Me in Liwan in Quangzhou

Guangzhou is not a tourist destination - it is unmistakably a hub for wholesalers and manufacturers of consumer products.

There are only two "happening" activities in this city.

There is (of course) the Chinese New Year.

Then there is the Canton Fair, held twice a year in the spring and fall. This is a period to avoid if you are not a industry buyer or exhibitor.

Notwithstanding all this, going to Guangzhou suits me right now. I was there 3 times in the last 3 months.

I love staying in the Liwan district - it reminds me of our Chinatown/Tanjong Pagar district in the 70s, only much bigger. There is no need to travel any place for meals - small eateries within walking distance of the hotel offer comfort food that brings back memories of unfussy, unassuming nourishment for the stomach and the soul. Traditional Chinese confectionaries that still bake up simple old-school biscuits like 雞蛋餅 (egg cookies sans butter) that make me smile as I recall favourite snacks from long ago . Small shops manned by inter-generational family members peddling unrelated wares. Toddlers and young children watching people and activities with curiosity and happy grins. Cantonese dialect flowing easily and naturally in snatches of conversation as I poke in every nook and cranny of the neighbourhood.

Me. In Liwan. In Guangzhou. Where I re-live the simple happiness of my childhood years.

Seven months on

I am back.I am whole again.

It's been seven months since I last posted anything. Seven months of disappointments with certain persons, many setbacks at persuasion to seek resolution and reset off-track decisions. I finally accept that certain persons cannot be saved from themselves and the only thing left to do is let events run their collision course.

In these seven months, I sought consolation for my troubled mind and spirit.In these seven months, I made short trips China. And on one of these trips, I got reacquainted with a long forgotten love - semi-precious gemstones.

The Liwan district in Guangzhou is the place to pick up any quantity of any gemstone imaginable. I came back with strands (read kilos) of  happy beads, nuggets and rocks.

I make stretch-bracelets when I need quiet and focus. Many of my creations are on the wrists of friends, old and new-found, women I have just met who needed some cheering up.

To see big smiles and brightly lit eyes - I know I am finally, really and truly, back and whole again.