Exploring Zhongshan with my dad

Last March, I paid my dad a visit in Zhongshan, he happened to be in China for a month.

To get to Zhongshan, I first flew from Beijing to Guangzhou on a 3-hour flight, and then I took the bus, adding another 2 hours to my journey.

When I told my friends I was going to Zhongshan, they all asked me what I was going to do there; implying there was nothing to do in that city. But as soon as I stepped out from the Zhongshan bus station, I knew exactly why my dad loved this place. I could already picture him strolling around with his glasses hanging over his neck, exploring the city, taking a portrait of the hairdresser, chatting with the waitress and enjoying his bowl of noodle soup at the local restaurant.

It's always easier to religiously follow a guidebook that pinpoints which monuments to see and what food to eat.

But it takes a lot more imagination to discover a place that is not touristic, and that doesn't have its own edition on the lonely planet guide.

My dad doesn't need a book to tell him where to eat, where to walk or whom to talk to. He only travels by foot because it gives him a sense of freedom.

He would find the antique shop and the cheap hairdresser who gives you a head massage and a shampoo for 3 EUR. Whenever we would go into a store he would already know the owner and stop for a casual chat.

My dad has lived in France for over 40 years now, and while I complain about the pollution in Beijing, he praises the low cost of life in China, the genuine people and the simplicity of life over here. For the past 3 years, he's been trying to come at least once a year to China, but it's not always feasible.

My dad used to be car mechanic and he worked hard all his life, so seeing him enjoying his retirement; traveling, painting, drawing, reading and taking photographs overwhelms me with joy.

He knows how to turn strangers into acquaintances, and he likes to make stuff with objects he randomly finds. Observing him is a constant reminder of how to enjoy the little things that are often taken for granted.

Yesterday was his birthday and he just turned 63, to me he's younger than ever.