Access to foreigners is complicated. I did meet up with my friend; we first went to the bookstore, then had a coffee in XinJieKou (where I live, on the Nanjing equivalent of "times square"), before heading towards the Nanjing "Ming dynasty Palace" -or I should rather say what is left of it-
Indeed, there was in Nanjing a huge palace, dating back to the Ming dynasty. Unfortunately it has been totally destroyed; there are only a few stones left, on display, in the big "park" there is at the same emplacement.
Before, it is said that two men decided to both circle the palace, riding horses. They separated at the same place, and in two opposite directions; they only crossed themselves 1 day later... (So they had only done a half-loop of the palace) many people say it was bigger than the forbidden city in Beijing, but this is only a saying.
However it still is a wonderful place to go walking. Lots of families come and stay a whole day, the parents lie down on the grass, eat, meet their neighbours or make new friends while the children all play together.
Some men practice traditional martial arts, young people meet their lovers, students sit down, peacefully to study ...
Katie, my friend then took me to her home. This was not an easy thing to do...
Her flat is in a group of buildings in which soldiers and military families live ~ the access to foreigners is forbidden.
She assured me everything was ok, her mother was in the flat and giving her instructions regarding 'how to bring me in without the security guard noticing...'
I had to wear a hat, and a big coat with a hood covering my face, I sat down at the back of a motorbike and we hurried, drove pass the guardian very fast, greeting him...
Luckily, it was a very cold day, so I didn't look suspiciously/ inappropriately warmly dressed!
Her home was beautiful. The military people are very well treated...
She played accordion for me, and let me have a try - so difficult !
This felt strangely nostalgic to me, for a instant, I felt like I was in Paris, Montmartre... She started playing "Amelie Poulain", and I also thought of my mother, who plays this same piece with the piano. Yeah.. The "sounds" I made were nothing resembling music, actually it was quite far from it!
This girl is really too generous; she took me to a French bread shop (she has been going on about this shop for a long long time...), called "Paris Baguette". There are a lot of bakeries in Nanjing. Bread is very popular here, and if you add an Eiffel tour logo next to the name of a shop, people go hysterical and buy everything, regardless of the price. (No, in fact, in Chinese's mind, the most expensive, the better)
I have tried a few of these bakeries, without ever, finding a proper baguette. They add sweet cream in everything, of "meat paste"...
But THIS ONE, "Paris baguette" is a keeper! I found a piece of bread, with the exact perfect French texture... I thought it was impossible!
I don't miss French food at all. Everything is so tasty here! I am, in no way, attempting to find bread! But my Chinese friends always take me to see these shops, they try their best to make me feel comfortable.
She took me to a Korean restaurant in the evening, it was delicious. She ordered far too much food~ not surprising!
I took a taxi home, it was late, and very far from downtown.
One of my schoolmates called me asking whether I would like to go to the cinema.. I had finished my homework so, (with my sisters and parents permission) I left, very excited!
We saw "暮光之城III", a horror film. It ended really late so I had to take a taxi home again.
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