The Adventures of Tai'an

It happens everywhere. Even in developing countries like China. Little Old Tai'an is growing up.

I sense this all has something to do with the up and coming arrival of the Olympic torch but this little city is changing rapidly.

The old Campus where I live is in the west of town. This area is less attractive than other areas. Well it used to be. They've moved the street vendors along, the bung bung drivers are gone, buildings have had coats of paint, the foot path has been paved, there is curbing, murals have been painted and just today I noticed mature trees being planted to cover ugly walls. Will this all change after the flame? I don't know. I think it might and I hope it will. This end of town has really lost it's village feel.

One day whilst I was walking to the gym with Barbara, (no Barbara was going shopping not to work out) we noticed that a street we walk up and refer to as 'the dust bowl' didn't appear to be overly dusty on this day. As we got closer we realized the street had been closed off.

The locals take no notice of any authority. Whilst the street had been closed off with besser blocks they just moved them so they could continue to drive through. Were people would normally walk they moved those too so you could get through. Who was I to do anything different. I just followed the paths of others.

As the days went on 'the dust bowl' was leveled, tar was poured and rolled. We know have a bitumen street. Yippee. Although now everyone uses this street to drive on. So it is very busy and has become increasingly difficult for me to cross.

On return trips from the gym I would take the long way. Just the other day I thought I was in the wrong street as a familiar rail was gone. This was always my safety point for crossing this street. Once I got to this point I could take a breath, recollect my nerves to cross to the other side. Now I was going to have to negotiate the journey across the street in one movement.

I managed to do this as a local. I couldn't quite work out why it appeared easier and then it dawned on me. The roundabout that is at this intersection has shrunk. There is no room to widen the ride so take the roundabout concrete out. Hey it works!

Then I noticed something else. Traffic lights. OMG they have put traffic lights in on the roundabout. Now we know that this just doesn't work. Just look at the one at the Ipswich Rd end of the Centenary Highway. The Chinese take no notice of traffic signals anyway. I am going to enjoy watching how the police this.

The next thing I noticed was they have street crossers. I don't know what they are called but you know the ladies who help kids cross the Zebra crossing at school, well those type of people with flags and whistles! They are now trying to teach the Chinese how to use a Zebra Crossing. This is not going down to well at the moment with Chinese yelling at each other and just crossing wherever they want and the street crossers blowing their whistles to they are blue in the face. It is quite entertaining to watch.

Walking back from the gym today. I noticed all the street vendors at the bus station roundabout have also been moved on. People are busy cleaning the outside of their shops. Others are sweeping the streets. Others are picking up the rubbish.

The street now is not the bustling little village it was but a grown up city. Let's see what happens after the torch has been. Hope they teach them between now and then not to spit! That I would like.