What Life Costs in China: A Weekend Escape to Old Guangzhou

don't worry, there is no wife inside It is a traditional Cantonese pastry,with a soft sweet filling In the daylight, it looks even more beautiful it was build in 1863 Places like this still feel new to me Before I was 18, I mostly stayed in my hometown And I hadn't seen many places like this So sitting here feels a little unreal... I believe that faith gives people that kind of strength... Most Chinese people I know don't really have a religion But people are still free to choose their own faith I don't know much about religion myself but one of my aunts

is Christian I head out to the market In China, many people still believe traditional herbs can help the body Have you ever try ? do you believe it somehow? There are dried herbs, roots, and traditional ingredients everywhere Guangdong always feels a little mysterious to me People here seem to know a lot about food, soup, and health I buy some dried fruit to try The taste is a little strange,but maybe it is healthy I notice that there is a toy market with so many forigners a very cute night lamp sleeping and snoring...😂 Maybe adults also need small

childish moments sometimes I just keep walking through Guangzhou This city feels very open,mixed... Sometimes I feel Guangzhou is even busier than Shenzhen People come here from many different parts of China Many young people leave their hometowns and move to big cities For work, for money, and for a better life I am one of them... When we are young, big cities look full of possibilities I also learn that it isn't always easy... This area feels very different from the Guangzhou I saw earlier... For a moment, I almost feel like I am the foreigner... There

are many African communities here Guangzhou really feels like a very open city Because of trade and business Nearby, I also find many Xinjiang restaurants So I wanna try a beef wrap I've never seen a beef wrap with this much beef inside It looks so satisfying Sometimes the best food doesn't need to be complicated Beef wrap—¥35 （$4.9 / €4.5） The first bite is really good Xinjiang food has such a strong and comforting flavor Some streets feel a little old but very alive The smell is so good local and international Old and new all mixed together in

one place... The next part of the trip takes me to Foshan, a city very close to Guangzhou I used to have desk like this too I always find it interesting how different places in China can feel similar Honestly, I didn't even expect Foshan to have a metro Seems like this city is also pretty advanced ... It is suddenly raining so hard But delivery man still can not stop working ... Rainy days always make a city feel quieter I find a local grocery store nearby The prices feel similar to Shenzhen Not as cheap as I expected Snack shops like this are everywhere

in China now Shrimp crackers - ¥1.80 （$0.25 / €0.23） Coca-Cola—¥1.80 （$0.25 / €0.23） Sometimes cola is even cheaper than bottled water The same girl has been on the package for many years After she got married, also her husband's photo on it too The grandma in front of me is still paying with cash Scenes like this are getting rarer now Most people in China pay with their phone Mostly older people are still living here Many young people have probably gone to Guangzhou and Shenzhen I find a small local noodle shop It looks simple I order

wonton noodles Beef brisket wonton noodles - ¥15 （$2.1 / €1.9） Just looking at it already makes me hungry More people start coming in after me That's when I know I probably chose the right place Sometimes the best meals are found by accident The wontons are really good,springy,juicy I walk into a nearby village area There are fruit trees everywhere But there is a camera pointing at jackfruit haha Southern China has so many fruits I didn't grow up eating I picked one fallen on ground, And wow, it is so sour The village houses here look quite nice

with their own small gardens Honestly, this kind of life looks very peaceful and ideal to me my dream life... Have a beautiful my own house with a small garden growing my own food... These two aunties remind me of village life I think gossip must be part of the fun haha one side city , one side village There is a blast-proof box in the metro station I am going to Zumiao, it is one of the famous places in Foshan Inside, there is an exhibition about Ip Man Do you know Ip man? He is the master of Bruce Lee! Many foreigners know Chinese kung fu because of

them Especially Wing Chun Remind me that so many people think my bro looks like Bruce Lee. It seems true haha Bruce Lee handwriting wooden training dummies Some old televisions here remind me of my childhood too I have the period that watching TV without color The buildings here are also very detailed it is almost 1000 years old full of character... I also see people's wishes written on red plaques Maybe no matter where we come from we all wish for similar things health,family a better future... The show feels powerful... the rain still is on and off...

Before leaving Foshan I stop for a bowl of congee The kitchen is full of steam and smoke This feels like a very local kind of comfort It is really hot ,I have to eat it slowly... I get ready to go back to Guangzhou It takes about one hour by metro to reach Guangzhou Two cities connected so closely She seems like not hungry haha I am waiting for this bus back home Shenzhen... the voice will play nonstop untill evryone buckle up In China most buses have this system Sometimes a short trip is enough Not to change my life But to help me breathe again A small

break from work A little time with family Life is still moving forward... The weather suddenly changing It feels very warm very much like home For a moment I suddenly feel that marriage can be nice too... The houses has 3 rooms They keep one for me to take a nap They also have an eight-year-old cat Friday night after work I take a bus directly from Shenzhen to Guangzhou I come to Guangzhou for a reason Visit my cousin,We grew up together… but now we live completely different lives But before visiting I want to walk around Guangzhou a little People just

hang their clothes outside the house Guangzhou feels older,slower,and more lived-in Everything seems like has a story to tell me Sometimes old cities have a kind of warmth that new cities don't have yet Now I wanna have a local breakfast Beef brisket with radish—¥18 （$2.5 / €2.3） I just follow the local feeling It looks light,but still full of flavor I like food like this in the morning The restaurant has that old Cantonese feeling Nothing fancy,But very comforting Today isn't as hot as yesterday But even early in the morning Guangzhou already

feels busy I booked hair washing service online earlier Yesterday I came Guangzhou in a hurry It takes me a while to find it In China many small businesses are hidden in places like this Apartments become salons,studios or small shops Everyone seems to be trying their own way to make a living I want to look decent since I haven't meet my cousin for almost 2 years I want to buy a small gift for my cousin wife But choosing gifts is always hard for me I'm never sure what style people like I also try on this hat Does it match my outfit today? The older I get

the more careful I become with buying things For gifts，I buy some nuts，A durian，And a watermelon In China，when visiting relatives we usually don't go empty-handed It's something I learned from my parents the area feels completely different again Wide roads，new buildings，almost no people They live 50 kilimeters far away from the city center This is the typical Chinese house in the cities This hair salon is hidden inside a residential community