Web log of Leif Digre

In March 2009, we made a trip to Shanghai and Chengshu. Shanghai is an enormous city, with more than 20 million people, and is rapidly growing. They say that more than 10 000 move to the city every day!

Tha airport train into Shanghai is a monorail, with max speed of 400km/h. (The airport train to Oslo airport only has a speed of 250km/h)

This building (the business centre) was the tallest in the world (101 stories,  492 m high), until the last months of 2009, when The tower in Dubai (more than 800 m high) was finished.

If you look at it from the outside, the top looks like the handle of an iron.  We are up there, looking down through the glass floor.

The wiew is fantastic, as you can imagine.

But someone has to clean all those windows, it must be an everlasting job!

A school class visited at the same time, and they thought we looked a little strange and funny:

Shanghai is arranging world EXPO 2010, and there are enormous building activities all over the city.

Shanghai at night

All taxis that we saw for a week were VW Santana !

Time for Chinese Fastfood, later in the evening; dinner in a restaurant.

Many places to have dinner:

Two days later, we jumped on the train to Suzhou, China’s Venice.

Many beautiful parks with spring flowers, and you do not have to walk around to admire them. Let others do the walking!

This is not the famous tower in Piza,  we are still China, if you…?

This is from the war memorial. Japanes forces occupied this part of China, and the resistance forces took shelter in the swamps surrounding the town.

Two (?) great writers and thinkers: Kung Fu-tse(?) and LD.

Now to our destination: Changshu, a «little town» with only a couple of million people.

This is a new bungalow area with nice, modern houses.

This is a model of a planned area outside Changshu.

Prices will be roughly like prices for bungalows and condos in  Norway.

We have to make up our minds,- go by car, bikes, or just walk?

A nice wiew from the hills above Changchu.

Below: A buddhist pagoda in the park. China arranged the Annual World Buddhist meeting 2009.

In the middle, Annie’s father Huang.

Thank you to… our Chinese friends, for a wonderful week in your great country!

This is what Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Australia, said in 2009:

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks..

Separately, Rudd angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation’s mosques.

Quote:
‘IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT.
Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. ‘

‘This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials
and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom’

‘We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese,
Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!’

‘Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing,
political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.’

‘We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is
that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.’

‘This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, ‘THE RIGHT TO LEAVE’.’

‘If you aren’t happy here then LEAVE. We didn’t force you to come here.
You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.’