Chengdu

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province, which is famous for its spicy cuisine. Sichuan Province is also the main habitat for panda bears - considered a national treasure. We came here for a conference where Herb was supposed to be the main speaker, teaching Sichuan Province's doctors about pediatric HIV/AIDS treatment and care. However, the hotel they picked to hold the event was smack in the middle of the military district. We were not allowed to stay there, nor was he allowed to lecture for more than half a day in the end.

I stayed several days in Chengdu, a couple with colleagues during the conference and then on my own for a couple more. It was a city of several firsts for me. Since half the guys I work with are gay, including my direct manager, I ended up going to my first gay bar with him and a couple of other people. Definitely a very interesting experience, complete with underwear modeling and drag show. The men were so androgenous that they actually looked like really pretty women in drag. I definitely think that Chinese society is becoming liberal very rapidly. I've definitely noticed a ton of "adult health" or "couples health" stores - which someone pointed out were sex shops. They are not hidden in back alleys but had prominent signs. I found it a bit surprising.

I went to get a massage at this place where the the masseuses were trained at the Chengdu Traditional Chinese Medicine University. While I was there, I decided to be adventurous and get "scrapping" and "cupping" done on my back as well. Scrapping involves scrapping your back with a porcelain spoon to improve circulation. They believe that in spots where you have stress or tension, scrapping releases tension by drawing the blood to the surface and leaving a bruise. Cupping involves heating glasses with fire to remove oxygen from the glass, and then quickly cupping your back with the glass so that it creates a suction effect on your back. It is supposed to draw toxins out by drawing blood to the surface and leaving a bruise also. Places that are normal should not bruise. However, my back must be in bad shape since it is currently a mass of horrible looking bruises. I seriously look like a battered wife or something - it's pretty terrible. Don't think I believe in the effects of either.

A visit to Chengdu is incomplete without seeing a panda, so I visited the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. The fall is when the baby pandas are born and I had heard in the news that a couple of panda bears had given birth to twins. I was excited about seeing panda babies. It was a rainy and dreary morning but I saw several month-old pandas (not as cute as you would imagine) and one about 2 months old (this one was adorable) in the "panda nursery." The 9 1-year old cubs that were playing in their enclosure were so adorable - they chased each other around in their playground and climbed trees. It was fun to watch. The adult bears are rather boring though - they just eat and sleep. I also watched a video about the panda breeding process at the center. Pandas are sometimes just unable to find a mate and breed, so they've resorted to artificial insemination.

I also made it to most of the other sites in the city including Wenshu Temple, the Green Ram Temple, the Wuhou Temple and Du Fu's Cottage, but one of the best parts was definitely the food. I tried Sichuan Hot Pot (but I was a chicken about spicy food so my co-workers order it not spicy) as well as tons of little Sichuan "snacks." We tried 24 different kinds at one restaurant - it included dumplings, noodles, sweets and other little dishes. I also tried several snacks at Jinli, an old street in the middle of the city right next to Wuhou Temple. You walk up and down the snack street there where just about everything is less than a dollar and you create a meal out of snacks. It was delicious and fun. I met a couple of local Chinese people who were shocked I didn't know what some kind of candy was and ended up eating with them. The candy looks like cotton candy rolled in peanut powder, but rolled up in small pieces. It was not that good. Oh well.

One of the other fun things about Jinli was also the arts and crafts on display. Chengdu is famous for its blown candy. They blow candy into animal figures just like you would blow glass. It is incredible to watch. There is also some type of candy art where they draw pictures using molten sugar which then hardens and becomes a lollipop. Also - there was a booth with Shadow Puppets. They make these puppets attached to sticks dance behind a lit-up screen. It is fun to watch.

Sichuan also has its own form of opera which involves a mix of more traditional opera, some acrobatics, fire-blowing, face-changing and slap-stick humor. The acrobatics was amazing to watch but the face-changing was really what made Sichuan Opera unique. The actors would cover their faces for a second and they would literally change their faces to a different mask. But it's instantaneous - I still don't know how they do it. Definitely something to go see if you are in Chengdu.

Am in Hubei province now where I will be taking a boat ride up the Yangzhi River to see the Three Gorges. Really looking forward to that - it's supposed to be beautiful.