2011-04-18

Market Harborough and Hisense Plaza, United in Snootiness

Hisense Plaza, the place that exists to help millionaires spend their cash on diamond studded ovens, also has a supermarket that makes Waitrose look like a soup kitchen for rats. Lower class rats. And what did I find there? Ye olde style boiled sweets in twee jam jars made in no less a distinguished a place than Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

Which reminded me of home. And suddenly I remembered what it was like to have green fields, blue skies, tea shops, independent newspapers, an intellectual discussion, cars with seatbelts... *pang*

I didn't buy them though- they were over 40yuan! A taste of home isn't worth that much...

My erhu teacher came today. My approach to learning the erhu is exactly like that to learning the violin. I spend more time feeling guilty over lack of practice than practising...

Another guilt pang came when 3/4 through class today Michael, American Korean, said he was going to The Diner to meet a Chinese friend. The Diner has pumpkin soup. Which I like. Class did not have pumpkin soup. So we flitted off at the break. Unfortunately lots of others also flitted off so the teacher will be taking a register twice next class...but I won't be there because tomorrow I'm off to the Bit That Is Definitely China despite the completely different language, visa system, currency, legal system, education....

A.k.a. Hong Kong...

Oh and Macau for a day. Macau always gets forgotten, doesn't it? Massive fanfare when Hong Kong returned to the PRC fold of joy in 1997 but did anyone notice Macau in 2001? Was it 2001? Wait, which place are we talking about again?

No comments: