More from the Bund

I've included a picture of Amanda and me on the Bund and across from
the Pearl Tower.

After we left the river cruise, we were driven to NanJing. On the way
we stopped for a quick traditional lunch called Zong Zi which is
sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and cooked in hot water. Inside
the sticky rice I had egg and pork; my companions also had a filling
of bean paste and just egg or just pork. A pretty cheap lunch at less
than a dollar apiece. This was a favorite lunch for our guide George.
George has been a terrific guide (we travel in a van with George and a
driver - Mr. Wang). George speaks English very well and he gives us
so many bits if Chinese history; he also seems to know a lot of United
States history. He grew up in a rural area of China, but decided to
move to the city to become a travel guide. He is 35 years old , is
married and has a 20 month old child. He's told us about adventures at
a farm when their only power was water buffalo; he has a scar to
remind him of what happens when an 11 year old boy gets between two
fighting buffalo. Most farms now operate with tractors and circulate
other equipment for their farms. It is common here to have two crops
raised on a single piece of land. Like winter wheat where after the
harvest the ground is flooded through pipes to raise rice. Then when
harvesting the rice the water is drained out. George told us how he
caught fish with his hands as a boy and a few times he brought home an
eel for a special dinner. He misses the country but he enjoys his job
as a travel guide immensely. He has been sharing his knowledge of
medical coverages in China and Mandy wishes it were this easy in the
States to have things covered. Essentially the individual must be
working to receive government coverage and then he is simply covered.

Our host in China shared with us a dinner that was about 30 courses. I
think we tasted every kind of fish (including snail and an eel-like
fish)produced in the Yangtze River near NanJing and then add to that a
few vegetable dishes, many beef dishes, at least 3 different soups,
some fruit dishes. An amazing dinner. Our host's daughter Miranda
was comfortable speaking English and was very interested in hearing
about college in the US as she will be starting at Cornell in the
fall. It was a very pleasurable evening.

I ordered a jacket and Mandy ordered a dress to be made for us by the
best tailor in town and to be picked up later this week.