Porpor arrived on Thursday last week...
"we opened and account in Bank of China. So now don't need to carry much cash around. Anyway Chengdu seems to be a safer place than KL. Girls walking along the streets not hanging on to their handbags. The sun cannot be seen and the sky is overcast all the time. Yesterday there was a bit of sun and the taxi driver told me it was a good day! The plants seem dusty and when I rub the leave it is dust! Don't know how people can live without clear sky and clean air. Don't think Marcia would like it.
Been to the archive-no info. They only keep info on crimes.
Museum just moved to its new location earlier this year in a big park. It has trees, ducks in lake, people fishing in murky water. The museum is having an exhibition of the great painter, since the last 500 years. Zhang Dachien must have left a big collection of his copy of Dunhuang Cavepaintings to the museum. I got the email address of the person to contact in the museum.
The library has 5 of yeh2's books which we also have.
After all this running around, we visited the place where all tourists must go -jinli place. It has easily over a hundred of small shops for tourists. Over priced but hardly any 2 sell the same stuff. Marcia would love that. It was night, the place was transformed and the lights were inviting.
Today, we visited the Jianchuan Museum. It lives up to the images it has in its website. There are quite a number of Feng Zikai's cartoons about lives of people in the war in the museum about the Sichuan army. Actually the whole place is relaxing and lovely, minus the lousy air. It's located 1 1/2 hrs from Chengdu in a farming area near a small ancient town. There is also another exhibition site about the homes of some rather well off military families. But we didn't have the time to see that also, as the bus had to leave for Chengdu by 4.30pm. I did meet a young lady who works the the museum who was doing a survey. They are trying to develop into an international museum. Met a few Sichuan university students who will help me look for Huang Yao's things. They are learning English and needs practice. I think the place is too far away.
We are staying in a backpacker's place, so it's lively and with lots of young people. It spartan, but safe and the reception is very helpful.
Tomorrow we are going to Chongqing by a medium speed train ie 3 1/2 hrs. There should be more material there."
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