First morning breakfast in a hotel besieged by the guests and participants of the Canton Trade Fair. It was mayhem!

Imagine everyone trying to get breakfast before rushing to work? The chefs were visibly stressed, waiting staff were busy clearing tables and ushering guests. The guest? Rushing around the buffet for food.

I had a table, left to get food and when I came back, it was already taken over by somebody else. That same guy who cut the queue at the egg station. By the way, my table has a sign that says it is occupied!

Luckily I was early and there was another empty table nearby. As I ate my breakfast, I noticed that my plight was shared by many others too and pretty soon, the restaurant was full and foreign guests had to queue outside the restaurant. Locals? They simply rush in, grab food and try to take over any empty table seat. Get evicted when the owner returns, and look for a new ’empty’ table. It’s about survival….

I am spending my full day in an old part of Guangzhou city – yong Qing fang. Bruce Lee’s ancestral home was here. Visit the place where his dad used to stay before moving to Hong Kong.

There are plenty of shopping around this place and I found a shop selling any three items for rmb 500. Couldn’t believe my hearing and had to ask repetitively, ” any 3 items? Even jackets and pants?” And when the sales staff said yes with a smile, I had to buy something! Unfortunately, Singapore is a hot climate country, otherwise I would have picked Jackets too.

Lunch was supposed to be an acclaimed Michelin restaurant but there was a huge crowd queueing to get in- I think 99% mostly tourists. So I went to a restaurant across the street – lian xiang lou 莲香楼(总店). It was busy but not overcrowded and importantly, locals patronizing it. Locals are not influenced by TikTok and know where the good stuff is.  Very delicious and authentic taste of dimsum, definitely handmade and piping hot.

But the staff here are curt. There’s this middle age waitress throwing the menu at my table before breezing off. Then she realizes I am a tourist and quickly comes over to apologize. Then she would forget that I am a tourist, do something curt and apologize again. As I observe how she waited tables, it seems like her modus operandi to be curt and the locals did not even bat an eyelid. I think she must be trying her best not to offend the “princes and princesses” from foreign countries. See? I am blogging about it now. Ha ha.

Interesting old buildings converted into retail, restaurant, cafe and museum.

Went into a shop selling lychee tea. The shop owner explained her tea patiently and brewed samples for us to try. Unfortunately, it doesn’t taste like the one that I have been searching for. She was a nice lady and acknowledged that tea is a very personal thing. She wasn’t offended that I didn’t buy anything.

I went to the Michelin restaurant at around 5pm to make sure I get a seat for dinner and I totally regretted my attachment.

Grand ambience but luke warm food that doesn’t deserve an award! On hindsight, I should keep telling myself craving causes suffering 😂

When the place lights up at night it is beautiful. Oh. And there are plenty of girls renting and wearing traditional Chinese costumes. The only thing is that they lack the poise to carry the elegant outfits. So it’s like monkeys prancing around in dresses. Hope they teach ancient poise in school and it would be a beautiful sight to behold when anyone wearing traditional han fu try their best to be mindful of their poise.

Just before retiring for the night, I found a nice dessert shop near my hotel. A very unassuming place and the milky creamy pistachio dessert is such a delight. Almost like having a thick warm glass of milk before bedtime except this is way creamier and more delicious.

May all be happy.