Guangzhou Cake Walk

Our two teams share a lovely respite of Chinese tea and fruit at the Orange Gallery. Pictured clockwise:
Andre, Hetty, Kate, the Orange Gallery director, Helen and Ivey.

Are traveling artists are more like cats or cattle? Should we each choose a Chinese animal name since the eastern team members was able to select a western name at some point in their life? This remains to be seen, or perhaps it depends on the context... but we of the west must manage to pull ourselves together to meet the eastern crew on Tuesday morning in Guangzhou. I don't remember how we made it to the train station. I must block all the memories that reference luggage, pain and movement. Maybe this data will resurface at another time. Maybe we shared cabs... I do remember most of the two hours of down time on the train before we arrived in Guangzhou.

Afterwards we had lunch with the Eastern team and discussed the parameters of the next few days. At some point today we will visit the Orange Gallery, our host for the closing exhibition near the end of July. Was our lunch in a private dining room in the hotel? Maybe. It was surreal. We met our official guide, Dragon and the Mr. Fang, the representative from the organizing travel agency. If the room weren't filled with blinding light I'd feel like we were part of a True Blood episode... as it was our first official meal together... east and west there were chop sticks and rice everywhere... with all the rest. Were we nervous? Perhaps.

Our room assignments for the three day train journey (three there and three back) and in Lhasa were made using a lottery method. Intercultural Dialogue insured - Irene and I are sharing here in the Star Hotel but beyond that it'll be a cake walk.

The eastern team members gave us transport to the gallery and back to the hotel. During tea I inquired about access to an acupuncturist and with much discussion afterwards. There is little time for such endeavors on this end of the journey but there is a willingness to help, which I appreciate. Hugh has received acupuncture treatment for a shoulder problem... so I am enouraged... but he was back home in Melbourne where acupuncture is a very common treatment and very reasonably priced. I am not sure how this will come together... in an afternoon. More research needed.

The western team is gathering for a bus ride to a shopping center... an opportunity to prepare for our train journey. I think I'll pass. All I need is water... and I could drink a gallon of Perrier if it were here before me. The heat is like a wall I didn't anticipate I'd have to scale. How could a place be warmer than New Orleans? It is. I left the crew and wandered across the large park across from the hotel. I saw an armed guard with a machine gun guarding a construction site. I discovered a Starbucks, sat in a garden, discovered the locals 'hood, walked by an Ikea and then, (voila!) next to it - a Construction Bank of China. Yippee! I realized that although I thought I was fine on currency I really only had the equivalent of about 30 dollars and I knew there would be no ATM on the train and who knows what we'll find in Lhasa. The bank was closing and could not do anything for me. One english speaking bank employee offered to convert the currency for me from their wallet but I didn't think that would be kosher. I need receipts. He helped me find an ATM at the bank that would work with an American Debit card! It spit out more RMB than I thought I'd need and I was not charged a fee.

I also bailed on dinner with the Aussie gang... I just don't have an appetite in this heat. I checked my email on Irene's computer and organized my gear as best I know how for the rail journey. It was a late night... but I took a walk in the dark... and tried to find a few of the things I could see from our hotel window. Hot. Surreal. Strange. Rooftop gardens, strange lighting... a little Bladerunner-esque - plus I found a cheap, exotic umbrella in the cigar/beer shop near the entrance to the hotel... I didn't find any aussies and no reason to stay out and endure the steamy heat. Lhasa will be a welcome change.

Irene is writing. I am painting and packing. Tomorrow we begin again.