Shangri La Complex, in suburbs of Hangzhou, China

Gentle Reader,

Welcome to Shangri-La!!! This is a very expensive complex of single family homes built in the suburbs of Hangzhou. Homes here sell for upwards of three million dollars. it was an absolutely other-worldly experience being walked through this "village," as it resembles nothing we would associate with China in any fashion. Much borrowing from Western, especially European architecture. When the CEO of this place was speaking with us, he emphasized the diversity of materials and design present in the complex. He also pointed out that they have tulips from Holland that will bloom in the spring.

This was a rather surreal part of our journey, and one that was not on the original agenda. We added a concert at this place, for the owners and prospective buyers. Although we performed in a space that was supposed to be some kind of badmitten gymnasium, the structure actually resembled a small church with a very high ceiling. It was an unseasonably hot day, and the hosts kept providing our conductor with cloths to wipe his face in this sweaty place. The part I liked most about this concert was that we were able to see the faces of our audience. At the concert halls, the lights blinded any vision of the audience. Here, we could see the audience in the light of day... and I thoroughly enjoyed the multiple generations present for the performance. I especially enjoyed the reaction of the audience when we played well-known Chinese melodies. Beautiful.

We did receive "red carpet" treatment upon arrival. I think we were all in a bit of shock to see such a welcoming. Everything was very staged, down to the little girl dressed like a beautiful princess to greet us. They had welcome banners displayed and many banners featuring our conductor and guest soloists. Even fresh fruit in the dressing rooms. And...there were people hired to guide our experience here, every step of the way. Folks were stationed inside the homes, opening doors and guiding their visitors around the houses. Folks were even stationed in the restrooms, opening doors to available bathroom stalls. No squat toilets in this luxury place.

The homes were staged, too, and a bit eerie with no one living here right now. Many of us commented on what a tremendous gig this must have been for the designers and decorators. Everything was lavish and created with the finest materials. Not sure how "comfortable" any of these homes would be to actually live in, but they certainly provided a sense of space and openness for a family to have many guests, many parties.

In truth, this kind of ostentatious place tends to make me very uncomfortable. When I was in Nepal, we were taken to a palatial sort of property, where diplomats are entertained. To arrive there, we drove through some of the saddest and most devastating poverty I had ever witnessed. When we arrived at the diplomat property, we saw sculptures and lawns and elaborate outdoor play areas. We were also served beef, which you simply cannot find anywhere in Nepal due to the sacredness of cows. But here, they prepared beef for us. I found the expensive surroundings obscene after experiencing the poverty of the folks around this compound. I could not eat the beef. I could not eat anything that day.

I was, however, able to eat here. We had been told that they would supply us with beautiful European pastries as part of our meal, which they did. Although this seemed like some sort of corporate gig, we are still not sure of the details of this part of the trip. It seems we were being groomed to be impressed. And the homes and the food were indeed impressive. As I said, I loved seeing faces when we played, and that made all the difference for me...The views, too, from jacuzzi bathrooms and back decks, were amazingly beautiful. Give me a hot tub and a bottle of wine, and you might not see me for hours...

Namaste,
Marianne