Chinese Democracy

Just completing a week in Shanghai without access to Facebook or ability to blog. Did I feel miserable? That led me to think what it was easy to live without these two additions when millions of people struggle to give out additions like smoking or drinking? Is it that body is more powerful than soul so far addictions are concerned? Do we live with body or mind? Isnt it easy to live without a mind but not possible to live without a body?

Been mailing Shrihaan and its wonderful to get his mails with news like he has created his facebook profile and have become fan of Ferarri group. That, at 8 is something I wouldn’t have believed otherwise.

Previously, I didn’t like Shaghai probably because always I had come in winter. Those, rainy, clod wet days didn’t appeal to my tropical soul. Thesedays shaghai was comfortably cold at 21-22oC, with not much chill in the air and plety of warm but shy sun. This time, loved Shaghai. It probably also helped that she was also there during the last five days.

Put few Chinese guys and girls, couple of Indian guys, few southeast Asians, few beautiful Australians, a turkish woman and one Frenchman working in US married to a south Indian and ask them to explore self with help from a oldish English guy and his old but still bimbish assistant and it is something worth filming to creat sometimes hilarious, sometimes insightful, always happy, always enjoyable days.

It was revealing that in a park, English western music is played and women of all ages learn dancing from guys paid by the hour. The lateness of the night, the lack of light, the soothing music, moving disinterested shadows creat a surreal atmosphere when even being alone in a crowd, one can feel being part of the entire act of lving experience.

One day at dinner, pigeon was served and she informed it is equivalent to nice keychains. After several glances here and there for understanding to emerge, she said it was equivalent to nice chikens and we should have to to have lot of energy!

Nextday, someone mentioned it had nine times cholesterol compared to chiken.

Something that could be explored but I had no intention in dining on pigeons so it wouldn’t have mattered.

Someone told the frenchman that the food was not that good and the frenchman replied, 'we arent here for gastromonical delight'. He responded,'yes, but my soul has to be happy'. On that the frenchman, smiled and said,' Oh, you sound like a frenchman'.

One evening out with a frenchman and a turkish woman, we reach bund which didnt impress us, probably because the lack of serenity there. When the boat, arrives, people run to grab a seat. However, the shear variaties and architechtural audacity and elelgance that sorrund it was tentimony to the fact that China means business and it's aiming for no second spot under the sun. We dine at Frech element, the menu made to appeal to a broad clientale with western, mid eastern and chinese offerings. What does the frechman orders? Salad, bread and soup! The food habit seems to have stunted sense of alliance to motherland for them.

People of each country has some distint traits though the human lives are more or less same everywhere so far aspirations, dreams, desires, fear, greed are same largely. Its surprising since the values are not always the same. Yet the human history of common peoples lives in is fairly homogeneous.