slow 0 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Has anyone been to Cuba or China? I'm very interested in Cuba now and thinking to go in September. But it's pretty expensive and far away. I have a chance to go to China for free, it must be Shanghai. I want to explore other cities in China but not sure where to go. Any suggestions? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 Are you now, or have you ever been a Communist ma'am? Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted June 27, 2004 Author Share Posted June 27, 2004 Yeah, this question sounds like I am communist! But I'm not. China is interesting because I'm learnng Shodo. So, I should learn Chinese history better now. Cuba is interesting because they eat lots of organic vegetlables now and thier music scene is interesting. Is anyone know about their attempt to rebuild their country? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 I'd love to go to Cuba - see the 50's cars, smoke cigars, and listen to the music. slow, did you see Buena Vista Social Club? I like listening to that music while I work. Eliades Ochoa is very listenable. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 I was going to go to Cuba in April with some mates but was too busy to go. The music scene there is fantastic. I like the new school salsa of bands like La Charanga Habanera, Los Van Van, and Manolito y Su Trabuco. Infectious rhythms and great dancers. A lot of the bands are on virtually every week in Havana. Some of them do two shows a day! It looks like there's lots of Spanish colonial architecture there. I don't know so much about the food, but you can drink lots of mojitos, which can't be bad. I think the easiest way to go to Cuba is via Cancun. It sounds like it's heavily overdeveloped but the Aztec ruins of Chichin Itza (sp) are not so far away. I've been to Mexico, but didn't make it that south. The main ruins I saw were the pyramids at Teotihuacan (sp). Thanks to the Cultural Revolution, I don't know how much you can learn from visiting mainland China. I suppose from Shanghai, you can head up the Yangsee and see the scenery and the old villages before they build that massive dam. If you want to see old calligraphy, I think the main place for Chinese antiquities is the Museum in Taipei, but it's currently under renovation and you'd be better off waiting till it's finished next year. We went in May, but it was only half open. Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 I'd love to see Cuba too, looks like awesome place. Having a chance to go to China for free sounds like a good deal slow Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted June 27, 2004 Author Share Posted June 27, 2004 Ah, Mojito!! That's my favorite! Thank you for those information, Nofakie. Now the percentage of want to go is 80%! I will research more. I have soundtrack of "Before Night Falls". Cuban music is soooooo cool. It will be great to see their live show. I thought the architecture must be interesting there, too. The itinerary tells that we fly from Narita-Houston-Cancun-Havana!! It will be loooong flight. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by slow: Cuba is interesting because they eat lots of organic vegetlables Well, thats enough to get me packing my swag. Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 Go to both. You can't lose if one's for free. Chinese contemporary art is just wonderful. I was blown away by what I saw when I went there. I was in Beijing. You can buy very cheap high quality suzuri's there, and brushes. I bought a large suzuri there for about ¥4000 that would have cost around ¥25,000 here or more. Reddish smooth stone with a dragon and eye on it. I also got a bunch o lovely big brushes. On the whole people were pretty cool, but I also noticed that a number of Chinese people don't seem to like foreign tourists, and I heard a story about someone having their wallet stolen while on a long distance bus trip, (I met her while getting a new visa), so enjoy, but at the same time, be wary. That didn't stop me from wanting to return there someday. I had a fight with the people on a private bus driving out to the Wall. I noticed that I seemed to have to pay a lot more for my fare than the others (chinese). I pointed this out and the bus guy started asking them for more money, obviously acting, and they all gave him more money.... I noticed that he was giving it back to them while he thought I wasn't looking. I kicked up a stink and they kicked me off the bus. Fortunately we were really close to the Wall by then. If it had happened earlier I would have been in the middle of nowhere And the Wall itself was well worth seeing... I hear Shanghai is great. A percussionist friend recently went to Cuba for a few weeks and was in heaven, definitely a place to go check out.... Another place on my list... Link to post Share on other sites
Retired Morris Dancer 0 Posted July 2, 2004 Share Posted July 2, 2004 I've been to Cuba. It was an excellent experience, highly recommended it. I am hoping to go back and experience it more (we only had 5 days there) Link to post Share on other sites
Siren 0 Posted July 2, 2004 Share Posted July 2, 2004 I am going to Shanghai next week for 5 days. My GF loves the BVSC soundtracks. She plays it a lot when she comes to my place. Ms Slow, any recommendation for other Cuban music? When I was in Hong Kong recently my friend introduced me to the Hanarts Gallery which is the pioneer in Chinese Pop art. Awesome is an over-used word but it wasn't enough on that occasion. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted July 2, 2004 Share Posted July 2, 2004 Sunrise, that sounds like the China I know... In a little military town restaurant in Tibet a few year back, a girl I'd met a little earlier insisted she was being ripped off and demanded we only pay the same (as she believed) the locals were paying. After proudly getting her way (and saving us all the princely sum of, er, 5 yen) our food came, half the portion of the day before! You can't beat the Chinese, it's like punching water, and if you go there as a tourist I suggest you accept that before you land, and just enjoy yourself. So you have to pay a 'tourist tax' so what, it wont be much, and you are just slightly richer than the average Chinese. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted July 2, 2004 Author Share Posted July 2, 2004 Siren, I'm sorry but I can't tell you my favorite. If you think she loves Cuban music, just go to HMV and listen to some samples and buy your favorite for her. She will be happy to know that you choose music with thinking about her. Or just take her to Cuba. It's much more surprising than poor taste bag. Did you think she would be happy to listen to slow's recommendation??? Link to post Share on other sites
Siren 0 Posted July 3, 2004 Share Posted July 3, 2004 Thank you Ms Slow. You are right. Actually the music is for me. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted July 3, 2004 Author Share Posted July 3, 2004 I like jazzy latin piano sound, so Bebo Valdes is very good. Ruben Gonzalez plays very good, too. I'm still beginner, so I will check more Cuban bands and musicians before I go. I hope you and your GF will find some favorites. Link to post Share on other sites
Siren 0 Posted July 3, 2004 Share Posted July 3, 2004 Many thanks indeed, Ms Slow. Will check them out. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted July 3, 2004 Share Posted July 3, 2004 http://www.imnworld.com/segundo.html Link to post Share on other sites
danz 0 Posted July 3, 2004 Share Posted July 3, 2004 I just recently spent a month in China and it was incredible!! China is really an amazing place with so much to offer. It is MASSIVE and there is alot of beautiful scenary. The minority cultures in the South west are also very interesting and give you a very different image of China. Shanghai is a massive city, like any other, but it does have some really cool backalleys that seemed to have escaped the wide avenues and skyscrapers. And of course, the food is amazing and sooooo cheap. Wish I could spend more time there!! danz Link to post Share on other sites
Siren 0 Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Ocean, thanks for the link. Link to post Share on other sites
KlingKlang 1 Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Are there many "restrictions" re: going to Cuba. (And China for that matter). Both sound very interesting, in their very different ways. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted August 8, 2004 Author Share Posted August 8, 2004 I'm so excited about going to Cuba for 10days end of August. Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Varadero and Cancun. I would love to learn Spanish before leaving. Could anyone teach me Spanish in Tokyo? I'm very serious. But I don't have so many days, so just greeting and words in constant use is fine. If you live around Tokyo and speak Spanish, please send me a private message. Gracias! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted August 9, 2004 Share Posted August 9, 2004 This ought to cover most situations slow; Doth thervetha por favor BTW, there's a great salsa club in Matsuyama where you can listen to Cuban music, practice your latin dance steps, and chat with the mastaa about snowboarding. Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 Posted August 9, 2004 Share Posted August 9, 2004 Slow, you will love Cuba. Something to keep in mind though - go for the people, revel in them. A lot of stuff there is very run down. The culture they have developed there is amazing. It is 3rd world though, but you wouldn't know that by the citizens. The food is amazing. The music is amazing. The people are amazing. Have a great time! If you get the chance, slap Castro on the ass for me. Tell him good game, time to move on you 'ol fart. I would love to visit China. Never been there. Someday. Oh, and the surf can be incredible in cuba! (The husks of 1960 Ford trucks heading for Miami excluded) Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted August 9, 2004 Author Share Posted August 9, 2004 Thank you Plucky, I will have a great time there. Ocean, "Dos Mojito por favor?" must be more useful for me. But I will try Cuban Cerveza "CARIBBEAN ICE" in Santiago. Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted August 9, 2004 Share Posted August 9, 2004 Sounds like you're gonna have a blast! Link to post Share on other sites
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