Tag: #amwriting

Searching for locations: The Erqi Memorial Tower, Zhengzhou, China

A convoluted explanation on the reasons for this memorial came down to it being about the deaths of those involved in the 1923 Erqi strike, though we’re not really sure what the strike was about.

So, after a little research, this is what I found:

The current Erqi Tower was built in 1971 and was, historically, the tallest building in the city. It is a memorial to the Erqi strike and in memory of Lin Xiangqian and other railway workers who went on strike for their rights, which happened on February 7, 1923.

It has 14 floors and is 63 meters high. One of the features of this building is the view from the top, accessed by a spiral staircase, or an elevator, when it’s working (it was not at the time of our visit).

There seems to be an affinity with the number 27 with this building, in that

  • It’s the 27th memorial to be built
  • to commemorate the 27th workers’ strike
  • located in the 27th plaza of Zhengzhou City.

We drive to the middle of the city where we once again find traveling in kamikaze traffic more entertaining than the tourist points

When we get to the drop-off spot, it’s a 10-minute walk to the center square where the tower is located on one side. Getting there we had to pass a choke point of blaring music and people hawking goods, each echoing off the opposite wall to the point where it was deafening. Too much of it would be torture.

But, back to the tower…

It has 14 levels, but no one seemed interested in climbing the 14 or 16 levels to get to the top. The elevator was broken, and after the great wall episode, most of us are heartily sick of stairs.

The center square was quite large but paved in places with white tiles that oddly reflected the heat rather than absorb it. In the sun it was very warm.

Around the outside of two-thirds of the square, and crossing the roads, was an elevated walkway, which if you go from the first shops and around to the other end, you finish up, on the ground level, at Starbucks.

This is the Chinese version and once you get past the language barrier, the mixology range of cold fruity drinks are to die for, especially after all that walking. Mine was a predominantly peach flavor, with some jelly and apricot at the bottom. I was expecting sliced peaches but I prefer and liked the apricot half.

A drink and fruit together was a surprise.

Then it was the walk back to the meeting point and then into the hotel to use the happy house before rejoining the kamikaze traffic.

We are taken then to the train station for the 2:29 to our next destination, Suzhou, the Venice of the East.

Searching for locations: Old Shanghai, China

The old Shanghai refers to a small area of Shanghai that used to be walled in and remained that way until about 1912 when all but a small section of the wall was demolished.  With the advent of the concessions, Old Shanghai became the administrative center until later when it became a shopping complex.

Now it has many restored historical buildings as well as new buildings in a somewhat traditional style that has become one of Shanghai’s main tourist attractions, housing many shops and restaurants.

The “Old Town” is not exclusively old, as you still have a chance to take in the atmosphere if you wander into the quaint side streets.

But, on first viewing walking down the street towards the complex, I’m not sure I’d go as far as to say this is in reality old Shanghai, except for what appears to be a true representation of it architecturally. 

The buildings, which are shops and restaurants, are set out symmetrically, with streets, alleyways, and squares which may prove that it was specially built for the tourists, and no mechanized traffic.

Anyway…

The buildings are magnificent, and a photographer’s delight, and you’d finish up having hundreds of photos by the time you leave.  All the buildings are exquisite representations of traditional Chinese architecture. 

As for buying stuff, remember if you’re not Chinese you have the sucker tourist stamp on your forehead, so be prepared to walk away if the vendors will not bargain.  

Nothing here is worth the price tag and in our group discounts like from 130 RMB to 50 RMB and from 1 for 1,200 to 2 for 950 RMB are common.

Here common t-shirts that we can get for 3 dollars back home start at 150 RMB which is roughly 35 dollars.  It’s that kind of market.

We end up is a tea room, on the third floor of the meeting point below, and discover all the tour guides sitting around a table counting money, and I have to say it’s the most $50 notes I’ve ever seen in one place.  
It is, we were told, where they discussed ‘strategy’.

NaNoWriMo – Day 30 + 5

The novel proceeds, though not at the same pace as it did last November.

THe main thing here is that I have not just wrapped it up and put it in the bottom drawer can come back to it another time. Already done that, which is why I made it this years project, so that I could get it done.

But I underestimated the depth of tghe project, thinking I could get it finished.

The trouble is, these types of stories write themselves, and even if you are working to an outline, there’s always more to write to fiull in the gaps you couldn’t forsee when you write that outline.

Like Marigold. I forgot that, like my grand daughter, she had hidden talents and depths which never presented themselves when I first started.

Yes, she was a right royal ‘princess’ in unroyal ways, and the notion that over the quest she had to go on, that she would slowly, subtly, change from a bratty pest to a useful member of the team was envisaged, some of those new trait, thoughts, and abilities have presented themselves when least expected.

Now, she’s almost unrecognisable as the same girl who set out.

But the biggest part of the new story is her sister, Ophelia. I had not really fleshed out her character, not being too sure what she could get up to at home, but she is beginning to shine, and not in a way she might have envisioned for herself.

Perhaps adversary is a good teacher.

For the bean counters, whilst more has been written as various parts of the story proceed as ideas present, the latest word count is 3,245 words for a total so far of 94,128.

It’s hot outside

Whilst I can’t be where I would like to be, it’s not that bad inside thanks to the air conditioning.

And I’m studying up on how far I would need to wind down the air conditioner in order for it to snow inside the house.

A foolish notion maybe, but oddly enough living in a country where most of the inhabitants rarely see snow, if at all, Hollywood has a lot to answer for for my expectations of a white Christmas.

But, venturing outside for no reason in particular, the heat hits you as bad as if you walked into a brick wall.

It reminds me of the first time we visitied Singapore, the plane arrived around midnight, and we were heading to an overnioght hotel before picking up the next leg into London.

Yes, another trip to the cold side of the world.

We thought, late at night, how hot could it be. We soon found out. The short walk from the terminal to the waiting limousine was like wading through head high water.

What does all this waffle have to do with anything?

Nothing.

Just wallowing in nostalgia.

I was hoping with out impeccable COVID record, and that of places like New Zealand and Singapore, we might get to travel again, but no. Three stupid people who should be executed in public by firing squad, have managed to turn the tide and cases are rapidly escalating while authorities hover between panic and utter panic.

You know, Christmas, reunions from other states, borders slamming shut, and mass exodus before that.

Add to the mix the barefaced liars who’ll do and say anything to see their family, and we’ll be in the midst of a second, third, who knows what wave.

Oh, well. We’re about 60th in line to get the vaccine, like some time in April 2026 knowing how our government works, so what may have been a time of good cheer will now be a time of great anxiety.

Again.

At least I’ll have more time at home to finish that NaNoWriMo project I didn’t get finished in November. I’ve been working on it, with no similar gusto, but the word count exceeds 100,000 and I have 25 odd chapters to go. Maybe, after six years I might just get it finished before my grand daughter, for whom it was written, reaches her 18th birthday.

Social media

Isn’t there more important things to do like writing?

I think reading the 101 things to do to establish your author brand is finally getting to me.  I leave this to read last thing before I go to bed and it’s beginning to give me nightmares.

So, for starters, I’ve created a twitter page but I’m not sure what to do with it.  Yet.

Then I created a Facebook page but there is one for authors and I think l have created the wrong one.  It’s very confusing.

And reading 10 things an author shouldn’t do, one of the was to use Facebook.  Who do believe?

Now I’m lingering at wordpress after googling writer blogs and got a choice of so many, some free, others quite expensive, and I’m not sure what half the stuff is they’re offering.

There’s also a site blog, and there’s collaborative blogging.  Perhaps it’s time to get back to the easy stuff like plotting and writing my book!

That might have been easy if a little voice in my head wasn’t screaming ‘you need a web site’. 

Once again I’m googling my fingers to the bone trying to decide if I want a free one or pay.  At least if I pay there might not be ghastly ads for porn sites.  That’s one criticism I read that can be a problem.

I decided to pay a nominal amount but now I strike a new problem, I need to get a domain name such as authorname.com.

I put in my name and it is taken already so in order not to pay the person who snapped it up in the hope of making a million dollars, or perhaps because he has the same name as me and thought of it first, I have to accept one of the variations.

It then gives me the opportunity to buy right now that particular name because it is free, and I found myself working with a hyphen.  It could be worse, I suppose.

It also offers a few extra web domains with different endings such as .com,.info etc.

What the hell it’s only a few extra dollars and I’ll worry about what to do with them in two years time except for the .com which I’ll use now.

Website started and a month paid for, got a .com to link it to, and now all I have to do something with it.  No, I’m  not a web designer even after I picked a template  which looked author like.

It can wait.

Social media investigated but looks like it going to suck up a lot of my time.

Better get back to the book and write my page or 1000 words or 2000 words for the day.

Light at the end of the tunnel

It’s a long standing joke that the light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an express train coming right at you.

Metaphorically speaking this is quite often true, if you are a pessimist, but since l’ve converted to being an optimist, a bit like changing religions, l think I’ve seen the ‘light’.

It’s a lot like coming up from the bottom of a deep pool, breaking the surface and taking that first long gulp of air.

Along with that elated feeling that you’re not going to drown.

What’s this got to do with anything, you ask.

Perhaps nothing.

As an allegory it represents to me as a time when l finally get over a period of self doubt, where a series of events started to make me question why l want to be a writer.

I mean why put yourself through rejections, sometimes scathing criticism, and the have the people whom you thought were your friends suddenly start questioning your choices after initially wholeheartedly supporting them.

Are we only a success or supportable if we are earning a sufficient wage?

Is this why so many people do not give up their day job, and then find themselves plying the other trade into the dark hours of the night, only to find themselves being criticised for plying a trade with little chance of success?

It seems like a no win situation but these are the times when you mettle is tested severely.

But in the end it is worth it when the book is finished and it is published even if it is only on Amazon.

You can sit back and say with pride l did that.

That metaphorical light, you ask.

When you make that first sale.

Christmas, post COVID

I made the comment the other day, that I’d rather it was snowing than raining. It was an idiotic comment because we live in the tropics, and it never gets cold enough.

That’s why we go away to the other side of the world where it is snowing every Christmas. There is nothing like a white Christmas, right down to the Bing Crosby song.

Not this year.

It’s Christmas in the 40 degree centigrade heat. Well, it was before we got air-conditioning.

The thing is, for some reason this year I hate everything about Christmas. It’s not COVID because in this country, we’ve all but got rid of it, it’s not because we can’t go away overseas, or that Christmas lunch is at our place and I have to do all the cooking. Well, maybe that’s part of it.

Being locked down for about 10 weeks taught me a few things. One, why can’t the traffic stay off the road, half the useless shops close down, and malls stay empty so that you can get an easy parking space.

Two, I quite like being on my own without having to go out, or have people over. I guess I’m not really a people person. Three, I’ve discovered I don’t need very much, but if I do, there’s an online shop that will sell it to me, and then deliver it so I don’t have to go out, talk to the delivery guy, or worry about having the cash to pay.

I’m perfectly content in a cashless society.

I’m perfectly happy if I don’t have to go out and mingle with the Christmas shoppers, any shoppers for that matter, and especially mall shoppers. They are an extremely weird bunch of people, who never seem to walk in a straight line, and have to walk six abreast as slowly as possible. And the children, don’t you just love the squealing competition. And the people who have to have a reunion in the doorway or exit of a shop, or worse, the check out person is a long lost relative, and they have to catch there and then. Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!!!!!!!

And the tantrums when children don’t get what they want. Wow! The sugar industry, confectionary makers, and soft drink (read soda) companies all should be held to account for the damage their customers cause.

Alright … rant over. You can tell I just spent an hour looking for a car park, three hours trying to get some presents when it should have taken 30 minutes, and the crowds … ugh!

I guess I shouldn’t complain. Life is all but back to normal, and I survived the pandemic. Now there’s a vaccine, it can only get worse, normal life that it.

For those who have forgotten what normal is like, now there’s a vaccine, normal I understand is when 75% of the population has been vaccinated or had it and survived. For those going stir crazy, trust me when I say there’s light at the end of the tunnel. We went through a long tunnel and got to the end.

May it be for you that the news will no longer have saturation coverage of the pandemic, and have something more pleasant to talk about. Other than Brexit or the presidential elections.

We have a battle with China. Seems they hate us, and don’t want anything from us. Lobster eaters here love it, because finally we can get some at affordable prices. Wine, too, might actually be affordable now.

And yes, we finally put up the tree, decorated with tinsel, baubles, and lights.

Not as good as the one at Rockefeller Centre, but once we get a bigger house …….

In a word: Green

Of course, it is a color, one used for traffic lights, grass, and a lot of different shades.

It’s made up of blue and yellow, adjusting the amounts of each to get the shade you want.

I once had a dark green suit.

I don’t have any green emeralds.

When you get a green light, it means to go ahead, or just go, in traffic, or for the starting of a project

And a green run on the ski fields denotes the easiest run – just about my level!

Green with envy, yes, though I’m not sure why they picked green for envy

In England especially, a green is a patch of grassy land, usually in the middle of a village

A green worker is one that is new to the job, and usually gets all the rotten jobs

Then there is the biggest money-spinner of all time: going green, which means eco friendly.

I have only one question, why is it to go ‘green’ is to charge far more than normal

Oh, and by the way, political parties that are ecocentric are usually galled the greens

And, these are the same people who chain themselves to trees, detering bulldozers

The blue sea is really green, believe it or not!

In a word: Deal

Deal or no deal.  That was a game show on TV once, involving briefcases.

Then, if you win…

It’s a big deal!

Or, of course, it is if you get in on the ground floor, which is to say, you’re one of the original investors, it becomes a great deal; it’s meaning, taking part in a financial transaction.

The word ‘deal’ along with big, great, tremendous, and once in a lifetime, feature prominently, but if you are like me by the time you invest the pyramid is about to collapse!

Then you’re in a great deal of trouble, meaning a lot of trouble — at the time, it feels catastrophic.

Or you’re working impossibly long hours to enrich the others above you, it a good deal of effort on your part for no reward.

Or deal with a problem, which is to say cope with or control, though if it’s a problem child, good luck with that.

But enough of the depressing descriptions,

When you play a card game, the first thing to happen is to deal the cards.

The second is to ask yourself if the dealer is dealing from the bottom of the deck, even if it looks like the top.

My father called these dealers ‘card sharps’.

Then there is a piece of wood commonly called deal, usually thin and square though not always so; it can also be a plank of pine or fir.

NaNoWriMo – Day 30 + 3

Well, I’m still writing, though since the start of the grand children’s school holidays has arrived and I’m now the official child minder.

It’s just a constant job jeeping them fed, and amused (I’d like a dollar for every time they’ve said they’re bored) and it is making it difficult to write.

So, it is left to the wee small hours of the morning to get it done, and it is proceeding slowly.

Yesterday I hit a wall (not literally) and couldn’t progress any part of the story because my brain had ceased to work. That’s usually writer’s block or something like that, but it was a mental thing. I had three chapters on the go, and in writing a later one, I’d hoped it would fill in the gaps for the two prior chapters.

It did, eventually, and now it’s flowing again.

Until I get to that great white plain of nothingness, heading for the lookout.

For the bean counters, latest word count is 3,322 for a running total of 87,629.