8 September

Tianjin, China. Ceremony day!

The bedside phone woke me up at 7,30am this morning after another bad nights sleep. "Good morning Mr. Matt, your driver will collect you in one hour" said the voice. It was a mad rush to shower, shave and breakfast before my driver was at the hotel. I felt lousy as the driver arrived, I can't shake this cold off or stop sweating and blowing my nose. After an half an hour drive I arrive at Hansen site not knowing at all what to expect, but I soon realise that I am part of the foundation stone laying ceremony. I have a name plaque on the table of VIP's and I feel like a fish out of water. There is me casually dressed (as normal) amongst a sea of suits, ministers, CEO's and dignitaries and I'm feeling very self conscious! Anyway, to cut a long story short, I presented my 'green cheque', felt 100 percent out of place as I helped plant the first tree with a Chinese big wig and television camera's filming everything. Within a hour the speeches and congratulations were over and it was off to a banquet at a top hotel, I tried to get out of it but I was roped in without any chance of escape! It turned out that the banquet wasn't as bad as I expected and I managed to get out of there within an hour.
With the afternoon free I thought I may as well go back to see the temple of heavenly somethingness, it turned out to be the temple of closed closedness! There was nothing else for it to just do some wandering about Tianjin seeing as it was my last day there