Spotlight: Hangzhou, China!

I was not well! Hangzhou had so far been a good time! I wasn't going to admit defeat, the hangover plagued me but I kept it moving! For real, pork dumplings have healing properties! Those Hangzhou ones helped me out! I was there to see at theatre show? 'A Life of Pi' was about to serve London's West End in Zhejiang Province! 'Atlas Loop' saw me on the juice! Again? Yes!

Cue, Saturday morning found me in a sorry state but I didn't have time to wallow nor lean into the pain of that period of dehydration. The humid temperatures were not kind to me but I had not been kind to myself with the concoction of booze I had consumed the night before. '武林广场/Wulin Square' pushed me into the heart of the city, it was a core memory of my former and initial trip to Hangzhou. The great thing was, I had my bearings but I didn't at the same time, something told me that the theatre was right under my nose? That wasn't a question because it was a fact! I remember eating my first evening meal in the city during April 2017 at a Pizza Hut in the same square, I had tried to clock that franchise pizza place but the '杭州大剧院/Hangzhou Grand Theater' stood in its place. I wasn't mad because the location was ideal, I had picked my hotel in nearby '武林门/Wulimnen' due to the access by both foot and the metro. What does this even have to do with the late morning mess I found myself in? Maybe this explains the delirium?

I had not remembered the flowers at Wulin Square to be that vibrant, it was a welcomed change because my everyday commute serves concrete and traffic. There's always room for a floral arrangement in my book, Hangzhou embraced those springtime blooms. I had managed to get myself together, my matinee performance didn't start until 14:30 that afternoon, I had time. Needing a coffee, I headed underground to the shopping centre for a much needed McDonald's iced latte, I wasn't well! No food would pass my lips, a fast food meal was a hard no! I was regretting those afternoon theatre plans because I was going through it, I pulled myself together and forged ahead because it wasn't a matter of life or death! Back on the metro it was, the air conditioning was soothing for my hungover-self to feel. I needed to consult my trusty '点评/Dianping' application for some inspiration. When in doubt, make it a greasy and quick choice! Hangzhou felt correct, it had been a long while since I could say I vibed with a place! H-Town! 

The app never lied, my sense of direction was the deceitful one! I was looking for a simple but highly praised dumpling establishment. I wanted to take things to the streets because my life in Ningbo since February 2023 has been situated within one small area, I felt like branching out in Hangzhou! I had ventured away from the tourist traps, '西湖/West Lake' felt like a million miles away and that was quite alright with me! Was I preparing for a pedestrian weekend situation? You know, certain developments have proven this edition of 'Spotlight' allowed me to find something new! The maps were playing with my time, worst still I played with my own time because I allowed those apps to get the better of me. I persevered because I found that location in the end, I ordered what I wanted and the taste test commenced! Sure, I was at that unbearable stage of the hangover where eating is so difficult, I didn't have any issues polishing off those dumplings! I had had enough of that hangover! I was not sorry! Seconds, I wanted so! 

My original plan for that pre-theatre morning had been so different before those Friday night drinks hit my system! I had planned to ditch the Friday night and arrive on the Saturday, heading towards the '胡庆余堂/Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine'. You ask why such a specific stop? I had visited this point of interest during my full day tour of the city during China's Tomb Sweeping weekend in April 2017 but I never took any photos. As I have finessed my blog posts, I had wanted to add a fourth element to my 'Hangzhou: Lakes, Pavilions & Tea Plantations...' post. That clearly didn't happen, neither did the brunch but like the previous visit to Suzhou, those Friday evening arrivals to a new city can go 'Pete Tong' very very easily! I have no regrets, I will be back in Hangzhou eventually because you never know what the future has holds! I am keeping my cards close to my chest, it will be for the best! I will bring back something soon, blog wise, I will right that wrong! The bowl of soy milk brought me back to life! 

I was bang on-time for the theatre, in fact I was early but in my book you can never be too early! The matinee looked to be quiet, I was thankful for the culture presented to me! The theatre wasn't full, that wasn't my problem and it took away the pandemonium that usually occurs when limited space is presented to people. That wasn't dark sided of me to say, I am merely spitting facts. Now, I knew very little about this show, just that a young person and tiger became unlikely frenemies during a period of distress. Unrest in Pondicherry, India caught 'Piscine Molitor 'Pi' Patel' and her family, deciding to sell their popular zoo was a heart wrenching decision but they believed Canada would offer them sanctuary. The simple yet vibrant stage set the scene, the family set sail with their animals secured in container boxes. They took a cargo ship across the Indian and Pacific oceans towards their intended destination. Would the Patel family and their menagerie of animals all make it to Canada safely? An aggressive storm was brewing! Danger! 

I knew that this show wouldn't be the usual jazz hands kind of thing I loved to see, I was thrown into chaos and distress! I had already been thrown into a state of distress with that hangover, with that dissipating, I was fronted with 'Pi' hallucinating on this small lifeboat with an orangutan, zebra and tiger! In and out of rational thinking, Pi recounted her story to a ship recording lady and had support from a welfare representative from Canada. She thought she was with her mother, she thought a chef was onboard with her from the cargo ship. As the show progressed, it stood as Pi against the tiger, with supplies lacking, Pi was losing hope of any chance of rescue! I had to remember that this show had been based on a story, it had never been a real-life event because who could survive 227 days at sea with hardly any water or food? Nobody could! With her new life in Canada secured, Pi stood as the only living member of her family who had set off for a new life. I appreciated that slice of the West End in Hangzhou! 

The theatre had levelled me, I had made through to 17:00 without crashing out! Finally, I needed to eat properly for the first time that day! I chose a Halal place to order everything on the menu, my evil plan was to eat a little bit and take the rest in a container for the early hours of Sunday morning! I refuelled but knew that I needed to take a 'disco nap', that second night out in a row depended upon that early evening nap being taken! Did I really need to go out again? I chose life, I decided to deal with the implications of that second night out at another point. My nap was brief, I felt refreshed and with the food consumed after the theatre, I felt half human. I just needed another drink, that would've fixed the whole issue! Hangzhou saw me stepped out once again, I had tracked down a place called 'Atlas Loop' on '小红书/Little Red Book' that boasted a few 'rainbow' emojis within those mini-program articles. I headed for the metro to reach a known and very busy complex, it looked industrial but had a modern vibe. Atlas, who?

I had already clocked that 'Atlas Loop' was a KPOP dance routine hotspot, now I wouldn't be partaking in that pastime but I would sit with a drink in hand as an observer. It was the usual scene, people kept themselves in their groups and tables were hard to secure. It was busy even though it was quite early on, I managed to secure a seat a the bar, boasting a birds-eye view of the venue and stage. I minded my business and sipped on my drinks, I even bagged two free shots of tequila because the barman said it was his treat! The night progressed with a strong secession of dance showdowns, it gave for interesting viewing. I did miss seeing 'routine-free' dancing, that wasn't happening, it was just so! The end of the night drew nearer and unlike the previous night, it took people much longer to strike up a conversation with me because I was not putting myself out there! Even in a provincial capital, foreigners seemed to still be a rare sight! I didn't hold it against them, I maintained that I wasn't an '外星人/Alien', I'm also just a human. 

See You Soon?

Desperately Seeking Adventure