’s beautiful. The wushuguan brought back many memories. It’s very different now. I got emotional about it, not sad, just grateful to have been there in the day.
They didn’t have a bus from the temple back to the hotel (10 miles). Everyone is supposed to taxi but I still have no Chinese money and my credit cards don’t work here. A monk friend got me a ride in the abbot’s Benz van - posh!
Then master Yu from the Bay Area took us to a local hand cut noodle place that was incredible. So spicy! Best Chinese food I've had in 20 years. I had a mild headache all day from Jet lag and exhaustion but that noodle soup burned it out of my brain. A clean fresh pepper. I was sweating & tearing & sniffling but I couldn't stop eating it. Yum.
His cousin picked us up in a new Huawei electric van and it blew everything I’ve seen out of the water. So posh! The dash was 3 screens and the van had an onboard ai that talked like a Star Trek computer - it even opened a gate to the hotel when asked. Ther was a drop down movie screen for the passengers and our seats had a massage function. All auto doors, cool cabin lights, a moon roof, some tech I’ve never seen in a car. If PRC tariffs weren’t so high, these Huawei e-vehicles could crush the US market.
Had lunch in the monks hall which is very ritualistic. It begins and ends with chanting and the meal is eaten in silence. There are special hand gestures used to communicate how much of each serving you want in your bowl. Three different veg dishes, a bean soup and rice. It was simple food but fresh and tasty. Plus it was a zen meditation of sorts, surrounded and being served by monks. A special experience.
I made it to the wushuguan and saw so much change. All the building in between are gone, including a small stadium. All replaced with pine trees and bamboo groves. It’s beautiful. The wushuguan brought back many memories. It’s very different now. I got emotional about it, not sad, just grateful to have been there in the day.
They didn’t have a bus from the temple back to the hotel (10 miles). Everyone is supposed to taxi but I still have no Chinese money and my credit cards don’t work here. A monk friend got me a ride in the abbot’s Benz van - posh!
Then master Yu from the Bay Area took us to a local hand cut noodle place that was incredible. So spicy! Best Chinese food I've had in 20 years. I had a mild headache all day from Jet lag and exhaustion but that noodle soup burned it out of my brain. A clean fresh pepper. I was sweating & tearing & sniffling but I couldn't stop eating it. Yum.
His cousin picked us up in a new Huawei electric van and it blew everything I’ve seen out of the water. So posh! The dash was 3 screens and the van had an onboard ai that talked like a Star Trek computer - it even opened a gate to the hotel when asked. Ther was a drop down movie screen for the passengers and our seats had a massage function. All auto doors, cool cabin lights, a moon roof, some tech I’ve never seen in a car. If PRC tariffs weren’t so high, these Huawei e-vehicles could crush the US market.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse