At first, I had thought this being my second time to Hangzhou that I would feign interest for Kathleen's sake. As it turns out, I rediscovered Hangzhou for another time- this time appreciating it for what it really is: an amazing well manicured holiday as prescribed by the communist government yet also thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by its visiting temporal Chinese denizens. Here you were welcomed with warm weather, pleasant lake scenery and well gardened folliage. It was Walt Disney World but free for public consumption- almost engineered to an effect of guiding you down path X then Y and finally Z - where Z was a well choreographed sound and light show. Made me think a lot about how easy it is to manipulate the masses and how city / regional planning can have such a profound effect on ones' lives. In this case, however, it was a real-world example of how Mao's government really works. The leadership really knows and understands its people and have responded. Wow, think about that: government that works. Change is something we can all believe in.
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