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One thing that I noticed about the coastal cities of China is that they are covered in a veil of perpetual smog. At first I thought it was just the morning fog, and should clear up if the day was sunny enough. But was I wrong or what. The ‘fog’ lasted all day, every day, and some days worse than others. Asking around the locals, I found out that the fog was actually caused by severe air pollution.

Lion Grove Garden (Shizilin) in Suzhou

This is not surprising considering the rapid industrialization that is going on in China now. It is sad to see that the conservation of the environment has taken a back seat in the name of progress.

You can still see the smog hovering in the skyline.

Although the pollution in China is pretty bad, you can still find pockets of greenery amongst the hustle and bustle of the city streets. The Lion Grove Garden was such a sanctuary nestle within the city of Suzhou. It was a welcomed relieve from the honking motorists and the exhaust-fumes belching cars and lorries.

Limestone rocks in strange formations. But where are the Lions?

This historical garden boast a labyrinthine rockery that is made up of limestone arranged ingeniously to look like lions in different postures and verves: playing, roaring, fighting, sleeping, or even dancing. This is actually how the garden derived its namesake. However, due to the changes and ravages of the time and climate, the rockery now only bears little resemblance to its original arrangement.

Fishing for fallen leaves.

Autumn is here.

Labyrinth of rocks

It wouldn’t be a Chinese garden without bamboos.

Let’s hope that this historical garden will not be replaced by a skyscraper anytime soon. With the dizzying pace of development in China, there is no guarantee. But if that do happen, we can be sure all that remains of modern China will be a forest of concrete building covered in a perpetual fog of smog.

It has been a few years since I last visited the city of Hong Kong. This bustling metropolis is still as prosperous and unforgiving on the wallet as I remembered it. Nevertheless, if you have got the dough, this place has unlimited ways of dazzling your senses and coaxing you to part ways with your hard-earned cash.

The one thing that impressed me the most on my previous visit to Hong Kong was its spectacular night scenery. This hasn’t change a bit. The Avenue of Stars at the Tsimshatsui waterfront still gives the best vantage point for this mesmerizing view of Hong Kong’s skyline. I’m glad I brought my bulky SLR with me. It takes way better pictures than the compact point-and-shoot camera I had with me the last time I was here. I couldn’t get a decent picture from it no matter how hard I tried.

But getting a good night scenery photograph is not as easy as I thought, even with a SLR at my disposal. Shaky hands and low shutter speed takes bad photographs. A good tripod would have help tremendously. I guess I would have to try that on my next visit then. See how this place has a strange way of making you wanna spend and spend and spend some more? It affects even me!

I’m doomed.

As I witnessed the latest publicity stunt put up by our government, involving our very own Angkasawan and his little space tour to the International Space Station, I was reminded that our government wouldn’t mind squandering millions of precious public funds for vanity projects of little significance and creating cardboard heroes that nobody looks up to. Our space program, if you could call it a space program at all, is merely a form of government-funded space tourism. A deal-sweetener from our Air Force’s multi-billion ringgit purchase of Sukhoi fighters from the Russian Federation.

While Malaysia is content with buying its way into space, I came to admire the achievements of the pioneer space-faring nations. To the late Soviet Unions and the United States of America, the journey to space required thousands of hours of research, billions of dollars of investment and sheer determination that resulted in the seemingly impossible feat of sending humans to space and back.

I had the chance to explore the history of America’s journey to space when I visited the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.

U.S. Space and Rocket Center

SR-77 Blackbird

The center chronicles how the city of Huntsville came to be an important research and development center for the space & rocketry technology.

Huntsville came to prominence when the US military decided to make the city a center for researching rocket propulsion. They brought in many scientist from Germany after World War II, including the famous Wernher von Braun. He was a pivotal figure in Germany’s pre-war rocket development program and was responsible for the design and realization of the infamous V-2 combat rocket.

Replica of Wernher von Braun’s office

V-2 Rocket

There was plenty to see at the center. On display was various equipments used by the early astronauts.

Space diapers

Spacemen wear Omega

Scaled rocket models and space vehicles.

Scaled model of the Saturn V

Lunar Excursion Module

Apollo re-entry vehicle

Rocket engines of all sorts.

POWER!

Humongous rocket engine

And various space oddities.

Sample of moon rock

Coke in Space

Outside the center’s compound lies the Rocket Garden. It is an impressive display of half a dozen rockets of various size and age.

Rocket Garden

A life-sized Saturn I

It’s HUGE!

I came away from the center amazed at the American’s technological achievements. The fact that they manage to pull it off decades before us is a testament of their ingenuity.

Saturn V

Maybe we should actually learn how to build and launch rockets before sending someone to space to spin tops and drink teh tarik.

Although many of the attractions in Nashville are tied to the country music industry, there are more to Nashville than tacky country music bars and cheap memorabilia shops.

Tennessee State Capitol

Tennessee Liberty Bell

Nashville is capital of the state of Tennessee. Thus, it is where the State Capitol is located. There is a Liberty Bell replica owned by the state government on the lawns of the Capitol Building.

Centennial Park

The Parthenon

Nashville was founded in 1779 and subsequently incorporated in 1806, making this city more than 200 years old. There are two city parks built to celebrate both the centennial and bi-centennial of Nashville. Of the two, the Centennial Park is more impressive with its replica of the Greek Parthenon.

Impressive marble columns

The Parthenon at dusk

With its tall marble columns and classical architecture style, the Parthenon stands as the centerpiece of the park. It is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens and was built as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897.

The Nashville Rat Patrol

Tall bike

A group of bicyclists was converging besides the Parthenon for a gathering of some sort. I found out they were the Nashville Rat Patrol, an anarchist bicycle gang that rides on modified bikes of all sorts. The group members dressed in a trashy fashion and their rides were modified with salvaged bicycle parts. The emphasis seems to be on the basic functionality of the bike and weirdness of the design. This was an effort by the group to make an anti-consumerist, pro-environmental statement.

Ready…

Tug O’ War!

The group showed off their bikes and continued to carry out some crazy stunts. They tied two bikes together with a long bungee cord and started a bicycle tug of war.

After a few sessions the bungee cord broke and they switched to ‘jousting’ on their bikes instead. I’m not sure what was the point of all that but they sure seemed to be having a lot of fun.

Bunch of crazy Americans.

Hard Rock Cafe, Nashville

Known as Music City USA, Nashville has long been known as a major music recording and production center. It is also becoming an important cultural hub and academic center for the American South.

Bellsouth Building a.k.a The Batman Building

There was a lot to see in the city. I wish I had more time but I was only able to stay for half a day.

Nashville is famous for its country music heritage so a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame is a must.

History of Country Music

Ladies and Gents, Elvis Presley…

The Hall of Fame had an elaborate exhibitions of the history and heritage of country music. From its early inception, up to its current modern form.

Elvis Presley’s Cadillac

Ray Charles’s Saxophone

Also on display was the artifacts of many of the country music legends.

One interesting thing I found during the visit was a Braille version of the Playboy Magazine. Playboy for the visually impaired, how cool is that?

The best of country music

Wall of Gold Records

Hundreds of country music records were displayed on the walls of the museum.

Circular wing of the Hall of Fame

Surprise surprise… Elvis Presley is an inductee

The tour would not be complete without a visit to the ‘Hall of Fame’ wing of the museum. All the inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame have their own bronze plaque displayed there, including the legendary Elvis Presley.

Continued on Part II