tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91834166275426397042024-03-12T22:42:27.761-05:00Zach in China 中国Detailed stories and photos chronicling my times in Beijing and across China.Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-14714615826806422892009-04-05T00:29:00.029-05:002009-04-05T20:24:34.848-05:00Living at the 100 Ring Zoo<div align="center">I've moved to my fourth apartment in Beijing, and the third in the Shuangjing area.<br /><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiku80DuClslLS2zwd2BtSLZfwr2rSJ96v5ovgVKz6bgpcFXvoZKq7nX-8jM4jG-5EhvKh3PyEp3PLrPgRVNTKf3ta09iQRgYVWK8Taj90hb9iVIcnSEvYDzhaNV95TxVoAD38Jaq4hZSeR/s1600-h/apartments_locations.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 275px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321078855435459586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiku80DuClslLS2zwd2BtSLZfwr2rSJ96v5ovgVKz6bgpcFXvoZKq7nX-8jM4jG-5EhvKh3PyEp3PLrPgRVNTKf3ta09iQRgYVWK8Taj90hb9iVIcnSEvYDzhaNV95TxVoAD38Jaq4hZSeR/s400/apartments_locations.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><p align="center"><iframe height="350" marginheight="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=39.892,116.463&sll=39.892995,116.462996&sspn=0.009516,0.022659&ie=UTF8&ll=39.899531,116.46718&spn=0.009516,0.022659&z=14&iwloc=addr&output=embed" frameborder="0" width="425" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p><p align="center"><br /><small><a style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; COLOR: #0000ff" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=39.892,116.463&sll=39.892995,116.462996&sspn=0.009516,0.022659&ie=UTF8&ll=39.899531,116.46718&spn=0.009516,0.022659&z=14&iwloc=addr">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br /><br /><br />While I haven't moved beyond a 1km-circle, I feel that I've upped my status by a degree, and I don't intend to back down. For me the selling point was the dining table; for the first time in two years I'm not bending over a tv-facing coffee table to eat every day.<br /><br />The new digs weren't necessary, but certainly invited. At first I wasn't so keen on moving, as I was signed on to a one-year contract that would require breaching. But my 'family' was growing, and needed more space. My girlfriend Liuliu took the initiative of seeking a new pad. For a while I was resistant, but when she booked a viewing I obligingly accompanied her, and what I saw changed me.<br /><br />My new apartment is about 50% bigger than my old one. It also has a dining table, and a large living room. But the clincher was the rent, only 4% more than my previous place. I now pay 3500CNY/month (about $630 at the current exchange rate), and I live in the same area as before, only a 10min walk from the Guomao city-centre (of course, Beijing is too big to have one downtown, but this one is the 'traditional' downtown). It's 110m²(1200sq.ft) and fully furnished. My last place was short a bed in the spare bedroom. </p><p align="center">My area is called 百环家园 (baihuan jiayuan), which means 100-ring park. Not sure why. </p><p align="center"><br /><strong>The New Digs<br /></p></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZBrIA3x1SjMikIyf7PLvoHHC_ZFh4OJyap6jJHSARpdckiSv-cxanD34Rw2SdUxyb1VSIfAICQEG9t2WcQQGDKCuJjBd4mdYFXNoOsLdyBsd6neOxEPjNSontpQymGervZyzMU-dKXOu/s1600-h/0pan_bed.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 219px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321374208528263570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZBrIA3x1SjMikIyf7PLvoHHC_ZFh4OJyap6jJHSARpdckiSv-cxanD34Rw2SdUxyb1VSIfAICQEG9t2WcQQGDKCuJjBd4mdYFXNoOsLdyBsd6neOxEPjNSontpQymGervZyzMU-dKXOu/s400/0pan_bed.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_FLgwtBUNNKQxodV8G76nToePnY1XweQXzx9qhNY9eQa2XQCXlR2gE0LCUdX5kcnAiUzsoEtpy5BbXDBKDfoQdoUi-KqIDE-DQ43LTkLLrTLGo3pyakOZEDgTVjT9-hn6AJEETvFZcS0/s1600-h/0pan_kitchen.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 281px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321374203711038354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_FLgwtBUNNKQxodV8G76nToePnY1XweQXzx9qhNY9eQa2XQCXlR2gE0LCUdX5kcnAiUzsoEtpy5BbXDBKDfoQdoUi-KqIDE-DQ43LTkLLrTLGo3pyakOZEDgTVjT9-hn6AJEETvFZcS0/s400/0pan_kitchen.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXS5Ch5K4zJ2fgEr8QKN0IuYU18qGaB2Se7OuB1u_iwPvvY_2H8zvBkTIx5huI4zs2p-1EEIDcm9y4kyp0SxiFCF4HGRX2IL2viN-IlBad_6CYzYlfO6Rb9FY6_XzcFgV5Qrr6Z1jEVpo/s1600-h/0pan_living_rear.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 222px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321374203163910098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXS5Ch5K4zJ2fgEr8QKN0IuYU18qGaB2Se7OuB1u_iwPvvY_2H8zvBkTIx5huI4zs2p-1EEIDcm9y4kyp0SxiFCF4HGRX2IL2viN-IlBad_6CYzYlfO6Rb9FY6_XzcFgV5Qrr6Z1jEVpo/s400/0pan_living_rear.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JVv71wJBJEdxNHHQMp3dqAxy-773fiC8UDgCdjtNvvecubvh-J8TxdV82szPkZqfdzcI01ILoBO3xuAgWW-Yh0MwhxITQdAeERVZ2s-p9GAPRajQxkfqnEzhBlFU1MlGo__Swtw-U4eS/s1600-h/0pan_living_front_other.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 227px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321374197345232882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JVv71wJBJEdxNHHQMp3dqAxy-773fiC8UDgCdjtNvvecubvh-J8TxdV82szPkZqfdzcI01ILoBO3xuAgWW-Yh0MwhxITQdAeERVZ2s-p9GAPRajQxkfqnEzhBlFU1MlGo__Swtw-U4eS/s400/0pan_living_front_other.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0gxdnHzncGCzPBSa-3mZ3B8Mh5v1qL-gHBWE6i05BYdP-XcBwvVv1AUpS5wNIFcP4DQPkU-rUtxsFLGbVyAEhbIW18XT7wfDItUlclBNgihIeNPNjvsoVRj7ZUBBoHxdwHS2bu2U9eXb/s1600-h/0pan_living_front.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 228px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321374192380213794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0gxdnHzncGCzPBSa-3mZ3B8Mh5v1qL-gHBWE6i05BYdP-XcBwvVv1AUpS5wNIFcP4DQPkU-rUtxsFLGbVyAEhbIW18XT7wfDItUlclBNgihIeNPNjvsoVRj7ZUBBoHxdwHS2bu2U9eXb/s400/0pan_living_front.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJan54wZe-2CdgkV7Y4s3pvVRVPFZI74YTf073n2uA6xC-jEN1XaJ9ShpbHL2wjsev9TCNBHrBGFYZH7auZS5tm1V67rQmdfJYnuFKPD2Ia_qy4VbRuYb3frV16S8elLg9TX2RQFfWtaJk/s1600-h/0pan_bathroom_outside.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 338px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321378379903652258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJan54wZe-2CdgkV7Y4s3pvVRVPFZI74YTf073n2uA6xC-jEN1XaJ9ShpbHL2wjsev9TCNBHrBGFYZH7auZS5tm1V67rQmdfJYnuFKPD2Ia_qy4VbRuYb3frV16S8elLg9TX2RQFfWtaJk/s400/0pan_bathroom_outside.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3MHWhUhKbXL6wpPXLACB48KPIiaOuPvWID4uV3Q3dD-2BtebPE7uqVbUrl2nREDn2gshPpweB3aI7pHv3xG_9fMSoZUnRCcdLAfGDlF2myq99hKYwuaLdBxSYZD7td7xlmCF5sRgtPrk/s1600-h/0pan_bathroom.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 318px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321378374590176034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3MHWhUhKbXL6wpPXLACB48KPIiaOuPvWID4uV3Q3dD-2BtebPE7uqVbUrl2nREDn2gshPpweB3aI7pHv3xG_9fMSoZUnRCcdLAfGDlF2myq99hKYwuaLdBxSYZD7td7xlmCF5sRgtPrk/s400/0pan_bathroom.jpg" /> <p align="center"></a><br />the spare bedroom<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz31lIq5efx65PVvyKfVtvi68XPSVhyphenhyphenCbc8ntH_4KjHZi53AO8VhLB_zBMHSZuUoaVH4OrhGZIdhH7abYsUUkXgPoS3II-j_dGgvbsHtcd9ApII-PXJIbcKReqz4fbA-HpPK8JMV717PN_/s1600-h/0pan_2nd_bed.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 194px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321378376326312354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz31lIq5efx65PVvyKfVtvi68XPSVhyphenhyphenCbc8ntH_4KjHZi53AO8VhLB_zBMHSZuUoaVH4OrhGZIdhH7abYsUUkXgPoS3II-j_dGgvbsHtcd9ApII-PXJIbcKReqz4fbA-HpPK8JMV717PN_/s400/0pan_2nd_bed.jpg" /> <p align="center"></a><br /><br /><br />ANIMALS<br /><br />Another good reason for the move was the small zoo I'm now supporting. I have a kitty and a puppy; my life has blissful moments, and of course, many more are absolute chaos and frustration. Our cat (Asa) was born around July '08, so is now about 10 months old. Our puppy (Bailey) was born on Feb.2nd, '09, and so is only 2 month old as of now. We had our cat first, and when they first were introduced to eachother there was some predictable furor on Asa's side, but now they play together all the time.<br /><br />Here are some photos of the new members of my family.<br /><br />Bailey<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxi9LRA-Go9aVqPteaBVCWAQgKyU54twW2UJvh2KzCJvtIbOH6TIjkN2eFOAi3t9TY8Q4OS4YTnzbXIPcY0VHULKt-sNEERZ_gzcGHCyIx-lXwBu0Ek5FotByVwSNs7EofhrK0w3nRVdq/s1600-h/CRW_2478.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321078306299675410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxi9LRA-Go9aVqPteaBVCWAQgKyU54twW2UJvh2KzCJvtIbOH6TIjkN2eFOAi3t9TY8Q4OS4YTnzbXIPcY0VHULKt-sNEERZ_gzcGHCyIx-lXwBu0Ek5FotByVwSNs7EofhrK0w3nRVdq/s400/CRW_2478.jpg" /> <p align="center"></a><br /><br />Asa<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfsPft2Kk4TX93CeGhwoqmO33vucBA8EcsxjQ7D8AIldptNN4cPuYAh_XO0OhWxSiMuSpvvE7IJJ4mxHi5fWm44JLXwh9kDt-d0tK3spAuUQ9AKppbAYXHKhTYLD9UMdierzwYUFgjrJk/s1600-h/CRW_2474.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321078298259651954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfsPft2Kk4TX93CeGhwoqmO33vucBA8EcsxjQ7D8AIldptNN4cPuYAh_XO0OhWxSiMuSpvvE7IJJ4mxHi5fWm44JLXwh9kDt-d0tK3spAuUQ9AKppbAYXHKhTYLD9UMdierzwYUFgjrJk/s400/CRW_2474.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FPA6GvL_vKppDqUsLnEqbv_gpc-VFAOewaT1ZEBypln8R5RtQuAYx7urMPi0Drzf9G7CirkhNJXyKRwCLtIOl3eYMlGWP7ZZjMQwCH6hwpeBpthkKqaBtyTl-lOfmhyTqJkCtdQZI1m6/s1600-h/CRW_2468.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321078297377455874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FPA6GvL_vKppDqUsLnEqbv_gpc-VFAOewaT1ZEBypln8R5RtQuAYx7urMPi0Drzf9G7CirkhNJXyKRwCLtIOl3eYMlGWP7ZZjMQwCH6hwpeBpthkKqaBtyTl-lOfmhyTqJkCtdQZI1m6/s400/CRW_2468.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqN7hKIYaQoN047BjEKuDaOfNHXMo2ly-aKZLqNvFbdAXos6MIcIbw7-2FfQBTn_Lq3wTHjlGWvjxxfbZXSzB-ZwreoCgyGKnWnGjaWM2DfII2AZntUUFSCduon_GQTYT7IM1I5Z3iN2_P/s1600-h/CRW_2458.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321078290150702434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqN7hKIYaQoN047BjEKuDaOfNHXMo2ly-aKZLqNvFbdAXos6MIcIbw7-2FfQBTn_Lq3wTHjlGWvjxxfbZXSzB-ZwreoCgyGKnWnGjaWM2DfII2AZntUUFSCduon_GQTYT7IM1I5Z3iN2_P/s400/CRW_2458.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7i4uKagEeLsh9MwIbGTIzc3wiA2ESkSrJ_VaSF2L8uxcQQcqQk5IzC_26rrVUIhiXZnV7Lib-_vexgybWEnpQxtBVQKgo94InyeUxiKsizf8_TzlLIpjnAFGjWWYSMJK88ccZOTAuxug/s1600-h/CRW_2540.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321370917764857986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7i4uKagEeLsh9MwIbGTIzc3wiA2ESkSrJ_VaSF2L8uxcQQcqQk5IzC_26rrVUIhiXZnV7Lib-_vexgybWEnpQxtBVQKgo94InyeUxiKsizf8_TzlLIpjnAFGjWWYSMJK88ccZOTAuxug/s400/CRW_2540.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPC9DToQiH4QEvix3U4XD94jd1_WYUotzRDoa0zzXdIazzmIqwAMztqlmEtjqPs4iaRN6eQcnG3B1N1xHcV_IDixN_7BFw_GEtnerxrwRk_2Auav3Zw0f62T_R2jeexezV1PmR8-ajZYw/s1600-h/CRW_2535.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321370915842694274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPC9DToQiH4QEvix3U4XD94jd1_WYUotzRDoa0zzXdIazzmIqwAMztqlmEtjqPs4iaRN6eQcnG3B1N1xHcV_IDixN_7BFw_GEtnerxrwRk_2Auav3Zw0f62T_R2jeexezV1PmR8-ajZYw/s400/CRW_2535.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UOUyTNvc8E_DkOXy2jJhO_qhPhWoS4fNhXH6c6AkgCk6aw03w6JZ4z-BoZSsYQwJut-Ic19rh2IB03V-Fviv4y5DNSGIYoWdSYMtxituVblhlgqwvKInMikk22INYwqlWFP7sK3rMeMn/s1600-h/CRW_2525.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321370917193960834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UOUyTNvc8E_DkOXy2jJhO_qhPhWoS4fNhXH6c6AkgCk6aw03w6JZ4z-BoZSsYQwJut-Ic19rh2IB03V-Fviv4y5DNSGIYoWdSYMtxituVblhlgqwvKInMikk22INYwqlWFP7sK3rMeMn/s400/CRW_2525.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSeuOh4HAucy7yAXauqSMz3InpIn8t3gqn8P59EfKvpnS6PHddwvOTgUgh9xQl8Ua82C159u_I-NyHBTTX0QOVnT-Jih9uRpvJBp-BCLABJeStFXz2Wp2sh4JLt9DfrlL2tg9KDyxqA2s/s1600-h/CRW_2518.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321370911130209810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSeuOh4HAucy7yAXauqSMz3InpIn8t3gqn8P59EfKvpnS6PHddwvOTgUgh9xQl8Ua82C159u_I-NyHBTTX0QOVnT-Jih9uRpvJBp-BCLABJeStFXz2Wp2sh4JLt9DfrlL2tg9KDyxqA2s/s400/CRW_2518.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center">A mature cat<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsAJtQ3f1XYc-8xuR57cWlQeMaD58SL3bv63jV-3Rm1z1pUNLfOUs4HmjI_OHoRYGt7Gn81EN5AoarY8ttX6sBNnUEnDAjBCWig0vszv7BY7A76CamVVS_DjItsuwrGxsMB69gav5ocmv/s1600-h/CRW_2492.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321370912317932802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsAJtQ3f1XYc-8xuR57cWlQeMaD58SL3bv63jV-3Rm1z1pUNLfOUs4HmjI_OHoRYGt7Gn81EN5AoarY8ttX6sBNnUEnDAjBCWig0vszv7BY7A76CamVVS_DjItsuwrGxsMB69gav5ocmv/s400/CRW_2492.jpg" /></a>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-6624720322197729712009-01-08T04:14:00.013-05:002009-01-11T23:35:58.594-05:00Asa - The Adventures of (acquiring) Super Kitty<strong><u>THE LEAD-UP<br /></u></strong><br /><div>Living in China is not easy. There is much to be embraced anew, and much left behind. One of the hardest parts is living away from family, and that includes my three cats in Toronto. I miss them a lot. Previously I was worried about getting a cat here. On the forefront of my worries were questions about purchasing cat-products (there are no Pet Smart's here), laws (there are so many I don't know, why not be paranoid about a law against foreigners having pets) and lastly, what to do if I have to leave the country. But my yearning grew too strong, and I caved, allowing those questions to be answered as they come. I got a kitten. </div><br /><div>My girlfriend helped me look for it online. Picking a kitten from pictures is a tough task, since you feel like you're neglecting some because they're not cute enough. But alas, we chose the one I thought looked the cutest, an orange, long-hair female (the lady-cats tend to tear up the house a bit less in my experience). </div><br /><div></div><u><strong>THE PICKUP</strong></u><br /><br /><div>Picking her up was an adventure in of itself. For those who don't live in Beijing, one word can summarize a lot of the character of this city: HUGE. I don't have a car, nor do I plan on buying one at any time, as driving is much slower than taking the subway. Subwaying does have its cons though: crowds and transfers. The subway system in Beijing is pretty complex now, and is on its way to becoming the most comprehensive (longest, most stations etc.) system in the world (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_Subway">see the wiki</a>, or see the <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Beijing-Subway-Plan.png">plan for 2012</a>). According to Wiki, and corresponding to similar information I've heard here, ridership doubled from 2007 to 2008, to 1.2billion/year, mostly as a result of the addition of three new lines. On Jan.2nd I went to Xidan shopping district, and that day alone the subway ridership was 6.6 million, a new one-day record. That's, like, 2.5 Torontos. Though there are many lines and many cars to distribute this volume across, it still boils down to a pretty squashed ride. Rush hour is bad. On top of that, many of the transfer stations require walking distances that would be about 5min if unhindered. However the rush-hour crowd forces you to penguin-walk it, taking sometimes up to 10min depending on the transfer station. </div><br /><div>On this day, I went to work as normal, walking to line 10, which I take from one extreme to the other (overall 16 stations), transfering to line 13 which I take for one station, and then walking a bit to work, which takes me from 65 to 70min. I got the call from my girlfriend that the kitty had been secured, but that we had to travel to a place called Shijingshan to get her. I used the very useful <a href="http://map.baidu.com/">Baidu map of Beijing </a>(baidu is the Chinese equivalent of google) to find that it was in the far West of the city, nearly as far as the subway can take you. I left work at 4. By the time I got home it was nearly nine. </div><br /><div><u><strong>THE ROUTE</strong></u></div><br /><div>To give you a feel of the complexity of my route, let me explain my travels. First, you must look at this map of the <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Beijing-Subway.png">Beijing subway system as it is now</a>. In the morning, I <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">walk</span></strong> to Shuangjing station on <span style="color:#000099;"><strong>line 10</strong></span> (<strong>10min</strong>). I then take <strong><span style="color:#000099;">line 10</span></strong> <strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">North and West</span></strong> to Zhichunlu (<strong>45min</strong>) and <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>transfer</strong></span> to <strong><span style="color:#000099;">line 13</span></strong> (<strong>5min</strong>). I take <span style="color:#000099;"><strong>line 13</strong></span> <strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">North</span></strong> for one station to Wudaokou (<strong>2min</strong>) then <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>walk</strong></span> to work (<strong>7min</strong>). My girlfriend asked me to meet her at her work, so I <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">walked</span></strong> back to the subway<strong> <span style="color:#000099;">line 13</span></strong> (<strong>7min</strong>), took it <strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">South</span></strong> to Zhichunlu (<strong>2min</strong>), <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">transfered</span></strong> to <strong><span style="color:#000099;">line 10</span></strong> (<strong>5min</strong>), went <strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">West</span></strong> three stations to Suzhoujie (<strong>8min</strong>). We then decided we should take the subway to the kitty since there was too much traffic, so we took <strong><span style="color:#000099;">line 10</span></strong> back <strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">East</span></strong> to Zhichunlu (<strong>8min</strong>), <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">transfered</span></strong> back to <strong><span style="color:#000099;">line 13</span></strong> (<strong>5min</strong>), went <strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">South</span></strong> to Xizhimen (<strong>6min</strong>), <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">transfered</span></strong> to <strong><span style="color:#000099;">line 2</span></strong> (<strong>10min</strong>, super busy), took <strong><span style="color:#000099;">line 2</span></strong> <strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">South</span></strong> three stops to Fuxingmen (<strong>8min</strong>), <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">transfered</span></strong> to <strong><span style="color:#000099;">line 1</span></strong> (<strong>6min</strong>), and took that <strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">West</span></strong> to Guchenglu (<strong>35min</strong>). At this point, we <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">walked</span></strong> to the <strong><span style="color:#000099;">bus</span></strong> station (<strong>4min</strong>), took it one stop in the wrong direction due to bad directions by kitty owner (<strong>3min</strong>), crossed the road (<strong>4min</strong>!!!!!), then took the same <strong><span style="color:#000099;">bus</span></strong> in the opposite direction to our destination (<strong>15min</strong>). When we had acquired the kitty, we took a different bus to Bajiao Amusement Park station (<strong>15min</strong>), then boarded<strong><span style="color:#000099;"> line 1</span></strong> with the kitty in my jacket, took that <strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">East</span></strong> to Guomao (<strong>55min</strong>), <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">transfered</span></strong> to <strong><span style="color:#000099;">line 10</span></strong> (<strong>6min</strong>), and took that <strong><span style="color:#cc33cc;">South</span></strong> for one stop to Shuangjing (<strong>2min</strong>). Finally, we <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">walked</span></strong> to the grocery store (<strong>5min</strong>), bought some kitty things (<strong>10min</strong>), then <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">walked</span></strong> home (<strong>10min</strong>). </div><br /><div>This accounts to <strong>298min, </strong>just under 5 hours. I also underwent 6 transfers, accruing 37min of transfer time (if someone complains about their 40min commute I may just punch them), and managed to travel in all directions using 4/6 subway lines currently open. The photo below shows this on map scale (time not accounting for walking and transfering):</div><br /><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw8bYBJ1gEVuiVMnQzUexW8y5QFQFQLCOhlXwE-hWv41S3oc-zIwTw6oubXOZxHUYzUVuTEl5GFnFevMr0gY7PNyuHPqTQmru4wZneSGlNeS1JVbsOq9bWtk4PDdH0S2fuVCKceWLxnLt/s1600-h/travel_for_cat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290256805203595378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 231px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw8bYBJ1gEVuiVMnQzUexW8y5QFQFQLCOhlXwE-hWv41S3oc-zIwTw6oubXOZxHUYzUVuTEl5GFnFevMr0gY7PNyuHPqTQmru4wZneSGlNeS1JVbsOq9bWtk4PDdH0S2fuVCKceWLxnLt/s400/travel_for_cat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Without a car, traveling 45km in Beijing, and crossing 6 transfer stations in one day, is very taxing on the soul. But Asa made it all better. </div><br /><div><u><strong>THE REWARD</strong></u></div><br /><p align="center"><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gbchj49mVGg&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gbchj49mVGg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxX1TdM0XAinjkiVrduBHp1bEV-dffR_Mt41VmX-rjsjhmwX704N0MRaNKP4gjVxc05o0VINp1hEE3FECGca__yaM3C5FJLXSkLd-FFaA26MTzX1BLrZPdOxX1qtO_K6ref4r6EQC722T/s1600-h/IMG_1452.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290258996131740722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxX1TdM0XAinjkiVrduBHp1bEV-dffR_Mt41VmX-rjsjhmwX704N0MRaNKP4gjVxc05o0VINp1hEE3FECGca__yaM3C5FJLXSkLd-FFaA26MTzX1BLrZPdOxX1qtO_K6ref4r6EQC722T/s400/IMG_1452.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZpJYuva4Z_ffNUYmVCy-lnpaFxxIEgHSJ827_4oMfgL5elMXmH44Y1YxA6Q10vzOJOvll4r_0KxYijsFRsyI8sGSMd1P6mNQ5ke3I4nDuP8yJK5Lt7ij4u1cO7kBW123VsqNxGraOfbY/s1600-h/CRW_0867.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290257792659244738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZpJYuva4Z_ffNUYmVCy-lnpaFxxIEgHSJ827_4oMfgL5elMXmH44Y1YxA6Q10vzOJOvll4r_0KxYijsFRsyI8sGSMd1P6mNQ5ke3I4nDuP8yJK5Lt7ij4u1cO7kBW123VsqNxGraOfbY/s400/CRW_0867.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZe6Pi2OZxD0HENh_20Y1Vzawo_vkfZtFCwKGolgPWI-n8rYIN7WlIzXmJDHEdC4ZhIqOXGu2MP6OZmHxB8vNVcpciC7AbI5UsYGzS1X9oF04goFSRyPAOYU1xtiR4YNFoQ80r7AhAk8-7/s1600-h/CRW_0862.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290257784819410978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZe6Pi2OZxD0HENh_20Y1Vzawo_vkfZtFCwKGolgPWI-n8rYIN7WlIzXmJDHEdC4ZhIqOXGu2MP6OZmHxB8vNVcpciC7AbI5UsYGzS1X9oF04goFSRyPAOYU1xtiR4YNFoQ80r7AhAk8-7/s400/CRW_0862.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_BVJsv6JsQXQmPbyvjLwGv07xhwlw7GbEk-w4QYx-Yk9DWl2gHjPf6I5bR2ZEii_ioQKK0YAhVRTK0RYJjgPNKqmVFG1IapYw-nmmfaPaGYEvcuGmvooP3soUH6JN_yxPgeX-UPlVczp/s1600-h/CRW_0861.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290257779779093010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_BVJsv6JsQXQmPbyvjLwGv07xhwlw7GbEk-w4QYx-Yk9DWl2gHjPf6I5bR2ZEii_ioQKK0YAhVRTK0RYJjgPNKqmVFG1IapYw-nmmfaPaGYEvcuGmvooP3soUH6JN_yxPgeX-UPlVczp/s400/CRW_0861.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjnTnYE16Ci76cUQIEquPsDo-G0fl7HLylvwJALLvylC2uWytS4HnTut1itD79Ii3GDoFbfxgOoxvz0e2c1NF6KqMxtMj6_5HhLHGmnRtQwlzKQ4w6cgNLxvGPexZUOO82Zye_bZrm9JL/s1600-h/CRW_0856.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290257774554401554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjnTnYE16Ci76cUQIEquPsDo-G0fl7HLylvwJALLvylC2uWytS4HnTut1itD79Ii3GDoFbfxgOoxvz0e2c1NF6KqMxtMj6_5HhLHGmnRtQwlzKQ4w6cgNLxvGPexZUOO82Zye_bZrm9JL/s400/CRW_0856.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJ_0AC_rf5U_IbS0IpvAvYeQcrX3HwtIn01CCZsS-XhLLyhayrRV8CHsB1YYk3KfZ59C8O5Zxy4w2hDbwpwHYD9ASHPZbYusscN0JZeHDloKFIel_FXniF4dkvsRckvwuE6EUqVlh4YG3/s1600-h/CRW_0877.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290259004253129506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJ_0AC_rf5U_IbS0IpvAvYeQcrX3HwtIn01CCZsS-XhLLyhayrRV8CHsB1YYk3KfZ59C8O5Zxy4w2hDbwpwHYD9ASHPZbYusscN0JZeHDloKFIel_FXniF4dkvsRckvwuE6EUqVlh4YG3/s400/CRW_0877.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhc3LGdGV1EjlNxctUTD2Q8ybNUQ63ytoereZYHJt7z_fw6pS32RoE6i714BEPguZ1fccv0xW8SxwGyaWSIhXxhQ0sfkK2JDO4emZRgYAXxSWoADMFrpFZszykn-FczBDER7K9DPIUONC/s1600-h/CRW_0869.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290258999940418226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 307px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhc3LGdGV1EjlNxctUTD2Q8ybNUQ63ytoereZYHJt7z_fw6pS32RoE6i714BEPguZ1fccv0xW8SxwGyaWSIhXxhQ0sfkK2JDO4emZRgYAXxSWoADMFrpFZszykn-FczBDER7K9DPIUONC/s400/CRW_0869.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-53769971382488377352008-12-05T02:37:00.019-05:002008-12-10T01:22:00.944-05:00Chinese Number Superstitions - Basics<div align="left">In the West, we are apparently scared of the number 13. And some people would consider seven a good number, probably because of lucky triple 7's at casino's. However, we don't really have universally agreed upon lucky number, rather individuals decide their own, unique lucky number(s). Mine is 23. More on that later.<br /><br />In China, there are generally agreed upon good numbers, and bad numbers. First, the bad ones.<br /><br />Some Western superstition has made its way here, in the form of 13. Many buildings will skip the 13th floor. But that's only occasional, and not deeple engrained in the general consciousness of the people I encounter.<br /><br />The <em>real </em>bad one is <span style="font-size:180%;">4</span>.<br /><br />In Chinese, the word four is very similar to the word for death. How does this manifest itself then? At weddings, money-gifts (yes, they only give money at Chinese weddings, so much more useful than a cheese-fondue kit), the value should never contain a 4. Also, the fourth floor is skipped in many buildings. But it goes deeper. Any floor with a four is skipped (eg. 4, 14, 24, 34, 40-49 etc.). So you could be on a floor labeled 60 and really it's the 44th floor above ground level, the worst ever. I try to educate people I know about this phenomenon, but they are certain that it is simply the 'number' four that causes problems. So why then is 'four' hundred yuan bills a problem? It's all very convoluted, as superstitions usually are.<br /><br />Then there are some good numbers, many actually: 6, 8 and 9. If you consider that there are only 9 base numbers (0 doesn't really count), this is a pretty staggering proportion. Each has its own 'type' of fortune.<br /><br />I'll begin with 6. In China, a series of 6's is quite good. The number of the beast, 666, is not connected to anything demonic whatsoever in Chinese culture, but rather "smooth transaction". The Chinese expression for this is "liu liu da shun" meaning "six six big smooth" in direct translation, or a more idiomatic translation would be 'six for smooth sailing'. </div><div align="center"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">In Canada I could not imagine an ad with a '6' being purposely placed in a row of three in a major subway station, where I snapped this.</span><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIoE9K2N_gKl37uvyxQuZ85w-IMdU5nHKHXRY_KbDxdfbSTf1euny8bMsx0CfH4gTsqcS0giU7x2r-SZBHsJzH6kFmgEZkj97H5x0-TqVB8pyHMcv-QEOKcTimKAV5GWIf6EsrayufOBMd/s1600-h/IMG_1347.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276254252812975474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIoE9K2N_gKl37uvyxQuZ85w-IMdU5nHKHXRY_KbDxdfbSTf1euny8bMsx0CfH4gTsqcS0giU7x2r-SZBHsJzH6kFmgEZkj97H5x0-TqVB8pyHMcv-QEOKcTimKAV5GWIf6EsrayufOBMd/s400/IMG_1347.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p align="center"></a></p><p align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">All-6 plates are quite common. This plate is actually a police car, but you can bet that the particular officer didn't get this by chance.</span><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uBSkmNAraXX78ftEP9-KEdzhTuawQj_KOiU1XLGEnKjWuxysWAhM4NMC2W-fv0sCb7nLVtDQiNV_nxahEmf3z_Z-ItDlLzHL4Hbr94PsG_BQicyu0OgGepAL1H3lD9aU-DWgGcO_E3T_/s1600-h/jing_6666.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278039852072049442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 156px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uBSkmNAraXX78ftEP9-KEdzhTuawQj_KOiU1XLGEnKjWuxysWAhM4NMC2W-fv0sCb7nLVtDQiNV_nxahEmf3z_Z-ItDlLzHL4Hbr94PsG_BQicyu0OgGepAL1H3lD9aU-DWgGcO_E3T_/s200/jing_6666.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Eight is all about the cash. The expression goes "ba ba fa cai," meaning "eight eight get rich". As such, if you can afford it or have connections in the government, a typical Chinese aristocrat will have a licence plate loaded with 8's.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Here is a compilation of '8-plates' I found online by searching in Chinese "good licence plates." It is generally understood that to get these you have to have serious cash or government connections.</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedMTmO75OhOVjSizkfRg8xCoXbGo3p1zhcbH3_FP6xmm2qbHBs4zY1pNwLgtkP70Ki4MgpNzyF6xKHHuWIHUXQo2PPS8IQ__863rllY3FCNq3Jy0WHIj_IljcA_7N8lrgulh2sy8m9shA/s1600-h/licence_plates_8s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278037558910926514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedMTmO75OhOVjSizkfRg8xCoXbGo3p1zhcbH3_FP6xmm2qbHBs4zY1pNwLgtkP70Ki4MgpNzyF6xKHHuWIHUXQo2PPS8IQ__863rllY3FCNq3Jy0WHIj_IljcA_7N8lrgulh2sy8m9shA/s400/licence_plates_8s.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Nine is for longevity. "Chang chang jiu jiu" means "long long nine nine." Nine, pronounced 'jiu' in Chinese, sounds the same as another word pronounced 'jiu' which means "long time." So if you want a long life, you horde the nines. </div><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">A compilation of '9-plates' I found online, again just searching "好车牌" -> good car plates. Nines are not as common as eights.</span><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvFj-DHsXeQ9N1teWYJncjPAlKYUxLpD1gXmYdEKMsN7MSSnkIgBJKmjgpqNwQXPwN1ZgAjYqzuXjjS915XeTliWbD7dU1Ty6JrX5zW25ypdgF1NnXobkArHRT6_URe5QtEtPbJFNfB9m/s1600-h/licence_plates_9s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278039243385555426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvFj-DHsXeQ9N1teWYJncjPAlKYUxLpD1gXmYdEKMsN7MSSnkIgBJKmjgpqNwQXPwN1ZgAjYqzuXjjS915XeTliWbD7dU1Ty6JrX5zW25ypdgF1NnXobkArHRT6_URe5QtEtPbJFNfB9m/s400/licence_plates_9s.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />And to completely contradict what I said earlier about 4, it also has fortune attached to it as well. Yes, it may be death under certain circumstances, but it can also represent wishes coming true. The expression goes "si si ru yi" and translates to "four four dreams come true." I guess Chinese people dream of death.<br /><br /><p></p><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Clearly this guy didn't spend the dough on an H2 to be screwed by an ultimate death plate.</span><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVsT7R4fVenh2-aHK59MsqI6Wx8restvxKyyP4TXeUJv3Gvc_gfCEem5FTKjviJLdTFMgfQ9TB4niX-l74zBUwi2E_9klMwaPu8gMQ8_eOhIqqBlS5Qt3XwKP3MaTBWERH0yMNnDNq4IP/s1600-h/hebei_44444.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278040460366153778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 218px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVsT7R4fVenh2-aHK59MsqI6Wx8restvxKyyP4TXeUJv3Gvc_gfCEem5FTKjviJLdTFMgfQ9TB4niX-l74zBUwi2E_9klMwaPu8gMQ8_eOhIqqBlS5Qt3XwKP3MaTBWERH0yMNnDNq4IP/s320/hebei_44444.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>Finally, I'd just like to say that my favourite number being 23 has nothing to do with Michael Jordan, or the movie, but rather something I have preserved since young childhood. My address being 23 Clarendon Ave. in Ottawa probably got it all started. But it really kicked in when I realized (as in the movie 23) that 23 is everywhere. Seriously. Next time you're watching a random movie pay attention to the table number as characters are eating or the price, 23 makes it in there. And I'm not talking about decomposing numbers and adding them again, because you can make up any number theory doing that. As well, 23 is a prime number, and the largest multiple which fits into 69. </p>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-18838403578025213382008-11-27T10:36:00.006-05:002008-11-27T10:52:42.500-05:00Another day, another step towards having seen it allTonight, as I was casually watching a Chinese tv program whilst simultaneously surfing, playing a game, and reading updates about the India situation, I caught glimpse of something that I really never thought I'd ever see: a 70-year old Chinese lady performing hiphop dance. There was an entire special about her, relating her experiences on tv and different performances, the way her daughter felt about it (summary: shame gave way to acceptance). But I had to see it to believe it. Thought I'd share this with you. If you know of any equivalents in N.America, please let me know. I'm not sure how I'll console myself if I find out hiphop jumped about two generations in age and penetrated a hundred generations of Chinese culture all in one fell swoop.<br /><br /><embed src="http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XNDc0ODk3NjA=/v.swf" quality="high" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" align="middle" height="400"></embed>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-33795084744699105802008-10-15T04:25:00.012-05:002008-10-28T22:34:22.142-05:00I'm living next to a (potential) bunker - updatedTo the East of my apartment is a wonderful and rare thing in Beijing: an empty field. It's peaceful, serene and even has birds chirping in the morning. And since I face East I'm shielded from the noise of the massive hyper-busy third-ring road about 300m to the West. But that's all about to change, I think they're building a bunker in the field.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">The old view of the new BTV (Beijing Television) tower. Hopefully the view won't be blocked.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnG4rToMbWQcTXGRyYBuTt40Gd6IwlHQEiHFnhdJvTF0PlbXocO-bsMQFdu-lBta1L2PSavTIf3Z2i2awMfNMZ0bGUELyJs4wr7wjauxDN7EwPQuZncna9AycxAEpaoEZTkOfsGAsDZY6/s1600-h/CRW_9563.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnG4rToMbWQcTXGRyYBuTt40Gd6IwlHQEiHFnhdJvTF0PlbXocO-bsMQFdu-lBta1L2PSavTIf3Z2i2awMfNMZ0bGUELyJs4wr7wjauxDN7EwPQuZncna9AycxAEpaoEZTkOfsGAsDZY6/s400/CRW_9563.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257314800846340354" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Looking East, Pingguo Shequ apartment complex, translates to "Apple Community"</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qhhLX8E_t7ACb9dZtPO0JYt1QVyB0FmRvnAmDn9BbNA9fwExPcexMfD7fz3phgLp68liq2UED32VgcTGqvdVWBQorBPZ7M5Lz7kOHbuyoT3ZEdoC0XkwB78Lhv98b8mpk9NyzAXQAVlT/s1600-h/CRW_0246.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qhhLX8E_t7ACb9dZtPO0JYt1QVyB0FmRvnAmDn9BbNA9fwExPcexMfD7fz3phgLp68liq2UED32VgcTGqvdVWBQorBPZ7M5Lz7kOHbuyoT3ZEdoC0XkwB78Lhv98b8mpk9NyzAXQAVlT/s400/CRW_0246.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257314779916261618" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">A peaceful and tranquil morning as seen from my window.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6bd5F5W-rdzzhjlURLz9jIwXiYdAhEWSRLIN60Cb0HGmIRnQIYUtxZ47bT-tHnJJxU9EzobpZxINRTmlZ6tvriv39lPs8OcT0hfCuD5d7TvcKPwZfH0G1pBh5vrD6XDBbLSTPpbmapKJ/s1600-h/CRW_9554.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6bd5F5W-rdzzhjlURLz9jIwXiYdAhEWSRLIN60Cb0HGmIRnQIYUtxZ47bT-tHnJJxU9EzobpZxINRTmlZ6tvriv39lPs8OcT0hfCuD5d7TvcKPwZfH0G1pBh5vrD6XDBbLSTPpbmapKJ/s400/CRW_9554.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257314786986944658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">An exposure shot taken at night. looking NE</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYE2yLCnNhRwCoVMRo1YIq0SE64oAUafedpTniBy407gsBgietCtJtOkd7oPbyrlSdS4mYM3r_hsCmGcserBp9VTqJ91o98GOEewvzlFNHOM6Vp4aSpnMGZl3MEI4YpaVYTP9ACcXjT3x/s1600-h/CRW_9570.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYE2yLCnNhRwCoVMRo1YIq0SE64oAUafedpTniBy407gsBgietCtJtOkd7oPbyrlSdS4mYM3r_hsCmGcserBp9VTqJ91o98GOEewvzlFNHOM6Vp4aSpnMGZl3MEI4YpaVYTP9ACcXjT3x/s400/CRW_9570.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257321606147104626" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />I always thought it was a bit strange that the entrance to the field has a "Military Restricted Zone" sign. I wasn't sure what it had to do with the military. I began to notice a lot of night activity in the field. Trucks coming to make deliveries at 4am, waking me up and stirring strong suspicions of conspiracy. Was there an underground nuclear test facility? Were they testing some strange hybrid plant that would be used to reduce smog? Why did a pair of two stray dogs live in the field?<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Chinese for "Military Restricted Zone"</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQA7nwl5uX8qnt8Wjxup1X-AObLGfwoULO7uYlMGsPfmlmDauFvlQP_eHHgwQbk-HgT86_iWEqqjZNGj4J8SlzYs1W31-wmsd3OyjeQ9kMtAfdmzBWRnH1zQGyeFeB25MDiyfeXGiIRdk/s1600-h/CRW_0321.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQA7nwl5uX8qnt8Wjxup1X-AObLGfwoULO7uYlMGsPfmlmDauFvlQP_eHHgwQbk-HgT86_iWEqqjZNGj4J8SlzYs1W31-wmsd3OyjeQ9kMtAfdmzBWRnH1zQGyeFeB25MDiyfeXGiIRdk/s400/CRW_0321.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257314781024832450" border="0" /></a><br />About a week ago, the big machines came in. There are now three or four excavators, and a pile of thick-gauge steel cable spools. They've begun excavating minor portions of the field (dismissing my hybrid plant theory), but continue to work at night (supporting my secret underground facilities theory).<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />The mysterious spools of steel cable, under wraps</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9X2dgKsAsAF_e_3r2znsQibrGC7GhooYY9V-5Pz46eB_OrSMyvVY0vqBrand2BZNncCBOHIhg5zl2LV_RXlaYo9lyPhF5FSToVYArdyXYcRnfBFvfzFkb4pIy2u7qFaPv-1B179T1rUt/s1600-h/CRW_9562.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9X2dgKsAsAF_e_3r2znsQibrGC7GhooYY9V-5Pz46eB_OrSMyvVY0vqBrand2BZNncCBOHIhg5zl2LV_RXlaYo9lyPhF5FSToVYArdyXYcRnfBFvfzFkb4pIy2u7qFaPv-1B179T1rUt/s400/CRW_9562.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257314791435361106" border="0" /></a><br />I know it's easy to dismiss conspiracy theories. I mean, why would they do it all in plain-sight of my window? But the nighttime excursions thoroughly perplex me. I suppose it's all half-secret, half-open. After all, the buildings on the East of the field also have full view of the field, as well as all the apartments above me for 26 stories.<br />I asked the guy who runs a little convenience store in the lobby of my building, and he told me they're constructing military buildings. I'm going to try to take some exposure shots at night when they're doing weird 4am digging.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">My new view, </span><span style="font-size:78%;">which will be changing daily. I'll try to take regular shots and make a montage.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHykvd8tgG_fmsV0r0kEv4t9gbTDovSpVN41S0h1thLMJrGfdYcAnjVjkBDP7Cgh8126IhN5AqgZMpOMv2PHuhw5NeY_6IjGcieG31cy0P0eUfW8j7wx2d1xtavaH1TUjVX6hY7MWb7Zt/s1600-h/0pan_field_preconstruction.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHykvd8tgG_fmsV0r0kEv4t9gbTDovSpVN41S0h1thLMJrGfdYcAnjVjkBDP7Cgh8126IhN5AqgZMpOMv2PHuhw5NeY_6IjGcieG31cy0P0eUfW8j7wx2d1xtavaH1TUjVX6hY7MWb7Zt/s400/0pan_field_preconstruction.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257311756656525682" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;">UPDATED PHOTOS - OCT 16th to 29th</span><br /><br />DAY 2<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKDqzeOZ1OS2XLGvR0nI-N8w13XadY1oHpTCFOmu5BGt1urbAPgMT8IUh4tpI_aTwYgOO8nsBoQ9TAN3zUJj0qPRaPohtbQU7CfgxaYXoD0FWA32gYjSPMeAtB_KAl8NvGijf5Ag3IMo6/s1600-h/0pan_field_day02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 94px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKDqzeOZ1OS2XLGvR0nI-N8w13XadY1oHpTCFOmu5BGt1urbAPgMT8IUh4tpI_aTwYgOO8nsBoQ9TAN3zUJj0qPRaPohtbQU7CfgxaYXoD0FWA32gYjSPMeAtB_KAl8NvGijf5Ag3IMo6/s400/0pan_field_day02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262410210540808962" border="0" /></a><br />DAY 4<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3TZvt6sY2VC-cXCig5YSQz3-lq4vlPwE524wbqlGluBqP-nvdwp_cdqsktUwSlcRIpANNdcrEnmPwUFkJQzfaOqQGr1E0Nsx_qs9V48H2HvutlkvLB-REJPTIjIhsZK31nO_cP93ybhd/s1600-h/0pan_field_day04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3TZvt6sY2VC-cXCig5YSQz3-lq4vlPwE524wbqlGluBqP-nvdwp_cdqsktUwSlcRIpANNdcrEnmPwUFkJQzfaOqQGr1E0Nsx_qs9V48H2HvutlkvLB-REJPTIjIhsZK31nO_cP93ybhd/s400/0pan_field_day04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262410218518754818" border="0" /></a><br />DAY 6<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSq-ni9LnsiSvM_REY4IkHRqtVZxH-mHmW1_kwKSQffjEHVcpk5gYLgKqY4AZqY7-slLUkUsf1aQyWI5kdvu8tXuIKXM0aCG3IFBpzEZ_AnXYuFdhKkxAFO8pT6upo1HcPrlW2dInvjR76/s1600-h/0pan_field_day06.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSq-ni9LnsiSvM_REY4IkHRqtVZxH-mHmW1_kwKSQffjEHVcpk5gYLgKqY4AZqY7-slLUkUsf1aQyWI5kdvu8tXuIKXM0aCG3IFBpzEZ_AnXYuFdhKkxAFO8pT6upo1HcPrlW2dInvjR76/s400/0pan_field_day06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262410226603694034" border="0" /></a><br />DAY 9<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-5mT1LAudOyGUfDbmhS8O_n0EdzOYsI56ic6XX32gobxuBXw_4z4EBL-mCzp_S0EtMEv7U-jhk8oLoOOOCdLws30eE40C8WIDmw-Q9nFJNWv8UIYS9rFxPGDLW1hIZjn8-2EFLYxkm7T/s1600-h/0pan_field_day09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-5mT1LAudOyGUfDbmhS8O_n0EdzOYsI56ic6XX32gobxuBXw_4z4EBL-mCzp_S0EtMEv7U-jhk8oLoOOOCdLws30eE40C8WIDmw-Q9nFJNWv8UIYS9rFxPGDLW1hIZjn8-2EFLYxkm7T/s400/0pan_field_day09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262410230020723954" border="0" /></a><br />DAY 9 later<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjhPNUraMdedX4TMiub0QSJiDYc6Y4QIQQmGgWVY81eEAwh4gYbmsPvXoDgiT1uljDCwkRZEHtf8il65SUzQdDo9iVJe_Knyqo0D87CWgTGxvWkUJuTjvF0tAq0Pt7XL2h13cGmsQVJVc/s1600-h/0pan_field_day09_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjhPNUraMdedX4TMiub0QSJiDYc6Y4QIQQmGgWVY81eEAwh4gYbmsPvXoDgiT1uljDCwkRZEHtf8il65SUzQdDo9iVJe_Knyqo0D87CWgTGxvWkUJuTjvF0tAq0Pt7XL2h13cGmsQVJVc/s400/0pan_field_day09_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262410230127254610" border="0" /></a>DAY 13<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TFsQmnI2bDT42usApCeEX_VnXVg6rzK6PIAmWqHspOaqAT4UcuWAD3tqH47pdFDGh8XIItm428b9h0eHp-DxvvcftITfI0y_A283ekCeNr2SuX7gJ5O-pm2xupWkkRsYepDqW20xQjkf/s1600-h/0pan_field_day13.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TFsQmnI2bDT42usApCeEX_VnXVg6rzK6PIAmWqHspOaqAT4UcuWAD3tqH47pdFDGh8XIItm428b9h0eHp-DxvvcftITfI0y_A283ekCeNr2SuX7gJ5O-pm2xupWkkRsYepDqW20xQjkf/s400/0pan_field_day13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262411448372299170" border="0" /></a>DAY 14<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8fv2xq2Gb58VTeiqCb5rgYZcCkQpwFr_pPZ472XUNfaB-xOkgOfFIE7xFbb8Y0by4IDuIuM2cmQzSq2hkRmP1Z0Fabe2uHP3rU9fiXogBf1pg34QiG36tvPNXiV1TQUJKhx-XVvw5E-v/s1600-h/0pan_field_day14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8fv2xq2Gb58VTeiqCb5rgYZcCkQpwFr_pPZ472XUNfaB-xOkgOfFIE7xFbb8Y0by4IDuIuM2cmQzSq2hkRmP1Z0Fabe2uHP3rU9fiXogBf1pg34QiG36tvPNXiV1TQUJKhx-XVvw5E-v/s400/0pan_field_day14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262411440139606370" border="0" /></a>DAY 2-14 composite<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP58JgW252sTxa67r6XB_qzTbPzxuL3Pz4U7Wyq7d4Rhmj2BdyXF4YsMeEqUaaRJkYy9lvxVssktsTc9GGYOOW5_JEo-GDsdQr-NPRLTIajdnNaYQyrD18IOXC7Pisn6zt17MRHnx8gXcq/s1600-h/pan_assembly_0ct15-28.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP58JgW252sTxa67r6XB_qzTbPzxuL3Pz4U7Wyq7d4Rhmj2BdyXF4YsMeEqUaaRJkYy9lvxVssktsTc9GGYOOW5_JEo-GDsdQr-NPRLTIajdnNaYQyrD18IOXC7Pisn6zt17MRHnx8gXcq/s400/pan_assembly_0ct15-28.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262411418696226050" border="0" /></a>The tunnel-drilling crane just outside my window<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlV1v1Pf4tQhfDL3_ekfzFpY3WD98-5u4EglPF7hhE_r8XD5Cdtj3_7k-Zg2pNP5UZIhPEEAm8P0MMwQQ0ekjgkyuJL2LkXD3BlD04iszpjmxmLctAtN_ap3698t8nGlxcPqG__dgl4Ltx/s1600-h/0pan_field_day14_tunnel_crane.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlV1v1Pf4tQhfDL3_ekfzFpY3WD98-5u4EglPF7hhE_r8XD5Cdtj3_7k-Zg2pNP5UZIhPEEAm8P0MMwQQ0ekjgkyuJL2LkXD3BlD04iszpjmxmLctAtN_ap3698t8nGlxcPqG__dgl4Ltx/s400/0pan_field_day14_tunnel_crane.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262411411995041186" border="0" /></a></div>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-156484380442203892008-09-18T21:43:00.037-05:002008-11-27T10:44:39.710-05:00A Brief Stint in Inner MongoliaMid-Autumn festival is usually celebrated by eating mooncakes with your family. Since my family is not here, and I despise mooncakes, I decided to do my own thing. Along with my friend Byron, I went to Inner Mongolia for a three-day minivisit.<br /><br />Why Inner Mongolia you may ask? Well, our criteria was to go somewhere cheap-ish, within a quarter-day or so train ride from Beijing. This meant pulling up a map, and drawing a general finger-circle, and discussing the cities that lay within it. At the time, we were definitely under the influence, and Baotou, the largest city in Inner Mongolia province, began to sound attractive. Probably because we knew nothing about it.<br /><br />Here's where I repeat some of the information I found on Wikipedia about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Mongolia">Inner Mongolia</a>. I only just now looked this up; we didn't look up anything before we left. Inner Mongolia is huge, covering about 12% of the land area of China (which is 9.6M km²). It's population is 24million, more than 2/3 that of Canada, yet considered somewhat measly in China.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Downtown Baotou, shopping district<br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUtYQsR0H5kd3xwOqLcv__Dzw8GCm1j-KmehOBJ7VNHdE0sJTL9mP40cjFfzmkdJB74EAuzCutyO00TYLnoDcTU45uLu72Dv0A_eMy8rVtv23ROxXecAz4SSX9cPlGF_zN56Cl7gV_4ym/s1600-h/CRW_9698.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249790629878054338" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUtYQsR0H5kd3xwOqLcv__Dzw8GCm1j-KmehOBJ7VNHdE0sJTL9mP40cjFfzmkdJB74EAuzCutyO00TYLnoDcTU45uLu72Dv0A_eMy8rVtv23ROxXecAz4SSX9cPlGF_zN56Cl7gV_4ym/s400/CRW_9698.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />And here's where I add some of the insight I've gained about Inner Mongolia. The entire province is generally considered to be a bit of a measly province, the remnants of a two-or-so millennia-long battle between Chinese, Mongolians, and more than a handful of minority tribes, of little interest to the average Beijing that I've spoken to about the area. The problem is that its rich history isn't marked by the staple establishments Chinese come to expect: temples, hero-shrines, artificial lakes, special regional animals. But it will become more popular in years to come, since the economy in the region is expanding at a rate of around 20% per year, twice the rate as that of the national economy. This is coming largely from newly exploited mineral reserves and a well-sustained agricultural community.<br /><br />Since we didn't do <em>any</em> research before we left, we didn't know that there are no fast-trains heading there, so the train ride takes about 14hrs. Luckily we'd been up most of the previous night and managed to sleep through a large portion of the ride (Byron sleeping <em>much</em> more than me, as was also the case on the return trip as well).<br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div>What's to be found there? Well, we didn't find a whole lot, so we had to make do. Baotou is the largest city in Inner Mongolia, with over 2million people. And though this is puny in Chinese standards, it's not a village. The night-life however made this distinction difficult to make. Our first night there we arrived at 11pm, had something to eat, checked into our hotel, and after many inquiries about where the best club in town is (and a taxi driver taking us to a cruddy KTV), we made it to the club called "89." By this time is was 12:30ish. And the club was emptying out. It was quite upsetting. During this period we managed to meet our 2nd of many crazies we were to encounter during our stay here. The first encounter was at the restaurant we dined in; after having invited us to his table we realized his friend was ashamed of his drunkenness, which became clearer with every second, and eventually led to extremely vague comments about us all being men, and so needing to spend time together, in slurred local Chinese. The 2nd crazy was in the form of a 25yr-ish Chinese guy whose accent was too strong to understand so he reverted to hand-language which looked suspiciously like a squirrel unendingly opening a walnut, minus a walnut. He was the nut. We got away from him by feigning to go the washroom and fast-walking out. This is where we met some pretty cool guys who we hung out with on each subsequent night. Where? 89 of course. There's only one club in the city. And we learned that it's happening at 9ish, and dies around 12, so we adjusted.<br /><div align="left"><br />Since we were super-disorganized, we didn't do heaps during the daytime. On day one, I wanted to see a Buddhist temple. Baotou has two, one very large and famous one about 45km out of town, and one within the city limits. I opted for the closer one, thinking it would be relatively equivalent. That was indeed a sore decision. We were the only people visiting it. And old female monk had to rouse the 16yo male monk (!) to open this for us to see. Since it was only Byron and I touring, I couldn't even sneak in a single indoor picture. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">The front of the main temple</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxU_O5H2fOLBF1aMExMU9NYMiwtrySPzqvYDuCaPJ_4qE-xossMSpng9Pp0bvv9kpmTBT8ptfQxs9To4Xi5YoVZHjHMnOQjrzKGHNbhI5902e5jCl9QuYlIQ0C0wCG29FQRB6GdZH5Zlnw/s1600-h/CRW_9670.jpg"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249789773355250994" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxU_O5H2fOLBF1aMExMU9NYMiwtrySPzqvYDuCaPJ_4qE-xossMSpng9Pp0bvv9kpmTBT8ptfQxs9To4Xi5YoVZHjHMnOQjrzKGHNbhI5902e5jCl9QuYlIQ0C0wCG29FQRB6GdZH5Zlnw/s400/CRW_9670.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></p></span></a><p></p><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">The exact location of where I took the above picture.</span><p align="center"><iframe marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=40.7015,109.7935&ie=UTF8&ll=40.708426,109.797707&spn=0.01181,0.019226&t=h&z=14&output=embed&s=AARTsJrPBGvnM-ie4FjqN9NC9NvInnz6JQ" scrolling="no" width="425" frameborder="0" height="350"></iframe></p><p align="center"><small><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=40.7015,109.7935&ie=UTF8&ll=40.708426,109.797707&spn=0.01181,0.019226&t=h&z=14&source=embed">View Larger Map</a></small></p><p align="center"><small></small><br /><br /></p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Fo, the character for Buddhism</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkAYu2GX5OnXlduxjNzcsjUL2MUn71F_L4cqmUfNaT6stHLRrxN1iORD6rslZJxmDSHAGFuBVuRGCCiRBP_iRt8gs_QBlOG7EDBre7Liaxo5QGK9Zv0YLnY9YLu8M_iIQa9-hZtxSLU6t/s1600-h/CRW_9673.jpg"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249789775561275938" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkAYu2GX5OnXlduxjNzcsjUL2MUn71F_L4cqmUfNaT6stHLRrxN1iORD6rslZJxmDSHAGFuBVuRGCCiRBP_iRt8gs_QBlOG7EDBre7Liaxo5QGK9Zv0YLnY9YLu8M_iIQa9-hZtxSLU6t/s400/CRW_9673.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfCLAghf2ui4kOPNAtdMsH6bjsC93ZzrAfvqPUcCGvnHeqSP_EVzDwLEjfTDYfQa-qkNmM8QJcd4oyhoL0PIbTkpIScMjd_QvoV_5ei3wLwb0SsdSngLsxniJ3By5NZdWh6CjDegywCRN/s1600-h/CRW_9674.jpg"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249789775543070482" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfCLAghf2ui4kOPNAtdMsH6bjsC93ZzrAfvqPUcCGvnHeqSP_EVzDwLEjfTDYfQa-qkNmM8QJcd4oyhoL0PIbTkpIScMjd_QvoV_5ei3wLwb0SsdSngLsxniJ3By5NZdWh6CjDegywCRN/s400/CRW_9674.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"></span> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Mongolian script. Only about 15% of people in Inner Mongolia are of Mongolian descent, the bulk of the remainder are Han Chinese, so very few locals can read this script.</span> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9WKmF65rX9LfSNYsKOohpREqW63gjrqAOj7gVldjjdcVVX3n4-9TJ8M8uX21uxCYkvGkKcFC-WhPyy28xlLhoiNrNzzSz_QJ7uIkkt5xxT-IBHF5CGJ3SShSYk8IBof1ZLr2s9CiknXp/s1600-h/CRW_9676.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249789778588871922" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9WKmF65rX9LfSNYsKOohpREqW63gjrqAOj7gVldjjdcVVX3n4-9TJ8M8uX21uxCYkvGkKcFC-WhPyy28xlLhoiNrNzzSz_QJ7uIkkt5xxT-IBHF5CGJ3SShSYk8IBof1ZLr2s9CiknXp/s400/CRW_9676.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SonICG1m3cXZZAX7z0GWFAYf6-mCqTnZNfjVpBV-0NZYI7eMMz5jSmcy7sUTEaye8PQ7sBu9Rqb-lD4JpBKo0QjsUoEZhlYiUyPbGXaZ-uTZB8an7oUvzGu0rT1uKokTzIk6c2Su1Ls5/s1600-h/CRW_9694.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249789782931206434" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SonICG1m3cXZZAX7z0GWFAYf6-mCqTnZNfjVpBV-0NZYI7eMMz5jSmcy7sUTEaye8PQ7sBu9Rqb-lD4JpBKo0QjsUoEZhlYiUyPbGXaZ-uTZB8an7oUvzGu0rT1uKokTzIk6c2Su1Ls5/s400/CRW_9694.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">From there we saw a large statue on a mountain, and decided our next task would be to climb up to see it. This required refuelling. So after going back to the hotel, eating and buying supplies, we got in a taxi and said (take us to a mountain). It took surprisingly little explaining for him to understand we just wanted to ascend any mountain nearby to a road so that returning to normal life wouldn't be too difficult. He took us to a location with a cemetary at the base. At first I was enthralled to see a cemetary, since there are none in Beijing (so then where do people part with their loved ones? I'll let you know when I do). But it lost its thrill after we realized how sanitary and uninteresting it all was. Cemetaries should be creepy. This place was too clean to be creepy.</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-Tb_c9JDXf8he50mjlLwbIRjKsOHFcQ8qVDRGHNfadghM32aM5zgSSjFfMpgY8CqqR6nFBGN9DiH8NJ91_Ap2muTOy6NymU8gzdT35tCrbjV90F1FXiirS6MnzZllVdhxiXXeTEuuYOc/s1600-h/CRW_9699.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249790633343649234" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-Tb_c9JDXf8he50mjlLwbIRjKsOHFcQ8qVDRGHNfadghM32aM5zgSSjFfMpgY8CqqR6nFBGN9DiH8NJ91_Ap2muTOy6NymU8gzdT35tCrbjV90F1FXiirS6MnzZllVdhxiXXeTEuuYOc/s400/CRW_9699.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq0Zl-y58TchcYfliHPGX6Nm6icNaiGQu3ZPcO4tvZz2s-8Od-LcKybpuCborFYImGJt2JFfFn-30iDULfN_PsY_sJTRluywPhuYvA1ehpPqSwl00vUpRi-OCuYBBx_ZS0iI2QlIpwk_M/s1600-h/CRW_9701.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249790636043755202" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq0Zl-y58TchcYfliHPGX6Nm6icNaiGQu3ZPcO4tvZz2s-8Od-LcKybpuCborFYImGJt2JFfFn-30iDULfN_PsY_sJTRluywPhuYvA1ehpPqSwl00vUpRi-OCuYBBx_ZS0iI2QlIpwk_M/s400/CRW_9701.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YjNX8eg2VTPbsc5v_vEZaLEb-FFCNeIki6QdZ8PRWhbeBJylvP_BfjBvEetYhWeEzQnN0_OvHDBdam8INc3emlVwvI3BqiMoKjI4rykOpvJM0DUaRQ0lUBG0wwVsqglqKv6gjhS1JaI4/s1600-h/CRW_9702.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249790638896444114" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YjNX8eg2VTPbsc5v_vEZaLEb-FFCNeIki6QdZ8PRWhbeBJylvP_BfjBvEetYhWeEzQnN0_OvHDBdam8INc3emlVwvI3BqiMoKjI4rykOpvJM0DUaRQ0lUBG0wwVsqglqKv6gjhS1JaI4/s400/CRW_9702.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOmfskYdjOcU0LkpAOrmJegEol4u9V5wA7h4TOZNN3uqNqZH4F15JzuWjGjG0DYjcyn874XiXqpWXGIW-9qzx9tJvS-ECJV7Pz2IJtuQMxMU7jrK0khBPUeORN9ZgehUCecK3cQBGq_pW/s1600-h/CRW_9703.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249790649364715842" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOmfskYdjOcU0LkpAOrmJegEol4u9V5wA7h4TOZNN3uqNqZH4F15JzuWjGjG0DYjcyn874XiXqpWXGIW-9qzx9tJvS-ECJV7Pz2IJtuQMxMU7jrK0khBPUeORN9ZgehUCecK3cQBGq_pW/s400/CRW_9703.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzw6Jjl67fp2cDbyxjB8ECF7APYDkdShRWH34cIYm92nvwlS_MjCsO8DfFzsquu68Qive_swwxpV5uaR9fUjc_ntIJMy8kINllmyUUi-HBOZpi3yq97jpyioQDAMzKIVOaUtFQxm78yKR/s1600-h/CRW_9704.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249792636580120658" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzw6Jjl67fp2cDbyxjB8ECF7APYDkdShRWH34cIYm92nvwlS_MjCsO8DfFzsquu68Qive_swwxpV5uaR9fUjc_ntIJMy8kINllmyUUi-HBOZpi3yq97jpyioQDAMzKIVOaUtFQxm78yKR/s400/CRW_9704.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVoXxEgzwL3sGmYqiwx6Kxm04dIs7dhNAzTz8dDYsttDAjBlgblFG483sfCr_bUMhDF6bpNNAsXrkWlogaUaGiK7ph0iNRrcVPgIjkeFg5Yv0yBVgHUf_bQh9QeEAEQAbfzerV-zWpp4m/s1600-h/CRW_9707.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249792636164432690" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVoXxEgzwL3sGmYqiwx6Kxm04dIs7dhNAzTz8dDYsttDAjBlgblFG483sfCr_bUMhDF6bpNNAsXrkWlogaUaGiK7ph0iNRrcVPgIjkeFg5Yv0yBVgHUf_bQh9QeEAEQAbfzerV-zWpp4m/s400/CRW_9707.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">From there we tackled what at first appeared to be a simple ascent, and turned into quite a lug. The mountain there was being mined for something, though we weren't able to figure out quite what. It was a small operation, no equipment, just bags, shovels, wheelbarrows and dynamite. The result was the the gentle sloping portions had big gaps in them. But it didn't take away from the beauty.</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WUdIwr7UJcGCrlct5MKBlhzeXqbQCP66Fgi00ouL_rl5oDfHarByPOViPOlSL_2UImbrkYJUIbfriDlJ5Z4LLDE5aXKgO9jN6F9Jf2aVvsosgmiw8VUXEr9xag_WVl8oB4TnHJN24PQg/s1600-h/CRW_9710.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249792640770900466" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WUdIwr7UJcGCrlct5MKBlhzeXqbQCP66Fgi00ouL_rl5oDfHarByPOViPOlSL_2UImbrkYJUIbfriDlJ5Z4LLDE5aXKgO9jN6F9Jf2aVvsosgmiw8VUXEr9xag_WVl8oB4TnHJN24PQg/s400/CRW_9710.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcFOc5s3HqmOytvyRCHKcF_OxbQWPil-6n8bLHp6FY4mI31R9fEzqMqRvq6Sx932X1lgmHyKIYuDoXPNBTyH_550eCusbaqndzDa2G7d69W2_hnweJ9rlYmlZbwxTLT_5p9qDOmmTGQTJ/s1600-h/CRW_9715_1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249792640368572322" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcFOc5s3HqmOytvyRCHKcF_OxbQWPil-6n8bLHp6FY4mI31R9fEzqMqRvq6Sx932X1lgmHyKIYuDoXPNBTyH_550eCusbaqndzDa2G7d69W2_hnweJ9rlYmlZbwxTLT_5p9qDOmmTGQTJ/s400/CRW_9715_1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8Kf3w6eKmMugnBZal9jjRDfyyvz4N0Bof6rfPAzZf7n-LfpSfaFkP4Bebfkos-DPYu32hwGDRMzR89rX9pHprbzLgJW1reaKsrEs_4l57azkkAhifGAzG_gISK3UgCnKrsspFaPfWIqv/s1600-h/CRW_9717.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249792645307857058" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4CWUCIgck-PtqELB_f_P8LhktiNU2fPCs9X1-lYKvNHXQ-9tZI1yPUhKsgN8jp8i4uowHAhmXB_ELbYJlJRp3OEzGUr4pMtdJYFeM7A-WnxC8FI_aN_tqMFJZpRSzgAF3YuS_DdBsR0b/s400/0pan_baotou3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left">That night turned into an intense 89'er, and we slept pretty late. Having no concrete plan for what to do, I went to an internet cafe to do some searching. A friend had told me that Inner Mongolia had sand dunes, and with a bit of effort I finally found what I was looking for: Whistling Sand Dunes. Apparently, when it is quite hot, the sand makes a whistling noise. The next step was finding out how to get there. Many travel services were offering 200/person, minimum 4 people. We were two. We eventually ended up taking a taxi there. The cool female driver waited for us (over 2hrs) and drove us back (total 2hrs commute) for 300yuan. Not bad. Apparently this day wasn't hot enough, as it was only 28degrees. I'm not sure it gets much hotter in Inner Mongolia, but it must, because the sands weren't whistling. That didn't upset me, as there was enough noise in the first place. It was quite touristy, and admittedly expensive for such a remote attraction, but well worth it. The view on the way in is the most breath-taking. As you get closer and more level with the dunes it becomes less grand. The park has a series of activity stations set up. Firstly, you take a cable car across a wide chasm. You can walk, but you only save 40yuan, and have to climb a very large dune on the other side. When we arrived to the other side, we were pleasantly surprised by the sand-booties they rent out for 10yuan. The colours were screaming loud, but they were extremely useful, and kept all sand out of my shoes. The stations include: horseriding, camel riding, sand sliding, dune buggy excursions, 4x4 riding, archery, "space-ball" (so stupid) and long-range jeep excursions. We got there quite late, and so had little time to enjoy much. But I'm sure we would've done more if the sandstorm hadn't swept in!</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpNQPFMR-j9lecTwEu63RjCyqKhdVmRK3-zgfL77kh6oYMUoIw-x9U4IiDhNbdjlfF24kkIQLJ91j2oKAnzG3MYgYpGqnSAaUaXIuejrtaLeJ_77eXNDd91HDAND9XDaB04YsNlTQBAQP/s1600-h/CRW_9813.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249795703430536930" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpNQPFMR-j9lecTwEu63RjCyqKhdVmRK3-zgfL77kh6oYMUoIw-x9U4IiDhNbdjlfF24kkIQLJ91j2oKAnzG3MYgYpGqnSAaUaXIuejrtaLeJ_77eXNDd91HDAND9XDaB04YsNlTQBAQP/s400/CRW_9813.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzRNXBjy4ELEj6csM8Kc4Uwi0EbrH-FmD3Y7VcQ56ZP7LLUHILLS-uLU8RiQWL8QQomZJhI58kxPHbvxIUjOuFfzC-_PjikPIK16MNNCDcFWa3spqA-jADsgdoYopHVPmgZbFw8Gl7wVu/s1600-h/CRW_9817.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249795705894642050" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzRNXBjy4ELEj6csM8Kc4Uwi0EbrH-FmD3Y7VcQ56ZP7LLUHILLS-uLU8RiQWL8QQomZJhI58kxPHbvxIUjOuFfzC-_PjikPIK16MNNCDcFWa3spqA-jADsgdoYopHVPmgZbFw8Gl7wVu/s400/CRW_9817.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9HNXarVR90VT0vRmYhjcO5yByDJxagWWH_tRdbHWxSAD43yh-6rL2gEtNc5kQwsRyynuN-a1vbq9JzMqY9l9Bu5A8wtyurusqlNBcxetzabGEAzz2WzDH7yw7Dag21wBfFpmttZVmKjU/s1600-h/CRW_9820.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249795707883927234" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9HNXarVR90VT0vRmYhjcO5yByDJxagWWH_tRdbHWxSAD43yh-6rL2gEtNc5kQwsRyynuN-a1vbq9JzMqY9l9Bu5A8wtyurusqlNBcxetzabGEAzz2WzDH7yw7Dag21wBfFpmttZVmKjU/s400/CRW_9820.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeFfpPxS5PqNjPJd7OyKl3PoUXN-pNAzNs65GZmLyktvKxbJJBE4JltZr1uw6dVfpFE6bALIMwAL8P-YMB-JRMW6n0jgxKZ-3rJKAcuonRH_iU4VnNkm59q7u4__a30UGyOn4aeVc9KHH/s1600-h/CRW_9824.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249795712979611506" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeFfpPxS5PqNjPJd7OyKl3PoUXN-pNAzNs65GZmLyktvKxbJJBE4JltZr1uw6dVfpFE6bALIMwAL8P-YMB-JRMW6n0jgxKZ-3rJKAcuonRH_iU4VnNkm59q7u4__a30UGyOn4aeVc9KHH/s400/CRW_9824.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8O3fVcGCJA0aCY46fsWDWN3L4cJ1AO_Yf-8ygfxo2s1I7o_f-Lopq-DOijkKgKmX5ZZg_oYuB5VyKPO1pJhelpJ_ekEQg6o-DJnZWLMs1H8O_FozTkQipgK5loAJmppJl793q1nNYhFu/s1600-h/CRW_9828.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249795711154474626" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8O3fVcGCJA0aCY46fsWDWN3L4cJ1AO_Yf-8ygfxo2s1I7o_f-Lopq-DOijkKgKmX5ZZg_oYuB5VyKPO1pJhelpJ_ekEQg6o-DJnZWLMs1H8O_FozTkQipgK5loAJmppJl793q1nNYhFu/s400/CRW_9828.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDrONmRtv3AkoyH4CrE36cRngKFQ8CtP4D5BJE8ugckeln6ElSjqAFOEvhS5r6DQtkXgM9V67-8WtilbW3VFbLyrSLiX_mPzt8dZ4xh6R8A74GlC4r7mnDaseLv6aU_IEaW2qdtYfA1VD/s1600-h/CRW_9831.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249800148192477714" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDrONmRtv3AkoyH4CrE36cRngKFQ8CtP4D5BJE8ugckeln6ElSjqAFOEvhS5r6DQtkXgM9V67-8WtilbW3VFbLyrSLiX_mPzt8dZ4xh6R8A74GlC4r7mnDaseLv6aU_IEaW2qdtYfA1VD/s400/CRW_9831.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iD2_01eJGXGiw8mzaXZMOytcP8IkQEobC6iH_TmvM2xh0vcXXPFotGMdc1UVcHFxNheJUFDOcQt6qWILzqBtv9pxnsB3MOES1kK57vu8nnC5WIYlbpvGsu5PQvrutXujQXOlo9kuRzkp/s1600-h/CRW_9833.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249800153320154418" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iD2_01eJGXGiw8mzaXZMOytcP8IkQEobC6iH_TmvM2xh0vcXXPFotGMdc1UVcHFxNheJUFDOcQt6qWILzqBtv9pxnsB3MOES1kK57vu8nnC5WIYlbpvGsu5PQvrutXujQXOlo9kuRzkp/s400/CRW_9833.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU-u4QgqFS-ChiQKTiwaSVjYzzOOaJINksfmAPLCLzLvJ_u29aqDMykur4TF_jXYcp8IUS4nKN-nG2uaZkfcCeaVh8oL1z3vHfNVW1WrD4BELtddpU2tIXGEnMOKO-lbtvatSAP3VAivE/s1600-h/CRW_9835.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249800151216008434" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU-u4QgqFS-ChiQKTiwaSVjYzzOOaJINksfmAPLCLzLvJ_u29aqDMykur4TF_jXYcp8IUS4nKN-nG2uaZkfcCeaVh8oL1z3vHfNVW1WrD4BELtddpU2tIXGEnMOKO-lbtvatSAP3VAivE/s400/CRW_9835.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"> <span style="font-size:78%;">I don't know these two. They took a picture of me and my friend with their cell phone, so I took a picture of them. I didn't expect them to pose and for it to turn out so well.</span><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciQgHM7aDihHyuDLdaSORnTZrbZagURlyzRXpDy5ETEkKk2bwKyRJZpAy0A75i9bOEaYRpcIj2trA7k1JEskydeMkm7pLwTAInpmsZNwtabjq-kdWo38f8newx5z8i9mZbSrbfeYcFaFI/s1600-h/CRW_9836.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249800156059437554" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciQgHM7aDihHyuDLdaSORnTZrbZagURlyzRXpDy5ETEkKk2bwKyRJZpAy0A75i9bOEaYRpcIj2trA7k1JEskydeMkm7pLwTAInpmsZNwtabjq-kdWo38f8newx5z8i9mZbSrbfeYcFaFI/s400/CRW_9836.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"> Camel-rides. The storm killed this option for us.<br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vj7webfOd84a53VJEza3wFdmXS9kywaPeI_45wBJhjnIvB-KCoTxhSKQRkX0VBmbUfL_dkfsa3LFE5GTKI2dhqqRi94xp9EwavDkmlgEn5KHsLCQmllJ9EcFVkYvzpVJGcNI6pIC0vHl/s1600-h/CRW_9840.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249800160596094962" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vj7webfOd84a53VJEza3wFdmXS9kywaPeI_45wBJhjnIvB-KCoTxhSKQRkX0VBmbUfL_dkfsa3LFE5GTKI2dhqqRi94xp9EwavDkmlgEn5KHsLCQmllJ9EcFVkYvzpVJGcNI6pIC0vHl/s400/CRW_9840.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8Rq9PkUMlHxiENw3uLUbF6gs1eLIDnqCekyqkRXKHV5gtgsXdPMk3dSBqrrDKiQofY0nBfEhNI2dlD02msc66vkga5Zza6inqQKRqIlqVmnofj3R04sW3fa7dD9seUYAZ5Vi_O4mkAdN/s1600-h/CRW_9842.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249800582970113426" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8Rq9PkUMlHxiENw3uLUbF6gs1eLIDnqCekyqkRXKHV5gtgsXdPMk3dSBqrrDKiQofY0nBfEhNI2dlD02msc66vkga5Zza6inqQKRqIlqVmnofj3R04sW3fa7dD9seUYAZ5Vi_O4mkAdN/s400/CRW_9842.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Some great chinglish.</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaqtPekY2hj1kPUoUT3Imwiug6_Gij26FNp2OlIHSY60WBSCSAlMVhPy0DSxYg1vXMLtBp3TDTuFcyGWodIEwYgISue0hwJLu4P8_cYLNB4WyvM9ZQ44-MP3slTv7DY-oEL1NYEcPavXW/s1600-h/CRW_9843.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249800589718311122" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaqtPekY2hj1kPUoUT3Imwiug6_Gij26FNp2OlIHSY60WBSCSAlMVhPy0DSxYg1vXMLtBp3TDTuFcyGWodIEwYgISue0hwJLu4P8_cYLNB4WyvM9ZQ44-MP3slTv7DY-oEL1NYEcPavXW/s400/CRW_9843.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">4x4'ing on the dunes, amazing fun.<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2fQRxbVaZkanv5J2cB1516MzmaNIzfDSO4LDPXb0nCuihVJpAlnK1LMoUDxO17IZDEWhJW-RlN2EIvr1i6sG1zVjkcEJiVmz4-IQAoenb28861yTaKevfkTnVmiusrTPf9A6G0ght7Ri/s1600-h/CRW_9849.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249800594805898690" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2fQRxbVaZkanv5J2cB1516MzmaNIzfDSO4LDPXb0nCuihVJpAlnK1LMoUDxO17IZDEWhJW-RlN2EIvr1i6sG1zVjkcEJiVmz4-IQAoenb28861yTaKevfkTnVmiusrTPf9A6G0ght7Ri/s400/CRW_9849.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> The storm moving in.</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34mLhi2pGpHWcfzf3m3_57zqFwOqVNmm17vHOU_lbOuFksiEq6RpeWNveNzfM6E0xhlimiIkTptoTXcx-hFjhUxpz_4MYPcFTD1gRnZicbCHcH1Vq9ekM1gsRWdqT2AlJw877AW_ohDMW/s1600-h/CRW_9852.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249800592567564290" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34mLhi2pGpHWcfzf3m3_57zqFwOqVNmm17vHOU_lbOuFksiEq6RpeWNveNzfM6E0xhlimiIkTptoTXcx-hFjhUxpz_4MYPcFTD1gRnZicbCHcH1Vq9ekM1gsRWdqT2AlJw877AW_ohDMW/s400/CRW_9852.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCz9NRl1Bu1YD-GolnNNUgeuS8lUaZ47rax3mRTS2GizGr5xHFYsCcOQssHLsUpLzkZrQrGFYLS3AiA45qFjz1rod5wX3jzViS0KOC6Ei33fTJhhGyhP52nyG94Np4KZkhLsd_wpEVpPjG/s1600-h/CRW_9853.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249800597072631842" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCz9NRl1Bu1YD-GolnNNUgeuS8lUaZ47rax3mRTS2GizGr5xHFYsCcOQssHLsUpLzkZrQrGFYLS3AiA45qFjz1rod5wX3jzViS0KOC6Ei33fTJhhGyhP52nyG94Np4KZkhLsd_wpEVpPjG/s400/CRW_9853.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUw-2l7NPBUTrW_AeIWtp_C6mZdI-YHzWROk0nxnq9bixwGxG2yPyOqNxGupY4zvOUyaQ9wypjxN1ugZhAacoQspsMLr1TsjJTqmo0rcmX09NBGoMx16mgF4u5msPz5uefopc_9Dx4KWi/s1600-h/CRW_9862.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249801021790657074" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUw-2l7NPBUTrW_AeIWtp_C6mZdI-YHzWROk0nxnq9bixwGxG2yPyOqNxGupY4zvOUyaQ9wypjxN1ugZhAacoQspsMLr1TsjJTqmo0rcmX09NBGoMx16mgF4u5msPz5uefopc_9Dx4KWi/s400/CRW_9862.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0e4WD2ke0pEaK-7kDL2V91-eY20Qkcj8P1TvvK9M3aCs0_iH24vrjYJZCCi8fagQ29LnaoYD2wdnBRC9d-3sxCCRp9cw7BZADF5kwNZLCl1-mwWP_NBxfs076CP2L4sNEaMY9R5I5VwE/s1600-h/CRW_9864.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249801020321357282" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0e4WD2ke0pEaK-7kDL2V91-eY20Qkcj8P1TvvK9M3aCs0_iH24vrjYJZCCi8fagQ29LnaoYD2wdnBRC9d-3sxCCRp9cw7BZADF5kwNZLCl1-mwWP_NBxfs076CP2L4sNEaMY9R5I5VwE/s400/CRW_9864.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">A coal train emerging from a tunnel in the cliff-face and traveling through the sand storm.</span><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAjUau2X5nlexsx0vOwodaNzWNnpd8-dtlcvJ2HUTuS41oYu5NxdANYripNaRQ3iqX7e8TkKZr8ZvgXTfom_SlOlFlY1m9S4cW7hSVWzDtU42UHOpsjyCPhWT1oMOizBl616-mKKnbDVA/s1600-h/CRW_9866.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249801022088373346" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAjUau2X5nlexsx0vOwodaNzWNnpd8-dtlcvJ2HUTuS41oYu5NxdANYripNaRQ3iqX7e8TkKZr8ZvgXTfom_SlOlFlY1m9S4cW7hSVWzDtU42UHOpsjyCPhWT1oMOizBl616-mKKnbDVA/s400/CRW_9866.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">After the wind, and just before the rain.</span><br /></div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSYs3YFNZVsQK6iR5gtkbO1M88G5N2YsVfuHLLkyG0PXOl4YHKAD31dy4esPzyWwqK_iJBezykPir8jnEdUHQG1l-raRk-sfm3kTPBSaXHbVQqe82G3ybzFR4YV4SbWvjz_ljjkwgwx5O/s1600-h/CRW_9874.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249801022606989250" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSYs3YFNZVsQK6iR5gtkbO1M88G5N2YsVfuHLLkyG0PXOl4YHKAD31dy4esPzyWwqK_iJBezykPir8jnEdUHQG1l-raRk-sfm3kTPBSaXHbVQqe82G3ybzFR4YV4SbWvjz_ljjkwgwx5O/s400/CRW_9874.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">After the wind, and just before the rain, camels just chilling.</span><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWytyz_XJtt7ohwa2SoaA1xwuwvPeszSp5LTWKoqC5f_kAYLSa6mx8CMSvDGRo4zBK6BK24X1096uRjg0agbF8pdIpYb5NeomgtTfOKc-_R6zw-w6nsQpCocmWR1KFob6tSNETeO-AGuk2/s1600-h/CRW_9898.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249801024614379842" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWytyz_XJtt7ohwa2SoaA1xwuwvPeszSp5LTWKoqC5f_kAYLSa6mx8CMSvDGRo4zBK6BK24X1096uRjg0agbF8pdIpYb5NeomgtTfOKc-_R6zw-w6nsQpCocmWR1KFob6tSNETeO-AGuk2/s400/CRW_9898.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB6Vzhn36NH0CM9AzUt9_-CON-HkJ8aCPgKd6_17qGiyZvibIK2q_3KNVceIBF_dulx6ijiNjReMYFD67FipxjDvkRp1c9l15GjNwIGdUrVhdyTvtQrRvXLs_0zuyA018ajChit4pEiti/s1600-h/0pan_desert3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249803148305045442" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB6Vzhn36NH0CM9AzUt9_-CON-HkJ8aCPgKd6_17qGiyZvibIK2q_3KNVceIBF_dulx6ijiNjReMYFD67FipxjDvkRp1c9l15GjNwIGdUrVhdyTvtQrRvXLs_0zuyA018ajChit4pEiti/s400/0pan_desert3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihi8hIpo_RPNMB3ilFBbL7MTDdffoYz3x21QW3taH0DmkitAG9Td4wtqEr3a0trdCyi5iKhCgAG5mTZYQvHnYKZGpm9Fo7FuWGXBNzFxr0JCirpCTubInlp9U9-_bgtYLt-eVuHr7iv-br/s1600-h/0pan_desert.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802956934616594" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihi8hIpo_RPNMB3ilFBbL7MTDdffoYz3x21QW3taH0DmkitAG9Td4wtqEr3a0trdCyi5iKhCgAG5mTZYQvHnYKZGpm9Fo7FuWGXBNzFxr0JCirpCTubInlp9U9-_bgtYLt-eVuHr7iv-br/s400/0pan_desert.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmj9eNH-JyT-qZ4UJQ4MJtcllwfUR0UXjuwrNYNFnCelrlNdFiCtIgQSeAdN2idfBSB5SUZsm1Ij-jC9bg8cvde-YrasYWYeVOI6q_NqYxH8tz75QNb9ibMWea7XVQ_xe6BhJzcWrAjN3/s1600-h/0pan_desert2+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802963216932402" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmj9eNH-JyT-qZ4UJQ4MJtcllwfUR0UXjuwrNYNFnCelrlNdFiCtIgQSeAdN2idfBSB5SUZsm1Ij-jC9bg8cvde-YrasYWYeVOI6q_NqYxH8tz75QNb9ibMWea7XVQ_xe6BhJzcWrAjN3/s400/0pan_desert2+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p> </p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Finally captured a streak of lightning, really not easy.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3PUoHPQcsHC5AJMdeEeplHXI54iDY92uVvCwsG0P_xe7twPXZKtp70EOYkoL3kwm2yyUpoAHDUhdFIjkBqgkhCggwllmx3BZFrSG9hWBOQ1J1P0nQeQMcPuerX0t-udyqttZz6BUIIZV/s1600-h/lightning.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802943304437538" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3PUoHPQcsHC5AJMdeEeplHXI54iDY92uVvCwsG0P_xe7twPXZKtp70EOYkoL3kwm2yyUpoAHDUhdFIjkBqgkhCggwllmx3BZFrSG9hWBOQ1J1P0nQeQMcPuerX0t-udyqttZz6BUIIZV/s400/lightning.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></p><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Our last night was celebrated in the best club Baotou has to offer... again, 89! A sobering 14hr train ride back to Beijing awaited me. Byron slept for roughly 12 of those hours... me, about 2hrs. At least I got some nice pictures of Inner Mongolia farmland.</div><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ysGyTz9TE1YaDzDy6DimMxiwhJ-EJLB2bu2Ql0ICPHJiV2IhCt5V5yWCZCWeTfHLcF2R4aTNd8dvUg7M9e2CCsfOMm5sgdonv2TYu8fvk9xvToI9-VDQqmkkbCX_fHTMT-gGuCL-qCa-/s1600-h/CRW_9902.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802208376842018" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ysGyTz9TE1YaDzDy6DimMxiwhJ-EJLB2bu2Ql0ICPHJiV2IhCt5V5yWCZCWeTfHLcF2R4aTNd8dvUg7M9e2CCsfOMm5sgdonv2TYu8fvk9xvToI9-VDQqmkkbCX_fHTMT-gGuCL-qCa-/s400/CRW_9902.jpg" border="0" /> </a><p align="center"><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2NJ19WH28s20HdLyIPEZwqrdf-6why0fbCniXwtQT45hlU_MNznqn9fk3iHoI68C04BJT3u7jfYJi_uDofpkWhISrmNHc9J551MCIBN-AauD3rIoFXnm7Elcqtz0-FvTYXODJU37oAaC/s1600-h/CRW_9905.jpg"><span style="font-size:78%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802219962513698" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2NJ19WH28s20HdLyIPEZwqrdf-6why0fbCniXwtQT45hlU_MNznqn9fk3iHoI68C04BJT3u7jfYJi_uDofpkWhISrmNHc9J551MCIBN-AauD3rIoFXnm7Elcqtz0-FvTYXODJU37oAaC/s400/CRW_9905.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></p></span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Locals washing carrots in a stream that seemed to be to be unfit for washing veggies. But maybe that's just me.</span><br /><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz01-IZA4N9MBUfRi3nk_jNHdd4ULdXD1yO5D0aW8rDTH6_M5fhPmxbSO7_2QuyX8Kwt9IKVZ9LaxNwA3ejegYYjRpPfB7mfq-FcX4jSX9tU6AZqfKDwi0O3LBvBX-rmFV5ZrK9n-Kyx7y/s1600-h/CRW_9911.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802221048874034" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz01-IZA4N9MBUfRi3nk_jNHdd4ULdXD1yO5D0aW8rDTH6_M5fhPmxbSO7_2QuyX8Kwt9IKVZ9LaxNwA3ejegYYjRpPfB7mfq-FcX4jSX9tU6AZqfKDwi0O3LBvBX-rmFV5ZrK9n-Kyx7y/s400/CRW_9911.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHYwcysOBI1l0kZBdeuYPuxGw0Vx2HP3bCeE1Gv_ubQ8BzswTIuAnfPUfM8OkHEYgQbePux2GY8RgIqrbdcXNENfaozh7wagk53HI5hRjSlF_x5gOBWiCvkWSg47yVvxwHzcWS1xY3Ugs/s1600-h/CRW_9912.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802226140687682" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHYwcysOBI1l0kZBdeuYPuxGw0Vx2HP3bCeE1Gv_ubQ8BzswTIuAnfPUfM8OkHEYgQbePux2GY8RgIqrbdcXNENfaozh7wagk53HI5hRjSlF_x5gOBWiCvkWSg47yVvxwHzcWS1xY3Ugs/s400/CRW_9912.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAoZMFQf4o8X456MCA4ZTFjJ2vKvv_6o-HXaZbD6VAUJ9xSASBrgoC5SOalKBGXd1lSXGNQaIiUcUcS-ql0AWkLztXooNYVlGKQe0p7HCdGwDDDireOv5tQ0bhfVknJU894zhEJjN5wtt/s1600-h/CRW_9923.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802228240848866" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAoZMFQf4o8X456MCA4ZTFjJ2vKvv_6o-HXaZbD6VAUJ9xSASBrgoC5SOalKBGXd1lSXGNQaIiUcUcS-ql0AWkLztXooNYVlGKQe0p7HCdGwDDDireOv5tQ0bhfVknJU894zhEJjN5wtt/s400/CRW_9923.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKB3oS84Wxh6qpFsaYsapnAXEGNxqIpwE_46norVNmfwdr4cPn-c_5pINlrjzkatjf_WwKNf-sNLAPUh0KuHKuBhwWxft9C1ilcv1GQTA0GS3fg7BNCfz8SzMS859cmZTpONScmYCikOp2/s1600-h/CRW_9925.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802556902589154" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKB3oS84Wxh6qpFsaYsapnAXEGNxqIpwE_46norVNmfwdr4cPn-c_5pINlrjzkatjf_WwKNf-sNLAPUh0KuHKuBhwWxft9C1ilcv1GQTA0GS3fg7BNCfz8SzMS859cmZTpONScmYCikOp2/s400/CRW_9925.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZvIdBGTbGuf6vIzg-61EKkm1Z4AYgF0SwXFGEOyjPwZwBpyldE-1gJYKphamxnrTpz-1fg9siPbnwJjP7ifMiUB7NciI4QGSugNmFpXRVETkQt4UR32fO8LOI4RsXVC3_6ZG_lC3JinH/s1600-h/CRW_9928.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802566793345618" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZvIdBGTbGuf6vIzg-61EKkm1Z4AYgF0SwXFGEOyjPwZwBpyldE-1gJYKphamxnrTpz-1fg9siPbnwJjP7ifMiUB7NciI4QGSugNmFpXRVETkQt4UR32fO8LOI4RsXVC3_6ZG_lC3JinH/s400/CRW_9928.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCH_EX5_uZ5WFSHcSxeULUoJUlYhR0a7hd-yGUwnynRQIh_vRu1RRDp_UTiDphnAqgBo9M7m9wF4vo_s2Y_vMW1dqLU36q1hZMQj1Zp0Pidp91TYD6KqG48Luxmtdrvf7Vd7v3MpspCYc/s1600-h/CRW_9930.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802576258243362" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCH_EX5_uZ5WFSHcSxeULUoJUlYhR0a7hd-yGUwnynRQIh_vRu1RRDp_UTiDphnAqgBo9M7m9wF4vo_s2Y_vMW1dqLU36q1hZMQj1Zp0Pidp91TYD6KqG48Luxmtdrvf7Vd7v3MpspCYc/s400/CRW_9930.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdbGFEV-EahGcVS1xVI2MZZuh71VM08vbyKq57gME6jpE5fmBrQuT1RVfVxYSuOFA97eMVIQc5nGIY6KNvgwKylZfgNpSOCuJcj5fPZ-y-Ti1bWjAt6tuC1smWIyEWciqEwZnLn5og6KX/s1600-h/CRW_9935.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802573439845890" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdbGFEV-EahGcVS1xVI2MZZuh71VM08vbyKq57gME6jpE5fmBrQuT1RVfVxYSuOFA97eMVIQc5nGIY6KNvgwKylZfgNpSOCuJcj5fPZ-y-Ti1bWjAt6tuC1smWIyEWciqEwZnLn5og6KX/s400/CRW_9935.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO31_WVg9WTUBzF7m5nA3bugx_nuAVvM8NwxfSy3-Wa-Ip6OerYDpkOtYJPRaKmak36UyQxozsY0LaYGhwGyGSIHy2kp0S7Nq8XqbHieMIMrCo_-3fydEKoimjTQRI9yQR_lJeaO1V2VF/s1600-h/CRW_9938.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802578258027362" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO31_WVg9WTUBzF7m5nA3bugx_nuAVvM8NwxfSy3-Wa-Ip6OerYDpkOtYJPRaKmak36UyQxozsY0LaYGhwGyGSIHy2kp0S7Nq8XqbHieMIMrCo_-3fydEKoimjTQRI9yQR_lJeaO1V2VF/s400/CRW_9938.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFXR8a0AZS2bLGMY_iIruP7KDrakO9WwOb718WGUvNJfDiqEqwD-nnn-B9byJVM3HR7nJMNNCvvCpTdBJ3gIT5xZFfkQ12iCkK-XJCkaVFBB-LnuB5uxBYI3hiBsVdZVt0v6nXPyblmyg/s1600-h/CRW_9947.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249802930680309474" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFXR8a0AZS2bLGMY_iIruP7KDrakO9WwOb718WGUvNJfDiqEqwD-nnn-B9byJVM3HR7nJMNNCvvCpTdBJ3gIT5xZFfkQ12iCkK-XJCkaVFBB-LnuB5uxBYI3hiBsVdZVt0v6nXPyblmyg/s400/CRW_9947.jpg" border="0" /></a>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-32118518207282450112008-07-20T00:07:00.005-05:002008-10-15T04:52:37.088-05:00Rolling with the OlympicsWhen I say rolling, I'm inferring two things. The first is that I've moved yet again. The second is that I've been rolling with the punches of the Beijing gov't for months now, dealing with visa crap and community police and passport inspections etc etc etc. When people ask me if I'm excited about the Olympics, I'm inwardly spitting and outwardly feigning, for to curse the Olympics I may as well be cursing Mao himself. But the truth is that the Olympics is causing more strain than gain, and the hype is creating a number of mini economy bubbles which are doomed to collapse when people realize it's all artificial (the best example is housing; even with record-amounts of new housing coming into the market, prices have continued to increase more than 10% year-on-year since 2005).<br /><br />The Olympics is being seen as a supersolution to all of the problems in Beijing, but it seems that few people see how superficial this view truly is.<br /><br />Example 1: pollution. Because of the Olympics, Beijing has implemented a number of measures to curb air pollution in order to appease the IOC and the international community. Many people are impressed with the swiftness and effectiveness of these measures. But easy-come, easy-go, or in this case, easy-go, easy-come. Most of them are only bandage solutions, temporary measures that will be called off after the event. Starting tomorrow, Beijing will implement the half-car road rule; on even days, only cars with even licence plate numbers will be able to drive; and odd on odd days. Since roughly one third of the air pollution in Beijing is caused by cars, this should eliminate about 1/6th of the air pollution (using very rough math). As well, many industrial facilities in the Beijing region and within regions where wind carries pollutants to Beijing are being temporarily shut down. To top that off, outdoors construction is on halt. To speak truthfully, I've noticed the difference, and I'm sure many others have too. But that means it'll hit even harder when these rules are up and the smog returns. The Olympics is not causing major environmental policy changes that will have long-lasting effects, only temporary. The only long-term solution Beijing has implemented is opening the new subway line 10 (which conveniently is 5min from my apartment and takes me from the East to the Northwest in 40min when once it would take me 1hr20min).<br /><br />Example 2: English. There is much reason for people in China to learn to speak English. It's the international language of business, and the language of Hollywood. As such, most students begin English classes here in middle school, and continue to study through high school and university, at which point many students are required to write the CET-4 English test. But yet, their system is so ... Chinese. People here learn to pass tests. They are great at passing tests. But when that knowledge must be taken outside of a row of desks and applied to the real world, many falter. I meet dozens of people who have learned English for over 10 years and can barely speak beyond a self-introduction. And it's not just a matter of ability, but also confidence, and the lack of an environment in which to practice. But, with the Olympics coming, millions have been given a new purpose to study English: an actual chance to encounter a native English speaker and put their years of study to use. But if they have not realized this by themselves, they needn't fear since there has been flood of slogans and advertisements expressing the importance of learning English in order to serve the anticipated influx of foreigners in August. At my school, I have met dozens of students who are blinded by optimism, seemingly willing to spend 3-4times the average monthly income of a Beijinger on English lessons they plan to use to 'volunteer'. Only in China, I say. You could not possibly convince tens of thousands of people to volunteer for the Olympics in a democratic country. But the big-brother mentality still clings here, and aside from some major progression in many fields, people are still willing to take commands and work for the greater good. And spend hard-earned money for the chance to speak with foreigners because they've been told to make us feel welcome. And what's worse is the taxi drivers. Taxis are the most convenient and practical means for foreigners to get around Beijing. They are cheap (when using foreign currency) and can take you to the very door of where you're going. That is, if you can tell them where you're going. I take taxis every day (I'm not that lazy though, I also ride the bus and subway often, just depends on where I'm going), and in 1.5yrs here I've only met one taxi driver whose English was good enough to be able to respond to me in English. The rest may say greet you with a "hello", only to dissappoint you when they raise their eyebrows at hearing 'left' and 'right', and will simply NOT understand the English names of major venues such as The Worker's Stadium (in Chinese, gongren tiyu guan, not much similarity). This despite a major push for all taxi drivers to speak English that started two years ago and has lost nearly all of its momentum since taxi drivers tend to be poorly-educated, and aside from a once-in-a-while encounter with a foreigner have no chance at all to practice their English skills. And many foreigners who live here can speak enough Chinese to get by in a taxi. But in August it won't be so easy. And don't even pretend to try to feign interest in attempting to look at the idea of boarding a bus, since there are no maps and only the Chinese name of each stop is listed. On the plus side, the subways here are very easy to navigate and all English signage is correct.<br /><br />Example 3: business opportunities. Everyone seems to think that the Olympics are going to open major international business opportunities for everyone. I hate to break it to them, but those opportunities have been available for a long time now and can be thanked for the sustained 10+% annual growth of the economy here. The Olympics is not going to harvest half-a-million businessmen, but rather half-a-million sports enthusiasts and travelers. No doubt that among those there will be entrepreneurs, but the numbers don't tend towards a euphoric super-business state that will magically rise from the semi-constructed buildings that dot the city. That would require policy change, since doing business in China can be quite complicated and generally requires connections.<br /><br />So the hype for the Olympics is at an all-time high, but I'm keeping level since I just know there will be consequences.Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-69296355284497252932008-04-23T22:31:00.006-05:002008-10-15T04:54:46.030-05:00The New PadAt the beginning of March, I moved into a new apartment. The move was long foreseen, and accelerated by the fact that my landlord was kicking me and my two roommates out. She said that the police were hassling her too much about the proper documentation required to rent to foreigners, and since our lease was near an end she wasn't going to renew with us. What a pain. In my old area, there were 20 foreigners altogether registered at our police station, which I'm guessing looked over 10,000 residents, not exactly a foreigner-friendly area.<br /><br />So I moved to to Fulicheng 富力城. Literal translation: Rich and Powerful City. As can be said about the names of many new apartment complexes in Beijing, it's ridiculous. But, concordantly it also happens to be one of the most expensive areas in downtown Beijing. Luckily, though housing rates are skyrocketing here, the conversion rate still means that it's affordable. While the average person in Beijing earns around 3200RMB/month ($450), I spend 3800RMB/month on my apartment ($500). A steal? Not really, considering it's about a quarter of my monthly income. But still a pretty sweet deal.<br /><br />Specs: built in 2002, 68m², single bedroom, 3pc bath, modern kitchen with gas range and double-sink, marble floor in living space, hardwood in bedroom, two enclosed balconies, air con, tv with cable (only Chinese cable, though I could get satellite if I wanted)<br /><br />Perks: Within a gates community with lots of park area, buildings surround it so there is no city noise, there is a lake with carp and a bridge and several fountains, my building is attached to a modern supermarket (I literally need only go to my basement level and walk about 100m to get to it) and 15min walk to Guomao, financial centre of the city<br /><br />Negatives: Couch isn't very comfortable, I need to put up new curtains but am too lazy to find someone with a drill to help me install the curtain rack, shower leaks a bit, bed's a bit hard (but big)... that's about all I can think of<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oSDkK_DUqQg&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oSDkK_DUqQg&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">The view from the entrance</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpcLwTELAbeHROTnWgMBiWfESsvpakn-UZDYTyn6vVqmfXU5C2frWLgVLz-34Rs1ZBehFwl_NPxufeaFFbl8kCGbcYMuYV5kxikFqDlfcMu39MsqG7INblLYgkH4XUIu2hR3aTzm1-xOe/s1600-h/0pan_living.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpcLwTELAbeHROTnWgMBiWfESsvpakn-UZDYTyn6vVqmfXU5C2frWLgVLz-34Rs1ZBehFwl_NPxufeaFFbl8kCGbcYMuYV5kxikFqDlfcMu39MsqG7INblLYgkH4XUIu2hR3aTzm1-xOe/s400/0pan_living.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192654284209344658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">The view from the living room balcony door</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQaVq0n6NdRufaa1ReH1GKQrOYqvxVdeGeffb-pA-b8hpG9tKwGi6Rc9AcSwyzg4oCBkEKWzd89_BbHn-4VH-wyqcJskVo9GiG2mi5Y5VVgeFy4YyF01_uFgF_LPpbC4iYcvrWwJAr-mB/s1600-h/0pan_living2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQaVq0n6NdRufaa1ReH1GKQrOYqvxVdeGeffb-pA-b8hpG9tKwGi6Rc9AcSwyzg4oCBkEKWzd89_BbHn-4VH-wyqcJskVo9GiG2mi5Y5VVgeFy4YyF01_uFgF_LPpbC4iYcvrWwJAr-mB/s400/0pan_living2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192654292799279266" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">The bathroom<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGJajr_MyLFDEpQjHNXahCj8202W_s4XDLf9oHs8jzV25UhaUAgFNskx_OlF4DQyZtmRP9xlueJEZA6vJaKh9RACBmFLScM-K18HkF5fCr0D_H67JYvjJUOBGtusX7wu-noWoG895uF9c/s1600-h/0pan_bath.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGJajr_MyLFDEpQjHNXahCj8202W_s4XDLf9oHs8jzV25UhaUAgFNskx_OlF4DQyZtmRP9xlueJEZA6vJaKh9RACBmFLScM-K18HkF5fCr0D_H67JYvjJUOBGtusX7wu-noWoG895uF9c/s400/0pan_bath.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192654318569083058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">The bedroom, still missing the curtains that I've bought but am too lazy to mount<br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsZ9XvcLQrH51I-9mjrKSIZys0z7wAjV-_-GCdiWZzv9pPkXDPN3dvPdGcZqy9HdMcVIxO7iw3Gv-_9VBQ-Ee4NZF4YZnp-zl17fL2STia097ipxxxhUEM7yRyR6OQURVZFPMz01B3RXs/s1600-h/0pan_bedroom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsZ9XvcLQrH51I-9mjrKSIZys0z7wAjV-_-GCdiWZzv9pPkXDPN3dvPdGcZqy9HdMcVIxO7iw3Gv-_9VBQ-Ee4NZF4YZnp-zl17fL2STia097ipxxxhUEM7yRyR6OQURVZFPMz01B3RXs/s400/0pan_bedroom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192654327159017666" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qF0SjqMn7jM4m-xnchYuhw2T1KYC5ZDCTuuWWtL1LrD8ql2k8LnsElLvAn0P6O5YZnnL0ow-jymI0EvzEpRNMO8WnnGduimPyFI_0lN9_EK6aQjHPSCBiUbroQE54HJ6OLjQhgQSDb9V/s1600-h/0pan_bedroom2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qF0SjqMn7jM4m-xnchYuhw2T1KYC5ZDCTuuWWtL1LrD8ql2k8LnsElLvAn0P6O5YZnnL0ow-jymI0EvzEpRNMO8WnnGduimPyFI_0lN9_EK6aQjHPSCBiUbroQE54HJ6OLjQhgQSDb9V/s400/0pan_bedroom2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192654348633854162" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">The kitchen<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2am8wAvzAjHLS_jMcCTnWv1R3lRQ6QTXX4J98rYCUhPRcaSlf_ViIKRDzlm1D90a7ualBz4K4xHd0hfTd8q6YwcsKpAgkxwGf25aSdtVskikPKoZ0oHCnXJXSAGOMaTfZr8cd-hOIEmVr/s1600-h/CRW_9363.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2am8wAvzAjHLS_jMcCTnWv1R3lRQ6QTXX4J98rYCUhPRcaSlf_ViIKRDzlm1D90a7ualBz4K4xHd0hfTd8q6YwcsKpAgkxwGf25aSdtVskikPKoZ0oHCnXJXSAGOMaTfZr8cd-hOIEmVr/s400/CRW_9363.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192655370836070626" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">The washing machine room<br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOzEQp2afZw8QtSoKycGbcqSBsQ4u9EpJ2bwDVpUSwwZJbZVS7xeYMsRH6ULLPnY3dgSkf24Vg2MukFBx9qKAE9q6pVqzHus1n-gGd6ZMyhj03JxdCYivt7785MasoQsHeOBh84gmx-vU/s1600-h/CRW_9358.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOzEQp2afZw8QtSoKycGbcqSBsQ4u9EpJ2bwDVpUSwwZJbZVS7xeYMsRH6ULLPnY3dgSkf24Vg2MukFBx9qKAE9q6pVqzHus1n-gGd6ZMyhj03JxdCYivt7785MasoQsHeOBh84gmx-vU/s400/CRW_9358.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192655388015939842" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">My Wii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:78%;"> </span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAoaHrxz-iQofNrMKwVwjR-qTVVfL6eHPCneK8PMXpUOChcJE-7LDmBTILQiahrqq36udeBa6oXgEB2Hgq6KM5re6yZ9-CXPZxw2UQcJNExMGz1lm_UnY92V0JOkAPPcEwRsen2_N_uM7/s1600-h/CRW_9357.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAoaHrxz-iQofNrMKwVwjR-qTVVfL6eHPCneK8PMXpUOChcJE-7LDmBTILQiahrqq36udeBa6oXgEB2Hgq6KM5re6yZ9-CXPZxw2UQcJNExMGz1lm_UnY92V0JOkAPPcEwRsen2_N_uM7/s400/CRW_9357.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192655379426005234" border="0" /></a>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-67313747674866090372008-02-27T22:44:00.013-05:002008-10-15T05:01:34.407-05:00I'll Miss the ViewSo after almost exactly one year at my current apartment, I'm moving.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">My new building</span><br /><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.892674,116.453007&spn=0.001951,0.005021&t=k&z=18&output=embed&s=AARTsJqzARj-Z8VnW5pkPMLMmZbqrJcYpw"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.892674,116.453007&spn=0.001951,0.005021&t=k&z=18&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />The coloured routes are subway lines. The purple line is due to open in July, which will make life pretty convenient.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84wcIE6JTcfhd_Q_yXX0vld26VpTBkQMNBDX0Fz97C7ApVZ9yxm36kVCSeict8hHKyT3ZzYwmGv_QgcHHO-91DqrrEb4Jm7hBUXZ0nrvFCNSjaGRxvlpL1R-3RA-mCKRNmeARBWx9dh1E/s1600-h/Beijing_moving+.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84wcIE6JTcfhd_Q_yXX0vld26VpTBkQMNBDX0Fz97C7ApVZ9yxm36kVCSeict8hHKyT3ZzYwmGv_QgcHHO-91DqrrEb4Jm7hBUXZ0nrvFCNSjaGRxvlpL1R-3RA-mCKRNmeARBWx9dh1E/s400/Beijing_moving+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171921128634208178" border="0" /></a><br /><br />What will I miss?<br /><br />I'll miss the elevator ladies whom I feel so badly for because they just sit and operate the elevator for 6 hour shifts when I could easily push the button myself. I'll miss the two minutes walk to the nearest roasted meat-on-a-stick (aka chuar). I'll miss our neighbourhood market where I can easily buy anything from plumbing fixtures to yoga mats. I'll even miss the craggy old ladies who wear arm bands and call themselves community police, and secretly want all foreigners from this area evicted. Well, they've kinda won.<br /><br />Truth is, my move has two driving forces. I have wanted to move for a long time. Perhaps it's the image that my bathroom leaves on visitors (it's tragic really, combine fallen wall tiles exposing slightly moldy drywall with a god-awful but mysteriously fluctuating odour arising from the drain). Or perhaps the fact that I live in the West but I'm out in the East nearly every day, and my taxi fares get their own category in my budget sheet (yes, I keep a detailed account of my spendings and earnings, gives me excuses for why my money disappears so easily). Or maybe I just want a change.<br /><br />But the secondary driving force is external to myself: our landlord wanted us out. And not because of an increase in rent, which she plans anyway and is becoming standard procedure in the pre-Olympics property value boom here. She wants us out because the police have been bugging her too much about foreigners living in a non-foreigner area. Yes I realize that to say non-foreigner area implies, nae informs that there are gov't sanctioned 'zones' for foreigners. And apparently the heat was too much, and she's sick of dealing with questions from the police.<br /><br />Mostly though, I'll miss the view. My balcony overlooks the second ring road, a booming highway that always reminds me of the people that course through this metropolis. And across from that the completely transforming financial HQ of the capital of the country with the strongest economic growth ever. I don't hear the traffic when my balcony window and door are closed, but need only step a few feet to remind myself that I'm sitting centre in all of this. On the west I can see the great sprawl of Beijing, as it grows towards and ends at the mountains that protect us from the deep cold of Russia. And when the pollution/clouds/dust are not too strong, I can watch the sun inch it's way down and spell night for Beijing (which happens to be my favourite time of the day).<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R5H8y-UJNDo"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R5H8y-UJNDo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />It's hard to romanticize pollution, but I will say this: living in such a city has enabled me to truly appreciate cleaner climes. When I had a holiday in Toronto recently, the change in air quality reminded me of that when I used to go from Toronto to the countryside. And I went to the countryside during my trip as well, so Beijing to Canadian countryside seemed an incalculable difference. I appreciated it more than I ever have.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eastward views</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Looking Eastward out my enclosed balcony.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixA9V5yM4VXd_0uInYPwmsdpyuWXf8rd0d-oq_dpeJqnX_0rS8_aLuqoGIICmSNHDwVinZZbk2hDqZkCiQT_6bK3zi7c3-DiW_Vk14u_MZInaEZLiZivkZ0Vnap3h5PxJ2OdgZKOyhwbmV/s1600-h/0pan_cloudy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixA9V5yM4VXd_0uInYPwmsdpyuWXf8rd0d-oq_dpeJqnX_0rS8_aLuqoGIICmSNHDwVinZZbk2hDqZkCiQT_6bK3zi7c3-DiW_Vk14u_MZInaEZLiZivkZ0Vnap3h5PxJ2OdgZKOyhwbmV/s400/0pan_cloudy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171907032551542338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The only snowfall in '07 that accumulated on the ground. In '08 there was also only one snowfall that accumulated, but it was in December. This photo was taken in March '07.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCJ2d-4C1WtA-4CeFSVYDn4K80a-GxL1dETkMt8otkwFFLeUL2tuGc7Varz-96cbE5S0OMIObDQPpU1Tg-RqJGeBgGAbjINl3Zd5pKfgLrBEOBo_NL_phc-JpT9tF6h4Mcsfe7rmASB13/s1600-h/0pan_snow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCJ2d-4C1WtA-4CeFSVYDn4K80a-GxL1dETkMt8otkwFFLeUL2tuGc7Varz-96cbE5S0OMIObDQPpU1Tg-RqJGeBgGAbjINl3Zd5pKfgLrBEOBo_NL_phc-JpT9tF6h4Mcsfe7rmASB13/s400/0pan_snow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171907041141476946" border="0" /></a><br /><br />2nd ring road during a rainstorm<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvlxa9qIHDaS48Dee3K5X05sB-NkPCVlIjiX9EgVin6k4TJnYYRhmCLt2KGsSGmLpO1vzv7bifuP0pIR-O_Jds7MZ1oaoqxX1tRrzuKexeeGJdJ78h-r0co7Qwltaw1GZJmNayT7_r-tu/s1600-h/0pan_storm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvlxa9qIHDaS48Dee3K5X05sB-NkPCVlIjiX9EgVin6k4TJnYYRhmCLt2KGsSGmLpO1vzv7bifuP0pIR-O_Jds7MZ1oaoqxX1tRrzuKexeeGJdJ78h-r0co7Qwltaw1GZJmNayT7_r-tu/s400/0pan_storm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171907045436444258" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The traffic on 2nd ring is ever-present, even during the night<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRsN1nvgivjXYoqql2ncZxD0w9dasqPAylvO1AaLRI5QHHAO1YDqkaT-S2yc8OAovk51BniQHKgMePGYpmiDWkQpA3kCQrMRuGEFyt5spcMR986LH9zK5VkFFqnlhZUt0w3-Os61HKwV6/s1600-h/traffic_night.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRsN1nvgivjXYoqql2ncZxD0w9dasqPAylvO1AaLRI5QHHAO1YDqkaT-S2yc8OAovk51BniQHKgMePGYpmiDWkQpA3kCQrMRuGEFyt5spcMR986LH9zK5VkFFqnlhZUt0w3-Os61HKwV6/s400/traffic_night.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171907049731411570" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Westward views</span></span><br /><br />Dusk on the westward front of Beijing<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTLz9V9g5PBBWVPe-XMPiqLeZDNRuAEzdLqqijjhPMnf1F0AcuW12rk0IKrRXQyf2tWvvJ8o_wUnIndr5dGbUvmRPf1cQVShFsfwGnzZGl-vJuAIt5ehDbzQqwmnRJIfYuW9buc8UFGHY/s1600-h/0pan_dusk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTLz9V9g5PBBWVPe-XMPiqLeZDNRuAEzdLqqijjhPMnf1F0AcuW12rk0IKrRXQyf2tWvvJ8o_wUnIndr5dGbUvmRPf1cQVShFsfwGnzZGl-vJuAIt5ehDbzQqwmnRJIfYuW9buc8UFGHY/s400/0pan_dusk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171908394056175234" border="0" /></a> A semi-typical day. Haze factor maybe 8/10.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs4EDb1yi9w5o0o5Rs2YWVuBjla8WA3wHihY9X4BEaQ5k5JwxnqTTJ1e49UyQIYiqL4D56U5zw2mrmXzFplQm9W5Jm9-_2DCMQhupuJ1a0DwrZf8lCJB_ZYTCerKrIJa8YKD6nlzgKlCI/s1600-h/0pan_late_afternoon_semismog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs4EDb1yi9w5o0o5Rs2YWVuBjla8WA3wHihY9X4BEaQ5k5JwxnqTTJ1e49UyQIYiqL4D56U5zw2mrmXzFplQm9W5Jm9-_2DCMQhupuJ1a0DwrZf8lCJB_ZYTCerKrIJa8YKD6nlzgKlCI/s400/0pan_late_afternoon_semismog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171908394056175250" border="0" /></a>Clear and blue sunset. A bit rare.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnuaXXYh0DJirnR4svTVMWGLt-YUxmNqMdVAU2wxR19lGdAEJbxpNRXYNwbU4Z5C2kInDqmtREc_07m9H8GV30Tge_HhtJlycTf4QWtrK7-QFQ4JtAts8CJYb8ikwdPn8a3mnz6LB8I6Y/s1600-h/0pan_sunset.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnuaXXYh0DJirnR4svTVMWGLt-YUxmNqMdVAU2wxR19lGdAEJbxpNRXYNwbU4Z5C2kInDqmtREc_07m9H8GV30Tge_HhtJlycTf4QWtrK7-QFQ4JtAts8CJYb8ikwdPn8a3mnz6LB8I6Y/s400/0pan_sunset.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171908398351142562" border="0" /></a> It's nice to see blue. </span><span style="font-size:78%;">Clear factor: 8/10.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjlneY2XQlvF1KEtU9ApOj9gHp4UZJrBEkMuvgrXMneDvJ1vbDEtyxJ4qRRkYCRVRp7CVdRN0UE7p_F1k560zaPafp-3LcnJ8sWdJryuFMIm22QCgB-kGBDWeOCheAtoF2pb9mn2ewyK-/s1600-h/0pan_west_blue_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjlneY2XQlvF1KEtU9ApOj9gHp4UZJrBEkMuvgrXMneDvJ1vbDEtyxJ4qRRkYCRVRp7CVdRN0UE7p_F1k560zaPafp-3LcnJ8sWdJryuFMIm22QCgB-kGBDWeOCheAtoF2pb9mn2ewyK-/s400/0pan_west_blue_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171908406941077170" border="0" /></a>Clear factor: 9/10. An unusually clear day during which I could make a significant depth of the mountains.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICBA79JP9-GFQUJOyzBs3OtrThwb34P4mJMrJIePKOig65cpNbP1DY5MbGQ8dB3ubTuRmvz9JSp4euwAk7MhIMPGZLnBoIZQ_85KBXO1Okpcm6HTIEHeqPZDSrM33ycoNKnsBlkRR7-FU/s1600-h/0pan_west_clear.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICBA79JP9-GFQUJOyzBs3OtrThwb34P4mJMrJIePKOig65cpNbP1DY5MbGQ8dB3ubTuRmvz9JSp4euwAk7MhIMPGZLnBoIZQ_85KBXO1Okpcm6HTIEHeqPZDSrM33ycoNKnsBlkRR7-FU/s400/0pan_west_clear.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171908411236044482" border="0" /></a><br />Another pretty typical day. Haze factor: 7/10<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzWcx6MnHs5vWTEpo7poy9qVy4PD1UKrQ-BDp7ptd0AheQoaScbqqf0mOTLwzPBgeHaltn-SUQjSJUnrL6fiApzh7gC6g5uqGjadeSZ33DdeQoUzB8n9rRSLQ-58JlYfqJ1xOzXV984Io/s1600-h/0pan_west_smog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzWcx6MnHs5vWTEpo7poy9qVy4PD1UKrQ-BDp7ptd0AheQoaScbqqf0mOTLwzPBgeHaltn-SUQjSJUnrL6fiApzh7gC6g5uqGjadeSZ33DdeQoUzB8n9rRSLQ-58JlYfqJ1xOzXV984Io/s400/0pan_west_smog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171908810668003026" border="0" /></a><br />CCTV (中央电视台, China Capital Television) broadcasting tower in the West end of the city.<br />Bears a resemblance to my beloved CN tower. It even has a revolving restaurant, though I've not been.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxu7mcHq6YZjefqoMS7OqLjeJXBvKynhs0i_FqEP6O3aD3EtN0KXTwrb8yjn95qnN000EPuLzfpXj52AIy4-MuOKgvZ_Rf7gQlidqR2TfOC36-CzBAdwhL02gcf3Jqfb2hAWoMX5ouBL-/s1600-h/cctv_tower.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxu7mcHq6YZjefqoMS7OqLjeJXBvKynhs0i_FqEP6O3aD3EtN0KXTwrb8yjn95qnN000EPuLzfpXj52AIy4-MuOKgvZ_Rf7gQlidqR2TfOC36-CzBAdwhL02gcf3Jqfb2hAWoMX5ouBL-/s400/cctv_tower.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171908814962970338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqga-_ZiLrwHe6MjPGMCqA1nmVJVAQFBBMmj7kZFpzIxXiHcjaGGJPb82EILsh2dIPFnwrAQkzX9Mg-Qvwjxm6gglsxGW5Z_DlTbaIg9GMb2WWD4RbE2kixsRyYlObyCiZgvxfRAyOejr1/s1600-h/day_fade_away.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqga-_ZiLrwHe6MjPGMCqA1nmVJVAQFBBMmj7kZFpzIxXiHcjaGGJPb82EILsh2dIPFnwrAQkzX9Mg-Qvwjxm6gglsxGW5Z_DlTbaIg9GMb2WWD4RbE2kixsRyYlObyCiZgvxfRAyOejr1/s400/day_fade_away.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171908814962970354" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGiLkrny6Y-8xcehXFqsTpLopVznXyb9gL3x6mZyRzelG1HM49uU4OJryb97JoK5ACNDo43rUgUbBG1jtuVnyfNHmYmzZNVLkJ_WUmWVe6TR0D_97lSCJTqfXNqRo_BOW4BQBQPa2GslK/s1600-h/tower_overlooking_sunset.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGiLkrny6Y-8xcehXFqsTpLopVznXyb9gL3x6mZyRzelG1HM49uU4OJryb97JoK5ACNDo43rUgUbBG1jtuVnyfNHmYmzZNVLkJ_WUmWVe6TR0D_97lSCJTqfXNqRo_BOW4BQBQPa2GslK/s400/tower_overlooking_sunset.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171909523632574338" border="0" /></a><br />This is about as bad as it gets. See that little smudge in the middle? That's the sun. And it's not covered by clouds, that's dust and smog. </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpZZh9q42EeVVRhJ5-kALyg7g0j1JDEJnRy6-XWi7hnXenOPAPDmQJQpKT1BErTXFsAwTNgKQdTyZFYpGEOcH1vd4WSwY8kS5KKFw4CuKwoigVCLFvhx-OAXR2upVeoDFr-jHvteIdPSA/s1600-h/dust_storm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpZZh9q42EeVVRhJ5-kALyg7g0j1JDEJnRy6-XWi7hnXenOPAPDmQJQpKT1BErTXFsAwTNgKQdTyZFYpGEOcH1vd4WSwY8kS5KKFw4CuKwoigVCLFvhx-OAXR2upVeoDFr-jHvteIdPSA/s400/dust_storm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171908819257937666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_O9C8EHgHnQOH7awcYb0IyYoRk2poPug35siYQ9W6lYSD_bGx6pI5ID7uzNugbyAdmXHxvc0gwEfNfNWLyRJwGK1m7kN-uZASDCFcxqZm1V6pw3QEqWf7YlovjGWRNLERfSGgmA5atDg/s1600-h/dusty_day.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_O9C8EHgHnQOH7awcYb0IyYoRk2poPug35siYQ9W6lYSD_bGx6pI5ID7uzNugbyAdmXHxvc0gwEfNfNWLyRJwGK1m7kN-uZASDCFcxqZm1V6pw3QEqWf7YlovjGWRNLERfSGgmA5atDg/s400/dusty_day.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171908823552904978" border="0" /></a><br />One day I was in my kitchen and I noticed this smoke. However it turned out to be but a single puff, not a stream of smoke. Since I often look out my window and have never seen smoke like this, and since it's over a residential area, my best guess is that a car exploded (got a better guess?)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJhWPiw8Rk57bxtM48bLORG5eeFoCm4kOzyoaxlvv4xKn23x2bsRxbGggGe1epDK7O1aUlYYOlYgjYmTNFjWbpjwnlrmERiUtVfvK-xFKxylH_tSYJIZEBytJnMOoyc1qSpKLGC3x2jAu/s1600-h/mysterious_puff.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJhWPiw8Rk57bxtM48bLORG5eeFoCm4kOzyoaxlvv4xKn23x2bsRxbGggGe1epDK7O1aUlYYOlYgjYmTNFjWbpjwnlrmERiUtVfvK-xFKxylH_tSYJIZEBytJnMOoyc1qSpKLGC3x2jAu/s400/mysterious_puff.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171909089840877346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Mp-rPU8E6v2f41dMlBUksiDCoPWYcC63JUjONDTwIUaTYWi80lnTipzoslHSAv3DQLXvlVZGOlx85ntOex2QPtNsecTDrpXYNTi_Y3WUpNxEi0MCf0-upEUmvowJigcOHC5eH9A86Smf/s1600-h/normal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Mp-rPU8E6v2f41dMlBUksiDCoPWYcC63JUjONDTwIUaTYWi80lnTipzoslHSAv3DQLXvlVZGOlx85ntOex2QPtNsecTDrpXYNTi_Y3WUpNxEi0MCf0-upEUmvowJigcOHC5eH9A86Smf/s400/normal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171909094135844658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qCFp_D8nJxmx8NLA-zKQ6vSOxzaXiyqaGNl4eatgg6iA5AMPKkURdtfuU-FWI-te-njUf4y9-cJ0zt6cgkMSy2sRVglAfVDv9zTmdsYH9o5su22-vl14p2BydKvnAVCEOzhBqdvK5zL7/s1600-h/normal_bk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qCFp_D8nJxmx8NLA-zKQ6vSOxzaXiyqaGNl4eatgg6iA5AMPKkURdtfuU-FWI-te-njUf4y9-cJ0zt6cgkMSy2sRVglAfVDv9zTmdsYH9o5su22-vl14p2BydKvnAVCEOzhBqdvK5zL7/s400/normal_bk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171909098430811970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVp39B0vEL4LrmBJbB-PpfJMneaB-UG-EV_IJycdW1FMA3mh0HmA3LZEG3yt9VgImeNfmsA62ae1_7mjeEwxk2MTVXAHxotHOUoGYPU1UKHZ-LKfFBapdQ7unKC2yGFOYjuRozQ4LVA7uN/s1600-h/orange_halo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVp39B0vEL4LrmBJbB-PpfJMneaB-UG-EV_IJycdW1FMA3mh0HmA3LZEG3yt9VgImeNfmsA62ae1_7mjeEwxk2MTVXAHxotHOUoGYPU1UKHZ-LKfFBapdQ7unKC2yGFOYjuRozQ4LVA7uN/s400/orange_halo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171909098430811986" border="0" /></a>This is the sun. Apparently it looks also doubles as Saturn.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgpuLwsU3wJa8ckdPV-EHi0DZScxKQZEgcoppJaYTja52fu4dhsA7BxRm08MGBe892tHnXKkKyDFgqgel6FcXcB4xORAlzaen_PchSGLLkdIEFl8Achb9qKuKmuRsYeNNM2GgM4zIxPIe/s1600-h/saturn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgpuLwsU3wJa8ckdPV-EHi0DZScxKQZEgcoppJaYTja52fu4dhsA7BxRm08MGBe892tHnXKkKyDFgqgel6FcXcB4xORAlzaen_PchSGLLkdIEFl8Achb9qKuKmuRsYeNNM2GgM4zIxPIe/s400/saturn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171909107020746594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3C0MIymHxPh03zD6f-rEPjWihbLNtw-lT9q3DPwDr3lLe4z9rSni-Ay-TsgVUSXrBuTQak5dWrEPkn_iBEjlA_toDiCQAysRyJvkyjj3zHfNYdyMeSUAacaobmaGT7O5ytJGrWhQlY8KK/s1600-h/through_the_panes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3C0MIymHxPh03zD6f-rEPjWihbLNtw-lT9q3DPwDr3lLe4z9rSni-Ay-TsgVUSXrBuTQak5dWrEPkn_iBEjlA_toDiCQAysRyJvkyjj3zHfNYdyMeSUAacaobmaGT7O5ytJGrWhQlY8KK/s400/through_the_panes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171909523632574322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfZoXlEK0DvhJ41U-w8tyIJteJend6sjRrmqHbDbTZzRhEkek1aiVM-8f7JbLg2-jjdaoNpGPgE-3csH3VtqmjjHV7bkW0ukt3RjwfEGcRR-UUcRIyd4w6ZFIYsOMkG0j64zOQqkQXDxw/s1600-h/window_attack.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfZoXlEK0DvhJ41U-w8tyIJteJend6sjRrmqHbDbTZzRhEkek1aiVM-8f7JbLg2-jjdaoNpGPgE-3csH3VtqmjjHV7bkW0ukt3RjwfEGcRR-UUcRIyd4w6ZFIYsOMkG0j64zOQqkQXDxw/s400/window_attack.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171909536517476258" border="0" /></a><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfZoXlEK0DvhJ41U-w8tyIJteJend6sjRrmqHbDbTZzRhEkek1aiVM-8f7JbLg2-jjdaoNpGPgE-3csH3VtqmjjHV7bkW0ukt3RjwfEGcRR-UUcRIyd4w6ZFIYsOMkG0j64zOQqkQXDxw/s1600-h/window_attack.JPG"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU9BB7htP9wDlqdaxIfJ3IOKe9oOdCfVTMlRGDziqXXz_OQSvv00NUuCvZyJp3oVvI54GYWuR0iEVqv5LolXgitxo4i684230lMfGrhvsOcYPuBlxt7KWpX-bVLVYb-pZn3K0Q31LkXDH/s1600-h/west_evening.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU9BB7htP9wDlqdaxIfJ3IOKe9oOdCfVTMlRGDziqXXz_OQSvv00NUuCvZyJp3oVvI54GYWuR0iEVqv5LolXgitxo4i684230lMfGrhvsOcYPuBlxt7KWpX-bVLVYb-pZn3K0Q31LkXDH/s400/west_evening.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171909532222508946" border="0" /></a></span></div>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-52714424766985445752007-10-04T09:24:00.002-05:002008-10-15T04:55:39.951-05:00MOOSEHEAD!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9ZvD8rudi1coAQDdlxl2hTwj-IXmXzA1J8bGG1Qb63s0NGitHOA5ZpZevNhvPSTzofxEbwLxOQlY1O_Epx9ey_ZvGdkUFkuJvjhYKzqRQWZlTkLfpX-5s7vbeMDAcw5L2KqdRGwtXNA7/s1600-h/CRW_8603.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9ZvD8rudi1coAQDdlxl2hTwj-IXmXzA1J8bGG1Qb63s0NGitHOA5ZpZevNhvPSTzofxEbwLxOQlY1O_Epx9ey_ZvGdkUFkuJvjhYKzqRQWZlTkLfpX-5s7vbeMDAcw5L2KqdRGwtXNA7/s400/CRW_8603.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117796981846184354" /></a><br /><br />MOOSEHEAD BEER AVAILABLE NEAR MY APARTMENT!<br />A new mall opened up near to where I live. It's a good example of the domination that the upper 2% in Beijing have been exerting. I live in an area known as Finance Street. I'm not actually 'inside' the financial area, however my window faces it. The new mall, built by thousands of migrant worker being paid about $100/mth offers very few products for under $100/item. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqpl6ZtKO_fsZ1Q1J5epC6WQtdiBcUubVYSEkcfng5NjuMxquGJzpD_8xKzYPzqJi4Cylaxt54fPmCL5CcJOX9EDec9_KW3lquUh2sSBRBbfQcZFbqSA4ZZ1tnHn9uV4ClFhx7Li_3b1p/s1600-h/0pan_newmall.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqpl6ZtKO_fsZ1Q1J5epC6WQtdiBcUubVYSEkcfng5NjuMxquGJzpD_8xKzYPzqJi4Cylaxt54fPmCL5CcJOX9EDec9_KW3lquUh2sSBRBbfQcZFbqSA4ZZ1tnHn9uV4ClFhx7Li_3b1p/s400/0pan_newmall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117796951781413218" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdp1oa-1ksZDI2S-BW2jaNdeOeW0G0U_VY1u-_TJ-P2yQfE1qbnu081F_weAUt6vRBvrbhcIHvBxH5-2QwMV3PwOq6zZtCuKJUVZyfmC_vMilf1K4ZkezoApXxMMb3lk2o16y4N0Bvtjt/s1600-h/CRW_8594.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdp1oa-1ksZDI2S-BW2jaNdeOeW0G0U_VY1u-_TJ-P2yQfE1qbnu081F_weAUt6vRBvrbhcIHvBxH5-2QwMV3PwOq6zZtCuKJUVZyfmC_vMilf1K4ZkezoApXxMMb3lk2o16y4N0Bvtjt/s400/CRW_8594.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117796960371347826" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9ERxbxGWAS-omIuBblDtEZ9Sr0UOw7H-zbfkMgPuOHRnR9cC34_LKOL-D4rX4fbFbd7WHAQB02ttMD4gtn4GzAOLou-fQ8O9PYHookl1UPq3eELqiXQHaPDyt7PKU4vE21iNnoGhc-UU/s1600-h/CRW_8595.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9ERxbxGWAS-omIuBblDtEZ9Sr0UOw7H-zbfkMgPuOHRnR9cC34_LKOL-D4rX4fbFbd7WHAQB02ttMD4gtn4GzAOLou-fQ8O9PYHookl1UPq3eELqiXQHaPDyt7PKU4vE21iNnoGhc-UU/s400/CRW_8595.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117796968961282434" /></a><br /><br />However, luckily for me, there is an Olé (Spanish, French? I'm not sure), a supermarket chain with a good choice of Western foods. The nearest store to me which offers similar fare is about 30min by bus, a location of the French chain Carrefour (家乐福). So, I'm happy. <br />And I'm extra happy because the only Canadian beer they choose is Moosehead, one of my favourites. I'd piss blood if they only offered Canadian, a beer not worthy of its title.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQzfN9z8imtlj-mxsUeugeb2-qc0jBpNa1jO0dlrqefn4J4dS5MrUYXpTu7A9-QBfgGItAYm1fsZVYopBO-s7fhU2hUzNnhyphenhyphenAtKlpVUFpTzVCisf90JwjZiUl-3JupCDpwkqRfa73z5It/s1600-h/CRW_8597.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQzfN9z8imtlj-mxsUeugeb2-qc0jBpNa1jO0dlrqefn4J4dS5MrUYXpTu7A9-QBfgGItAYm1fsZVYopBO-s7fhU2hUzNnhyphenhyphenAtKlpVUFpTzVCisf90JwjZiUl-3JupCDpwkqRfa73z5It/s400/CRW_8597.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117796977551217042" /></a>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-52270284952454696972007-08-05T07:10:00.002-05:002008-10-15T04:56:05.302-05:00Shanghai on the OceanShanghai 上海, translates very simply into 'go onto the ocean,' presumably in a boat. The more common translation is 'on the ocean,' which technically would be Haishang 海上, but then again, grammar is a pretty flexible here.<br /><br />Whether you're on the ocean or just beside it, Shanghai is a beauty to behold. No city I've ever visited has boasted such bustling streets, such idol-worthy towers, such a concentration of financial power. Shanghai houses 2 of the 10 tallest buildings in the world, and they're constructing two more that will etch them in even deeper.<br /><br />I don't know why, but I've always had a deep admiration for beautiful, thriving, rich cities. Toronto is definitely near the top of the list. I have a thing about the 'shape' of a city, the profile, the infrastructure. Toronto has a great bell-shape, and the minimally developed Toronto Island is an excellent aerial-view touch. What Shanghai has got is a freaking cool winding river. And at the bend's prominence, the richest financial district in mainland China. Unfortunately, it's scarred by the painful shear of the Oriental Pearl Tower.<br /><br />Downtown Shanghai.<br /><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=31.237977,121.503983&spn=0.035519,0.080338&t=k&z=14&om=1&output=embed&s=AARTsJqzARj-Z8VnW5pkPMLMmZbqrJcYpw" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=31.237977,121.503983&spn=0.035519,0.080338&t=k&z=14&om=1&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Of course, my trip to Shanghai was far from cozy. I used an agent to get my train tickets, and by the name of Murphy's Law, something went awry. I took some time off of work, and planned on leaving on a Tuesday evening. However, the ticket I was given was set to leave on the following day, and I didn't realize this until the Tuesday morning. So, I called the agent, and after apologies said that there were no tickets left for Tuesday. I was feeling conflicted, mostly because my good friends and engineering schoolmates Sam and Craig had come to China just the week before, and I was acting as guide/friend/beer receptacle, and I was set to meet them in Shanghai on Wednesday. As well, I had no way to reach them, and they were in the small city of Yantai 烟台 on their way to Shanghai. Luckily, Sam had met an awesome and very generous girl in Vancouver who had an apartment in Shanghai she was willing to loan to us, and I had her number.<br /><br />So it seemed I would have to suck it up and leave Wednesday. So on Tuesday morning I didn't bother to pack my bags and went to work at Taisha 太傻, a company that helps students apply to universities in the States (I give fake visa interviews... and pretend to be American haha, it's great). Around 4 I got a call from the agent, telling me there is in fact a ticket available for that evening at 9pm. I hesitated. Of course I'd rather go earlier, I had taken time off work and wanted to make the most of it. However I had to work until 5:30 in the East end of the city, and then go home to the West end (during rush hour... taking subway = self-packing into sardine tin), then return to the train station which is only two subway stops south of where I work (Chaoyangmen 朝阳门). I told the agent I'd call him back and did some rough math. The travel time would be 1.5-2hrs alone, and I hadn't packed. On top of that, I had to meet up with the agent to get the ticket. It was a gamble. And I took it. Unfortunately not all worked out.<br /><br />I had purchased a new small travel case on the previous day. It was cheapish, but had "real leather" on the outside. And they forgot to mention that it was probably worth 1/10th what I paid and that given any stress at all the rolling-handle would tear off. I found that out the hard way, in the subway, sweating, running, loathing that feeling in the chest you get when you're running late. The gate was to close around 8:45. I arrived at the train station at 8:35... carrying my heavy suitcase, running, running, running. Oh wait, what's this? Oh yeah, the security check lineup at the entrance! SHIT!<br /><br />Ten minutes later, I was in the station. Needless to say, the gate was closed. Some kid offered to take me to the "backup gate" for 200yuan (about $30CAD, aka $30 US, woohoo!). I bargained him down to 100, curious to learn about this, with nothing left to do but check it out anyway. Of course, I said I'd give him the money upon entering the gate, fully intending to throw him a 20 since he wouldn't be allowed to follow me in. Ya, China has made me a jerk like that. Unfortunately, that gate was also closed. I was devastated. The effort I'd made to dart across the city, meet the agent (again), hurriedly pack, return to the East carrying my heavy-ass suitcase which is intended to be rolled... sweating, straining... all for naught.<br /><br />The process of fixing my ticket situation took ages. I went to three different places at the station, asking where I could change my ticket 改票. Finally I found the place. There were about 20 long lineups to about twenty booths with about twenty different signs. Figuring out which to go was easy, I just asked the information guy at the front. After waiting twenty minutes in line 20, I was tersely informed I must actually line up at line 1. More walking, more carrying, more sweating. After being harassed in the line by hawkers who make a living off buying people's missed tickets, changing the date themselves, and reselling them, it got done. My ticket was stamped, and the room number was crossed out, as was the word for "sleeper" 卧铺. This meant I would not have a bed, for which I paid 300yuan, and instead of have an unassigned seat for the 13hour ride. And depending on how many people with unassigned seats turned up, possibly no seat at all. I then went out to venture home and just then it started to pour the lovely toxic liquid that takes the place of rain here. Great start to my vacation.<br /><br />The next day however all went well. I arrived an hour early to guarantee a seat. The ride was long, grueling really, and I barely slept. I had the window seat, but after going to the washroom the very nice woman who had been sitting next to me and had offered me lots of food and sunflower seeds... had stolen my seat. I hadn't even slept yet. It was clearly the sleeping seat, and it has clearly been unfairly taken. In Chinese, I'd say that I got "holed," aka pocketed 我被坑了. That aside, I arrived alive and well, one day late, and I was sweating buckets as soon as I left the train. Shanghai was grilling.<br /><br />I immediately headed for the apartment where Betty told me Sam and Craig were chilling. I took the subway. This is where I got my first glimpse of the cityscape. The subway is raised heading East of the train station for a few stops. I could see the downtown, the financial district, Pudong. It was beautiful. I was drawn to it, and it was exactly where I was headed as my destination was a bling apartment in the centre of the city. And the apartment was bling indeed. Thanks Betty!!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Some buildings near Betty's place.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOzrH9Sb2A_Gk8evmQtFVUvj6mJwonOZM108YTJjzTYjLnGSUiAyHBCTqYtV8fSEaIxH_dK7VMc97D3M6jgRtl2UVa7_i4OF7N0SWcxWwOrCMcAoyDSJmWVmvzfiOphm6i2U2PkxUCe7l/s1600-h/0_pan_building.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOzrH9Sb2A_Gk8evmQtFVUvj6mJwonOZM108YTJjzTYjLnGSUiAyHBCTqYtV8fSEaIxH_dK7VMc97D3M6jgRtl2UVa7_i4OF7N0SWcxWwOrCMcAoyDSJmWVmvzfiOphm6i2U2PkxUCe7l/s400/0_pan_building.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114430350256378146" border="0" /></a><br />The view from the subway station near Betty's. It's the new Shanghai World Finance Centre tower, to be 2nd tallest in the world.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQ1Don2ezSF_LWBR_-I8PP3TKRk-NSEr25htskGrwQonbj3dO_BKJDyjt1FCz1bZDEB1weFFjMK5sIHa7zkC3AHukfqboWUznWXgaWre9fpTuaBUqjXrtYY8rrYqQVXoz11DFulcenuQD/s1600-h/CRW_7699.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQ1Don2ezSF_LWBR_-I8PP3TKRk-NSEr25htskGrwQonbj3dO_BKJDyjt1FCz1bZDEB1weFFjMK5sIHa7zkC3AHukfqboWUznWXgaWre9fpTuaBUqjXrtYY8rrYqQVXoz11DFulcenuQD/s400/CRW_7699.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114429224974946546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRHmsoCbIn8GnL59TcnDV8AS0x2SK5OJt4VzSEfxn4yX5Zlge7K3-BBAIc97pjSmpUMHGX_KkNDb7o6wKWE6TKn8eVgmCNEreThb_lGyhVyfev9nPJQKqrIWeey2vkL4rLhnO0jRvfr1F/s1600-h/CRW_7700.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRHmsoCbIn8GnL59TcnDV8AS0x2SK5OJt4VzSEfxn4yX5Zlge7K3-BBAIc97pjSmpUMHGX_KkNDb7o6wKWE6TKn8eVgmCNEreThb_lGyhVyfev9nPJQKqrIWeey2vkL4rLhnO0jRvfr1F/s400/CRW_7700.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114429267924619522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwu5E7bMB2GJJxcs3-vUCMCgA4ZW78HO0NMQ6GIrVOgdU0g1KTc5igIYdHf1d3cuAsJTT37RmyJgSE9K5wLe6RS0vuUFHZoIBao84HuExg6Rhx2T5Hq7FIgrXDUWXlXznFZFZNmw6zt1Rw/s1600-h/CRW_7710.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwu5E7bMB2GJJxcs3-vUCMCgA4ZW78HO0NMQ6GIrVOgdU0g1KTc5igIYdHf1d3cuAsJTT37RmyJgSE9K5wLe6RS0vuUFHZoIBao84HuExg6Rhx2T5Hq7FIgrXDUWXlXznFZFZNmw6zt1Rw/s400/CRW_7710.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114428357391552626" border="0" /></a><br /></span></div><br /><br />It's a three-story condo in an area resembling a row of townhouses. It it very modern, spacious, open-concept. The key features are: inlaid heated wooden floors, two bedrooms both equipped with ensuite bathrooms, two other bathrooms (one main floor, one third floor), high ceilings, complete kitchen with oven and fully sized fridge (both unusual in China), separated games/dining area, 40" plasma TV, leather couch and cozychair, twin sinks in master bedroom ensuite, Queen beds, 24hour security and guarded gateway, taxi service... and it's been recently sold so I'm not pitching anything here. It was very very snazzy in a very upscale neighbourhood... and I haven't stopped wondering how we were so fortunate. And the best part: it came alongside Betty, an awesome friend who made the Shanghai trip unforgettable.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />The view from the balcony<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpbO2nChU7EudSAgdpMMGOYbPGtUXGUHysC0zC-wITxh2KI8-FerC2toKanUxvDH1FRxmdjuXfalBodFscFgydtozQhbmJgOFjLDbHtxrECd63FUqYUGykaschiZdDomlP6oQPL9xzuev/s1600-h/0_pan_shanghai+garden_resize.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpbO2nChU7EudSAgdpMMGOYbPGtUXGUHysC0zC-wITxh2KI8-FerC2toKanUxvDH1FRxmdjuXfalBodFscFgydtozQhbmJgOFjLDbHtxrECd63FUqYUGykaschiZdDomlP6oQPL9xzuev/s400/0_pan_shanghai+garden_resize.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114429169140371650" border="0" /></a><br />The main bedroom ensuite bathroom<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF450tyuzB8cMClXtYgigTwQrNPjZdRR-ciu6x2a1RxyH4J762q6VmoK3PSVQlEUtU6VdojJ1QidASJ-MSdpV17uep5DRRvUD9OwaWAa0OfKDKzJLsZQgQRoCJAA5OHMeBVjbxExr7oGBO/s1600-h/0pan_living+room_resize.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF450tyuzB8cMClXtYgigTwQrNPjZdRR-ciu6x2a1RxyH4J762q6VmoK3PSVQlEUtU6VdojJ1QidASJ-MSdpV17uep5DRRvUD9OwaWAa0OfKDKzJLsZQgQRoCJAA5OHMeBVjbxExr7oGBO/s400/0pan_living+room_resize.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114429220679979234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5C2xoOfLVs96e863jEe2KDyKZBiE6Fi2P86Vraz8FTM6hqqiOqUtHQNVO6SpnjsQZEH5H52a4-LbtnH5mils0lS_tyCxyaj9FfQKZRsXIqZRVfuv37dGPIEsNUSXt20LlQc7jtnMX0TN4/s1600-h/0_pan_bathroom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5C2xoOfLVs96e863jEe2KDyKZBiE6Fi2P86Vraz8FTM6hqqiOqUtHQNVO6SpnjsQZEH5H52a4-LbtnH5mils0lS_tyCxyaj9FfQKZRsXIqZRVfuv37dGPIEsNUSXt20LlQc7jtnMX0TN4/s400/0_pan_bathroom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114430341666443538" border="0" /></a><br />The storm<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYpaBoU6Da-OiAw_P-RmebaqULVWQs4npZuJKlePmF6bKQesIqZWzULNa5UsdTgh9Z26ssxa0JQQwvM3kpJHSWSKhD8qsmdaPAYMsapUWodU6gW1Y8kKQScB5vMwgcK7-nIEo1dY7f4ex/s1600-h/IMG_7818c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYpaBoU6Da-OiAw_P-RmebaqULVWQs4npZuJKlePmF6bKQesIqZWzULNa5UsdTgh9Z26ssxa0JQQwvM3kpJHSWSKhD8qsmdaPAYMsapUWodU6gW1Y8kKQScB5vMwgcK7-nIEo1dY7f4ex/s400/IMG_7818c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114118819098528706" border="0" /></a><br />Craig the male gigolo.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ltHqDAkK3oWljwupqFQmhywjtGQ7hWny3ng8v2CyylY_e44LBzHY_VvH9EHefPQ_BVAn7bN-nxUIZ1H0WtCAj-Tm5Yl_MQIflhIWvvnZtX-rgyORHTjGT432HtGnRjvK7ymC-uqY3kDL/s1600-h/CRW_7715.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ltHqDAkK3oWljwupqFQmhywjtGQ7hWny3ng8v2CyylY_e44LBzHY_VvH9EHefPQ_BVAn7bN-nxUIZ1H0WtCAj-Tm5Yl_MQIflhIWvvnZtX-rgyORHTjGT432HtGnRjvK7ymC-uqY3kDL/s400/CRW_7715.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114428357391552642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Wa3aa2ZmJLhklmdY-ys6XOWcMuZWE12uU1G4MtQGueFTC3fhRYm5lCXo5XHYjBaMyWw5pXchjGAMalENvMt6AR2aPs5AONM9kiBOQuyqBFJU1GknblFVcNE7S5TSF-xZJlbWQsJj4fny/s1600-h/CRW_7716.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Wa3aa2ZmJLhklmdY-ys6XOWcMuZWE12uU1G4MtQGueFTC3fhRYm5lCXo5XHYjBaMyWw5pXchjGAMalENvMt6AR2aPs5AONM9kiBOQuyqBFJU1GknblFVcNE7S5TSF-xZJlbWQsJj4fny/s400/CRW_7716.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114428361686519954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nUcd3eUe-8y79RQaDi1Jp9A27-X7Dosuo4EwUYPL95eF-ymLBsBwqqzbW8gcOOmmCoKWoCEQwGU1wftwRjoSCglkAfIjZOCPub6bqavqh-4cllliLWANCYq2Z33XiBivt3rFhI7R6p4z/s1600-h/CRW_7728.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nUcd3eUe-8y79RQaDi1Jp9A27-X7Dosuo4EwUYPL95eF-ymLBsBwqqzbW8gcOOmmCoKWoCEQwGU1wftwRjoSCglkAfIjZOCPub6bqavqh-4cllliLWANCYq2Z33XiBivt3rFhI7R6p4z/s400/CRW_7728.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114428361686519970" border="0" /></a><br />This is at the main gate of Shanghai Garden, the name of the condo complex. Notice the wonderful Chinglish.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7Sli8SUqoG8j4MIfraEKrzmjzzkLewF_rVz9wb1hWrDoGQf1V-I-mD_ALaVVIVEPCyBrDL2-uy_csEEx8cG6DQpY0-bDIQmiU7hiNLyK4M9HykrDLuO4-u4XoEKarZqluHyMhnIExAPL/s1600-h/IMG_7822c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7Sli8SUqoG8j4MIfraEKrzmjzzkLewF_rVz9wb1hWrDoGQf1V-I-mD_ALaVVIVEPCyBrDL2-uy_csEEx8cG6DQpY0-bDIQmiU7hiNLyK4M9HykrDLuO4-u4XoEKarZqluHyMhnIExAPL/s400/IMG_7822c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114118819098528722" border="0" /></a><br /></span></div><br /><br />Sam and Craig had already been there a day, and had settled into the apartment. We'd planned on going out shortly after I got there, but a storm blew in, and the rain was heavy and impressive, as was the lightning. I took about 200 pictures throughout the trip trying to capture lighting, all to no avail. It's a bitch without a tripod and external shutter... enough said. We sat out the storm watching the movie 300... the unfortunate result of exceptionally creative cinematography dampened by poor scripting. Again, enough said. When the rain stopped, we sortied. First stop: Jinmao tower.<br /><br />Jinmao tower is currently the tallest building in China, and <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001338.html"> the fifth tallest in the world </a> (4th if you don't count KL's Petronas Towers as two separate building). This building also contains the worlds tallest hotel, the Grand Hyatt, occupying the top portion. Unfortunately, the view is usually pretty smogged up. There is however a pretty impressive view of the neighbouring building, still under construction. The Shanghai World Financial Center is set to become the second tallest building in the world, only 50ft shorter than the Taipei 101. In a few years, yet another mammoth is being built, forming a near-straight line of supertowers in the heart of Shanghai. Only the rough initial construction can be made out for that building.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Shanghai World Financial Centre<br />Jinmao from the ground, and on the right, the Shanghai World Finance Centre Tower.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3yGecoOalBzJEa2AupRL5ShrFkRfwYV4nF2_Zvu4YIYlJ2ung2IXxxk4v-XWhaJ1uUgndhbqLdmf2KXX36RFPPE5WyGmirxfZxu71O-shiopBvEZWPYbn9UOB9COmDcsF6uuBPi61dnM/s1600-h/IMG_7823c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3yGecoOalBzJEa2AupRL5ShrFkRfwYV4nF2_Zvu4YIYlJ2ung2IXxxk4v-XWhaJ1uUgndhbqLdmf2KXX36RFPPE5WyGmirxfZxu71O-shiopBvEZWPYbn9UOB9COmDcsF6uuBPi61dnM/s400/IMG_7823c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114118823393496034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCgTM84oPMZQ2k3GxqzBheEc4y1y4GvYeXFpaiTdNaGebZU6aQx3oY7IeilQV8I9Mm0jixu2smckJHb4xvL6lomQLZAMUZ80aK2p-uNIdq2wZ-w3vijv7doQ_MudsiDa8KqAP3DwlgZzW/s1600-h/IMG_7824c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCgTM84oPMZQ2k3GxqzBheEc4y1y4GvYeXFpaiTdNaGebZU6aQx3oY7IeilQV8I9Mm0jixu2smckJHb4xvL6lomQLZAMUZ80aK2p-uNIdq2wZ-w3vijv7doQ_MudsiDa8KqAP3DwlgZzW/s400/IMG_7824c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114118827688463346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar9GA2-59WRatZ-UYlfDc5KhLwZUkLLAW7zfguel5q3CqcDpwVewaA2ypOsXZ1lPtc9PCm4c9JFeGUB5X2Q0DU_Vxx39HC9M5H1WYsxm4nxjXSsWGFsWTQilGFhIB2icD7-KwzNa4ZSJv/s1600-h/IMG_7829c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar9GA2-59WRatZ-UYlfDc5KhLwZUkLLAW7zfguel5q3CqcDpwVewaA2ypOsXZ1lPtc9PCm4c9JFeGUB5X2Q0DU_Vxx39HC9M5H1WYsxm4nxjXSsWGFsWTQilGFhIB2icD7-KwzNa4ZSJv/s400/IMG_7829c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114118831983430658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCItc34RQITjJ_c4svZooWn5jGPe7-TaLZL04kQSCc1ZiyVWtbywk_5m58gdUFu7pQHGwRv6pJpE_qB-P7OXl26HHdOOzss7F3ivxYiq7O9p3v5r3y4SCi9Im2oXkT_Anbv_8eIsbPrag/s1600-h/IMG_7830c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCItc34RQITjJ_c4svZooWn5jGPe7-TaLZL04kQSCc1ZiyVWtbywk_5m58gdUFu7pQHGwRv6pJpE_qB-P7OXl26HHdOOzss7F3ivxYiq7O9p3v5r3y4SCi9Im2oXkT_Anbv_8eIsbPrag/s400/IMG_7830c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114118307997420402" border="0" /></a><br />The downtown zone, facing away from Jinmao.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_Q65_yd33llPxg9RJUIti-uvWF-0wytzj4Li4JZxNM6725BVAFnOwL_7rKuj2WouMO8uU7ecckt46Pe4UCnOJCccdnRPPoQAsNp4xzmKkCtCdRUlQ8gKFld3c-DPqG7Mnam96fPhnU2S/s1600-h/0_pan_SH_downtown.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_Q65_yd33llPxg9RJUIti-uvWF-0wytzj4Li4JZxNM6725BVAFnOwL_7rKuj2WouMO8uU7ecckt46Pe4UCnOJCccdnRPPoQAsNp4xzmKkCtCdRUlQ8gKFld3c-DPqG7Mnam96fPhnU2S/s400/0_pan_SH_downtown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114430358846312786" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK7PdquTzbIAhu5-crCI2Ij7piwm39OM6A8EHqHqNXDBgyphMtiD36SCpvD7EMmNWGdUSz7EaqN7tCYBBgerrdjHdrZxBXZIz62pC5s9M13Xg2WtFoA0afRg9i_s7Mj94v-WRph291-Kb/s1600-h/0_pan_new+building_resize.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK7PdquTzbIAhu5-crCI2Ij7piwm39OM6A8EHqHqNXDBgyphMtiD36SCpvD7EMmNWGdUSz7EaqN7tCYBBgerrdjHdrZxBXZIz62pC5s9M13Xg2WtFoA0afRg9i_s7Mj94v-WRph291-Kb/s400/0_pan_new+building_resize.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114430354551345474" border="0" /></a><br />It's the year of the pig, and Sam is delighted.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-7yL2yiyytjerSCwuFZ6hnmkljn5wcTU2dUF-MgS9ADyVvOs9bxW3zB51mohxrLPINhPPp8NW27LrLsJyrEZKXGWDqlt0mDxfM03IpDN58d-rXfxpizR5kbVgo2IaKRhWvr8-eSf-UZZ/s1600-h/CRW_7849.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-7yL2yiyytjerSCwuFZ6hnmkljn5wcTU2dUF-MgS9ADyVvOs9bxW3zB51mohxrLPINhPPp8NW27LrLsJyrEZKXGWDqlt0mDxfM03IpDN58d-rXfxpizR5kbVgo2IaKRhWvr8-eSf-UZZ/s400/CRW_7849.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114428370276454578" border="0" /></a><br />You can't quite tell from this picture, but that guy is standing on a beam about 250m above ground-level, with but a simple harness.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGClD0nDxXGZhK3ArlLWuxJl8rwu5oknMXSlLWJ9lDE7sj-ZjB69JLhqpj9xg3BNEpDl04paYWu3gyT7wGHGbfiYbWxh13KSsusVLuTKIybtkzHNnj_sxmZ7JgtFPtjDb8HpjxATnA_U1K/s1600-h/CRW_7855_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGClD0nDxXGZhK3ArlLWuxJl8rwu5oknMXSlLWJ9lDE7sj-ZjB69JLhqpj9xg3BNEpDl04paYWu3gyT7wGHGbfiYbWxh13KSsusVLuTKIybtkzHNnj_sxmZ7JgtFPtjDb8HpjxATnA_U1K/s400/CRW_7855_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114427554232668194" border="0" /></a><br />Zoom<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBugNdydoM5Zjmals0-us_NJKS4aegLVcnR4DvS9cti1bDCoL_UT31gyAh52cQQj7Y4x82Ys8wvcE4wBsb-S5V-DxSPi86roIv3rz1m0l5kGjVDJ8LJ9jrdPt6JoiaUn19hVrHEs2z1aku/s1600-h/CRW_7855s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBugNdydoM5Zjmals0-us_NJKS4aegLVcnR4DvS9cti1bDCoL_UT31gyAh52cQQj7Y4x82Ys8wvcE4wBsb-S5V-DxSPi86roIv3rz1m0l5kGjVDJ8LJ9jrdPt6JoiaUn19hVrHEs2z1aku/s400/CRW_7855s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114427558527635506" border="0" /></a><br />The Grand Hyatt as seen from the top of the tower. Trippy indeed. Kinda like something out of Star Wars.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9PfZt5IahYaPfUDwycCsgPSrKboWbU6kD7t-kAWqCAhBE7Ostiljun4PkYorf8x8QywAZpoqbqYYO37Oq1RXsyqca0c6fwmr-S1bNQwTTDRe9ryuM9w9mpeiZDeaB282LHnVN6hfyoUk/s1600-h/CRW_7859.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9PfZt5IahYaPfUDwycCsgPSrKboWbU6kD7t-kAWqCAhBE7Ostiljun4PkYorf8x8QywAZpoqbqYYO37Oq1RXsyqca0c6fwmr-S1bNQwTTDRe9ryuM9w9mpeiZDeaB282LHnVN6hfyoUk/s400/CRW_7859.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114427562822602818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6ok2KnvEk6NFkidVs47n9wJEGo3atgUFUbuxNHfDkNeiDQPfiIcVLfFEiFwvf9VisVuJwMe9Ur1MkjzzHzKS_q2qXjvmvK6IdhKUJLOkVksmHJjzOMUc6mM_g_EpJ46uf9l4wXBKTxKa/s1600-h/CRW_7860.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6ok2KnvEk6NFkidVs47n9wJEGo3atgUFUbuxNHfDkNeiDQPfiIcVLfFEiFwvf9VisVuJwMe9Ur1MkjzzHzKS_q2qXjvmvK6IdhKUJLOkVksmHJjzOMUc6mM_g_EpJ46uf9l4wXBKTxKa/s400/CRW_7860.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114427567117570130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3OPicHYmnVQKI5L0ZNTzeD2s_IRW11rjiH7N1avi2l2zK-rLNovw-u42_sEFcnkzBUzCoU4WD9RFFw3QzOxzBzLOhstI7q17MUxnlyXz_saAUedadd2fMf5BjF6HAUjGNG62ng8x8B5r/s1600-h/IMG_7832c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3OPicHYmnVQKI5L0ZNTzeD2s_IRW11rjiH7N1avi2l2zK-rLNovw-u42_sEFcnkzBUzCoU4WD9RFFw3QzOxzBzLOhstI7q17MUxnlyXz_saAUedadd2fMf5BjF6HAUjGNG62ng8x8B5r/s400/IMG_7832c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114118316587355010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqc3-nf6MDklfE4aoE24OjrMG41WtsCHBCSWKpTqNhaYrB8JmRjJBklt_FkUXw2GXNHhg_2aeFaCGudMzdqmFCWS6zzooFtWDDX4DfHw4Xb-SaGmiCFrGuNUhbV0F76MPeydiQPi5pOx5H/s1600-h/IMG_7833c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqc3-nf6MDklfE4aoE24OjrMG41WtsCHBCSWKpTqNhaYrB8JmRjJBklt_FkUXw2GXNHhg_2aeFaCGudMzdqmFCWS6zzooFtWDDX4DfHw4Xb-SaGmiCFrGuNUhbV0F76MPeydiQPi5pOx5H/s400/IMG_7833c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114118316587355026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span></div><br /><br />After Jinmao, it was dinner number one, then we reunited with Betty. Following this: shopping district (Nanjingdong lu 南京东路), drinks, hotpot (dinner number two), more drinks, arguments with the waitstaff over a 50yuan corkage fee we were not informed about, a few more drinks, then Babyface. Babyface is a line of clubs in China. I've been to one of the three in Beijing, one in Xi'an, and one in Shanghai. House music and sardine-packed dancing floors are the norm. Oh ya, and can't forget the 50yuan drinks ($8...), so predrinking is standard. When we were bored of Babyface, Betty decided (in some strange twist of misguided wisdom) to take us to a strip of hooker clubs. Now that was a funny place. We left after one of the workers insisted for the fifth time that all of us buy highly overpriced drinks... and subsequently got my middle finger in his face. Luckily they're a little worried about hassling foreigners in China, so it didn't come to a bad end. Then home, drunk, tired, but happy to be in Shanghai.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsdLJA5OK2ebckR_QsS_mvXIMrdKls2ly2jfa_Mau73xzpHBZpyfRHaZ7Z4wLWT2Wb1mx0X3No1xyivvTt05QNFCZtWgx4DXqlvrIkDuzjKOJwq_kFxzjncvvDtnTOgqRpslKRDD98yzN/s1600-h/CRW_7875.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsdLJA5OK2ebckR_QsS_mvXIMrdKls2ly2jfa_Mau73xzpHBZpyfRHaZ7Z4wLWT2Wb1mx0X3No1xyivvTt05QNFCZtWgx4DXqlvrIkDuzjKOJwq_kFxzjncvvDtnTOgqRpslKRDD98yzN/s400/CRW_7875.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114427571412537442" border="0" /></a><br />Sam and Craig being talked into buying watches. They settled on buying DVD's.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj6t30m8cc6adgnVZNxXqQmq35Sy928WQQzcGKjWFJc41VBmcy5OqkIKIzIhV4qkrz73nkdPkqWfiRq1cyBCsQw5zwdXCb8eGhR2SXUfa7AM9MMQm0rZp8_POQboKrKA9tYJS2745sejJ/s1600-h/CRW_7878.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj6t30m8cc6adgnVZNxXqQmq35Sy928WQQzcGKjWFJc41VBmcy5OqkIKIzIhV4qkrz73nkdPkqWfiRq1cyBCsQw5zwdXCb8eGhR2SXUfa7AM9MMQm0rZp8_POQboKrKA9tYJS2745sejJ/s400/CRW_7878.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114426935757377490" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezk24xsyymAOOnM2aJKG-1K2tv4EEnza7C66XJVjot2wDL5IEw6uocmKk4zZtJgdb1Ak9XCwDzxA9D9QT92DU8rsYMfReHllLZGQJkWrT7LSmjWmeJ9QLi3c9hPeCNpEbhbbA8P6u1CSv/s1600-h/CRW_7879.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezk24xsyymAOOnM2aJKG-1K2tv4EEnza7C66XJVjot2wDL5IEw6uocmKk4zZtJgdb1Ak9XCwDzxA9D9QT92DU8rsYMfReHllLZGQJkWrT7LSmjWmeJ9QLi3c9hPeCNpEbhbbA8P6u1CSv/s400/CRW_7879.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114426944347312098" border="0" /></a><br />It's a bird, it's a plane... oh wait, it's a lightbulb. Ooohhh, liiiiight....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnm_A1ZLSzHuDI1m1SIt_OFpZBpShyphenhyphenoxCuw8tzh5MfeWXCAp9w480_zbzmUiGUn9fk4BtM4GRVgfJZt2UVKfoHjfisRHxRkMUFYSPCyctYAZXAc1AbJtx8ZtDp2BvQGBGVOktaAV2sQ9WE/s1600-h/CRW_7880.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnm_A1ZLSzHuDI1m1SIt_OFpZBpShyphenhyphenoxCuw8tzh5MfeWXCAp9w480_zbzmUiGUn9fk4BtM4GRVgfJZt2UVKfoHjfisRHxRkMUFYSPCyctYAZXAc1AbJtx8ZtDp2BvQGBGVOktaAV2sQ9WE/s400/CRW_7880.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114426948642279410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPjamNbvIRylIc0R9DG-60P1ePWTYEKs_ZU4pWshKHI3QmWqG8KZfqNvn9TDn1myvty1bd9t7I1u-gBjNvk0RYFFT9UfY9ayxU2a4X2d6zDDeOOrakVxglfjqAD12axPXBYWwe_6kRn5e/s1600-h/CRW_7881.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPjamNbvIRylIc0R9DG-60P1ePWTYEKs_ZU4pWshKHI3QmWqG8KZfqNvn9TDn1myvty1bd9t7I1u-gBjNvk0RYFFT9UfY9ayxU2a4X2d6zDDeOOrakVxglfjqAD12axPXBYWwe_6kRn5e/s400/CRW_7881.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114426952937246722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippi-YoPDks5sHx-MEniZ2Ly9dNKVOU8JLafnefTNyrmN6DiGg6lBgDpjpOU-MqoupkkLx3eLzOopmlQqAbmR6RMZYcgJpOwHHnGUX4rhHjX6nbgjKoYtniwpExczc_BY3z7uFnlzfAwsH/s1600-h/CRW_7889.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippi-YoPDks5sHx-MEniZ2Ly9dNKVOU8JLafnefTNyrmN6DiGg6lBgDpjpOU-MqoupkkLx3eLzOopmlQqAbmR6RMZYcgJpOwHHnGUX4rhHjX6nbgjKoYtniwpExczc_BY3z7uFnlzfAwsH/s400/CRW_7889.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114426957232214034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifitWnFjbP1lX5PF9bDa5TGbllbwmVaHqJlQwNE_IxzBbwXbX57PGkARDziCieHMh5C2KgShj-X_k3zsJrJh6Ol9CmO8KOOA6v4ZhPmBr4R3I-mabwLNiBjc2_C-DJRImfYRIw-88i_tO/s1600-h/CRW_7890.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifitWnFjbP1lX5PF9bDa5TGbllbwmVaHqJlQwNE_IxzBbwXbX57PGkARDziCieHMh5C2KgShj-X_k3zsJrJh6Ol9CmO8KOOA6v4ZhPmBr4R3I-mabwLNiBjc2_C-DJRImfYRIw-88i_tO/s400/CRW_7890.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114423053106941826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6sneESjBAJrzn_DQmiY-ifxL1zqqJmgVwq3eY5tQhzL5YI7QtWXcNJacvoEuGhpKkBESQV738WzD4xGSzxkDN68qM7IPMq6y_vqXB-ijgs-WmQKk8t5AHV3_qCX3oho1Qsq9Eua9jPUw/s1600-h/CRW_7891.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6sneESjBAJrzn_DQmiY-ifxL1zqqJmgVwq3eY5tQhzL5YI7QtWXcNJacvoEuGhpKkBESQV738WzD4xGSzxkDN68qM7IPMq6y_vqXB-ijgs-WmQKk8t5AHV3_qCX3oho1Qsq9Eua9jPUw/s400/CRW_7891.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114423078876745618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmF-OoqnSOvkU93z7N34MFkpkAlrd8O3FAw4aeK2kKmFYmaULZEfvxtSWokyxWHgJJbWHlr5m_nTjtMFZsQYo8sw5Fc2Cg-uUVHSbc4utsFR3c_tlLWuZZPk5O70LHJD0XcJdWE7qvo7gM/s1600-h/CRW_7892.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmF-OoqnSOvkU93z7N34MFkpkAlrd8O3FAw4aeK2kKmFYmaULZEfvxtSWokyxWHgJJbWHlr5m_nTjtMFZsQYo8sw5Fc2Cg-uUVHSbc4utsFR3c_tlLWuZZPk5O70LHJD0XcJdWE7qvo7gM/s400/CRW_7892.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114423083171712930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluoMEMXqk7nsT2eq3yv3aEMoDPHxhxxRv2rZ18cKNMp1S8xI5GNP_Rb7vDoV9RhXY5344JtUo7wKRJvGWTpAHgb3qKLHZAgWwNAsNqXOT3uLTzJul7F059N9bUuaW2DIFWMXRmnT_DDSa/s1600-h/CRW_7894.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluoMEMXqk7nsT2eq3yv3aEMoDPHxhxxRv2rZ18cKNMp1S8xI5GNP_Rb7vDoV9RhXY5344JtUo7wKRJvGWTpAHgb3qKLHZAgWwNAsNqXOT3uLTzJul7F059N9bUuaW2DIFWMXRmnT_DDSa/s400/CRW_7894.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114423083171712946" border="0" /></a><br />Notice the number of people watching Sam. What a freak.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGV3EYXFMMaSlGx0H3XrQXQmBUQrCPHPHOCkRZvg1wxepSEYkGt2cfTyb1t13M7GEIa2FGdhprgA16n7m8ryvn2c8319LMxPwjrjW8SgD5wYVquNybkAekorH2nx9tBLIj7bKQOrqDo4z-/s1600-h/CRW_7895.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGV3EYXFMMaSlGx0H3XrQXQmBUQrCPHPHOCkRZvg1wxepSEYkGt2cfTyb1t13M7GEIa2FGdhprgA16n7m8ryvn2c8319LMxPwjrjW8SgD5wYVquNybkAekorH2nx9tBLIj7bKQOrqDo4z-/s400/CRW_7895.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114423087466680258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4X9SO34WidMvrTwwV1h-NuCOnpxXV993VT7yP22V9-N7X3N5UU3LjaPLjuItoU6Lide94CSpLJJ_QBHR2J9I44FLvxlr-Z8XDdz3vvtxlhn1yeH7y5fke7Jz5FbOVFVtsQoINzct0Pes_/s1600-h/CRW_7905.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4X9SO34WidMvrTwwV1h-NuCOnpxXV993VT7yP22V9-N7X3N5UU3LjaPLjuItoU6Lide94CSpLJJ_QBHR2J9I44FLvxlr-Z8XDdz3vvtxlhn1yeH7y5fke7Jz5FbOVFVtsQoINzct0Pes_/s400/CRW_7905.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114415901986393906" border="0" /></a><br />SOOO many people.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieK5jY7dBqrVn5nmS4npMqVs4VFeerN8DE2sa9ADqACnLOb8zbi2lAPwa0G-Cw51ppp_UydGQreQJUlCufsZugFriIJi9GwzOtxEnb7qGm_5f1V_C6DZI1ZEQ7JXKakzU5YhkI553aI-GZ/s1600-h/CRW_7908.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieK5jY7dBqrVn5nmS4npMqVs4VFeerN8DE2sa9ADqACnLOb8zbi2lAPwa0G-Cw51ppp_UydGQreQJUlCufsZugFriIJi9GwzOtxEnb7qGm_5f1V_C6DZI1ZEQ7JXKakzU5YhkI553aI-GZ/s400/CRW_7908.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114415940641099586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span></div><br /><br />Day two: Museum of Urban Development, all-you-can-eat bbq (in China! I was impressed), Oriental Pearl Tower, then more nightclubs. The Museum of Urban Development, despite it's relatively dull title, was quite impressive. There are five stories of exhibits, with the key piece being a scale model of the entire city as projected for 2020, complete with light show and greenery, and little windows on everything! It was very accurate. Another cool feature was the Shanghai virtual tour, a 10minute 360° tour of the city.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-d6M-YSpASEr1MHlF65Q_4jiSCyLVwQkwhzPFOawLlO9jHJ9BOVdy7Jjg3v7AZpl8mGlQQjzb4rpfX9GYUdWfERzWrN_J2bos-a_oNSKtJJ18GnxskUherOgIBr1-4ZPbObOKuVVFm3L/s1600-h/CRW_7925combo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-d6M-YSpASEr1MHlF65Q_4jiSCyLVwQkwhzPFOawLlO9jHJ9BOVdy7Jjg3v7AZpl8mGlQQjzb4rpfX9GYUdWfERzWrN_J2bos-a_oNSKtJJ18GnxskUherOgIBr1-4ZPbObOKuVVFm3L/s400/CRW_7925combo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114415966410903378" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAc8SvC8_7qeu-EGjk0wzo30iIZva6F0V8E1jdXYhy3lq5LbfvAd_39JWovPOs4BxdBbMgTkwfKHvjNNieO1qwRkuRELz5RmzUVBGXfZyF8D7XZEBEyVHkBKfjAeDgdrD6cPABwvv8oR2/s1600-h/CRW_7926.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAc8SvC8_7qeu-EGjk0wzo30iIZva6F0V8E1jdXYhy3lq5LbfvAd_39JWovPOs4BxdBbMgTkwfKHvjNNieO1qwRkuRELz5RmzUVBGXfZyF8D7XZEBEyVHkBKfjAeDgdrD6cPABwvv8oR2/s400/CRW_7926.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114415979295805282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJioOXmSOlwwaqLNPxc7yLrp3n87IcoT9qIpCSehc_Ub5KxoPoqn9f6ztAoMVqdgCusms4sjEgRiR8uSQaLhlp4frxnfBFL8TeuadZQkLBy4QqI8bDSog9tltZUQB_YU8ATRJPI0wc4bwG/s1600-h/CRW_7932.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJioOXmSOlwwaqLNPxc7yLrp3n87IcoT9qIpCSehc_Ub5KxoPoqn9f6ztAoMVqdgCusms4sjEgRiR8uSQaLhlp4frxnfBFL8TeuadZQkLBy4QqI8bDSog9tltZUQB_YU8ATRJPI0wc4bwG/s400/CRW_7932.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114415996475674482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhK9KhPhIgWhA5rBENHC5GASfCUYqfIgeun5yuC6GudagCQEFm7wmHhpfTrLZ_chS0hBMTSVyuOVSMzNorTe8sn94VtAyTBs7TQOsykTzPzHmp44bXuk18SC2tbBATapVZvG38SDaByoMm/s1600-h/CRW_7934.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhK9KhPhIgWhA5rBENHC5GASfCUYqfIgeun5yuC6GudagCQEFm7wmHhpfTrLZ_chS0hBMTSVyuOVSMzNorTe8sn94VtAyTBs7TQOsykTzPzHmp44bXuk18SC2tbBATapVZvG38SDaByoMm/s400/CRW_7934.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114411070148185826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKR77d-q-5ELtdhIGohKzQVs9HLPjJJSV3bArb0pLzSPMOSqwqOYr6BkkVHnD5f6ygAygbf-hnqxxNGrUOycHUzWZAXnw47EGXOoFdRqdEl552AlUzX3D3m-5pzOGt8qbTiKRpAzYKKqp/s1600-h/CRW_7935.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKR77d-q-5ELtdhIGohKzQVs9HLPjJJSV3bArb0pLzSPMOSqwqOYr6BkkVHnD5f6ygAygbf-hnqxxNGrUOycHUzWZAXnw47EGXOoFdRqdEl552AlUzX3D3m-5pzOGt8qbTiKRpAzYKKqp/s400/CRW_7935.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114411074443153138" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDZgthc8ZbY7a1548VjkNQdZ1JZqocp5HH4oN2o9FJPFItSHkJU2dQm-_Zq8RdlSYEGHtFzfMBGfwt0FgUhqrDuPfBhj-YBQRWXckMXlWTqvSWfJeJuF56o_8aUi5w1VR-INvJRTgqdwF/s1600-h/CRW_7940.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDZgthc8ZbY7a1548VjkNQdZ1JZqocp5HH4oN2o9FJPFItSHkJU2dQm-_Zq8RdlSYEGHtFzfMBGfwt0FgUhqrDuPfBhj-YBQRWXckMXlWTqvSWfJeJuF56o_8aUi5w1VR-INvJRTgqdwF/s400/CRW_7940.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114411078738120450" border="0" /></a><br />See the windows! So detailed!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2PpbAs8jzDrSqeUMzrH204l7NDgy_IYJf2ayD3p7_6KrdvmsuZDKb1gbQ8jNKoRaVW2rJDfqjNQIrmZdu6sjYTWM7SI8WG2w2iC-bVga_gBn_hxRgp3XuZG-3gFJjFvE2E5i4qWIW3f4/s1600-h/CRW_7944.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2PpbAs8jzDrSqeUMzrH204l7NDgy_IYJf2ayD3p7_6KrdvmsuZDKb1gbQ8jNKoRaVW2rJDfqjNQIrmZdu6sjYTWM7SI8WG2w2iC-bVga_gBn_hxRgp3XuZG-3gFJjFvE2E5i4qWIW3f4/s400/CRW_7944.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114411083033087762" border="0" /></a><br />View of model from above.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhui2EdtX1qaRdQ0zAtoMrELmS2DegamP0nfet1ul5fBIwa6JhVEdw-wfGdb91h44RwDWfZudyQ1f1WCedku_bfEayO-kqBqV8mfOBmBZ2gr-apHUpMOaaGYfp5_NOOvtBoCehBM9D0jhyD/s1600-h/CRW_7951.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhui2EdtX1qaRdQ0zAtoMrELmS2DegamP0nfet1ul5fBIwa6JhVEdw-wfGdb91h44RwDWfZudyQ1f1WCedku_bfEayO-kqBqV8mfOBmBZ2gr-apHUpMOaaGYfp5_NOOvtBoCehBM9D0jhyD/s400/CRW_7951.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114411091623022370" border="0" /></a><br />A cool building near museum.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpb3zh3LAwROKkb82Aw85WCuRU3bsT3H37_lLbKp2ZmbOYVksTGpxo3Xs6_HF3fy2-U6mftlvQUEe6clVJpfqvZZvvmQvfWQUnTY0SWM1DcOYocBD1d2m8TCp7hir9b4qTqZ59OODLtbv/s1600-h/CRW_8051.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpb3zh3LAwROKkb82Aw85WCuRU3bsT3H37_lLbKp2ZmbOYVksTGpxo3Xs6_HF3fy2-U6mftlvQUEe6clVJpfqvZZvvmQvfWQUnTY0SWM1DcOYocBD1d2m8TCp7hir9b4qTqZ59OODLtbv/s400/CRW_8051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114407097303436946" border="0" /></a><br /></span></div><br /><br />After we left the museum there was a massive storm, again, as there had been on the previous day. We waited it out in a mall across the street, where we found an all-you-can-eat bbq restaurant. We were hardly sold on it when we saw the initial buffet items, and the host was clearly empty-headed for not properly selling us the idea of this restaurant. After some confusing crosschat, I gathered that the bbq was currently being cooked, and would be brought out to us. It came alright, one item after the next of large, juicy, meaty selections. There must have been over 15 different items. Needless to say, we were properly stuffed. We met with Betty again afterwards, who had been spending her days doing errands and family stuff, and hit up the Oriental Pearl Tower.<br /><br />This is a bit of a sore spot for many Shanghainese. The tower is quite plainly ugly, and whatever futuristic angle they were going for was sadly lost and mangled somewhere along the way. It looks like a mixture between an alien syringe and a sex-toy. Oh well, they've gotten other things right in Shanghai. The night-time view was sketchy... smog and fog and whatever it is that darkens all China skylines didn't allow for much to be seen. However the experience was good. Highlight: Sam and I having a race around the viewing platform, starting in opposite directions, darting and deeking around the other tourists.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmDxbvsbVHLHAjJATzKraGkLYarC78MGIN2L7bfMoxfWo4-B2_tETBGLRNu1ZsK1ikYl-QHQiAVhcvB9oRKu_cQAyk1CUfVALdccJKdqUzzudKe6X1TgDMBZN_LxA_-VvRAqYSmvJdqMB/s1600-h/CRW_8052.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmDxbvsbVHLHAjJATzKraGkLYarC78MGIN2L7bfMoxfWo4-B2_tETBGLRNu1ZsK1ikYl-QHQiAVhcvB9oRKu_cQAyk1CUfVALdccJKdqUzzudKe6X1TgDMBZN_LxA_-VvRAqYSmvJdqMB/s400/CRW_8052.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114407101598404258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnD1CrKIpgx6S8KIoTSylJFkx_JW9pCa5HCX4UNk1qcOd8ytorzwlZPvEnRd6m6OAdtPPjFhXwzWkb-uFlSWiRcwTZ2oVuHldrZlhN4gwGsn7W7SCjtUw_GoNmsJJ-vxH05EE80NvgJuj/s1600-h/CRW_8053.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnD1CrKIpgx6S8KIoTSylJFkx_JW9pCa5HCX4UNk1qcOd8ytorzwlZPvEnRd6m6OAdtPPjFhXwzWkb-uFlSWiRcwTZ2oVuHldrZlhN4gwGsn7W7SCjtUw_GoNmsJJ-vxH05EE80NvgJuj/s400/CRW_8053.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114407105893371570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimab-bbpGyhyphenhyphenXIIzJfbVSA1luv14hgQmCoUo15888FKo_b-xv6-mPcHoFbzcsB0rN7PJg6scrxpgmmWgnOrVpovdT0fqSNdYbbpEC5-WPCj16urjldaN-6zPJYfosqmfo5Wi0KhbX-6YQ2/s1600-h/CRW_8054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimab-bbpGyhyphenhyphenXIIzJfbVSA1luv14hgQmCoUo15888FKo_b-xv6-mPcHoFbzcsB0rN7PJg6scrxpgmmWgnOrVpovdT0fqSNdYbbpEC5-WPCj16urjldaN-6zPJYfosqmfo5Wi0KhbX-6YQ2/s400/CRW_8054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114407110188338882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9x6AiNFLMoCidlGgQwBvp8y9motqdZtVhCB-qvCC0SdnvowF_cEiLMdVfqU5rEf6b426XrRgtoN8fYmIGPSjhxQqUxVw1i_06pHfEy4VnSDM1PuEy0nsEb75nn7PWQi9HuhDoIq9NBxqm/s1600-h/CRW_8058.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9x6AiNFLMoCidlGgQwBvp8y9motqdZtVhCB-qvCC0SdnvowF_cEiLMdVfqU5rEf6b426XrRgtoN8fYmIGPSjhxQqUxVw1i_06pHfEy4VnSDM1PuEy0nsEb75nn7PWQi9HuhDoIq9NBxqm/s400/CRW_8058.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114407114483306194" border="0" /></a><br />That's right, pure confusion.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnLd0Kv76rUuzzBKIOgRZNsrW3aRVLCfGbhbv3tWUPTcOdfFn216jCvM3esCCgKtBUeSWVUwVSuwZHZcOqpbJSmxItBlpBZrC6dZA_02wUyylyuX379BECqsNHCPqON7PFLMmwkXTVu4p/s1600-h/CRW_8063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnLd0Kv76rUuzzBKIOgRZNsrW3aRVLCfGbhbv3tWUPTcOdfFn216jCvM3esCCgKtBUeSWVUwVSuwZHZcOqpbJSmxItBlpBZrC6dZA_02wUyylyuX379BECqsNHCPqON7PFLMmwkXTVu4p/s400/CRW_8063.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114405383611485762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLRCQ3U1Krda6hbOq-Z2kFcDWmi7dsIbJr7ISzwPh0sER2UXImBc5L6yt1dHJz46o3zNJ-obWRUugWh3awhViMKv7vTkp_oZQOUiTViIGO7Qqk0SsKLix6h5wJmHZ9z0EcFC27ejiEP1H/s1600-h/CRW_8072.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLRCQ3U1Krda6hbOq-Z2kFcDWmi7dsIbJr7ISzwPh0sER2UXImBc5L6yt1dHJz46o3zNJ-obWRUugWh3awhViMKv7vTkp_oZQOUiTViIGO7Qqk0SsKLix6h5wJmHZ9z0EcFC27ejiEP1H/s400/CRW_8072.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114405387906453074" border="0" /></a><br />This is what happens when you give Sam a camera... pure blur.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVabo0tb56ZmKiIcH0YYgqx6s9Lmf8P-GVtU_6Oq0cfTOriedoYdyZFw931x3duzhw0MrzATttRaXYl17nubMsAM6Zk31O4BqA_BO1NZj0KrQqvuU0vjVXVscWqMPae9c4RRA59E_53DG/s1600-h/CRW_8074.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVabo0tb56ZmKiIcH0YYgqx6s9Lmf8P-GVtU_6Oq0cfTOriedoYdyZFw931x3duzhw0MrzATttRaXYl17nubMsAM6Zk31O4BqA_BO1NZj0KrQqvuU0vjVXVscWqMPae9c4RRA59E_53DG/s400/CRW_8074.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114405392201420386" border="0" /></a><br />It was a beautiful sunny day in Shanghai... when some guy tried to pawn off another person's picture for his own.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkhGjHRV9iW0YiwlUOM8hgrQKoNSnE-0V_ClKNYTgiw2sfa46osGytbGvrFkoDJL1qk3qukIIyU2wNx2h9s2mAjCYx6TEpjSWaQDQ2RZLo6prVGsKM9uh59qgXT0g5TmGN3WoC5c7U4td/s1600-h/CRW_8078.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkhGjHRV9iW0YiwlUOM8hgrQKoNSnE-0V_ClKNYTgiw2sfa46osGytbGvrFkoDJL1qk3qukIIyU2wNx2h9s2mAjCYx6TEpjSWaQDQ2RZLo6prVGsKM9uh59qgXT0g5TmGN3WoC5c7U4td/s400/CRW_8078.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114405396496387698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMAwQOzwQg6NAiZ4UCq3kDznleCUE2ykNgmZgjSUHzA9YNAu1wYR4lM-9oCRfBHAyGI53K2b5GP6tgafSimv4nT_E5ZxrEUb3QhhznrGkOjgsdIfnE1XyTQfr3PuGN_TtlzSddN3BB5wf/s1600-h/CRW_8082.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMAwQOzwQg6NAiZ4UCq3kDznleCUE2ykNgmZgjSUHzA9YNAu1wYR4lM-9oCRfBHAyGI53K2b5GP6tgafSimv4nT_E5ZxrEUb3QhhznrGkOjgsdIfnE1XyTQfr3PuGN_TtlzSddN3BB5wf/s400/CRW_8082.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114405396496387714" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1q4zs0_qf_4baiVZurvjDl4oVmsVTIPF9HVK8MPimg78HtJS5XoXntq8mBa4pCXgW88zmg-kFOQ_col3FeRvnJp9bP46pSfJkJ9fXiJ1ouTzdtM8mNXQqkZkCpskRPJU7ugT8o5vANCJy/s1600-h/CRW_8085.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1q4zs0_qf_4baiVZurvjDl4oVmsVTIPF9HVK8MPimg78HtJS5XoXntq8mBa4pCXgW88zmg-kFOQ_col3FeRvnJp9bP46pSfJkJ9fXiJ1ouTzdtM8mNXQqkZkCpskRPJU7ugT8o5vANCJy/s400/CRW_8085.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114402604767645170" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuTf7i-sbkRTCFf1wowTnU48VcE6PVW8Up1-lWmqyi8S-pAHrvdch47-hXIEOo0wbQ_03913LwNm8waDdM3D7qxZopKQEo7WqygcPlz75LQogsMo37aFawMoo91fbPIzh7_RRfaETQwLW/s1600-h/CRW_8087.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuTf7i-sbkRTCFf1wowTnU48VcE6PVW8Up1-lWmqyi8S-pAHrvdch47-hXIEOo0wbQ_03913LwNm8waDdM3D7qxZopKQEo7WqygcPlz75LQogsMo37aFawMoo91fbPIzh7_RRfaETQwLW/s400/CRW_8087.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114402609062612482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyc6YUBILOwJjcGSGOW-q8wfQxUbxRIhzAUe_sCOty9Yc4WxhgNJSOe6ze9_51DP2BpYaxOERhvwXlCiGhfZiZCpczEITlDNRvQXwRq3Kb_BcUBHoZ2t3bGxZty1EFaQ2m_rVwQnLX3uRm/s1600-h/CRW_8090.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyc6YUBILOwJjcGSGOW-q8wfQxUbxRIhzAUe_sCOty9Yc4WxhgNJSOe6ze9_51DP2BpYaxOERhvwXlCiGhfZiZCpczEITlDNRvQXwRq3Kb_BcUBHoZ2t3bGxZty1EFaQ2m_rVwQnLX3uRm/s400/CRW_8090.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114402609062612498" border="0" /></a><br />They were photographing us, and I got him in the act. So odd...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0VqqazEHSYiZ3y_Gk8MhxI6z8WJ8RnM4Mdy6Z6v2AYwg_UglD4Wtp4F0HP2gvyg80hNfDjTt6Dctz-rS9vwzXakflB07fknz04LRN-ecDVKClLh7zciww3dL6K0-Tl11W6IaAiwNGFls/s1600-h/CRW_8094.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0VqqazEHSYiZ3y_Gk8MhxI6z8WJ8RnM4Mdy6Z6v2AYwg_UglD4Wtp4F0HP2gvyg80hNfDjTt6Dctz-rS9vwzXakflB07fknz04LRN-ecDVKClLh7zciww3dL6K0-Tl11W6IaAiwNGFls/s400/CRW_8094.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114402613357579810" border="0" /></a><br />Floor number... these two were just randoms.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47D3Kmvp0hMmRwHcPApUFCD1xiSxF8rfdyrptQxZl7O7gnPageGVulPIXcGLPbdMKF8zqjUfz9odkUchBImTizu2sebQlT7Vyd3Pf5gw580BYPJqdfBL0BbEKZJT4YEVzIy53MkFv4jhR/s1600-h/CRW_8096.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47D3Kmvp0hMmRwHcPApUFCD1xiSxF8rfdyrptQxZl7O7gnPageGVulPIXcGLPbdMKF8zqjUfz9odkUchBImTizu2sebQlT7Vyd3Pf5gw580BYPJqdfBL0BbEKZJT4YEVzIy53MkFv4jhR/s400/CRW_8096.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114402617652547122" border="0" /></a><br />Wax figure.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAngEGl2JH8PIFbaPg8m0_IHr5_GdMfEMQQr8KemRrxJWGUiRdGsx7euBIZqK15GePrHoMDYUIwGaQMsnyDj2vlWy-e0FnFSDN8QZemsFCaLfl9Hg11FA43T8luKx6O6xQdzEwalqJ_-X/s1600-h/CRW_8102.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAngEGl2JH8PIFbaPg8m0_IHr5_GdMfEMQQr8KemRrxJWGUiRdGsx7euBIZqK15GePrHoMDYUIwGaQMsnyDj2vlWy-e0FnFSDN8QZemsFCaLfl9Hg11FA43T8luKx6O6xQdzEwalqJ_-X/s400/CRW_8102.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114400148046351778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnmGWrVj8IpHyThMuQtKYQVbEt8O8NOrhXSTGTf2WDFZ1-JqTq6TlKJIYYTFlp_sVGABv6fkd6998gKPyAaZcDxGU6jRr5oUpxZYu-xp-9boTl14x3-DR_VOCv0cmPovsYJnI3cZU7Y-3/s1600-h/CRW_8105.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnmGWrVj8IpHyThMuQtKYQVbEt8O8NOrhXSTGTf2WDFZ1-JqTq6TlKJIYYTFlp_sVGABv6fkd6998gKPyAaZcDxGU6jRr5oUpxZYu-xp-9boTl14x3-DR_VOCv0cmPovsYJnI3cZU7Y-3/s400/CRW_8105.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114400152341319090" border="0" /></a><br />The store clerks were SO thrilled we were making a mess.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0a0SHYITIPzXBZOJ7y3C9AsWAfve1LQG0FgM8Dx9bWbgdSyRjJbO83JhRmzB6BU4LPvH2dzoB00lq-gd5Z1sswR9ZsQj9Uw-HXDznJx1NEY_Spwcb6Asn0KsUV52kYW3VsibHmS0i2Vi/s1600-h/CRW_8114.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0a0SHYITIPzXBZOJ7y3C9AsWAfve1LQG0FgM8Dx9bWbgdSyRjJbO83JhRmzB6BU4LPvH2dzoB00lq-gd5Z1sswR9ZsQj9Uw-HXDznJx1NEY_Spwcb6Asn0KsUV52kYW3VsibHmS0i2Vi/s400/CRW_8114.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114400156636286402" border="0" /></a><br />So glad to have captured this forever.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqaoicuXrbddiIlWilUZ4XVRm1Zg4QG3XXNhoAMaJBma9UE2pdGiosXMh6FC0FJZptDYaTTTQLvxU4hdkCzP-1eM3bcocBfuhG8BQPvVVAL4nRUp4iSMSraICrZJl-0Q6ia7hty05fABn/s1600-h/CRW_8115.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqaoicuXrbddiIlWilUZ4XVRm1Zg4QG3XXNhoAMaJBma9UE2pdGiosXMh6FC0FJZptDYaTTTQLvxU4hdkCzP-1eM3bcocBfuhG8BQPvVVAL4nRUp4iSMSraICrZJl-0Q6ia7hty05fABn/s400/CRW_8115.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114400160931253714" border="0" /></a><br /></span></div><br /><br />At night we passed by an Ice Bar (all ice... they give you jackets), but they were closing. So we went to... oh man, I don't even remember. Does it matter? Are you still reading this rant of a blog?<br /><br />Day three: Zhouzhuang 周庄 roadtrip, fancy Shanghainese restaurant, clubs. Craig did his own thing this day, while Sam, Betty and I went to Zhouzhuang. Zhouzhuang is about 45min by car West of Shanghai. It's an old city, restored and now used as a tourist location, although there are people that live in the old section also. Despite its general touristy-categorization, it was quite beautiful, serene and overall, very nice. On top of that, Betty let me drive the blingin' Lexus 350 on the way home! Freaking sweet ride. I think I clocked a speeding ticket though (sorry Betty :( ) because it's all done by sensors and cameras here. We found out from Craig that there had been a horrific downpour in Shanghai earlier that day, which had flooded many of underpasses downtown. It had occurred roughly at the same time the rain had come on the previous two days. Luckily it never passed over Zhouzhuang.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6Ze0BEE_hE9iLFj40vb-GQinATGBI46y_UQ9A8FY0iH6Qqzo-WZpXXSkGV7TcFahDIk02s3KhSidEq_9EcUmyEYNVG_OkZcuZUjJGBq75njHe7-hW36sOk7GOrNOX89U7IHgfMjnSVNU/s1600-h/CRW_8169.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6Ze0BEE_hE9iLFj40vb-GQinATGBI46y_UQ9A8FY0iH6Qqzo-WZpXXSkGV7TcFahDIk02s3KhSidEq_9EcUmyEYNVG_OkZcuZUjJGBq75njHe7-hW36sOk7GOrNOX89U7IHgfMjnSVNU/s400/CRW_8169.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114400165226221026" border="0" /></a><br />Turtles having a snack.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYcfHIV2Y4dBmU6XatSn7AUynxqfVfjbiEZd3j3jbsEQNz_IqC1hJbtH_MtuFOlEEoRDSetD0HYWjUUAyCBRrGtg3YpeJxNPfvW3PX08YC3L4nwV9KTlXm9dGktzLinUSiARf9o7WsHd-/s1600-h/CRW_8172.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYcfHIV2Y4dBmU6XatSn7AUynxqfVfjbiEZd3j3jbsEQNz_IqC1hJbtH_MtuFOlEEoRDSetD0HYWjUUAyCBRrGtg3YpeJxNPfvW3PX08YC3L4nwV9KTlXm9dGktzLinUSiARf9o7WsHd-/s400/CRW_8172.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114393486552075602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VIAv1k3XatHDJrW1aBX5wEpA-njocQYdKG-wTBUaJgkdYXrUzxJqGIehC5Q6vbUbpWk2NGI4GeWXDkVL6tlTArO8cRyIT1jPnpUPbusiqSpiJt1exk9gqe2weHINNzRpoydA1KdaPdjn/s1600-h/CRW_8181.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VIAv1k3XatHDJrW1aBX5wEpA-njocQYdKG-wTBUaJgkdYXrUzxJqGIehC5Q6vbUbpWk2NGI4GeWXDkVL6tlTArO8cRyIT1jPnpUPbusiqSpiJt1exk9gqe2weHINNzRpoydA1KdaPdjn/s400/CRW_8181.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114393490847042914" border="0" /></a><br />A kitty friend I made.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZg_CYhGP8XPgEdSSJkt625EI9_5PVr-kFoY16gWKAcp7LAHMsGonN834INkoh9gPUwnSWnW8TjjA553S8ObIXx4OnqgZ6CUR5u8ZeTlu2HGuhPWsq8xL6Q5rXMR__TXwSPeBibnKXaRo/s1600-h/CRW_8190.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZg_CYhGP8XPgEdSSJkt625EI9_5PVr-kFoY16gWKAcp7LAHMsGonN834INkoh9gPUwnSWnW8TjjA553S8ObIXx4OnqgZ6CUR5u8ZeTlu2HGuhPWsq8xL6Q5rXMR__TXwSPeBibnKXaRo/s400/CRW_8190.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114393490847042930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3uGaQxZ_8d3QCn6zlK5oTUujOT9kx0MRMggBVwhjBhndGiTGbgDn8v6b3BLVny77n-6RqdVWgMXGMhyFTFnE_d3HUho9dn4crcJTSdS8QFWqLkqz_JQ8CjCx4ziBQNSFCFHtK58nVdk4/s1600-h/CRW_8198.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3uGaQxZ_8d3QCn6zlK5oTUujOT9kx0MRMggBVwhjBhndGiTGbgDn8v6b3BLVny77n-6RqdVWgMXGMhyFTFnE_d3HUho9dn4crcJTSdS8QFWqLkqz_JQ8CjCx4ziBQNSFCFHtK58nVdk4/s400/CRW_8198.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114393499436977538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Sq6Jq8x4IjnvYBixfzbPA_GbtLNKPfX01NWRFzsau6pkKn7NX5wYmMijwd7Q-ow_6ZmqOMqJNWRyd_8Odwo6Tw1zBUvjkQznlJ5LROjKY-84sYIHSNx6Klz8q-vuJm4EFFCS2nF85bEg/s1600-h/CRW_8201.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Sq6Jq8x4IjnvYBixfzbPA_GbtLNKPfX01NWRFzsau6pkKn7NX5wYmMijwd7Q-ow_6ZmqOMqJNWRyd_8Odwo6Tw1zBUvjkQznlJ5LROjKY-84sYIHSNx6Klz8q-vuJm4EFFCS2nF85bEg/s400/CRW_8201.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114393503731944850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vWlkX1YQ7hEWhQhGqFGSyuxQTwGrdxakhHkoXWbryOyKVjSB80oNnm6vsHMgbjZW5DDJqig0AAqxSLbsuvdMiy9AqU_l9FtO89-pBRz1Xl2zHue3vCbks1bT1xjU82OGha4yOoBYmo0O/s1600-h/CRW_8204.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vWlkX1YQ7hEWhQhGqFGSyuxQTwGrdxakhHkoXWbryOyKVjSB80oNnm6vsHMgbjZW5DDJqig0AAqxSLbsuvdMiy9AqU_l9FtO89-pBRz1Xl2zHue3vCbks1bT1xjU82OGha4yOoBYmo0O/s400/CRW_8204.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114123049641315506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnzbf5gPbmzsdZAsUxLiZ4ykFeN1BaIeYYR10JS_HBH7ZV4fKSknjGp-cGm8bPQUimxo51EJdj5l0-wFDlM0haNabI2MeH-h2luBcI4XfCfRvCk1zacT41H4jp9FTX_g1XZ0k0cLJyMio/s1600-h/CRW_8210.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnzbf5gPbmzsdZAsUxLiZ4ykFeN1BaIeYYR10JS_HBH7ZV4fKSknjGp-cGm8bPQUimxo51EJdj5l0-wFDlM0haNabI2MeH-h2luBcI4XfCfRvCk1zacT41H4jp9FTX_g1XZ0k0cLJyMio/s400/CRW_8210.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114123053936282818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdO7ov4hGQdke71hCLpdMOHgHql1J6vm72yU9-b88QKX5REapkFrF7jrG452SSt7GyLKH9xvo4UJcXfEfuDC2Vt744cy6s5z8uqp0f8IcxgscfHYrnM-CpX47-9lPUbNFLR6odbPKilN_/s1600-h/CRW_8212.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdO7ov4hGQdke71hCLpdMOHgHql1J6vm72yU9-b88QKX5REapkFrF7jrG452SSt7GyLKH9xvo4UJcXfEfuDC2Vt744cy6s5z8uqp0f8IcxgscfHYrnM-CpX47-9lPUbNFLR6odbPKilN_/s400/CRW_8212.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114123058231250130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioThxGmtjajB_vZox7gW6ZM06lfYQcvM6qAr7son0JxzTqMDFbn1_CEtcAwLqfJV0P23aniVbDhjphw-jDkUfnap52oj5Oj39WJL2UGpsfIfHjXM3Pve5wJv6tgqmmo04v8hFF34mBJyOw/s1600-h/CRW_8213.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioThxGmtjajB_vZox7gW6ZM06lfYQcvM6qAr7son0JxzTqMDFbn1_CEtcAwLqfJV0P23aniVbDhjphw-jDkUfnap52oj5Oj39WJL2UGpsfIfHjXM3Pve5wJv6tgqmmo04v8hFF34mBJyOw/s400/CRW_8213.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114123062526217442" border="0" /></a><br />Betty told us that type of rock enclave was traditionally a popular place for adulterers to secretly meet. She's married. I got a pic of her in there. Hence the grouchy face.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVaTs1tFUuZuC-XNGAJ2q4k5A9xj31kg_mHr-UBfVgg-bac82hdDx9P8VN5XxJxE61KRvqtq1fGkHjQQ_Gy_MLU3IguooyuOOCrYcoTYxGd1RIQnVwnXqicYBFLFJo-KPizHur8VLeD3o/s1600-h/CRW_8222.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVaTs1tFUuZuC-XNGAJ2q4k5A9xj31kg_mHr-UBfVgg-bac82hdDx9P8VN5XxJxE61KRvqtq1fGkHjQQ_Gy_MLU3IguooyuOOCrYcoTYxGd1RIQnVwnXqicYBFLFJo-KPizHur8VLeD3o/s400/CRW_8222.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114123066821184754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipB5d8vz9jmieRkFXCZlZmO5Gk7Hj5rm6zKQbRl2eyw4rI0ZgpWBNN6-ZYReO6vBythmeKYgYFKf_jb_tUlCUIOhoL63DLgtx_haWyCXXFCMi8HYOJKyJ6T9hLaMaJhtSfPcug7PhbhZYx/s1600-h/CRW_8223.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipB5d8vz9jmieRkFXCZlZmO5Gk7Hj5rm6zKQbRl2eyw4rI0ZgpWBNN6-ZYReO6vBythmeKYgYFKf_jb_tUlCUIOhoL63DLgtx_haWyCXXFCMi8HYOJKyJ6T9hLaMaJhtSfPcug7PhbhZYx/s400/CRW_8223.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114122104748510306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrImhQqOfNarDXibaEEItD0d-b2JZcXET15hva8hc-y2yGt3ere4G5plLhP0-b5J7E3iBUwn1-LA7C_LoMScjtTQm9BabTJ8iL5Bnuu4F-z3owC2Qh12Qrc9NlgLWGIOgFEyUNBW1rgZQm/s1600-h/CRW_8225.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrImhQqOfNarDXibaEEItD0d-b2JZcXET15hva8hc-y2yGt3ere4G5plLhP0-b5J7E3iBUwn1-LA7C_LoMScjtTQm9BabTJ8iL5Bnuu4F-z3owC2Qh12Qrc9NlgLWGIOgFEyUNBW1rgZQm/s400/CRW_8225.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114122109043477618" border="0" /></a><br />Zhouzhuang temple garden area. So serene.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHQD8umgKbtEM9xjVec1igmb3JYmYbzqGKaRBOTsiX2WiVHbE6aUE9pbAZLzQ5VMjPw2hHAv-TrSLtAimbtxMwbKPfsG0cZnJICViUFQdaW3oefeGYlLuVBvFbqHvGGndqnzeKE8zTZYh/s1600-h/0_pan_zhouzhuang_temple_s_resize.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHQD8umgKbtEM9xjVec1igmb3JYmYbzqGKaRBOTsiX2WiVHbE6aUE9pbAZLzQ5VMjPw2hHAv-TrSLtAimbtxMwbKPfsG0cZnJICViUFQdaW3oefeGYlLuVBvFbqHvGGndqnzeKE8zTZYh/s400/0_pan_zhouzhuang_temple_s_resize.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114429169140371666" border="0" /></a><br /></span></div><br /><br />After some exhaustive and slightly tense GPS-guided restaurant-searching, we happened upon The Secret Garden. The food was excellent. The keynote dish had to be the oil-seared seabass... sooo goooood. Betty treated us, though it was more than plainly obvious that we should have been treating her. But Chinese customs are different, and most often guests are treated by one individual. Bills are nearly never split up, and guests nearly never pay. However Betty has lived in Canada for many years and so doesn't stick to that rule quite as rigidly as many here. So... point, counterpoint, moot.<br /><br />This was our last night in Beijing. The next day, Sam and I were taking an overnight train back to Beijing, and Craig was catching a plane to Yunnan 云南, an absolutely beautiful province in the tropical Southwest of China (one east of Tibet). We made the most out of it, hit up some new clubs (forget the names), met many people, drank many drinks. I was falling in love with Shanghai, and the feeling lent me a touch of pensiveness. I was considering moving there just to spice things up, though the urge has since settled.<br /><br />On our last day in Shanghai, we went to check out The Bund, a strip across the river from Pudong, famous for it's British colonial-era construction and fancy restaurants. Any movie highlighting Shanghai will feature a shot of this strip. After a quick lunch, Craig nearly missed his plane. Sam and I met with a friend of mine from Toronto, one of my original language exchange partners named Summer, and checked out a cool winding street with lots of food and snacks. Despite the ample choice, we only bought a few smoothies, though there were really good and cheap.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />The subway. So clean. So fast. Sweet...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOOlHBMbSjC-x6Futlx-lx14MnOp6rpaq1w03KZWCq1W1YOffro7d0ttlbFat55P5wcray1of9aW9ihNEUKt8JbJLl2yYxP5b0rq3I3Cy_lqqKBlaEk1oUdBfrMQy-AMx9X2ThN7uVISL/s1600-h/CRW_8251.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOOlHBMbSjC-x6Futlx-lx14MnOp6rpaq1w03KZWCq1W1YOffro7d0ttlbFat55P5wcray1of9aW9ihNEUKt8JbJLl2yYxP5b0rq3I3Cy_lqqKBlaEk1oUdBfrMQy-AMx9X2ThN7uVISL/s400/CRW_8251.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114122109043477634" border="0" /></a><br />The Shanghai dild..err Oriental Tower<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1W-MWgpTHUJfOrLWsOXKtqcO27710F7mRKKMxOaK8VJtpahORUgSr9ynjyspoWFhmYEtbdBQUV6tpQF9Dp4goKc5_RSxGxHR868nszV_1CkMCmfVXuuCU15VTCzaACV0MZuy-qDed0H7/s1600-h/CRW_8255.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1W-MWgpTHUJfOrLWsOXKtqcO27710F7mRKKMxOaK8VJtpahORUgSr9ynjyspoWFhmYEtbdBQUV6tpQF9Dp4goKc5_RSxGxHR868nszV_1CkMCmfVXuuCU15VTCzaACV0MZuy-qDed0H7/s400/CRW_8255.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114122117633412242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyMgtu1em3JkoqFEqIn-vvYsg0q7UBScUkvj_UWv1rYqaTFVrAuDXfEHodd1BQbH_VG4EEHygKeEJbfiU9LqBKqX7G3Mb7eQWEYkH-zCeJR9cNQxC93nGViX5PDwTJ8nllaHafwJyJL4M/s1600-h/0_pan_downtown.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyMgtu1em3JkoqFEqIn-vvYsg0q7UBScUkvj_UWv1rYqaTFVrAuDXfEHodd1BQbH_VG4EEHygKeEJbfiU9LqBKqX7G3Mb7eQWEYkH-zCeJR9cNQxC93nGViX5PDwTJ8nllaHafwJyJL4M/s400/0_pan_downtown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114430350256378162" border="0" /></a><br />The Bund<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2opvmqFRQuGdm5PKvIa3y1W4OQG7uYSRFrgH2Ve43KARJ808bTjtaY7kI6LGiBUMQadIfwpTFpCGIQbeG9dGISEh-U1XnZ3U7DxX9jizyyolI9CXBc8KQ-PCGkqnap7KdcD5NikAlslAh/s1600-h/CRW_8260.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2opvmqFRQuGdm5PKvIa3y1W4OQG7uYSRFrgH2Ve43KARJ808bTjtaY7kI6LGiBUMQadIfwpTFpCGIQbeG9dGISEh-U1XnZ3U7DxX9jizyyolI9CXBc8KQ-PCGkqnap7KdcD5NikAlslAh/s400/CRW_8260.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114122121928379554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zDzg_vv7mnrikQ6ZPzgH2yjBUJFh9Lu5v9zXOP-0fSDdltsYivhXiFakoTN2yTSeQp5fUxMvCCNjTAhyphenhyphenJd5yJugpYVFhdrcaPxcnWz6manEcB4DIXAhlUKOApd3QENSX2UXF804ImkFY/s1600-h/CRW_8262.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zDzg_vv7mnrikQ6ZPzgH2yjBUJFh9Lu5v9zXOP-0fSDdltsYivhXiFakoTN2yTSeQp5fUxMvCCNjTAhyphenhyphenJd5yJugpYVFhdrcaPxcnWz6manEcB4DIXAhlUKOApd3QENSX2UXF804ImkFY/s400/CRW_8262.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114121043891588114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWHscr20GrRTbKacRPo1CwIlPkWTHzj_K7D8WTL_bV_-G-U6Z2GQJJzxlRGKyGW5Fk2I0e786JQmrz-7ObLvi_XFBs3nkJiY8KFu7yPLIqoDHOfqBv3Fu9SGqDBzaebmGBKCg5QT6YxM4/s1600-h/CRW_8281.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWHscr20GrRTbKacRPo1CwIlPkWTHzj_K7D8WTL_bV_-G-U6Z2GQJJzxlRGKyGW5Fk2I0e786JQmrz-7ObLvi_XFBs3nkJiY8KFu7yPLIqoDHOfqBv3Fu9SGqDBzaebmGBKCg5QT6YxM4/s400/CRW_8281.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114121048186555426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB127TCYEYFPAcdYT-w2wNZDX0SWMWJT-lLlS8x97QBTKb6JUraRzL0JTMk1JPLJFnab8GSN69irArurx31w-OB8talix7eMJIeJS17Xuh8lo6D6VNRmJupYJNrJG4gVeVW-weMrh7TxlO/s1600-h/CRW_8283.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB127TCYEYFPAcdYT-w2wNZDX0SWMWJT-lLlS8x97QBTKb6JUraRzL0JTMk1JPLJFnab8GSN69irArurx31w-OB8talix7eMJIeJS17Xuh8lo6D6VNRmJupYJNrJG4gVeVW-weMrh7TxlO/s400/CRW_8283.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114121052481522738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggw3O45EfFfdnHlgCs33Vbfre1AZIdG5qrvrQFvDlVY2YKnQ2Nk0iGkQFDojEC7amESDTTU4JGTP4u8xG5IP6qJQ0RDlwLHWu-8-HEdAhxfM87iX4NJCHhI6tgqGIC1PbCkNzWDzjT1hJ4/s1600-h/CRW_8284.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggw3O45EfFfdnHlgCs33Vbfre1AZIdG5qrvrQFvDlVY2YKnQ2Nk0iGkQFDojEC7amESDTTU4JGTP4u8xG5IP6qJQ0RDlwLHWu-8-HEdAhxfM87iX4NJCHhI6tgqGIC1PbCkNzWDzjT1hJ4/s400/CRW_8284.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114121052481522754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYwkhp7prEXh8B7rEW34rh8grcGlbNolMNhSHXl2WHviYTyDKJtfs4Yxl-vndH8jlv6pBFOl2Vay-buPXLB-sIp-d7XXcOyPD-CNRpqvEQO-mrK-MJx3Md6N7HD84DzsK81Aa-t-y5BCx/s1600-h/CRW_8286.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYwkhp7prEXh8B7rEW34rh8grcGlbNolMNhSHXl2WHviYTyDKJtfs4Yxl-vndH8jlv6pBFOl2Vay-buPXLB-sIp-d7XXcOyPD-CNRpqvEQO-mrK-MJx3Md6N7HD84DzsK81Aa-t-y5BCx/s400/CRW_8286.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114121056776490066" border="0" /></a><br />This disturbed me. People were tossing coins at these turtles, who were resting in clearly unclean water. I guess some place to hang is better than none.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZ6mYYAwmj-BXt2oZGnTqCkB-iZ1VA5C4AAxJCFP6Bqxnm4q54nCNiqxZeWdDnYd4FGx6Yzh4T6uO8wmE_ZuTyCldisHzC0HEVTybXvtlzHJ1BEqs3BfPe6kil22HXRyFQ7T1Uh9WMGCu/s1600-h/IMG_8278.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZ6mYYAwmj-BXt2oZGnTqCkB-iZ1VA5C4AAxJCFP6Bqxnm4q54nCNiqxZeWdDnYd4FGx6Yzh4T6uO8wmE_ZuTyCldisHzC0HEVTybXvtlzHJ1BEqs3BfPe6kil22HXRyFQ7T1Uh9WMGCu/s400/IMG_8278.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114118320882322338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSCMYe57M8DjibjFeZ_AvYeBAxnlpNAhRbN1wgueFJoU16Gj21ENEINZAxdjk2RDK1oGDvilX8OdhTPEDPLC9CTFjdBVqI2mI2tr19HvXN0syJoAozlvPSbthyphenhyphenk7APOojlkOrimY-UJ-e/s1600-h/IMG_8279.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSCMYe57M8DjibjFeZ_AvYeBAxnlpNAhRbN1wgueFJoU16Gj21ENEINZAxdjk2RDK1oGDvilX8OdhTPEDPLC9CTFjdBVqI2mI2tr19HvXN0syJoAozlvPSbthyphenhyphenk7APOojlkOrimY-UJ-e/s400/IMG_8279.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114118325177289650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span></div><br /><br />After saying goodbye to Summer, it was nigh time for Sam and I to say goodbye to Shanghai. Of course, we took the subway the wrong way and nearly missed our train. God I hate the 'being late' feeling. Oh ya, and I can't forget, we got soaked because for the 4th day in a row, it rained.<br /><br />Despite the hardships I endured on my way there, the rest of my Shanghai trip was awesome. Beijing is very modern, but still very "China." Shanghai is metropolitan, classy, breathtaking. The pros: beautiful modern subway, exceptional cityscape, wicked shopping... and the best part: I blended in! I wasn't a "foreigner" in Shanghai, I was just another guy. Despite the modern facade of Beijing, the people here are still becoming accustomed to having foreigners living amongst them, and often "observe" me (I say that as a polite understatement). Also, I can't speak a word of Chinese without somebody saying "wow, you're Chinese is really good," even when their English is clearly superior to my Chinese. A Chinese person learning English is standard here, a foreigner learning Chinese is apparently very special.<br /><br />Shanghai cons: much more expensive than Beijing, gold-digging chicks, rainy... and oh yeah, expensive.Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-38824005563220169482007-07-07T23:31:00.002-05:002008-10-15T04:56:25.106-05:00Beihai ParkDirectly to the North of the Forbidden City is Jingshan (capital hill), which I visited on the same day I went to the Forbidden City. It is one of the two hills in the center of the city. The other is located just 600m to it's West, that is the peak of Beihai park.<br /><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.924169,116.384161&spn=0.007915,0.020084&t=k&amp;amp;amp;amp;z=16&om=1&output=embed&s=AARTsJqzARj-Z8VnW5pkPMLMmZbqrJcYpw" frameborder="no" height="350" scrolling="no" width="425"></iframe><br /><a href="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.924169,116.384161&spn=0.007915,0.020084&amp;amp;amp;amp;t=k&z=16&om=1&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left; font-size: small;">View Larger Map</a><br /></div><br />Beihai park has a long history, dating from the founding of Beijing itself. The Yuan Dynasty (translated as "First Dynasty", 1279-1368AD) was first ruled by Kublai Khan of the Mongols. It was the first time since the end of the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD) that one administration ruled all of China. They founded modern Beijing as an administrative city called Khanbalik. The first development on Beihai ('Beihai' means North Sea, but it's just a fancy name for North Lake) was Kublai Khan's first palace, called Round City (团城). Here is housed several temples, and a 3m "perfect" white jade Buddha. Later he built a larger pagoda and temple complex on an artificial hill on the center of the Jade Islet.<br /><br />Nowadays, Beihai is a pretty popular destination for those seeking relaxation and a touch of nature. The islet (Called the Jade Islet) is surrounded on the South and East by a dense growth of Waterlilies. To the East and North of the islet is the lake, which is daily spotted by paddle boats filled with families, teenagers and romancing couples. The land side has many benches for reading and enjoying the view.<br /><br />I pass by this park very often, as I pass by the Forbidden City. There are many major bus routes that go that way, and I'm often leaving from where I live in the West end to where things are happening in the East. I had seen this park from a bridge maybe thirty times before I actually went. It was a worthy trip.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />The view from the bridge I pass often.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQMJNYWJhM4aFFeWTHWLbx0SWjcPC29cbs6jnczRtIz0QHBVe33KUwzhgvduIOQdGrJiT-mo_VGt5TRHTZQ9zhyphenhyphenfDP6hW-TKD7DlEnLBVqxz_cjf0BML2JXS4tE04SbJ9TWnXvKU14J_6/s1600-h/CRW_7547.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQMJNYWJhM4aFFeWTHWLbx0SWjcPC29cbs6jnczRtIz0QHBVe33KUwzhgvduIOQdGrJiT-mo_VGt5TRHTZQ9zhyphenhyphenfDP6hW-TKD7DlEnLBVqxz_cjf0BML2JXS4tE04SbJ9TWnXvKU14J_6/s400/CRW_7547.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104154240364139122" border="0" /></a><br />Closeup of the pagoda.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9LiQIDYiXXmAv9vuRQOpoJA4ZLfCdeHC7PHHbDr9kQI7dOZ7WpmhoV3ENTFMuukruUfLZwFaIif3jAufJnZyDs-RSvBlOt7KmPc14JPACmg2WTNm2FZqyKzN2hGSL8om3WE5QYBWcenV/s1600-h/CRW_7549.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9LiQIDYiXXmAv9vuRQOpoJA4ZLfCdeHC7PHHbDr9kQI7dOZ7WpmhoV3ENTFMuukruUfLZwFaIif3jAufJnZyDs-RSvBlOt7KmPc14JPACmg2WTNm2FZqyKzN2hGSL8om3WE5QYBWcenV/s400/CRW_7549.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104154244659106434" border="0" /></a><br />The untainted symbol, this carving from nearly 700yrs ago.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JFYoMSHXR69lDjzPOtBZr3t_gEKaC_tor69-mdVmtOoqP1xUiSbii18ytWm0eSpPSiwu61fD6FmdGsW3zugPMzQbihEZIPZs9MDX_nexR7h034V0YrFdlru-xEWc8R2pf7cr-W1OWn7_/s1600-h/CRW_7555.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JFYoMSHXR69lDjzPOtBZr3t_gEKaC_tor69-mdVmtOoqP1xUiSbii18ytWm0eSpPSiwu61fD6FmdGsW3zugPMzQbihEZIPZs9MDX_nexR7h034V0YrFdlru-xEWc8R2pf7cr-W1OWn7_/s400/CRW_7555.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104154244659106450" border="0" /></a><br />The main temple in the Round City.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Qwk6XJlDYXYl4ScZVBzw6a0JXIg46kVq0AKE9AsJZIPxnoE3tRFRkwJmbCUk8P8wchZHbgBmKXfheqai1Q7sxPOypWQ_hT9Fy53-JrCk0NhnMt8ZY_FChOsxp8f5ChLtEliuo7ndWPSk/s1600-h/CRW_7556.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Qwk6XJlDYXYl4ScZVBzw6a0JXIg46kVq0AKE9AsJZIPxnoE3tRFRkwJmbCUk8P8wchZHbgBmKXfheqai1Q7sxPOypWQ_hT9Fy53-JrCk0NhnMt8ZY_FChOsxp8f5ChLtEliuo7ndWPSk/s400/CRW_7556.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104154257544008354" border="0" /></a><br />The 3m white jade Buddha. I had to take this from a long distance away, as no pictures from within were allowed.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJAG10ml86MBSPrtcwK5zMS3bmhBrfoYnE1uLGdPbrQjSsx9GV1yal8OypBSdZUOewsnLHhaEGQOGBaVQ0n6SB95KTwHgsRKrVZ1fdXcHxWjMjupp1MZKbttItfJE8uAQUEctgl_smLbA/s1600-h/CRW_7563.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJAG10ml86MBSPrtcwK5zMS3bmhBrfoYnE1uLGdPbrQjSsx9GV1yal8OypBSdZUOewsnLHhaEGQOGBaVQ0n6SB95KTwHgsRKrVZ1fdXcHxWjMjupp1MZKbttItfJE8uAQUEctgl_smLbA/s400/CRW_7563.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104149906742137378" border="0" /></a><br />The foliage.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5DguX8a6pUX4HahZTMkauo4mBNAsvlgnhX9ablYY30kPTuUErptIuxhynBvEJkyhdPopPtswzCkpAwm07kM1bmHGQ3sjoykuoI9yRuctAv2JauyNuPdBgq7F2gunKAqmD5QDRSsyF8o2/s1600-h/CRW_7572.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5DguX8a6pUX4HahZTMkauo4mBNAsvlgnhX9ablYY30kPTuUErptIuxhynBvEJkyhdPopPtswzCkpAwm07kM1bmHGQ3sjoykuoI9yRuctAv2JauyNuPdBgq7F2gunKAqmD5QDRSsyF8o2/s400/CRW_7572.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104149911037104690" border="0" /></a><br />The pagoda.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKtqQE4wU0zjz3UfWzlq2XQpz4F7O06IJ49JYDS4EWhOI74sU4BoPC_khSIh1bYvlCBZDscqrmE9ynZDo2KIWKowZ7hvRaIXURYrcFRVEU73pvbcHADAMdK_l04OOUA8tRfRfxqDYJDrW/s1600-h/CRW_7581.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKtqQE4wU0zjz3UfWzlq2XQpz4F7O06IJ49JYDS4EWhOI74sU4BoPC_khSIh1bYvlCBZDscqrmE9ynZDo2KIWKowZ7hvRaIXURYrcFRVEU73pvbcHADAMdK_l04OOUA8tRfRfxqDYJDrW/s400/CRW_7581.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104149915332072002" border="0" /></a><br />CANNONS! Out of commission though.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjEwIjcOYwY9C4YLeI2Oa1RmGMolRKNj-npn2nXkbPkyXLDQKYiA0aWkFuYSPBOkfJ-LRjpFuYWyEYU0Q3HWdxLfmMyJ88SDc_msHIMnzI-B5rB64nj6FGsTputlJOVEkmaTf3H9eWHWX/s1600-h/CRW_7583.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjEwIjcOYwY9C4YLeI2Oa1RmGMolRKNj-npn2nXkbPkyXLDQKYiA0aWkFuYSPBOkfJ-LRjpFuYWyEYU0Q3HWdxLfmMyJ88SDc_msHIMnzI-B5rB64nj6FGsTputlJOVEkmaTf3H9eWHWX/s400/CRW_7583.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104149919627039314" border="0" /></a><br />A view from the pagoda terrace of "The Egg", the new Chinese National Theater.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJRGTJtYxdJJ5CVh8N1t2rrzhICjjwcjd9a7c7apaDuOgOuBirB7uxg77e3pJzRg1NuV1IZ_Tx47SJLfW4McwazWtuscbCIjyfHdUcY3fEJLjC9rj7v8Uwg2YtGcqG0lGCvtnG_Rtr5tN/s1600-h/CRW_7598.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJRGTJtYxdJJ5CVh8N1t2rrzhICjjwcjd9a7c7apaDuOgOuBirB7uxg77e3pJzRg1NuV1IZ_Tx47SJLfW4McwazWtuscbCIjyfHdUcY3fEJLjC9rj7v8Uwg2YtGcqG0lGCvtnG_Rtr5tN/s400/CRW_7598.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104149923922006626" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CEQ_m3QMyhPPfTiK4yaHu73rOM7fZu2x5ZLDh8KtkeOYh7d5OtZAdm1V2E35-175FYO-2Utl9XdTbE5OMnRN2rnhEy_xBHXHuNo4j2H2mGJMMdxOOYrgUbH_wmbwU8aSyOPE1jx3MZr7/s1600-h/CRW_7600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CEQ_m3QMyhPPfTiK4yaHu73rOM7fZu2x5ZLDh8KtkeOYh7d5OtZAdm1V2E35-175FYO-2Utl9XdTbE5OMnRN2rnhEy_xBHXHuNo4j2H2mGJMMdxOOYrgUbH_wmbwU8aSyOPE1jx3MZr7/s400/CRW_7600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104148407798550994" border="0" /></a><br />The guys were pretty cool.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkferjtgNieWSTJRA0h1RMeQv_yUf9Bpug-mn1T2siTyP06PGuIGS-8qBfhEJMeVOVYbJgT2NTYw1mTdQoNRe-GN4o5XxFSzQ3WyqRmXNEuHn-1VngqXZvX3xByeLBSNKKNg3vHZZpOU-/s1600-h/CRW_7603.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkferjtgNieWSTJRA0h1RMeQv_yUf9Bpug-mn1T2siTyP06PGuIGS-8qBfhEJMeVOVYbJgT2NTYw1mTdQoNRe-GN4o5XxFSzQ3WyqRmXNEuHn-1VngqXZvX3xByeLBSNKKNg3vHZZpOU-/s400/CRW_7603.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104148416388485602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpVJjJKp8ltknu1emO9rpnQZuRsQtRWUXK_QYsKICfwvtQVtejnnIkAj-uXD6AE5g75rA31NAgUtDx6eyjezt4CF8GT716aqZhmLNg_BWg8D0lEbrhIUrxG8SswkV-vA8L5TlEvD4TMC3/s1600-h/CRW_7606.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpVJjJKp8ltknu1emO9rpnQZuRsQtRWUXK_QYsKICfwvtQVtejnnIkAj-uXD6AE5g75rA31NAgUtDx6eyjezt4CF8GT716aqZhmLNg_BWg8D0lEbrhIUrxG8SswkV-vA8L5TlEvD4TMC3/s400/CRW_7606.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104148420683452914" border="0" /></a><br />This is looking East, providing a view of Jingshan.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANzp15uLkJBgqE6d6hTWvg0HSBVl3_PdVCtLTi49nnGwz5WDvfT3BU2ydck6rP8iLKzKXpS94sXNBMJAE_sIw4UK22m25GK8n6ftPHcRvSAn8GinzRa66V8Dw8YPYHq-hRUXAKqvGV4S7/s1600-h/CRW_7607.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANzp15uLkJBgqE6d6hTWvg0HSBVl3_PdVCtLTi49nnGwz5WDvfT3BU2ydck6rP8iLKzKXpS94sXNBMJAE_sIw4UK22m25GK8n6ftPHcRvSAn8GinzRa66V8Dw8YPYHq-hRUXAKqvGV4S7/s400/CRW_7607.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104148424978420226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5xrhdxUUzI3LiY_u533F1cVm3y1Brp0cFF90Td5OkEc6AmmqWPqSeB0jeKXif5PKbmjEGwy2xIakyi1KFrKdh0FXMub6CHDcrh3QIqqoQagK1i21Vm2RWkXVTYTOeavMRRXLEQ_xGZEV/s1600-h/0pan_beihai_facing_SE.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5xrhdxUUzI3LiY_u533F1cVm3y1Brp0cFF90Td5OkEc6AmmqWPqSeB0jeKXif5PKbmjEGwy2xIakyi1KFrKdh0FXMub6CHDcrh3QIqqoQagK1i21Vm2RWkXVTYTOeavMRRXLEQ_xGZEV/s400/0pan_beihai_facing_SE.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104148429273387538" border="0" /></a><br />From the bottom of the S stairs.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStmWQvVJI1-bMU79ElJEz243ga6-MpNkNeE0axkFbTV43vXKi_nt9PtiTRIRb-7md0eM0V8xR9YjxJmOs-8A2mzELEga-i5_T6kedQHpDJpClSiRQQSwmL3kaeiXx_gbpJ9gG-y7rVpta/s1600-h/CRW_7616.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStmWQvVJI1-bMU79ElJEz243ga6-MpNkNeE0axkFbTV43vXKi_nt9PtiTRIRb-7md0eM0V8xR9YjxJmOs-8A2mzELEga-i5_T6kedQHpDJpClSiRQQSwmL3kaeiXx_gbpJ9gG-y7rVpta/s400/CRW_7616.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104147239567446402" border="0" /></a><br />A lot of bamboo shoots in this one garden had been carved into.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrF-t0qGD6lwK7asaT-XkRLRdrrykjBPzZkE0UBxYTaEAQ0jl0JbekPJIlvfKKxb1oW0MWr2OoKjcRAzR_yo9f9Eagsl2Jrh3b4kYj8KgKYlcE3wDcyvZ_1Q1gC20BDw8eZhmHmQjAn0j/s1600-h/CRW_7617.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrF-t0qGD6lwK7asaT-XkRLRdrrykjBPzZkE0UBxYTaEAQ0jl0JbekPJIlvfKKxb1oW0MWr2OoKjcRAzR_yo9f9Eagsl2Jrh3b4kYj8KgKYlcE3wDcyvZ_1Q1gC20BDw8eZhmHmQjAn0j/s400/CRW_7617.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104147248157381010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16Yj0UyWmBewLncEmG1w5vpdVqK91gJ8ECHTsG6xUhAA4vIbLZTZkfFo2HcO2-3wYoLxkSpjQNIdOvSkkLJ4jBuf-XZ_R0nxA9Iok1bxFf5zXl_XQSkisab_l4o6-FlnBhWyQIl9jF5jq/s1600-h/CRW_7619.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16Yj0UyWmBewLncEmG1w5vpdVqK91gJ8ECHTsG6xUhAA4vIbLZTZkfFo2HcO2-3wYoLxkSpjQNIdOvSkkLJ4jBuf-XZ_R0nxA9Iok1bxFf5zXl_XQSkisab_l4o6-FlnBhWyQIl9jF5jq/s400/CRW_7619.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104147252452348322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yj103FroT3UFoyow86QMPz0uTsxI3Nxy-xJ1wsxKeZkDQQjd8Z1IbVYszJrW5Xa-9J29_KpCz9EzAO9A1mnuXWXU8K6AAHI4M2WoMZvT4hNbYzQ5XLIz63lRgeG8snp_BABksXBtRVSu/s1600-h/CRW_7621.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yj103FroT3UFoyow86QMPz0uTsxI3Nxy-xJ1wsxKeZkDQQjd8Z1IbVYszJrW5Xa-9J29_KpCz9EzAO9A1mnuXWXU8K6AAHI4M2WoMZvT4hNbYzQ5XLIz63lRgeG8snp_BABksXBtRVSu/s400/CRW_7621.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104147261042282930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4F1RJSAIQhM4XHwGutQ3f9G6t3v0jHg25YneKNLoATwUws5VNzEUvWeNnALBUGUL1V8ioUvRiuNlt0FCJK06DNJq9JetWwDFdlt5AN3GHjpqgxiXw111GZ2B6O5MqbCmglEJ4mg1vTcVt/s1600-h/CRW_7629.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4F1RJSAIQhM4XHwGutQ3f9G6t3v0jHg25YneKNLoATwUws5VNzEUvWeNnALBUGUL1V8ioUvRiuNlt0FCJK06DNJq9JetWwDFdlt5AN3GHjpqgxiXw111GZ2B6O5MqbCmglEJ4mg1vTcVt/s400/CRW_7629.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104147261042282946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_ZDJvJVMmXArkKtfOzSjs1GxMw3bxsWm18NXV9CTDoVEakxLSS3T6lruO7JxcVFdlcqEXDXz74VoHAOjh8qnL4Sg1SaW8TXob3ARppYexf_ubjMs1hUjB9N2WE27tqo3BAmtS08oZ62V/s1600-h/CRW_7630.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_ZDJvJVMmXArkKtfOzSjs1GxMw3bxsWm18NXV9CTDoVEakxLSS3T6lruO7JxcVFdlcqEXDXz74VoHAOjh8qnL4Sg1SaW8TXob3ARppYexf_ubjMs1hUjB9N2WE27tqo3BAmtS08oZ62V/s400/CRW_7630.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104146509423006002" border="0" /></a><br />Jade Islet from the North.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWlcJS7XuKS1ShvuMTpdR3pH8JJYChhik0wf84oNlXtMd4YxtQZ8iNPUJ9yHaYEe85CRkhlxs7QMAAU5N7PMkcD17JvfONKB4ZkfCixE1TpV24CihhocbqIFtL48E7SVniLY_abkPTdov/s1600-h/CRW_7641.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWlcJS7XuKS1ShvuMTpdR3pH8JJYChhik0wf84oNlXtMd4YxtQZ8iNPUJ9yHaYEe85CRkhlxs7QMAAU5N7PMkcD17JvfONKB4ZkfCixE1TpV24CihhocbqIFtL48E7SVniLY_abkPTdov/s400/CRW_7641.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104146530897842498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14EnHMCURGyTntxmRPnUwIzyb9HTqgzkI5clc__QP2ywE9f7r-xhMcanfDScZga-xTNoSy-k4WzUqP51WFRnf9JGFzgOzNx5V4cHajc1Lj7wHN1-TpyNexJFMjN6VPyj-146Pl_je7XnJ/s1600-h/CRW_7642.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14EnHMCURGyTntxmRPnUwIzyb9HTqgzkI5clc__QP2ywE9f7r-xhMcanfDScZga-xTNoSy-k4WzUqP51WFRnf9JGFzgOzNx5V4cHajc1Lj7wHN1-TpyNexJFMjN6VPyj-146Pl_je7XnJ/s400/CRW_7642.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104146560962613586" border="0" /></a><br />The 7-dragon gate.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHk0jt1sg7ABUGmnm7ePybd5HjL-4683UK_anUhVwgWj2l-Q30woybWeN5vdlmFKS3R2yKZI3cxZJKeQg80v9NHSYQKhCPcyFhneY_XEtvJQo4tqqIhC5nRPQw8Ebf_pyaZBTFok7PJrM/s1600-h/0pan_beihai_dragons.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHk0jt1sg7ABUGmnm7ePybd5HjL-4683UK_anUhVwgWj2l-Q30woybWeN5vdlmFKS3R2yKZI3cxZJKeQg80v9NHSYQKhCPcyFhneY_XEtvJQo4tqqIhC5nRPQw8Ebf_pyaZBTFok7PJrM/s400/0pan_beihai_dragons.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104146625387123042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u-iFvdEtIDEgFe_R6r-k9Iapzr_QbDZL8xYMKLaHLmGLh6vd1DV0jJ-bnGaM84B_lSlY4dZSfEyEVZlrbkQYzPzeCMIqb12SgrxJKLNah6ka3FXinNrMDiSXfT_2R1cBS7Blgb1o3GvB/s1600-h/CRW_7649.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u-iFvdEtIDEgFe_R6r-k9Iapzr_QbDZL8xYMKLaHLmGLh6vd1DV0jJ-bnGaM84B_lSlY4dZSfEyEVZlrbkQYzPzeCMIqb12SgrxJKLNah6ka3FXinNrMDiSXfT_2R1cBS7Blgb1o3GvB/s400/CRW_7649.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104146659746861426" border="0" /></a></span></div>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-73324029598217692162007-07-07T20:42:00.003-05:002008-10-15T04:56:42.512-05:00Bittersweet Memories of Xi'anI went to Xi'an from June 29th to July 5th. It was a lot more than I expected it to be. And it was also a bitch. My little camera was stolen, and so I have none of the awesome fun-time pics that make a blog worth writing. However, I can tell the story of how my camera was stolen, at least to get it off my chest.<br /><br />First, a little background. Xi'an is one of the most ancient cities in China. It was the capital for 13 of 16 dynasties. It is one of the few cities in which the original wall encircling the inner city has been preserved. The city-centre has not been dominated by poorly-planned, overbearingly large apartment complexes. Rather it is dense with 10-12 story traditional clay-roofed buildings, radiating out from the center of the city, Zhonglou, an old drum tower. My favourite part of the downtown was the Muslim quarter, an area with old housing (some remaining Ming Dynasty houses, 1368-1644) and as much Muslim-style roast lamb one can handle. All of this complete with a very old, large-stone road.<br /><br />My camera managed to be taken from my pocket upon seeing the <a href="http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/bigwildgoose.htm">Great Goose Pagoda</a>. I was watching a fountain show and poof! Not quite that simple of course. I'd just given my camera to a friend I'd met on the train on the way over, Francisco, for him to take a picture of me in the fountain. I got pretty wet, but it was worth the shot. He returned the camera to me and I placed it in my pocket. About 1min later I wanted to snap another shot and it wasn't in my pocket. My first reaction was that perhaps I'd forgotten to get it back from Francisco. I asked him for it, and he had said he'd given it back. And <span style="font-style: italic;">then</span> I remembered getting it back, since I'd looked at the picture. By this time, perhaps an additional 20s had elapsed, possibly a minute and a half from the time it could have been taken. It was too late. I had a vague recollection of a guy standing near me, who looked out of place. Frantically, I tried to remember what he looked like, but I couldn't remember his face. I did however remember his shoes (since I thought his thin-cotton shoes were a bit out of place). I went searching for him, a madman looking at people's shoes. I had randomly chosen a direction which in retrospect was likely the wrong one. After a couple of minutes, I spotted a man who had the same type of shoes, with a group of three other guys. They seemed suspicious, and were laughing about something. He pulled something out of his pocket to check it out, and replaced it. His body blocked my view, so I assumed he had been checking out his spoils. I had found the guy. But now what?<br /><br />Francisco and his friend Olivier had come with me, and I pointed him out to Olivier. But it was clear to me that the two guys I'd randomly met on a train weren't willing to risk much for the sake of my camera. I had to take action. I cut him off, stopping the group of four. I asked him in nervous Chinese to show me his pockets. He didn't understand me the first few times I said it, so I had to raise my voice and say it more clearly. I gathered a crowd. I was nervous. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. Argh! I had no idea what to do next. What if he'd given it to one of his friends? I had to let it slide, as I had come to think it wasn't him anyway. I reported it to a police officer, no matter how futile I thought it to be. And that was the end of my Canon SD600, FULL of videos and pictures from the previous two days of traveling.<br /><br />That night I went out hard. I woke up the next morning groggy and frustrated, running over the scenario in my head repeatedly with different variations. Me grabbing his hand as he reached over, me telling him to fuck off before he even tried to grab it, me chasing him down and jumpkicking him in the back. All of these scenes brought me a mix of elation and frustration. And his face suddenly popped into my head, crystal clear. I can still picture that mofo. If I could JUST have the pictures, I would forgive the loss of the camera.<br /><br />I still managed to take some pictures with my 300D. They are only from the Xi'an Museum of History and, of course, the Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑) display. Despite the touristy-ness of the Terracotta Warriors, it still blew me away. I hadn't realized so much was left to uncover. The shrine was built about 2200 years ago. It houses the emperor of the Qin Dynasty, the dynasty during which China was unified (as is portrayed in the movie Hero). It was first re-discovered in the 70's, by farmers in the area. Since then, only a fraction of the warriors have been recovered and put on display. As well, the actual shrine in which the emperor was placed has not even begun excavation because of its complexity. China is waiting to develop the appropriate technology to extract it in the best way possible. There are myths that the shrine was made as an entire internal universe. Purportedly, the emperor's body is surrounded by pools of mercury, and there are diamonds in the ceiling to represent stars, and moonrocks on his coffin which enable it to levitate. I believe these are mostly stories children are told, but they're interesting all the same. Wikipedia has a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_warriors">lot more information</a> about this site.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Xi'an Museum of History<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaWf8ds5FzZT5dBqZoLLZ7NJeEjVYkwEkrDH8uhDG848iw2npaetOVA85dXfMkBJSQx7qAPJqGuBkvUue11gBplf7lDBCB8eTHqbxL48VLPhqNscLvVGSynl84McHasuaSQ5vo5kSSbP9/s1600-h/CRW_7297.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaWf8ds5FzZT5dBqZoLLZ7NJeEjVYkwEkrDH8uhDG848iw2npaetOVA85dXfMkBJSQx7qAPJqGuBkvUue11gBplf7lDBCB8eTHqbxL48VLPhqNscLvVGSynl84McHasuaSQ5vo5kSSbP9/s320/CRW_7297.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097772209323179010" border="0" /></a><br />Coin minting form.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGbLBCHWjrokltH6JsCHbxDmsvyg5E6HWNyFVUwdSG90VxzEWwiFauQNkEvM5VT9_7kohH3tjexEClmHzajJjCscOFjxVe8vlDQtxfRylfvs7NnBgnqtfePpQCydWph9I3V2DkHmNn-tg/s1600-h/CRW_7298.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGbLBCHWjrokltH6JsCHbxDmsvyg5E6HWNyFVUwdSG90VxzEWwiFauQNkEvM5VT9_7kohH3tjexEClmHzajJjCscOFjxVe8vlDQtxfRylfvs7NnBgnqtfePpQCydWph9I3V2DkHmNn-tg/s320/CRW_7298.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097772213618146322" border="0" /></a><br />And the resulting coins.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7NUbxWTmj5S1-ZrDpflpFENqcOoTCPbKRF8tSDwkHzjxHw6O0Ds_ZGz_BESd_XmT5ZZNfCdnkVJ-HLf9lUe0e98rItX0YaAgwjcacszQih5BM0Cc8QzY9WW60xNtWb2uMEm-PjwqaDDi/s1600-h/CRW_7300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7NUbxWTmj5S1-ZrDpflpFENqcOoTCPbKRF8tSDwkHzjxHw6O0Ds_ZGz_BESd_XmT5ZZNfCdnkVJ-HLf9lUe0e98rItX0YaAgwjcacszQih5BM0Cc8QzY9WW60xNtWb2uMEm-PjwqaDDi/s320/CRW_7300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097772217913113634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTbcX7t2dTdm9M8z9AL6fA22eh6GlNIN5jIydND2SQuMkGeU3egiCRZZrGW8VU17cgNjsyKfkLF9DG4RNIJRMpZ1nvN1QiAFPvmXToihnnYrlzEbVsn7GNElTkCGiQvK5WFAUm1N35jWx/s1600-h/CRW_7305.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTbcX7t2dTdm9M8z9AL6fA22eh6GlNIN5jIydND2SQuMkGeU3egiCRZZrGW8VU17cgNjsyKfkLF9DG4RNIJRMpZ1nvN1QiAFPvmXToihnnYrlzEbVsn7GNElTkCGiQvK5WFAUm1N35jWx/s320/CRW_7305.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097772063294290866" border="0" /></a><br />Crossbow and arrows.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyaiOWnbLN0hfDIrcf56s8gbQ8GHUU6jXW5u9YeLhIDyUej5ISaUmTPa3L2Ue4Iwz653_jx30jHX6dWdI4RCi1pjiLp6YRR1pySixnNK9XmXEsUizXtHy2c0LLaDu1-2nrxq7olajDBDh/s1600-h/CRW_7308c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyaiOWnbLN0hfDIrcf56s8gbQ8GHUU6jXW5u9YeLhIDyUej5ISaUmTPa3L2Ue4Iwz653_jx30jHX6dWdI4RCi1pjiLp6YRR1pySixnNK9XmXEsUizXtHy2c0LLaDu1-2nrxq7olajDBDh/s320/CRW_7308c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097772067589258178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQHxuvkXnvhyphenhyphenAL7m6K994ioYgf_c0avaFlDVCh1hG5tBSakdJYN-Anm8OfFa8icQHca39iTIDwU25JyQtxgU1QOP3tB0TtDIAi7vVS2oug4YNKs3FBMN1eaAHd5kMj9lOhXUSJbLwHHPg/s1600-h/CRW_7309.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQHxuvkXnvhyphenhyphenAL7m6K994ioYgf_c0avaFlDVCh1hG5tBSakdJYN-Anm8OfFa8icQHca39iTIDwU25JyQtxgU1QOP3tB0TtDIAi7vVS2oug4YNKs3FBMN1eaAHd5kMj9lOhXUSJbLwHHPg/s320/CRW_7309.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097772071884225490" border="0" /></a><br />Old-school money. They used to use shells as currency in inner-China. I'd have certainly gone on a trek to the nearest Ocean to find myself some dough.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpf7LgDZ6-YuJ1pWi0SOv_AFBSGeIc9GPhnE4t2CDP-h1dkIPfkzx1k87HCvMca9EPwpVWSeTAPMy_fPjDKsKnHIwYr5T8jO8___gp2arKWZq5EwkA2my9Lcqkp9TkZoxXKvHE8GwPOhJ6/s1600-h/IMG_7326.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpf7LgDZ6-YuJ1pWi0SOv_AFBSGeIc9GPhnE4t2CDP-h1dkIPfkzx1k87HCvMca9EPwpVWSeTAPMy_fPjDKsKnHIwYr5T8jO8___gp2arKWZq5EwkA2my9Lcqkp9TkZoxXKvHE8GwPOhJ6/s320/IMG_7326.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097772071884225506" border="0" /></a><br />Nearly 3000yrs old, and so beautiful.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0U8GHr9_ffaw3J9HAxjMPrYv-igvjJbsEtAu_6vLQreVPWqo-VLEoKvc4IVmMbOKuOHZVTmCvKm2Z1zclfVEKHCvFurcVGyGG9aqZt-Rhe00uOfBbUPeQXYEcIcU4vfNsgwl3KXGber9r/s1600-h/IMG_7329c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0U8GHr9_ffaw3J9HAxjMPrYv-igvjJbsEtAu_6vLQreVPWqo-VLEoKvc4IVmMbOKuOHZVTmCvKm2Z1zclfVEKHCvFurcVGyGG9aqZt-Rhe00uOfBbUPeQXYEcIcU4vfNsgwl3KXGber9r/s320/IMG_7329c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097772080474160114" border="0" /></a><br />The details on this piece blew me away.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTl1z-R6YytoYtIGPDg8d09lLvJWTRRlxQkIf978JkfcHgDS3co_LxwxCNwORxREn6UTXjykqbsWHbtsEgnzsBm8LjBJYYgg4cGd60cxF6XWmae11fF0SHiL0RSK3b-cqHGmbAqiHNFIA/s1600-h/IMG_7331c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTl1z-R6YytoYtIGPDg8d09lLvJWTRRlxQkIf978JkfcHgDS3co_LxwxCNwORxREn6UTXjykqbsWHbtsEgnzsBm8LjBJYYgg4cGd60cxF6XWmae11fF0SHiL0RSK3b-cqHGmbAqiHNFIA/s320/IMG_7331c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097771741171743586" border="0" /></a>Focus on the details.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9EbmV0jxp1BKhihc1btnZzEQpSQg5H-559uY_K5ddYGDBpEq0sHVNQBveRMCwYz3YaSPj9N4VdpmpJInqeyYSbg3uh6L_F4qXDNxBkfz68LMWzCMznbP1K0jSOLNgfk4JLaq03obZCBo/s1600-h/IMG_7331s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9EbmV0jxp1BKhihc1btnZzEQpSQg5H-559uY_K5ddYGDBpEq0sHVNQBveRMCwYz3YaSPj9N4VdpmpJInqeyYSbg3uh6L_F4qXDNxBkfz68LMWzCMznbP1K0jSOLNgfk4JLaq03obZCBo/s320/IMG_7331s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097771745466710898" border="0" /></a><br />A HUN! Apparently they make good burial objects.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bbye0YgUQED4XcN0EMhS2GNju9aDC1LTtIlli0kHVRUoFbnv0ewVv38sK1qunSvdO4pvZ7M1W7V7TS5JW7psj8kaSF-XZyNWpdN_cWvT9h7FB-Q-U_t8S5rMCkZOvMtq6A68bzxMZTR_/s1600-h/IMG_7339c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bbye0YgUQED4XcN0EMhS2GNju9aDC1LTtIlli0kHVRUoFbnv0ewVv38sK1qunSvdO4pvZ7M1W7V7TS5JW7psj8kaSF-XZyNWpdN_cWvT9h7FB-Q-U_t8S5rMCkZOvMtq6A68bzxMZTR_/s320/IMG_7339c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097771749761678210" border="0" /></a><br />This guy was SO cool. I want my tomb to be guarded by <span style="font-weight: bold;">him</span>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcG9tXwPO9brDK9_qbpBhN6j59qYYE6cH4WPJHwhvPFWQJ9BR8N_inF0crQtBGZSnp2VJc5iQKTrLu9i5gRCuQ_IaV25E2_CJVKGYk2Yt7amK89J76xYyzvU4PVTL8MUaxfWTnOj1V0yP/s1600-h/IMG_7344c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcG9tXwPO9brDK9_qbpBhN6j59qYYE6cH4WPJHwhvPFWQJ9BR8N_inF0crQtBGZSnp2VJc5iQKTrLu9i5gRCuQ_IaV25E2_CJVKGYk2Yt7amK89J76xYyzvU4PVTL8MUaxfWTnOj1V0yP/s320/IMG_7344c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097771749761678226" border="0" /></a><br />Intense. His eyes are burning through me still.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_6LJm_K7M38UXyY5gY3ts7bpA6HDSyosXMC2VXhvVlMPVXXU8vFLk4u0MxIbmca4GKY_9eGgknPqWQa1n-3OSmO1wUl4_FiD_vMLEN0R3lHms6qUaxZgwNEjkdQp2xcAdwJQaxEQ6JFI/s1600-h/IMG_7360c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_6LJm_K7M38UXyY5gY3ts7bpA6HDSyosXMC2VXhvVlMPVXXU8vFLk4u0MxIbmca4GKY_9eGgknPqWQa1n-3OSmO1wUl4_FiD_vMLEN0R3lHms6qUaxZgwNEjkdQp2xcAdwJQaxEQ6JFI/s320/IMG_7360c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097771754056645538" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br />TERRACOTTA WARRIORS PICTURES<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Inside the first pit</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxSbQ4-G6RmlCQ5Ps7vUYZ63GmMIMvHViS2ZhvSlszYA8d7-77YrIAljJ6CDTxHBb8UpLR5W1qHgdM-bMEzdSu7YLqsVURBu-S5ubkhYdxrX-qgyKBef6Q7TmyEZcY7hWWZxWJ5vctdFZ/s1600-h/0pan_display_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxSbQ4-G6RmlCQ5Ps7vUYZ63GmMIMvHViS2ZhvSlszYA8d7-77YrIAljJ6CDTxHBb8UpLR5W1qHgdM-bMEzdSu7YLqsVURBu-S5ubkhYdxrX-qgyKBef6Q7TmyEZcY7hWWZxWJ5vctdFZ/s400/0pan_display_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100707022302957554" border="0" /></a><br />Outside. The right side is a museum. Pit 1 is in the centre. Pit 2 is behind it. Pit 3 on the left.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmShy7Ryfdw60ftFhK4asR87Uun8o-xxOYOnZYpmni8iaFHteWeraOlbm1IHfOvbvlt9CwLjC_A4to9LcGRt2nxrgo9n3iO_G8J5IARNq01JmP5AhTh6CJzUN2gxBUp7fRUcxpJl-TuwnS/s1600-h/0pan_terracotta_outside.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmShy7Ryfdw60ftFhK4asR87Uun8o-xxOYOnZYpmni8iaFHteWeraOlbm1IHfOvbvlt9CwLjC_A4to9LcGRt2nxrgo9n3iO_G8J5IARNq01JmP5AhTh6CJzUN2gxBUp7fRUcxpJl-TuwnS/s400/0pan_terracotta_outside.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100707022302957570" border="0" /></a><br />Famous, very well preserved horses.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SyozMm8X8rUnoeWpWvdPL1uROQyHJP2reRxsbHLdCfKC5cFrfpJecGN8W8YOiIqXQGiNR4_HVBVMN8WoM_dBk5XGJDSSDxxH7XcLjzwBnuicuB7ZCL0oQMM8CnQtOa7h6icjVntRD-FG/s1600-h/CRW_7414.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SyozMm8X8rUnoeWpWvdPL1uROQyHJP2reRxsbHLdCfKC5cFrfpJecGN8W8YOiIqXQGiNR4_HVBVMN8WoM_dBk5XGJDSSDxxH7XcLjzwBnuicuB7ZCL0oQMM8CnQtOa7h6icjVntRD-FG/s320/CRW_7414.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100706438187405266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1wuPTBHG_zKe_8O2rTYR93qHhgeNuSmBV8xRSUDZwMCa_Z7bNjfnNJZ5Enzm1HYt0mPhTkC5hUwIk0roLklXsKgM9biawFQgp2qg_P_EY8tHUWIWQHC8CInvhYQxDQHI9cBBDrTak2ke/s1600-h/CRW_7416.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1wuPTBHG_zKe_8O2rTYR93qHhgeNuSmBV8xRSUDZwMCa_Z7bNjfnNJZ5Enzm1HYt0mPhTkC5hUwIk0roLklXsKgM9biawFQgp2qg_P_EY8tHUWIWQHC8CInvhYQxDQHI9cBBDrTak2ke/s320/CRW_7416.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100706442482372578" border="0" /></a><br />This is in pit 1. You can see there is much work remaining to be done.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qeujecOYz1WIpAYhe0SuRYZv9st3TxxYvf5j7l2ZSD89YXrF6kLFtIR9umjeQrVbZ77v7eq-eEh8oXYeS7wtnFvLg4S4Mle_9bsFFyQr0WTX-CBwu_ZDwDe_OPkLJcJw65YHNiBsM5kc/s1600-h/CRW_7438.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qeujecOYz1WIpAYhe0SuRYZv9st3TxxYvf5j7l2ZSD89YXrF6kLFtIR9umjeQrVbZ77v7eq-eEh8oXYeS7wtnFvLg4S4Mle_9bsFFyQr0WTX-CBwu_ZDwDe_OPkLJcJw65YHNiBsM5kc/s320/CRW_7438.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705841186951010" border="0" /></a><br />A horse in a wall.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGrOJfz_Vp8TYAbUVeE1bTU5FMYAGu7Cbtdph8FTCkvsj8-CV8PJy5q5CIopzh-od7rl1KSrnT2KX6IlTwpncoAv7M2QgZQb0qbYRIbV70lGrC_G9X6ubPBNgmmA2w86IcvR4slZ68lfr/s1600-h/CRW_7441.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGrOJfz_Vp8TYAbUVeE1bTU5FMYAGu7Cbtdph8FTCkvsj8-CV8PJy5q5CIopzh-od7rl1KSrnT2KX6IlTwpncoAv7M2QgZQb0qbYRIbV70lGrC_G9X6ubPBNgmmA2w86IcvR4slZ68lfr/s320/CRW_7441.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705845481918322" border="0" /></a><br />One of the most well preserved warriors.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzBMsU4LQX1joWP0Ds5BrJcgPaOZft_KTiLvrI7Owb4qVROMEJtmlEo_2hOc6bODVGR8hJAvzHxyxZN1P98HPuo6WJ2IcUuID96ZMdKsAofPNkwRECQRfdL4d4SCFzQ5IVWqLiN4loPH4/s1600-h/CRW_7443.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzBMsU4LQX1joWP0Ds5BrJcgPaOZft_KTiLvrI7Owb4qVROMEJtmlEo_2hOc6bODVGR8hJAvzHxyxZN1P98HPuo6WJ2IcUuID96ZMdKsAofPNkwRECQRfdL4d4SCFzQ5IVWqLiN4loPH4/s320/CRW_7443.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705845481918338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeuZr68l-UW-hjZVsKtHUoASWbSekoZ8YC_ShZ0p5eqFdGFtsTxhZUQGrztUiKKj-Obly2VnGI35PQtEdFErijcka05IhF31LKj-HZ6UmVhDi0du4hoSMBrNHVDTTawb-AeQjYVBfZ1yq/s1600-h/CRW_7448.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeuZr68l-UW-hjZVsKtHUoASWbSekoZ8YC_ShZ0p5eqFdGFtsTxhZUQGrztUiKKj-Obly2VnGI35PQtEdFErijcka05IhF31LKj-HZ6UmVhDi0du4hoSMBrNHVDTTawb-AeQjYVBfZ1yq/s320/CRW_7448.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705849776885650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGySBnXNghhMawyLTWQJEquxihkvERwdcot-GXKqg62FlWp7efCE_ghaRj_J9ZyHoLDT8NNQfHcAgUCefgbX17I8Ox2SaSOEfMk3iEoF9S2Tq1eloHTSJKF1Ja5mhD4TLmRwHT6yemqs6/s1600-h/CRW_7452.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGySBnXNghhMawyLTWQJEquxihkvERwdcot-GXKqg62FlWp7efCE_ghaRj_J9ZyHoLDT8NNQfHcAgUCefgbX17I8Ox2SaSOEfMk3iEoF9S2Tq1eloHTSJKF1Ja5mhD4TLmRwHT6yemqs6/s320/CRW_7452.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705854071852962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxkMhNXH8qZSOZcXCHobWyXhEKPISoiWzIu5Viu1PLCOaF783Ik6w0-tkl2aaO5IBr-SX6seaVdCtpc_VAL6-3PwN4p2Cdb0vYLjTVeXpy14ASe1aL9ZyS4vuTIC0yp1mHQERnkq0_tDn/s1600-h/CRW_7453.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxkMhNXH8qZSOZcXCHobWyXhEKPISoiWzIu5Viu1PLCOaF783Ik6w0-tkl2aaO5IBr-SX6seaVdCtpc_VAL6-3PwN4p2Cdb0vYLjTVeXpy14ASe1aL9ZyS4vuTIC0yp1mHQERnkq0_tDn/s320/CRW_7453.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705450344926994" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PIT 2</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi440WlkKaMpJtXKC3DT4EwI0y3oY6tb0vs0HuFhrKtx1oI1hUYDkga0y0ZGtZRvUsdIF7xD452Th9iOT-4ugkcrNLC1gyCWyH5hlf91TZLhdbVNLog5YH9gvOjxQKjBFmWpC31kb0wPruq/s1600-h/CRW_7457.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi440WlkKaMpJtXKC3DT4EwI0y3oY6tb0vs0HuFhrKtx1oI1hUYDkga0y0ZGtZRvUsdIF7xD452Th9iOT-4ugkcrNLC1gyCWyH5hlf91TZLhdbVNLog5YH9gvOjxQKjBFmWpC31kb0wPruq/s320/CRW_7457.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705454639894306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykZ_tT5PgIXO5jharssfMkLl89Q1pfCrfndta7oRX5MDXmSuyVo4A4l4qOXiv1sOuVtH4rx7LyTsJiWt444_lcJCGMam9SevSERNReRunUDrFI5yudfHH5mwOmTYCplyj79MOXMdSmdRp/s1600-h/CRW_7460.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykZ_tT5PgIXO5jharssfMkLl89Q1pfCrfndta7oRX5MDXmSuyVo4A4l4qOXiv1sOuVtH4rx7LyTsJiWt444_lcJCGMam9SevSERNReRunUDrFI5yudfHH5mwOmTYCplyj79MOXMdSmdRp/s320/CRW_7460.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705458934861618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfmDkfMMkOcjSlTnsaK0vyC9lNGLk1nDohFY-Z2BKL53_rdEvR_TnNUiTAlYjBMBhyphenhyphen2ykyg1cUF5bejSD2sb9ogYGQFMfLIRiYtUQXV2UF6aeLmxRe7biGFjewF-8oE6F6qXF68bx9akl/s1600-h/CRW_7463.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfmDkfMMkOcjSlTnsaK0vyC9lNGLk1nDohFY-Z2BKL53_rdEvR_TnNUiTAlYjBMBhyphenhyphen2ykyg1cUF5bejSD2sb9ogYGQFMfLIRiYtUQXV2UF6aeLmxRe7biGFjewF-8oE6F6qXF68bx9akl/s320/CRW_7463.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705463229828930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />PIT 3 - The largest and most recovered pit</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWi6iqxP3qt__6Xq2QOONPytHtkVpBkc9m8ewrwX5COoG2rOav1j3vQ3qDHBUBm_TU4v3q4N2iKUdGBpqb2F3ve6DV3GqPEwGVUqD94lspFiL27YJP706SMpsxC_Tr2w3z9HHLQvkO4Pl/s1600-h/CRW_7471.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWi6iqxP3qt__6Xq2QOONPytHtkVpBkc9m8ewrwX5COoG2rOav1j3vQ3qDHBUBm_TU4v3q4N2iKUdGBpqb2F3ve6DV3GqPEwGVUqD94lspFiL27YJP706SMpsxC_Tr2w3z9HHLQvkO4Pl/s320/CRW_7471.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705463229828946" border="0" /></a><br />Still tons of restoration to do though...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfGu0uS6rxewF7BvS5H1pXpU7r97q14Ib2994nVxy0gzqqV79P59vgHdikfwKg1XSPIMqBWhZkexPMTQK0nRiPCX3PTJOELZT09825n9q1_Y7xstUo5pmgzjwL_sO1kkYaEF4MocbOac4/s1600-h/CRW_7472.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfGu0uS6rxewF7BvS5H1pXpU7r97q14Ib2994nVxy0gzqqV79P59vgHdikfwKg1XSPIMqBWhZkexPMTQK0nRiPCX3PTJOELZT09825n9q1_Y7xstUo5pmgzjwL_sO1kkYaEF4MocbOac4/s320/CRW_7472.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705059502902978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IlljVROCTwyJApa7tQ7gJnMlkQ3kNH18PzDKj7QjhiISfLsEXSHtauNRyefoMbPoAtGdMe1aYTzHPXb022862CD35HZl45e9KgivRFbRfHt09ibh_FmjYMoLdmW_nTx_Xvv_BI5Zc4bb/s1600-h/CRW_7474.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IlljVROCTwyJApa7tQ7gJnMlkQ3kNH18PzDKj7QjhiISfLsEXSHtauNRyefoMbPoAtGdMe1aYTzHPXb022862CD35HZl45e9KgivRFbRfHt09ibh_FmjYMoLdmW_nTx_Xvv_BI5Zc4bb/s320/CRW_7474.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705063797870290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hq8hGXXgc3atfrbnvhJcn16VkKgxTxFAW0gFRFPYORti8O6BukJB7Oi0KNvKUoSk_p7UgraIGSgjqNHgLJ7SPqixGpMf7QIabWSPbWoROuq_YiUz53J5GyTKNokaL3m6iKdTnRJeACZM/s1600-h/CRW_7478.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hq8hGXXgc3atfrbnvhJcn16VkKgxTxFAW0gFRFPYORti8O6BukJB7Oi0KNvKUoSk_p7UgraIGSgjqNHgLJ7SPqixGpMf7QIabWSPbWoROuq_YiUz53J5GyTKNokaL3m6iKdTnRJeACZM/s320/CRW_7478.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705068092837602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbFvvU4p9QgZSmY6ljTkIGMLk6hxzrWM4KaM3rnyKejoSwGC_T9ezDVhprHayWctSvFnnw2Jf8gsoMV4zbVlhmNbenEv1sOfw1GyJGAHELpjElbMAbE4KjKtZ7eUWhyphenhyphenSMTvGc4vxdoDzJ/s1600-h/CRW_7481.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbFvvU4p9QgZSmY6ljTkIGMLk6hxzrWM4KaM3rnyKejoSwGC_T9ezDVhprHayWctSvFnnw2Jf8gsoMV4zbVlhmNbenEv1sOfw1GyJGAHELpjElbMAbE4KjKtZ7eUWhyphenhyphenSMTvGc4vxdoDzJ/s320/CRW_7481.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705072387804914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrYowam8I_xqgYEPfKDONDDFLMEv1gaNZa3FME3fhSxQcgwz1-WgY-j1IrCE0wR4sHOnhKlUV29z6AUC-kaKUdcQPzraZ1ylN2tf_CM1XMMQIhuPnMKeuRoL3O8UrPdA1wXYuuggVp7Wm/s1600-h/CRW_7484.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrYowam8I_xqgYEPfKDONDDFLMEv1gaNZa3FME3fhSxQcgwz1-WgY-j1IrCE0wR4sHOnhKlUV29z6AUC-kaKUdcQPzraZ1ylN2tf_CM1XMMQIhuPnMKeuRoL3O8UrPdA1wXYuuggVp7Wm/s320/CRW_7484.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100705076682772226" border="0" /></a><br />At the back, warriors being pieced together.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYhSI65mdod9bVU7hPYQEPfMc41m0WPi9csWa7F_QUCDRX0acGiqUIub85W414RVNQmtJO9OPt_TdwWdfSSmlkbS9FLguULA8vI1v4BILFiSmS9vqCbtHXwxDKQTOXvRB50ojxNVO2VfV/s1600-h/CRW_7490.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYhSI65mdod9bVU7hPYQEPfMc41m0WPi9csWa7F_QUCDRX0acGiqUIub85W414RVNQmtJO9OPt_TdwWdfSSmlkbS9FLguULA8vI1v4BILFiSmS9vqCbtHXwxDKQTOXvRB50ojxNVO2VfV/s320/CRW_7490.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100704694430682738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjZoEDDuqMjHtHbsh6sJQJpmeW55hMgSa_cGbTPiOHug_7g3x-R3ZQhbi65Mlzg2dY1HKyk0uyCXmXOaTgiS1unO50dCYWDvDAVEvotowFclQRD_nJB1e-TTv6mu0Qp320uau9gJ1LDyQ/s1600-h/CRW_7492.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjZoEDDuqMjHtHbsh6sJQJpmeW55hMgSa_cGbTPiOHug_7g3x-R3ZQhbi65Mlzg2dY1HKyk0uyCXmXOaTgiS1unO50dCYWDvDAVEvotowFclQRD_nJB1e-TTv6mu0Qp320uau9gJ1LDyQ/s320/CRW_7492.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100704698725650050" border="0" /></a><br />You see, I was really there.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTADqlhKsy8nT97JGZ9WQrZPISulZ70jgVpQgyArkBiFSX4vFhpo6Zn2yw_EDo9mAyeASCRbWgeNkCLZdhPFa8FYXmz7UkjBwNQyA8S-0dGDC442gPwT7HI5BsJYUq0EjawzBgFYeOXMa/s1600-h/CRW_7494.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTADqlhKsy8nT97JGZ9WQrZPISulZ70jgVpQgyArkBiFSX4vFhpo6Zn2yw_EDo9mAyeASCRbWgeNkCLZdhPFa8FYXmz7UkjBwNQyA8S-0dGDC442gPwT7HI5BsJYUq0EjawzBgFYeOXMa/s320/CRW_7494.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100704703020617362" border="0" /></a><br />I took this after a very drunken night out at Salsa club.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipskXCLckrUZVAA71mU5y4eGxCmP6UBVIS36AaRI1ZvJacH-tVyOHD7ZeZkGJbChTU1RyE1mnU2wdpFP6Q37N2IQTrPEPUfm72ihuDiYeH1CzYzae9Q373Jj30Le8qDhgYsoVgOWKQro3/s1600-h/CRW_7506.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipskXCLckrUZVAA71mU5y4eGxCmP6UBVIS36AaRI1ZvJacH-tVyOHD7ZeZkGJbChTU1RyE1mnU2wdpFP6Q37N2IQTrPEPUfm72ihuDiYeH1CzYzae9Q373Jj30Le8qDhgYsoVgOWKQro3/s320/CRW_7506.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100704703020617378" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcicdimVJ_t_J3hRiZSOHoUjamafED6pZ3l03dimrVybZIhuWH47-tts1e8L0WV6-4LPI-TBb2bPSQnNc-pDPB0JT2nIepPjbf2KpQrV_s8SG0FhXgSOE6-fYZfwsjAiqGPdN0AwUr-Ll-/s1600-h/CRW_7509.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcicdimVJ_t_J3hRiZSOHoUjamafED6pZ3l03dimrVybZIhuWH47-tts1e8L0WV6-4LPI-TBb2bPSQnNc-pDPB0JT2nIepPjbf2KpQrV_s8SG0FhXgSOE6-fYZfwsjAiqGPdN0AwUr-Ll-/s320/CRW_7509.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100704707315584690" border="0" /></a></span><br /></div>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-49334586519126741162007-06-05T07:10:00.003-05:002008-10-15T04:57:27.709-05:00The Less Travelled Great WallA university friend, Greg Fisher (aka Fish) came to Beijing while he was on a general Asia tour. I hadn't yet been to the great wall yet, and of course, leaped on the opportunity. But I wasn't going to no Badaling.<br /><br />A bit of background. The Great Wall of China is, well, long. That part is obvious. So, since it's so long, there are many different places along it you can visit. The closest section to Beijing is called Badaling <span lang="zh-Hans">(八达岭). It's about 75km NW of Beijing, and easily accessible by cheap, public buses. It's the most viewed section, hence, very touristy. In addition, it's been near completely rebuilt, and so is not very authentic. People who live in Beijing often talk about Badaling with general scorn. I wasn't taking Greg on no kiddy-ride.<br /><br />We decided to join a tour group, and do a hike between two sections that were quite a bit further away from Beijing. The hike was from Jinshanling (金山岭)to Simatai (司马台). It took over 3hrs to get to Jinshanling by minibus, which left at a happy 7am. The day was bright, sunny and clear, quite fortunate really. It was also pretty hot, 37degrees...<br /><br />At Jinshanling, we loaded up on overpriced bananas and water. We bought a bit more water than was necessary, as we found out soon that you can buy ice-cold water on the wall from farmers for 5yuan (about $0.80). That's expensive for water here, but really, once on the wall, in the blazing heat, it's SO worth it. Past the first gate, there were two ways to choose. The first on the right was a path heading to a cable car, and on the left was a way to walk up to the wall. We took the walking path. The wall began pretty high up, maybe 200m, but not too bad.<br />The view from the first tower at Jinshanling was pretty inspiring. I didn't know that it just got SO much better as you get to Simatai.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF_4aM_R3duTtuynvuPpeCDqRjZPwKCt4ryRCMiSPhp-VsNpWMVZNQ0OhlMUI7ldx8LOMaUi5KShwXFrNqU1BCa9KT9w5REcG9F7e7eiq-64F4VQoLXliShtUyURO5V9q2Gg7-sFwoRgb/s1600-h/CRW_7051.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF_4aM_R3duTtuynvuPpeCDqRjZPwKCt4ryRCMiSPhp-VsNpWMVZNQ0OhlMUI7ldx8LOMaUi5KShwXFrNqU1BCa9KT9w5REcG9F7e7eiq-64F4VQoLXliShtUyURO5V9q2Gg7-sFwoRgb/s320/CRW_7051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087432184329065922" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The view Westward from the first tower we arrived on at Jinshanling. I thought this was impressive at first. </span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNB5Ia0h9FJgrcskQ2240rTENc8JcRJ272xSWIhbyu-2Nn6wg-5wb75zokcfV_XSl4ZEMHXhx-ynIxKvRK93I6mG4WRYSqitQJp961OlOcmT_4QAkFGzqeKf2mghYlIB8F1Jz9kDirXNMU/s1600-h/0_jinshanling.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNB5Ia0h9FJgrcskQ2240rTENc8JcRJ272xSWIhbyu-2Nn6wg-5wb75zokcfV_XSl4ZEMHXhx-ynIxKvRK93I6mG4WRYSqitQJp961OlOcmT_4QAkFGzqeKf2mghYlIB8F1Jz9kDirXNMU/s320/0_jinshanling.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087432171444163970" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Me and Greg at the first tower we reached. </span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRkGL4ORqXoN7N3TtjqDnTtN2PSmJClSul49DxiXZYhCJfIalvDRhcChEkv6MUuLwVGvE4xJJH0w4Pn6CYoWa-8I-OCrSNDWrF4d-99DzKRdD3BV_j4Q-yZUnrq13h74_E4PkNfxFlt-l/s1600-h/CRW_7053.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRkGL4ORqXoN7N3TtjqDnTtN2PSmJClSul49DxiXZYhCJfIalvDRhcChEkv6MUuLwVGvE4xJJH0w4Pn6CYoWa-8I-OCrSNDWrF4d-99DzKRdD3BV_j4Q-yZUnrq13h74_E4PkNfxFlt-l/s320/CRW_7053.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087431024687895858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzxlNPliyky0HqV5ozXgH_MmuvsCLX9vmOcdh1Hzuz1pBYSKAw7TSsd-JcbGcNjJpL9y_wi0cKDXjre_ehtUX5gu-aDTlIZEmpmjx_8uawlCjDKH2VrM04DVTSnsLm4JTqIUmLW2lSGQR/s1600-h/CRW_7056.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzxlNPliyky0HqV5ozXgH_MmuvsCLX9vmOcdh1Hzuz1pBYSKAw7TSsd-JcbGcNjJpL9y_wi0cKDXjre_ehtUX5gu-aDTlIZEmpmjx_8uawlCjDKH2VrM04DVTSnsLm4JTqIUmLW2lSGQR/s320/CRW_7056.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087431024687895874" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zjZhwDCZgkim0W-m5Ljtg-wHopsTBpeftNCftD06AyFjs-W706xGmbNSU9uAY1sN3i5J72DDzuwf4lIXgoC7C90BGMCnAZ0dca4ySx8VD1bJjJq9eS39MmOc64laTj0DXt8Vj9rLzUfl/s1600-h/CRW_7057.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zjZhwDCZgkim0W-m5Ljtg-wHopsTBpeftNCftD06AyFjs-W706xGmbNSU9uAY1sN3i5J72DDzuwf4lIXgoC7C90BGMCnAZ0dca4ySx8VD1bJjJq9eS39MmOc64laTj0DXt8Vj9rLzUfl/s320/CRW_7057.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087431028982863186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTg2EfNYohELCnVMEy3PvtvJ8CXXweWlt1OWEhJ3xnE6G2RuzCnft8eM23qHTXsG7L87uu_vOZ5_yf5ubxMINFBuNiD3VtMT742DDEpnHcuklxSY7p02BV6KwGJkPBxTumXdqtEewbcTE/s1600-h/CRW_7063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTg2EfNYohELCnVMEy3PvtvJ8CXXweWlt1OWEhJ3xnE6G2RuzCnft8eM23qHTXsG7L87uu_vOZ5_yf5ubxMINFBuNiD3VtMT742DDEpnHcuklxSY7p02BV6KwGJkPBxTumXdqtEewbcTE/s320/CRW_7063.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087431033277830498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZqs0xCud17BfPmRlgJJawA00HVLPDTE8S9M7U11FZAWgPT8ecVo_LbaDGhzjxabH_7JguE2IZMHKv9Z1QfLW_KsgkSSfuomBqMZLIfI1TCeykHsWHzQwvD4dV5ymehbzkP4gnprHsqA0/s1600-h/CRW_7065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZqs0xCud17BfPmRlgJJawA00HVLPDTE8S9M7U11FZAWgPT8ecVo_LbaDGhzjxabH_7JguE2IZMHKv9Z1QfLW_KsgkSSfuomBqMZLIfI1TCeykHsWHzQwvD4dV5ymehbzkP4gnprHsqA0/s320/CRW_7065.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087431033277830514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwuFOZaAvOjoXumvIBRA2rP5uOQ4YhWh1QhkloPlqWn2Jk92LvzsbrfLPfWPA6ySqfaivXIYxj0bhFdtHTAuHnt3nxLjAPuOeSGMGCtQjvTIKknbJrGLWxe4d13yTjKHhb-qxpQsA8csd/s1600-h/0_crumbly_tower.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwuFOZaAvOjoXumvIBRA2rP5uOQ4YhWh1QhkloPlqWn2Jk92LvzsbrfLPfWPA6ySqfaivXIYxj0bhFdtHTAuHnt3nxLjAPuOeSGMGCtQjvTIKknbJrGLWxe4d13yTjKHhb-qxpQsA8csd/s320/0_crumbly_tower.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087433296725595602" border="0" /></a><br /><span lang="zh-Hans"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzV8hDfFtvFRdtwtpjtYPeUMMazumJlMr_FyFxqBEtM6GNWxL2PKa6eXZluoNeC7kFoBXlGkjFtr0V72ILTJeBhK3IqLQYnVqzq07v3b7SY4CB6AMN2fLwYPNMY0J_1jNSrfqAfRO2ecz/s1600-h/CRW_7066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzV8hDfFtvFRdtwtpjtYPeUMMazumJlMr_FyFxqBEtM6GNWxL2PKa6eXZluoNeC7kFoBXlGkjFtr0V72ILTJeBhK3IqLQYnVqzq07v3b7SY4CB6AMN2fLwYPNMY0J_1jNSrfqAfRO2ecz/s320/CRW_7066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087430504996852962" border="0" /></a><br />Peep-hole.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJC9ziB1_PjQT8iBqlGOq-YMuiGtgKurzMVD9vgDGaWoLYBZ8m_Uh9MfkG5s1RzyT_9bX9pP2IQRaClvtAATQe8tkQz0-h1Fcbs4DRVWz9za5UDlBKevuspK_G6lkrcPWT7LtGrwD9irf/s1600-h/CRW_7070m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJC9ziB1_PjQT8iBqlGOq-YMuiGtgKurzMVD9vgDGaWoLYBZ8m_Uh9MfkG5s1RzyT_9bX9pP2IQRaClvtAATQe8tkQz0-h1Fcbs4DRVWz9za5UDlBKevuspK_G6lkrcPWT7LtGrwD9irf/s320/CRW_7070m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087430504996852978" border="0" /></a><br />The towers are all located two arrow shots away (not sure exact distance), so that nobody could sneak up the middle without being within volley-range.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe6Iz4icc1f3FcaKAIKhWHC2D8wzeFQUZNATDXCCWcSCwtRyDyUuy9V5yiT1JiRPM6Mp1m4FVapNg6H8iVdR86zWpMP-4ucw6tQ-vmhcRmuD47qj82Wfn86FplxB3HqAkMVgAZ0DHniz4/s1600-h/CRW_7072.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe6Iz4icc1f3FcaKAIKhWHC2D8wzeFQUZNATDXCCWcSCwtRyDyUuy9V5yiT1JiRPM6Mp1m4FVapNg6H8iVdR86zWpMP-4ucw6tQ-vmhcRmuD47qj82Wfn86FplxB3HqAkMVgAZ0DHniz4/s320/CRW_7072.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087430509291820290" border="0" /></a><br />Some parts were really crumbling.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiI3m0f-uH4FkrEmTjzmNnZoWRFvK_tvBqRpdV2biAShxcuSuK3ev7J86zi4wl9V1xOG3MiVE5QWB3zJ8Lukd4hyphenhyphenbap-Krob83iAALJf6yeuySMiLfa__Y-bRy8TfIQotD_HZwBPNBCK05/s1600-h/CRW_7073.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiI3m0f-uH4FkrEmTjzmNnZoWRFvK_tvBqRpdV2biAShxcuSuK3ev7J86zi4wl9V1xOG3MiVE5QWB3zJ8Lukd4hyphenhyphenbap-Krob83iAALJf6yeuySMiLfa__Y-bRy8TfIQotD_HZwBPNBCK05/s320/CRW_7073.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087430513586787602" border="0" /></a>Mid-section of Jinshanling</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyv6Uab4mmn6erYJX7qki2sPqrrGhQHwV80C0eTXMyCjqfyb4PLjwQUVGaea5syBUgzsolF7I0c8sFrxogTNnjBCDr_aP7lZyQS9YSbop5TeQPTvQaIvcYiX_J2loEe3LtU28m_Du4E0Kl/s1600-h/0_jinshanling_mid.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyv6Uab4mmn6erYJX7qki2sPqrrGhQHwV80C0eTXMyCjqfyb4PLjwQUVGaea5syBUgzsolF7I0c8sFrxogTNnjBCDr_aP7lZyQS9YSbop5TeQPTvQaIvcYiX_J2loEe3LtU28m_Du4E0Kl/s320/0_jinshanling_mid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087432175739131282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Greg, thoughtful... well, maybe.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0WfiKGxj_g4hm0gL0QdXiuxKXqfcOv6mfjSxDmgWqxmfcx3LgZI5oDVxTn-AEeNNqWY5l38h_xUr_tct-s_6EIWr-jFiWAuq3XOt0WApU9JvazImUETu_fubketo-rz-FKHuyzTAEjsA/s1600-h/CRW_7078.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0WfiKGxj_g4hm0gL0QdXiuxKXqfcOv6mfjSxDmgWqxmfcx3LgZI5oDVxTn-AEeNNqWY5l38h_xUr_tct-s_6EIWr-jFiWAuq3XOt0WApU9JvazImUETu_fubketo-rz-FKHuyzTAEjsA/s320/CRW_7078.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087430513586787618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAA5aKQO3piQaon4cLZLVbTK0HEzKZ4MJDcUxanwTbZ5GkPXlrCgerFB0dhXq8ekDLAwrmKVm1RymXRc1MV7yGezL42yVhZTQRdre0wbgJz7QJMY85P5B4EOPnzLA5-R7AML-jnzZjcePI/s1600-h/CRW_7096.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAA5aKQO3piQaon4cLZLVbTK0HEzKZ4MJDcUxanwTbZ5GkPXlrCgerFB0dhXq8ekDLAwrmKVm1RymXRc1MV7yGezL42yVhZTQRdre0wbgJz7QJMY85P5B4EOPnzLA5-R7AML-jnzZjcePI/s320/CRW_7096.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087430084090057874" border="0" /></a><br />One of the middle towers of Jinshanling.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxCH9y6A4bkbOUssr1DT-MokObgOk85UB3I328qD0ftwxHLACUKWIM6SLIJcAm9XcjRMbLsgwP3D1dblSokJBmw6cep5ipLo25zrMaIRrryFxlfp5fO9YHmyiLTWjpcwvMcnQT9ZOY7Ap/s1600-h/CRW_7097.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxCH9y6A4bkbOUssr1DT-MokObgOk85UB3I328qD0ftwxHLACUKWIM6SLIJcAm9XcjRMbLsgwP3D1dblSokJBmw6cep5ipLo25zrMaIRrryFxlfp5fO9YHmyiLTWjpcwvMcnQT9ZOY7Ap/s320/CRW_7097.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087430088385025186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacX0dRrXZBtv-voftExui9lxWVuCbvIqZwqsrHCmdgwRROC_bn6jTgiAMCv-owD9A20ZPomDBJP8v53zwYLlGZfWmfFL0k9_YbFH07lBYp6PrIBjfNl1qVSAfQFCgFDbqeZs5dOmNlJvE/s1600-h/CRW_7122.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacX0dRrXZBtv-voftExui9lxWVuCbvIqZwqsrHCmdgwRROC_bn6jTgiAMCv-owD9A20ZPomDBJP8v53zwYLlGZfWmfFL0k9_YbFH07lBYp6PrIBjfNl1qVSAfQFCgFDbqeZs5dOmNlJvE/s320/CRW_7122.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087430092679992498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbYPTL3hBnqoc0JCpfQvvEZB5sfKEqnX0JW4-MFVxl8u7HQUAF1OFWhlTvS2Rw2V6C16qL65nBL3sVCd_xszJ1kdHDnwEIoYOIAdIpywFlXyIe_hrI8btC4vR5geZY1jT5trar68_YUUa/s1600-h/CRW_7124.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbYPTL3hBnqoc0JCpfQvvEZB5sfKEqnX0JW4-MFVxl8u7HQUAF1OFWhlTvS2Rw2V6C16qL65nBL3sVCd_xszJ1kdHDnwEIoYOIAdIpywFlXyIe_hrI8btC4vR5geZY1jT5trar68_YUUa/s320/CRW_7124.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087430096974959810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvOaJaeNGlzGxt0AVl8Srr37yoU4wyzOp2NrF6-f8GWFuuzLmSlW7gzx5dJX1ytHgfVLvfH6GvLYC6G5d8fQN13wVl_v-EvIpJ6UAUN15d9zwIltZgomRUlUC3ptgOyYNn6Ca1ctPBcVN/s1600-h/CRW_7125.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvOaJaeNGlzGxt0AVl8Srr37yoU4wyzOp2NrF6-f8GWFuuzLmSlW7gzx5dJX1ytHgfVLvfH6GvLYC6G5d8fQN13wVl_v-EvIpJ6UAUN15d9zwIltZgomRUlUC3ptgOyYNn6Ca1ctPBcVN/s320/CRW_7125.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087430105564894418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6KIDRhxr0L7X6pR5tKu4B-28eTe-XlYe9jVfjTs4pVVUOSlgEAkM7OFbnLiTGQ7cccqds4wfeVIsBP8vb2fdAKe4-3s13T6zU6-fv9h7z1Ex48aX0vBRc1K-4hTDl7uIpNLagW9Vd0_f/s1600-h/CRW_7126.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6KIDRhxr0L7X6pR5tKu4B-28eTe-XlYe9jVfjTs4pVVUOSlgEAkM7OFbnLiTGQ7cccqds4wfeVIsBP8vb2fdAKe4-3s13T6zU6-fv9h7z1Ex48aX0vBRc1K-4hTDl7uIpNLagW9Vd0_f/s320/CRW_7126.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087429422665094210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNKaqpJLUEWt7gzpprhrgIEfNo_SDg9SvIqulK02DR_eQasfLE-9eC79XR5WD8NsAsXyKmwo1TIstzeYWxvpWulawgF_OSPWLbKf-mH2w5gvChBHgNjyhccmDYAqud-vgqd_bGBBa0YLB/s1600-h/CRW_7145.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNKaqpJLUEWt7gzpprhrgIEfNo_SDg9SvIqulK02DR_eQasfLE-9eC79XR5WD8NsAsXyKmwo1TIstzeYWxvpWulawgF_OSPWLbKf-mH2w5gvChBHgNjyhccmDYAqud-vgqd_bGBBa0YLB/s320/CRW_7145.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087429426960061522" border="0" /></a><br />A couple we met on the way, him Canadian, she Japanese.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEZIiU5vSP8TypCrGZ9kCVbNB5EN55wYqKSt57x2aQTaDVO1vxS9acuHFzKEOoE36Dz7JmeP2dO0j6t3iD-dPNRMalV8uvGb2nopLhtYXM3MkyutU1qeav2ifwssNTjSEMG4fxql2iR_n/s1600-h/CRW_7151.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEZIiU5vSP8TypCrGZ9kCVbNB5EN55wYqKSt57x2aQTaDVO1vxS9acuHFzKEOoE36Dz7JmeP2dO0j6t3iD-dPNRMalV8uvGb2nopLhtYXM3MkyutU1qeav2ifwssNTjSEMG4fxql2iR_n/s320/CRW_7151.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087429431255028834" border="0" /></a><br />Looking into Simatai. From here, there was a long drop to a river, and then a massive ascent if you go on. We weren't going beyond the Simatai station.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-T9eNNuCwpX5Bdqow_RCX5X3AUp4t-5ChhB2Fa3Si4TJRJPdMunyQ3es_QDHeXEoHHiJahH7LD0gAyK1uN_qS4tAMM_gvTPsjbK7cNjI6xqYsjkk8LZGZGzJDb-KQPDJPUJUd_vrwYVr/s1600-h/CRW_7152.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-T9eNNuCwpX5Bdqow_RCX5X3AUp4t-5ChhB2Fa3Si4TJRJPdMunyQ3es_QDHeXEoHHiJahH7LD0gAyK1uN_qS4tAMM_gvTPsjbK7cNjI6xqYsjkk8LZGZGzJDb-KQPDJPUJUd_vrwYVr/s320/CRW_7152.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087429435549996146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcVt_0xexXz-iXbe7Dt43dxcDlHgwCKsKR0XxZH-EgTtDQvwrlyTwA8DzvPuLejXkwf3l5e1pwMJPwr520mHKQM5xjYa7dgkqy1sYh_wxYAbXvOZbhaQySf-HS6NERslKCVTYxPvKmcnM/s1600-h/CRW_7174.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcVt_0xexXz-iXbe7Dt43dxcDlHgwCKsKR0XxZH-EgTtDQvwrlyTwA8DzvPuLejXkwf3l5e1pwMJPwr520mHKQM5xjYa7dgkqy1sYh_wxYAbXvOZbhaQySf-HS6NERslKCVTYxPvKmcnM/s320/CRW_7174.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087429444139930754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgby269PXjAS41kX8HsR_ypknSbSbgEY58FD_XEsW6vb_fW4RWKWiSoDw7hNBj46sFCiC1kalVptzNHuyOy48wSBoT9xo2umfBmazrHwQlJfdpYRjShl7azzw73OSN5OeIlt3DOi-1fBAk5/s1600-h/CRW_7182.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgby269PXjAS41kX8HsR_ypknSbSbgEY58FD_XEsW6vb_fW4RWKWiSoDw7hNBj46sFCiC1kalVptzNHuyOy48wSBoT9xo2umfBmazrHwQlJfdpYRjShl7azzw73OSN5OeIlt3DOi-1fBAk5/s320/CRW_7182.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087428555081700402" border="0" /></a><br />Damn toll gate. On the other side, there was a pretty heated argument between a group of 10 of us and 2 ticket guys we believed to be illegitimate. We paid the whole 5yuan in the end... but it was a matter of principle.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzfutqhF_fyBdjotMV85ydCVr-ZVbujGihXcSLIgQ2ZkTAxMbtCu74zeUMgjudmrPjzjG_Mtoj4aJv1FA4s6NBCYH8lRk3S3vVGHNelebuNWJM8wmEPRk3e6DRl9ZuJXDQOFtO7P-NkfR/s1600-h/CRW_7207.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzfutqhF_fyBdjotMV85ydCVr-ZVbujGihXcSLIgQ2ZkTAxMbtCu74zeUMgjudmrPjzjG_Mtoj4aJv1FA4s6NBCYH8lRk3S3vVGHNelebuNWJM8wmEPRk3e6DRl9ZuJXDQOFtO7P-NkfR/s320/CRW_7207.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087428550786733090" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />View from the bridge</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbU2uDaaI36ukUZqz4xek3oNTpX0IN3IU3eLKpydb132czMx-05QwnLSR-qB60AVZrjlfmH6VbsSUCVaU_72GYnLrV43slSiVaLac3mNzDUmYiv4ZFJ6riUeil8wNvXFSOp_ZYCBduZAA/s1600-h/0_simatai_bridge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbU2uDaaI36ukUZqz4xek3oNTpX0IN3IU3eLKpydb132czMx-05QwnLSR-qB60AVZrjlfmH6VbsSUCVaU_72GYnLrV43slSiVaLac3mNzDUmYiv4ZFJ6riUeil8wNvXFSOp_ZYCBduZAA/s320/0_simatai_bridge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087432180034098594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Simatai looking West, the direction we came from.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgiA4U8W9T_lECZNwRP-YWm8Cqd2G8ayprE6XWVmDdc2smlGgsv3CvnNVVyxlGoaoMLBKiwUO2juErCcIUI7wdqy6SJtTHqCGWFLmvKTsPloFoy6d1wTz-qkrQ6mTVNf2WwzX3QqOQZvW/s1600-h/0_simatai_East.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgiA4U8W9T_lECZNwRP-YWm8Cqd2G8ayprE6XWVmDdc2smlGgsv3CvnNVVyxlGoaoMLBKiwUO2juErCcIUI7wdqy6SJtTHqCGWFLmvKTsPloFoy6d1wTz-qkrQ6mTVNf2WwzX3QqOQZvW/s320/0_simatai_East.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087432180034098610" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />ZIPLINE!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgIsV5_BNKVr70DKC2TWc8-A60Jd-LMwa26NQ7lbEm0PY6c5r2UNLlUp3PA2nYtDXqDvYuC9yrVve6CQym8hgfKCpkWPzQlLQAxMiFtEkMcasxZDpzaEsgTc2FUYzhsW_Lg-ZBeb5xdWV/s1600-h/CRW_7221.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgIsV5_BNKVr70DKC2TWc8-A60Jd-LMwa26NQ7lbEm0PY6c5r2UNLlUp3PA2nYtDXqDvYuC9yrVve6CQym8hgfKCpkWPzQlLQAxMiFtEkMcasxZDpzaEsgTc2FUYzhsW_Lg-ZBeb5xdWV/s320/CRW_7221.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087428546491765778" border="0" /></a><br />Two of our tour-mates coming down the zipline.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Kb-X3NVE6a3cSbWtngDFCnySsyq8cN50Br0EjpQYDTrYElf7LzThZItZfaXJ0AP7OOdgDd5j4lLqBMhgd4cBtt9WRfSpfsUfGC3wPS4PKZA41h0za9aFbCT9g08mBvfSBGmY_-FTne5N/s1600-h/CRW_7225.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Kb-X3NVE6a3cSbWtngDFCnySsyq8cN50Br0EjpQYDTrYElf7LzThZItZfaXJ0AP7OOdgDd5j4lLqBMhgd4cBtt9WRfSpfsUfGC3wPS4PKZA41h0za9aFbCT9g08mBvfSBGmY_-FTne5N/s320/CRW_7225.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087428546491765762" border="0" /></a>THE Simatai picture. Stone says "Simatai Great Wall" (well, "Long Wall")...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4elGUZLcn9Kd32uzNrSUZ0mAyfp2GE9FwW2-9m4DbjuIhem9qUG6mJ6apt_GV6ZRvwrxiUYCfKpc1qAaIaaMWcIMlAmpu5WbHvqubWc778OahrOUrSLAPUi3pHOUqKTjxUAlA-rcuaid/s1600-h/CRW_7229.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4elGUZLcn9Kd32uzNrSUZ0mAyfp2GE9FwW2-9m4DbjuIhem9qUG6mJ6apt_GV6ZRvwrxiUYCfKpc1qAaIaaMWcIMlAmpu5WbHvqubWc778OahrOUrSLAPUi3pHOUqKTjxUAlA-rcuaid/s320/CRW_7229.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087428542196798450" border="0" /></a><br /></span></div>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-26482804922929266602007-05-25T01:16:00.004-05:002008-10-15T04:57:48.262-05:00Strangeness at the Beijing Art GalleryI awoke on a beautiful Sunday morning around 10am. The sun was out, and there was a breeze in the air, which offset the recent heat wave just a bit. My roommate Jaeyhun, a Korean doing his MBA at Beijing University (the most popular of the dozens of uni's in Beijing), asked me if I'd like to join him in going to the art gallery. With nothing planned for the day I was thankful to be invited to something other than spending the day on the internet. So, packed my camera and left. The museum is only about half an hour from our apartment by bus, which by the way, costs me only 4mao (that's 0.4RMB, which is like 6 cents!).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">That's Jaehyun in the red shirt. </span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmU0XPsz4CuuAtenYkFU3Rrw595hDduLwgfI0PwQH2oPutBCiK5HRgilvjiIHOiebbjP15eAb0UKx2jOLGgi8FQkuHXvcbT8gJoRndDyR5TKYUkIjEmhyl0J4UnOz8zsd4qF9g7PYGbVEK/s1600-h/CRW_6960.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmU0XPsz4CuuAtenYkFU3Rrw595hDduLwgfI0PwQH2oPutBCiK5HRgilvjiIHOiebbjP15eAb0UKx2jOLGgi8FQkuHXvcbT8gJoRndDyR5TKYUkIjEmhyl0J4UnOz8zsd4qF9g7PYGbVEK/s320/CRW_6960.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079888490909059602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qe0notDT6QXYlMiBN41Lq03NV4zPPsgR6Po4R4ihXeMn4cGMUg9tsMuL68NTzs6seeLAchspFr9uWlkpWWJ2gVEcVvG2tElarC4dw3dz3_46m-P0YU8SHGL_EBgJXISk2Av_TGIs7wFL/s1600-h/CRW_6961.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qe0notDT6QXYlMiBN41Lq03NV4zPPsgR6Po4R4ihXeMn4cGMUg9tsMuL68NTzs6seeLAchspFr9uWlkpWWJ2gVEcVvG2tElarC4dw3dz3_46m-P0YU8SHGL_EBgJXISk2Av_TGIs7wFL/s320/CRW_6961.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079888520973830690" border="0" /></a><br />Jaehyun was primarily interested in seeing the René Magritte exhibit, which was being advertised as the primary exhibit. So, I expected it to be on the first floor, but it wasn't. We had to work our way up to the fifth floor until we'd see Magritte. All the same, I'm glad, since in between there were some impressive paintings, as well as a host of modern art that just kept surprising me at every turn.<br /><br />The first floor was entirely dedicated to a famous Chinese artist named Zhan Jianjun (詹建俊). He's been painting his entire life, and is now in his 70's. Much of his art depicts nature and minorities in exotic locations within China.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The first piece that caught my eye. Featuring Jaehyun in the foreground.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93BHxHTpsaRpoVz_lUken91sbfUSGkHL2-da2VZqqUoXqieZmeOAxfosKTYUJDrfUtgAc-Ppu7BFUFgA85QXHYu_cHxyVB7GAGu6dolbEVOyo1e4U27toHfUYo0y-SPZ1xiZMdikNVDog/s1600-h/CRW_6968.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93BHxHTpsaRpoVz_lUken91sbfUSGkHL2-da2VZqqUoXqieZmeOAxfosKTYUJDrfUtgAc-Ppu7BFUFgA85QXHYu_cHxyVB7GAGu6dolbEVOyo1e4U27toHfUYo0y-SPZ1xiZMdikNVDog/s320/CRW_6968.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079900783105461122" border="0" /></a>Close-up of the painting work from the above painting.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1jMWv2iXmXw0V1nf_fnKtkj0AqnjQxmErcZVXULEkqQuztdRbI6Mg8NHYD_v2t5MV_o1V5j4F0PHYZq2GjRWZQntbL28MpAEzLMaADTfuMZ0Zb8mQ3Shthw1FiKXMZ7Qee1VJmNsHauX/s1600-h/CRW_6966.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1jMWv2iXmXw0V1nf_fnKtkj0AqnjQxmErcZVXULEkqQuztdRbI6Mg8NHYD_v2t5MV_o1V5j4F0PHYZq2GjRWZQntbL28MpAEzLMaADTfuMZ0Zb8mQ3Shthw1FiKXMZ7Qee1VJmNsHauX/s320/CRW_6966.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079900778810493810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsJm7Q3chP_PLfZnBv-S7L3sJo5NFBoqHiSekCoOoO3cKos3jLixgSUrjWakI0dimvAnNIL8ZO1CaSWQau6_FkB7-ypKUZK4R8Phzmnz5_egG5Q5dJTgqVI-H-FrWUFrmvxQnYo8tFWwL/s1600-h/CRW_6969.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsJm7Q3chP_PLfZnBv-S7L3sJo5NFBoqHiSekCoOoO3cKos3jLixgSUrjWakI0dimvAnNIL8ZO1CaSWQau6_FkB7-ypKUZK4R8Phzmnz5_egG5Q5dJTgqVI-H-FrWUFrmvxQnYo8tFWwL/s320/CRW_6969.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079900787400428434" border="0" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNLWuBmYavcL4zX9jBF_G6mMj5T4J7e6SqftJuihNtqXE-2nDo8Lq1TWTnioFAQw584QKCidb27l98-B-TKvqfS6TLUMzqckTptyY6qDlcj6DuAgatBakJajNZQ9a2DPzFNT7KNGahVOw/s1600-h/CRW_6970.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqLTmLgkmMpETRq7Zthq9V2jY_xcLKDrBIJDcogFRJzJUgNqV_Vzgp7K_QM-S8kq_zCj-XFvRuvCrH6tlM5crzY6_XN3QpKlUe7XuoEzCVtIy6WzkHF4OKi-oa6gVwkZLHDUDv-zCj1y8/s320/CRW_6974.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079900121680497474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUWQI4xV1x5Gholf7J8sfN56ZEpKrG5-NcTBmbHo3L-3Smp4NKhSDHyAuaa5Thwa2LB2K9duIhF9SHcWnTME6qvCiH_Jrc0OA2_F8OoWLQ7uCOdw30znDdQ-nR-sHZjmOHoC9xpGFuxdx/s1600-h/CRW_6976.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUWQI4xV1x5Gholf7J8sfN56ZEpKrG5-NcTBmbHo3L-3Smp4NKhSDHyAuaa5Thwa2LB2K9duIhF9SHcWnTME6qvCiH_Jrc0OA2_F8OoWLQ7uCOdw30znDdQ-nR-sHZjmOHoC9xpGFuxdx/s320/CRW_6976.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079900125975464786" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWcbrlp_DQ-UIyOIW5Fm5NpxKQ1i4HXxL2VR2aW1r8zbx6Fc5hu5a5-BlolwZ4GcMvtZgkMQJCwWsT2hI1yiruFvdASgN1aFOVrDh8EuMcDxUQB2EzTI3hNfB4mU0J49rMOH2c_paQh0A/s1600-h/CRW_6977.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWcbrlp_DQ-UIyOIW5Fm5NpxKQ1i4HXxL2VR2aW1r8zbx6Fc5hu5a5-BlolwZ4GcMvtZgkMQJCwWsT2hI1yiruFvdASgN1aFOVrDh8EuMcDxUQB2EzTI3hNfB4mU0J49rMOH2c_paQh0A/s320/CRW_6977.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079900134565399394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkdw4K0Z5fij5pn8j9t7mg22dkwJwp7xVUtmM1uo7B0eGOqHfM5zSyns_GUq16Huai1nLGIbxCcGHcdpYXpj1V09Oogxo-4R9d-AY0Z52S_MvFEWmDP3miSvRxl1aMYBeMMi6qz3X_F2O/s1600-h/CRW_6978.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkdw4K0Z5fij5pn8j9t7mg22dkwJwp7xVUtmM1uo7B0eGOqHfM5zSyns_GUq16Huai1nLGIbxCcGHcdpYXpj1V09Oogxo-4R9d-AY0Z52S_MvFEWmDP3miSvRxl1aMYBeMMi6qz3X_F2O/s320/CRW_6978.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079898824600373970" border="0" /></a><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bq84oQdK-OBxCb_QBHKWxtG3K9mtDMPVp1sfyiQts9GoCAifr-gHcEv6hx7n1d5lYd7evMwyrtrWhCbWY5LQ_TAYswC451zriQ-z8AUtJTHXGFBJOKaYbYFwjzhM9-pq4z9LokXUeroG/s1600-h/CRW_6979.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bq84oQdK-OBxCb_QBHKWxtG3K9mtDMPVp1sfyiQts9GoCAifr-gHcEv6hx7n1d5lYd7evMwyrtrWhCbWY5LQ_TAYswC451zriQ-z8AUtJTHXGFBJOKaYbYFwjzhM9-pq4z9LokXUeroG/s320/CRW_6979.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079898828895341282" border="0" /></a><br />Some of the propaganda work he was commissioned to do by the Communist goveClosrnment. It translates into something like this: "We are the successors of the Communist deal".</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90iKZGICjnu3uslUgrYhqgfjK9ezE3I_XOA4iP8I9itVbVaEtqiZGxthmiRmJXPFzfY8CfiGOQD6HeLr0WeFucNltNrVMjhaijvnIE86P5EYYrUW5DRPezC0-GFqllLnCI3lci1CK18TG/s1600-h/CRW_6980.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90iKZGICjnu3uslUgrYhqgfjK9ezE3I_XOA4iP8I9itVbVaEtqiZGxthmiRmJXPFzfY8CfiGOQD6HeLr0WeFucNltNrVMjhaijvnIE86P5EYYrUW5DRPezC0-GFqllLnCI3lci1CK18TG/s320/CRW_6980.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079898833190308594" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwfuNcetEarp7uNDNs2hI1fakzw4STBzzi6s7Ism9ckgN0j1gjqHppkGyhPxY9I57a77F4Zrl7kfanflCSq21Q7grce8cChL83V9_V6gsndNCQJOORQNUIMaDTNfy5-iGeq1jRQvlQ5Ki/s1600-h/CRW_6981.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwfuNcetEarp7uNDNs2hI1fakzw4STBzzi6s7Ism9ckgN0j1gjqHppkGyhPxY9I57a77F4Zrl7kfanflCSq21Q7grce8cChL83V9_V6gsndNCQJOORQNUIMaDTNfy5-iGeq1jRQvlQ5Ki/s320/CRW_6981.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079898837485275906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBRAjr8dPyJT3n2GkG3xVmid2M_bVo-b-oy0pEZsCXM0Nj6AWnjaAu90ty2Pxf0rkx9iYijlUbjqVV3RH2GI7GO-0OxDiI4YXouLaUVnDXScAoJhFDQQEhNjnrc1sjw-CGG5dbEybCBMp/s1600-h/CRW_6982.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBRAjr8dPyJT3n2GkG3xVmid2M_bVo-b-oy0pEZsCXM0Nj6AWnjaAu90ty2Pxf0rkx9iYijlUbjqVV3RH2GI7GO-0OxDiI4YXouLaUVnDXScAoJhFDQQEhNjnrc1sjw-CGG5dbEybCBMp/s320/CRW_6982.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079898841780243218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFJEIVM4oZCWFlYH1Ze6Tdex0m3Jf9ecTXSfa1AVMpr08vAvMI0n2HWDozXRFKvpLPfbxLAFx1HcOgv40a_l8Ev-vnQEWglBanLTaqpDgBfQUSjUsXJdoPOGvs5XsULcK6P8e6JFgBkmx/s1600-h/CRW_6984.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFJEIVM4oZCWFlYH1Ze6Tdex0m3Jf9ecTXSfa1AVMpr08vAvMI0n2HWDozXRFKvpLPfbxLAFx1HcOgv40a_l8Ev-vnQEWglBanLTaqpDgBfQUSjUsXJdoPOGvs5XsULcK6P8e6JFgBkmx/s320/CRW_6984.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079897999966653058" border="0" /></a><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9h1uEQpiXjlPBoGuFmJKj-lavhu30hzvUoS-ISnquqe1hycMuhceEOThFwI6XqzMhAEllTl6OhWwu2Jh3MUQw22IGpnOcp7qvNECXKkz1CljEAxBkmr7lt_tYnVoCi5fK6FXwBTxQtt5/s1600-h/CRW_6985.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9h1uEQpiXjlPBoGuFmJKj-lavhu30hzvUoS-ISnquqe1hycMuhceEOThFwI6XqzMhAEllTl6OhWwu2Jh3MUQw22IGpnOcp7qvNECXKkz1CljEAxBkmr7lt_tYnVoCi5fK6FXwBTxQtt5/s320/CRW_6985.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079898004261620370" border="0" /></a></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSR5hUwaLCoUuOvYVYGvHsYRSmVb5Ji06hqsDV6OMHe0lgmeP0gncQuIbsUCAGE0A_eSA949B-rlmM_HlWAwTqC4aSL91UtuL18hygCL4OHTEbc0ttSm1DeAH9_lwm7B8qp3Yt0DASdPgi/s1600-h/CRW_6986.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSR5hUwaLCoUuOvYVYGvHsYRSmVb5Ji06hqsDV6OMHe0lgmeP0gncQuIbsUCAGE0A_eSA949B-rlmM_HlWAwTqC4aSL91UtuL18hygCL4OHTEbc0ttSm1DeAH9_lwm7B8qp3Yt0DASdPgi/s320/CRW_6986.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079898008556587682" border="0" /></a>Former Three Gorges Valley. Now flooded to provide back-pressure for the Three Gorges Dam, largest Dam in the world.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZaLGTmrEcat3zhQy5TZICQ1Tsunyorbyp965CnTMySpPH2wgaeLZDZsYJwKxcFfUcn8FyschMWou9IcUSH3um3jK7YpeMiCfZ0xUTlrHoiUUAJYJ8H9CRHLkbptlwjJVOV0qdEgQYSy-/s1600-h/CRW_6988.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZaLGTmrEcat3zhQy5TZICQ1Tsunyorbyp965CnTMySpPH2wgaeLZDZsYJwKxcFfUcn8FyschMWou9IcUSH3um3jK7YpeMiCfZ0xUTlrHoiUUAJYJ8H9CRHLkbptlwjJVOV0qdEgQYSy-/s320/CRW_6988.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079898017146522290" border="0" /></a><br />I loved the eyes of the woman in this painting. I'm assuming she's Uighur, a native of Xinjiang, the Northwestern-most province in China.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGU3SQ2Y4PJnNEotZuVlKB4sRblaCCLEcSe6Q_6x0pcyG_Q9YqNPnsfSlxMPlvMe9UGVF3ZdNiJOntUddsm-Q-bm1ewyOOKnLrOxHQCvp-GNp7-5VxtmVnE2T5XIT6qW1JztAXkUXwAZ1/s1600-h/CRW_6995.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGU3SQ2Y4PJnNEotZuVlKB4sRblaCCLEcSe6Q_6x0pcyG_Q9YqNPnsfSlxMPlvMe9UGVF3ZdNiJOntUddsm-Q-bm1ewyOOKnLrOxHQCvp-GNp7-5VxtmVnE2T5XIT6qW1JztAXkUXwAZ1/s320/CRW_6995.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079896732951300674" border="0" /></a>This piece is the only one in the area that had a reflective-glass cover, boo.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9If1QfV5hfZ9UKgI7cTaoUhjFidFBq_Tnd45Bn1SohFS6oWqXUzQpR5nwJ48355WA5s93hXbXoe3cV-h1rWo5AlsbLwHU_VTa_Vnq1JUfr_riEAF3k4pHzP3CCNBKXVHsMh5rRLPfUdf/s1600-h/CRW_6994.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9If1QfV5hfZ9UKgI7cTaoUhjFidFBq_Tnd45Bn1SohFS6oWqXUzQpR5nwJ48355WA5s93hXbXoe3cV-h1rWo5AlsbLwHU_VTa_Vnq1JUfr_riEAF3k4pHzP3CCNBKXVHsMh5rRLPfUdf/s320/CRW_6994.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079896741541235282" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWFXUljmgyQ5x69hAuhEV6RP4q1yEGhT7cUFa-Xguka_FuwOIp6_8jazJIKlZxVC9zUiTJktuEzS2Hkn8zY1pWnPr8P-vtqR0gL-avMMoLjg8OchLB6OHQ54eFC1eBtdskyDGnsSVGlqm/s1600-h/CRW_6993.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWFXUljmgyQ5x69hAuhEV6RP4q1yEGhT7cUFa-Xguka_FuwOIp6_8jazJIKlZxVC9zUiTJktuEzS2Hkn8zY1pWnPr8P-vtqR0gL-avMMoLjg8OchLB6OHQ54eFC1eBtdskyDGnsSVGlqm/s320/CRW_6993.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079896750131169890" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfSx1qk8629O2A96l7LYJIrHc0xra2bVpMVHHT5F52xkAMYnpo_YlpTXVEYH7GBoZPQqeEGdoy6FqQ2auWhYd6fgnl4EFxMZ80cglCxkxajEUdLUnUfr3pJ6FvTTt6O0N23wwsJl_nYVx/s1600-h/CRW_6989.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfSx1qk8629O2A96l7LYJIrHc0xra2bVpMVHHT5F52xkAMYnpo_YlpTXVEYH7GBoZPQqeEGdoy6FqQ2auWhYd6fgnl4EFxMZ80cglCxkxajEUdLUnUfr3pJ6FvTTt6O0N23wwsJl_nYVx/s320/CRW_6989.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079898021441489602" border="0" /></a>A well deserved close-up for this piece.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2s0ytbE-Z9OEzqCJMB1zeiDg7xFEPDu3_1pu1ijbYchoCbJDLqf3w-5hr0IvhAdrxiU6tTx8AL0JZvhOGOUhmn92IguMjkvC_50b8n9NupsmKDQLgQpB0ureTAdNsXsf7ST3mMQ31ols/s1600-h/CRW_6990.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2s0ytbE-Z9OEzqCJMB1zeiDg7xFEPDu3_1pu1ijbYchoCbJDLqf3w-5hr0IvhAdrxiU6tTx8AL0JZvhOGOUhmn92IguMjkvC_50b8n9NupsmKDQLgQpB0ureTAdNsXsf7ST3mMQ31ols/s320/CRW_6990.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079896754426137202" border="0" /></a>A summary of the Chinese artist's life</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASKdm9IcKuIb0xuLvx9S1fPPJWfdeywz-NuYCcYQHs0u_B0jN0PcRY4DToawAcRoh9kXFKDYT4C0udfMo_f9EYlhtlHSTDuBxM6LYXd51TxTXJyCprLy8bUJxhZE-qJrKWgZMIeGs9GFh/s1600-h/CRW_6996.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASKdm9IcKuIb0xuLvx9S1fPPJWfdeywz-NuYCcYQHs0u_B0jN0PcRY4DToawAcRoh9kXFKDYT4C0udfMo_f9EYlhtlHSTDuBxM6LYXd51TxTXJyCprLy8bUJxhZE-qJrKWgZMIeGs9GFh/s320/CRW_6996.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079896724361366066" border="0" /></a><br /></div>The next gallery was on the 3rd floor. This was where the modern art began. I found one of the artists to be particularly silly, and didn't take any pics of their art. Wish I had to show you what I meant. She painted cityscapes, with superimposed random household objects in different colour tones and perspective, and essentially just 'floating' around the image. Items included toilet paper rolls, little chairs, couches, lamps, people, naked people, toothbrushes... things like that. So weird. The next weird artist was very interesting though. He did a 3D image of an entire biblical-like scene, composed of dozens of the same man, naked, in the middle of different acts. Then, there were four large, backlit billboards on a plastic medium, showing the scene from four different angles. Add to that, there were sound effects, though mostly just of random men grumbling and yelling nonsensical things in what seemed like English.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This was the only picture of the weird superimposed items artist that had no superimposed items, and therfore, the only one I cared to photograph. </span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrUYSX_It_eC4P9yOsnMKpBP8PEahTx3HqDm1DSr4L6n2A84xtHemgb0DsF3ZPCul45UoKlvV_5AEZfpexCNqHJ2Hg2rYd98xsNXWCcP4PND79rannW8c0dzzxqU1Of1EOSQib9W-dktt/s1600-h/CRW_6997.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrUYSX_It_eC4P9yOsnMKpBP8PEahTx3HqDm1DSr4L6n2A84xtHemgb0DsF3ZPCul45UoKlvV_5AEZfpexCNqHJ2Hg2rYd98xsNXWCcP4PND79rannW8c0dzzxqU1Of1EOSQib9W-dktt/s320/CRW_6997.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079904425237728194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg331BfLi4STMSBzEyHqDHZnFlB0T34fKPtstkkydx02rTFAS3QlerphkfTWZhKwRj14N5C7EfBEhT-Sbj92z7oyCumrmsWhNCTlgG8iRSxcKka6z4bWhdiJ2o-x_fewFYwlUvtsJhKWSTg/s1600-h/CRW_6998.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg331BfLi4STMSBzEyHqDHZnFlB0T34fKPtstkkydx02rTFAS3QlerphkfTWZhKwRj14N5C7EfBEhT-Sbj92z7oyCumrmsWhNCTlgG8iRSxcKka6z4bWhdiJ2o-x_fewFYwlUvtsJhKWSTg/s320/CRW_6998.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079904429532695506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2X4HjweAkRR4ajHAi3JxcLISiTZPQO_XV0raOHtxRprN-Jftztm0NRTpAr7_b4gTsb5hyphenhyphenpGbS-LeXcHGjY8KSAJtIjC_yXP7YE0NSnASDgWyyMwjU7oyKd_ywnoFmgqaDE9eGV1EyIBtL/s1600-h/CRW_6999.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2X4HjweAkRR4ajHAi3JxcLISiTZPQO_XV0raOHtxRprN-Jftztm0NRTpAr7_b4gTsb5hyphenhyphenpGbS-LeXcHGjY8KSAJtIjC_yXP7YE0NSnASDgWyyMwjU7oyKd_ywnoFmgqaDE9eGV1EyIBtL/s320/CRW_6999.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079904438122630114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyGqPxY0xHjuTm8h1jSg9f7Tt3RLcAAKTl-SOvwZ0nxjWxluF6odXq-RSKdFTVl0pbgA-ickuTlDitHbZNs6MqKd_d0MDZ7f35R-jEOO12Byq_wvhIJmPIyoJlGNRWk8uYUceiXonJ1pD/s1600-h/CRW_7000.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyGqPxY0xHjuTm8h1jSg9f7Tt3RLcAAKTl-SOvwZ0nxjWxluF6odXq-RSKdFTVl0pbgA-ickuTlDitHbZNs6MqKd_d0MDZ7f35R-jEOO12Byq_wvhIJmPIyoJlGNRWk8uYUceiXonJ1pD/s320/CRW_7000.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079904446712564722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyn8MAkF5JGbORmiVnSfDQzzLYs14FDg5PC63-qX75PNl7W-PxIyywUe3OyaiGEFJxm91qUSQXJ82x8b69DO62GLGnEoEQoZNMozWJfwELlQM4K3UvDXKnwyJ09jPNs1KlwfIcYKu96EG/s1600-h/CRW_7001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyn8MAkF5JGbORmiVnSfDQzzLYs14FDg5PC63-qX75PNl7W-PxIyywUe3OyaiGEFJxm91qUSQXJ82x8b69DO62GLGnEoEQoZNMozWJfwELlQM4K3UvDXKnwyJ09jPNs1KlwfIcYKu96EG/s320/CRW_7001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079904451007532034" border="0" /></a><br />The next surprise was a paper-maché artist. This truly struck me as odd, but in a bit of time I could see the purpose. There were mostly large, tubular-like objects with a strange white and beige, gluey coating. These 'tubes' were arranged in different formations. All a bit strange, but pleasant to look at all the same. They had touch of HR Giger going on, since they looked spine-like. There were some other photographers there, serious photographers with serious equipment. One guy had a large-format camera!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYucXiZ6SiBNdbd8Fck2BkElVvNiL2YlDiwafSzGGDFng068GLdXn_FzXSWTOMgc8U_mv3W0oEDpkGsruJusjQvCkg5Qi8dcyhuoGm296obzQlYLKotgXwPbXCF_0JM4pSXszgoBk8maHG/s1600-h/CRW_7003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYucXiZ6SiBNdbd8Fck2BkElVvNiL2YlDiwafSzGGDFng068GLdXn_FzXSWTOMgc8U_mv3W0oEDpkGsruJusjQvCkg5Qi8dcyhuoGm296obzQlYLKotgXwPbXCF_0JM4pSXszgoBk8maHG/s320/CRW_7003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079908548406332514" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDtcfiUIENpJhy5ZXXtr_YTkeO3DRKNFPRmV01VU-JViVS9x89TtV2tVBxX59fgjTOmIn8L2sOXd-0BG_U9pELJkjlrAeEp2btNfTQWIvEmpfhEjSywWHRoiLe7hUR-woX8913g8DchfY/s1600-h/CRW_7004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDtcfiUIENpJhy5ZXXtr_YTkeO3DRKNFPRmV01VU-JViVS9x89TtV2tVBxX59fgjTOmIn8L2sOXd-0BG_U9pELJkjlrAeEp2btNfTQWIvEmpfhEjSywWHRoiLe7hUR-woX8913g8DchfY/s320/CRW_7004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079908556996267122" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The inside of the one of the "tubes".</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQGE9gOkn8p76fvG_FN-ndWJepnO6usDwJ5SD4wmL17PT970O0kEJAuO6BiaL8rJGGgUlp5lMcWUqVPv9rAPlTBY5vqYkUC1FGVchH3FqBCEcz8FclXY47gWyQrBJQw7ZyfjjPC8ST3gF/s1600-h/CRW_7005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQGE9gOkn8p76fvG_FN-ndWJepnO6usDwJ5SD4wmL17PT970O0kEJAuO6BiaL8rJGGgUlp5lMcWUqVPv9rAPlTBY5vqYkUC1FGVchH3FqBCEcz8FclXY47gWyQrBJQw7ZyfjjPC8ST3gF/s320/CRW_7005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079908565586201730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRv0wxBVTdGzSesQvTeohWLZfkgt1OSWhougZdCtqTvwxemOjiChGTf-gMpczVHTBCGA9Bgbxug-GX6_WNTSQITcs5Q9GldP6ZWZetxzs3T4UZ_gvxmDhL_EmOaq6cVrQketZdr_9qjjSi/s1600-h/CRW_7006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRv0wxBVTdGzSesQvTeohWLZfkgt1OSWhougZdCtqTvwxemOjiChGTf-gMpczVHTBCGA9Bgbxug-GX6_WNTSQITcs5Q9GldP6ZWZetxzs3T4UZ_gvxmDhL_EmOaq6cVrQketZdr_9qjjSi/s320/CRW_7006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079908574176136338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBP-sOp4kEJPuUYhRATcdsDGiP_Ido5aa9xviaibmLMlYnozgzX1mY8ZwCfsnfHiQS6TBbr3VzKyGlSdaN7iVjqxFYj-Y7600iKLbJn6YeVGSljaOlqf5S9hPDuxKn9P4f9MJ7MmfZmAX/s1600-h/CRW_7007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBP-sOp4kEJPuUYhRATcdsDGiP_Ido5aa9xviaibmLMlYnozgzX1mY8ZwCfsnfHiQS6TBbr3VzKyGlSdaN7iVjqxFYj-Y7600iKLbJn6YeVGSljaOlqf5S9hPDuxKn9P4f9MJ7MmfZmAX/s320/CRW_7007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079906199059221522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA14mUZmwGVYwl4Y9hCMPJWVxR3LVsmYnWfaCygxhsiaiHJarQkSuzf7iLWgTu7G7y8pH91D3nZl_w0z4SHJ39Dc4HLEQ8_007ko0KTEKwfBw1pIiBpVaoWJnwfbLzk_rCD1RG53Jz0bLn/s1600-h/CRW_7009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA14mUZmwGVYwl4Y9hCMPJWVxR3LVsmYnWfaCygxhsiaiHJarQkSuzf7iLWgTu7G7y8pH91D3nZl_w0z4SHJ39Dc4HLEQ8_007ko0KTEKwfBw1pIiBpVaoWJnwfbLzk_rCD1RG53Jz0bLn/s320/CRW_7009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079906211944123426" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivV3q1gYFSeWtV_ovCC_gsMeB_Zldbulj_i6uUSjkRY-MAktjE2IpNBotmSXn5tw8UleDqDvXsBXVX_NYANfIIuwgFzKG2c4FXK-mP0fa6Ljl1LwrhC-0J96NFI9b8BvqnKNNzmRmtVs4d/s1600-h/CRW_7010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivV3q1gYFSeWtV_ovCC_gsMeB_Zldbulj_i6uUSjkRY-MAktjE2IpNBotmSXn5tw8UleDqDvXsBXVX_NYANfIIuwgFzKG2c4FXK-mP0fa6Ljl1LwrhC-0J96NFI9b8BvqnKNNzmRmtVs4d/s320/CRW_7010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079906220534058034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Regular cameras use negatives that measure 35mm diagonally, whereas large-format use 128mm negatives. That's 8cmx10cm, just the negative. On top of that, large format cameras can utilize optical effects that are impossible to do with regular cameras. This is accomplished by changing the angle of the lens relative to the film. On top of the effects, the resolution of large-format is roughly 16times that of 35mm.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwgvH4HH5dh0g24f66BqVuzjgDklO9jZKwTI-N8qgWMLTSGM7aSrkP9ohoK5Vbi6ifuOSUDozgyFeh1FpGvNz1TRet4MF3W48UFnwxKLa8pF9WdpGID0dHtN72SyJI7mIniMr1jJDRnUI/s1600-h/CRW_7015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwgvH4HH5dh0g24f66BqVuzjgDklO9jZKwTI-N8qgWMLTSGM7aSrkP9ohoK5Vbi6ifuOSUDozgyFeh1FpGvNz1TRet4MF3W48UFnwxKLa8pF9WdpGID0dHtN72SyJI7mIniMr1jJDRnUI/s320/CRW_7015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079906224829025346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Rg7AyD9M5AKpz5AZ3VQlIxROaP03GOKaMPXX0vtvvHuUaA-oIxWk0LHA7UsTZhfTLmbG1KogcoASxI5QvurEO4v5fbcZaMwJqP3ReK27TLqWdqARLlhKHulQNDRvovX0NXfRQe3TPwoc/s1600-h/CRW_7017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Rg7AyD9M5AKpz5AZ3VQlIxROaP03GOKaMPXX0vtvvHuUaA-oIxWk0LHA7UsTZhfTLmbG1KogcoASxI5QvurEO4v5fbcZaMwJqP3ReK27TLqWdqARLlhKHulQNDRvovX0NXfRQe3TPwoc/s320/CRW_7017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079906233418959954" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">When we finally reached the Magritte exhibit, I took one photo before I was told that photos were prohibited. Even though I'm not using a flash!?! Total bullshit. Anyway, I managed to snap this one literally as the woman was talking to me. I snapped it in defiance, but then grudgingly put my camera away. To get a good idea of Magrittes work, just google-image it. He's was a french surrealist, with some pretty cool art.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnHjXauWagTapi8Ant_VklH8BKdG0xhg_6WIGRZVUzXzSdUTUYZKUoj12dq8NhWRgkWr5gbFittzyzMg7I6cBKIMa7bith5RLqro8qasraHKhZ-p0N-3yq-L4qFWmBFHS3plPzU2pgNea/s1600-h/CRW_7018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnHjXauWagTapi8Ant_VklH8BKdG0xhg_6WIGRZVUzXzSdUTUYZKUoj12dq8NhWRgkWr5gbFittzyzMg7I6cBKIMa7bith5RLqro8qasraHKhZ-p0N-3yq-L4qFWmBFHS3plPzU2pgNea/s320/CRW_7018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079911254235729074" border="0" /></a><br />I finished the day with a nice bowl of cherries and bay berries. That's right, bay berries, called yangmei (杨梅) in Chinese. I'd never seen them before I came to China. They're really good!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjaLaXBgJpClgPqljTdWPF8i9yRCpCef4tMAU8fYICTLY50idiexvYJB0IB5HeljBI2CJ-TujE1QAOhwhvswfazmNzeTwxLSHxSGPpefA76vOsAJAF_O9I6zumaQaW1kc99GZQooZ4dGx/s1600-h/CRW_7023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjaLaXBgJpClgPqljTdWPF8i9yRCpCef4tMAU8fYICTLY50idiexvYJB0IB5HeljBI2CJ-TujE1QAOhwhvswfazmNzeTwxLSHxSGPpefA76vOsAJAF_O9I6zumaQaW1kc99GZQooZ4dGx/s320/CRW_7023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079911249940761762" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-48701178835482797982007-05-22T23:50:00.002-05:002008-10-15T04:58:08.932-05:00CCTV - The day I went to a Chinese TV StudioOn July 10th, I will be on TV in China. Unfortunately, that's where the glamour ends. I suspect I'll be shown for a total of no more than 20seconds, and truthfully, I have absolutely no idea what the show is about.<br /><br />I found this job on an online classifieds listing, from a very popular site in Beijing (<a href="http://www.thatsbj.com/">thatsbj.com</a>). They also have personals, which can be fun to read (and most of the ads with cute girls are prostitution services). The job description was "Foreign actors needed. No experience necessary." Sounded good to me, since my experience in the film industry adds up to about 1 day of extra work 7 years ago. Also, I had a fair amount of free time and was looking for something random and new.<br /><br />So, I emailed them with some photos, and heard back a couple of days later:<br />"You have been selected for the documentary.(<span id="st" name="st" class="st">British</span> soldier)"<br /><br />British soldier. Okay. I don't have a British accent (thank god!), but I suppose I can look British-y enough. I called them to make sure I needn't have to speak, and was relieved to find I didn't. So, it was a go. The pay wasn't much, but I really wasn't doing it for the pay.<br /><br />I was instructed to wait at 军事博物馆 (military museum station) at 1:20pm on the first Monday of May holiday (a popular 7day holiday here). There, I was to rendez-vous with the one other "foreign actor", and be picked up by a vehicle with plate number TC1067. I was there on time, but neither the van nor the other actor were. The place was filled with people enjoying the first real day of the May holiday. Finally around 1:40 I noticed another white guy (not many in this area) wandering around, and figured it had to be the other actor. His name is Johnny, from Manchester I believe. He had been told he was playing the British officer. We looked around for a while, but still didn't see any vehicle with that plate number. Soon after, a random Chinese guy approached us and asked if we were the actors, in heavily accented Beijinghua. I'm glad I understood him, otherwise I'd have thought he was trying to rip us off in some way. Johnny was also glad I understood him, since his Chinese is still in the very beginning stages.<br /><br />The studio was about an hour's ride straight south, into farmland. The degradation of Beijing pronounced as you leave the city. It's divided into 6 rings by massive ring highways around the center of the city, and the further out you go, the poorer and dirtier it gets. Then, it sharply cuts off into farmland, at least in the direction we were headed in the SW. Other directions, such as the SE, sharply cut off into very dirty industrial development.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is what it looks like 45min SW of Beijing.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39tFN19Pl0JZkc9UBRU2UbnxtDSjt-pKjIUbcF3hA2XcFq1qK4XewW7sGiZmOTyg-n7OUd10KvVnzdWEy6JqXS4IeMNKFOheurFnZ4p82LD-YAHDnq1MlL1tc4mqTE_1NA5YL97VoIjLO/s1600-h/IMG_2112.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39tFN19Pl0JZkc9UBRU2UbnxtDSjt-pKjIUbcF3hA2XcFq1qK4XewW7sGiZmOTyg-n7OUd10KvVnzdWEy6JqXS4IeMNKFOheurFnZ4p82LD-YAHDnq1MlL1tc4mqTE_1NA5YL97VoIjLO/s320/IMG_2112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067629349225226722" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Johnny and I had a fair chance to get to know each other on the ride, and got along quite well. We figured that the English-speaking cast agent would be there to greet us and help us along in the process. After our arrival, it took no more than five minutes to learn that none of the directors there spoke any English beyond Hello. How they expected to direct us... I have no clue. Had I not been there, Johnny would REALLY have been screwed. Things aren't always thought out in great detail here.<br /><br />We were first escorted to the change rooms, where some cute girls gave Johnny a mustache and selected our outfits. This was probably the funnest part of the day, seeing the outfits they had designated for us. We had no idea what the show was about, but could only guess by the outfits that we were supposed to be in the 19th century. The girls were friendly enough, and after struggling with Chinese for a while, it turned out one actually spoke beginner English. After that discovery however things quickly reverted back to Chinese, as she was too shy to speak the little she knew.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Johnny before and after. The mustache looked pretty real.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkk_Sj5UaX6T-emoKqSdGtJCyZ-hYNl11XAyA-s_R7YaeRFoiAQKhUeMrcWrlKyryJbtPb58G-55uaavF4Rl4arVFD1HSBY8UWUoAzxAPR1G0VLJ9eRZSrj2gz7VgXQN4toOaiBwFa_K1/s1600-h/IMG_2089_comp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkk_Sj5UaX6T-emoKqSdGtJCyZ-hYNl11XAyA-s_R7YaeRFoiAQKhUeMrcWrlKyryJbtPb58G-55uaavF4Rl4arVFD1HSBY8UWUoAzxAPR1G0VLJ9eRZSrj2gz7VgXQN4toOaiBwFa_K1/s320/IMG_2089_comp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067632639170175474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">My cool "British soldier" outfit</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSal6x3cDglu3UXDHyJXnnTXNauLaVAHFZB0z4u0CmFlk09jZK-7AZnS_t42w5MFhRbyyqiPNGK57Y8k1MeNQpVjzNjzj2Eb4zFeetCoqM7aO6Ro71TvH566FQ5ehbhFzsvz8O1AnarDF/s1600-h/IMG_2093.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSal6x3cDglu3UXDHyJXnnTXNauLaVAHFZB0z4u0CmFlk09jZK-7AZnS_t42w5MFhRbyyqiPNGK57Y8k1MeNQpVjzNjzj2Eb4zFeetCoqM7aO6Ro71TvH566FQ5ehbhFzsvz8O1AnarDF/s320/IMG_2093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067633201810891266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Me being suited up.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3iwXnU3upoICFmjCHb5Xd5SDyunRBln5kNLAn1QY7KApvaW5fUaHe3LaBl90mPEsdJq4mNQLB0gSlWlkan_wumR8O6xJuOCGBfgBMhazqHgakBl58ql4rjCiJ_q0NU9RmBIPLFe8253G/s1600-h/johnny_IMG_1232.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3iwXnU3upoICFmjCHb5Xd5SDyunRBln5kNLAn1QY7KApvaW5fUaHe3LaBl90mPEsdJq4mNQLB0gSlWlkan_wumR8O6xJuOCGBfgBMhazqHgakBl58ql4rjCiJ_q0NU9RmBIPLFe8253G/s320/johnny_IMG_1232.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067641469622936162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The cute outfit girl. You're not Chinese unless you give the peace sign in every photo.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlKYrTfyKB2cjokRiCbC20Nd0DjsGs19bgSmxV65f3MsyOs2WMIuKKPSchOWIc4dd_Jwh31gMvVbT3GDf9zuWkrPZTIf5x-eQSMsrtv5zPC-D8ue78uQxhFYAH07voIkoWL0AdawBTcMf/s1600-h/IMG_2094.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlKYrTfyKB2cjokRiCbC20Nd0DjsGs19bgSmxV65f3MsyOs2WMIuKKPSchOWIc4dd_Jwh31gMvVbT3GDf9zuWkrPZTIf5x-eQSMsrtv5zPC-D8ue78uQxhFYAH07voIkoWL0AdawBTcMf/s320/IMG_2094.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067633206105858578" border="0" /></a><br />We were then brought into the studio. I'm not sure why we were brought so early. We had arrived at around 4pm, and it was now about 5. However, filming wasn't to begin until around 8! We sat in our positions for almost an hour while they fiddled with the lighting, and it still wasn't done when we were called out to eat. Dinner was pretty drab: two take-out boxes, one with rice (way too much) and one with a very plain, runny, Chinese cabbage dish (farmer food essentially). No glamour at all. [sidenote: when I did extra 7yrs ago, I accidentally ate the 'actors' food for lunch, roast beef and savoury carrots vs. pizza. I got in trouble and they threatened they weren't going to pay me, but I plead ignorant and no harm came from it].<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This video was taken while eating dinner outside of the studio. We were very bored, and being stared at by all the studio workers.</span><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMSrBMv7w3E"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMSrBMv7w3E" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Me and the rhino getting to know eachother.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYfEQcVRxkysZL-yZUG81T_bbCJ5mj8sjRB_MD7b_sD13ZDVcsyH9vf-hchXjYc2JADAVaqxpAEtC5xdYIHNKEvpH2mr56YBJ-9ez5ikvUUhWyTV8qmSzzrlBHS4nQzhDkNUh8wKvgIWR/s1600-h/IMG_2101.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYfEQcVRxkysZL-yZUG81T_bbCJ5mj8sjRB_MD7b_sD13ZDVcsyH9vf-hchXjYc2JADAVaqxpAEtC5xdYIHNKEvpH2mr56YBJ-9ez5ikvUUhWyTV8qmSzzrlBHS4nQzhDkNUh8wKvgIWR/s320/IMG_2101.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067636324252115506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Myself, the main Chinese dude, and ... I don't know WHO that other guy is.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0FhHpl_EhG8qvgaDpwEl2KI9VfVHxhMQBjUTwW6wX6OudR8GdwDZFzs0iqVVOdIjHB6qS6VkedagjBXSi83oSrrcQFjoSBVXuMaOan4cZHIScpnSzNZHFTQenXGVoZvwTBe3RB7Yeb9N/s1600-h/johnny_IMG_1240.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0FhHpl_EhG8qvgaDpwEl2KI9VfVHxhMQBjUTwW6wX6OudR8GdwDZFzs0iqVVOdIjHB6qS6VkedagjBXSi83oSrrcQFjoSBVXuMaOan4cZHIScpnSzNZHFTQenXGVoZvwTBe3RB7Yeb9N/s320/johnny_IMG_1240.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067641473917903474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">After "eating" we were called back into the studio, where they fiddled with the lighting for another hour or so. Johnny and I were wondering what the hell they were doing, and didn't understand why it was so dim. Also, during this time, we were told what we would have to do. Johnny was to be explaining something to the main Chinese guy at the front table, gesticulating and laughing jovially, while occasionally looking at me for approval with some deceit in his eyes (yes, we managed to understand all of this). I was to look ahead sternly, and only blink my eyes and subtly nod my head in approval whenever Johnny looked at me. Meanwhile, the main Chinese dude was supposed to look very disappointed, sighing and dropping his head as Johnny continued to explain whatever it was he would be dubbed over saying.<br /></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The set.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaH37kVKahblzRWHBDXSFuig1_AejIB6twD436QWUAs0sFpS7As_e0oIktvQut5NcHf1HcEigFvtYJzGFLqmRmvUOYwSFUZ-SdQOfEwlf47Oy2aOS9EtENju_QMvQ1Kf1PwhZm3cYM605u/s1600-h/IMG_2096.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaH37kVKahblzRWHBDXSFuig1_AejIB6twD436QWUAs0sFpS7As_e0oIktvQut5NcHf1HcEigFvtYJzGFLqmRmvUOYwSFUZ-SdQOfEwlf47Oy2aOS9EtENju_QMvQ1Kf1PwhZm3cYM605u/s320/IMG_2096.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067636319957148194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Another shot of the set.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSUVoqx_b1w6B9BQPKXHwRn_z0-GVATaIHtf4n7B5SzMg6DiW1pQhqUkra8DruwFrM8Tyh_iOfjHBjK10dQobhTh948o5S3VG7Utg8YYI8fqjDsyfnNq6t5nef0fmVDfRscMdXfEXWSUr/s1600-h/johnny_IMG_1249.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSUVoqx_b1w6B9BQPKXHwRn_z0-GVATaIHtf4n7B5SzMg6DiW1pQhqUkra8DruwFrM8Tyh_iOfjHBjK10dQobhTh948o5S3VG7Utg8YYI8fqjDsyfnNq6t5nef0fmVDfRscMdXfEXWSUr/s320/johnny_IMG_1249.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067641482507838082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Waiting for them to setup the lighting.</span><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gqboWrPGgRY"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gqboWrPGgRY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I think the best part of the whole experience was that Johnny had to actually speak to the main Chinese guy, in English. They insisted he actually uttered words instead of just feigning to speak. He didn't know what to say, and the whole process of him talking random gibberish was really funny. So funny that I found keeping a stern face rather difficult. Nobody else in the entire room understood what he was saying, only him and I, and we were being filmed! Too strange! And I kept imagining what they'd make him sound like in the dubbed over voice, and what he was supposed to be saying. Basically, we were being made out to be the conniving, deceitful WHITE man, screwing the Chinese out of as much as we can. Maybe this had something to do with the Opium wars, I don't know. We never did figure that out. The only information we managed to gather was the the show aired on CCTV10, on July 10th. I don't even know what time.<br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The main Chinese guy, named DaiMing.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbwENGqx_M9vpwGCoFR6U001aEeHtJ1rarGGzswXyc2CTj8fHEiiTsww_sYSPuxSVpmHRBd8esSOoFJROgMTjMn0QNBjM6B5sYPDfwyUN6ZqXWSamGi5jRkelmmcp0uuI05LxbTVhJBCW/s1600-h/IMG_2104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbwENGqx_M9vpwGCoFR6U001aEeHtJ1rarGGzswXyc2CTj8fHEiiTsww_sYSPuxSVpmHRBd8esSOoFJROgMTjMn0QNBjM6B5sYPDfwyUN6ZqXWSamGi5jRkelmmcp0uuI05LxbTVhJBCW/s320/IMG_2104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067641461033001538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The other Chinese guys, whom I'm not even sure were filmed.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqC8nuklEIeraTvqeMxEAnij0g0W1yTO2rR4ldgYPogsSYRSq7to-df1XHt76wTlyVtNArPIVT9HOASdLXoukxrdmvn5BqZdwCPDhicMQyo-I_cLlk4hH8Hd8VrUgCdsD35Mzkv1ujlyIh/s1600-h/IMG_2108.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqC8nuklEIeraTvqeMxEAnij0g0W1yTO2rR4ldgYPogsSYRSq7to-df1XHt76wTlyVtNArPIVT9HOASdLXoukxrdmvn5BqZdwCPDhicMQyo-I_cLlk4hH8Hd8VrUgCdsD35Mzkv1ujlyIh/s320/IMG_2108.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067641465327968850" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The filming ended around 11. The driver didn't want to drive back to Beijing, so they put us up in a hotel not too far away. It was pretty comfy actually. The only non-comfy part was waking up at 6 to be driven into Beijing. In traffic. And I had to work at 9. Boooo.<br /><br />I will try earnestly to acquire video footage of the show, but I make no guarantees, since I have no idea what time it will air at or what it's called.</div></div>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-45999710855472839782007-04-27T06:44:00.002-05:002008-10-15T04:59:00.195-05:00The Day I Almost Got DeportedToday I thought I was going to have to leave the country. But even worse, I thought I'd have to spend some time locked up before I left. I haven't got my passport, and I can't get it because it's in a police station at Tsingdao (a city 600km away). I'm having my visa renewed, as my original 90day travel visa was up. You'd think they'd be pretty understanding of that situation, but man! did it take a lot of maneuvering and chatting. It was a bit of a harrowing experience, but luckily things seem to be alright now.<br /><br />It began in the afternoon. I woke up around noon, and my roommates mentioned they wanted to go to the nearby pet market (until recently the largest in Beijing). I was intrigued, so got ready to go. The market is cool enough to deserve its own blog, which it will get soon. So we spent a couple of hours there, and around 3:30 I got a call from a local friend asking me where I was. I had forgotten that we had arranged to meet at my place at 3:00... I felt really bad and rushed home. Upon arriving at home, I met with Casper (bit of a funny name, but this guy is rock solid), and within not even five minutes I get a phone call. This time, from a friend of Brian, the guy whose room I'm renting out. Brian had asked this friend to help us whenever if we're ever in need. One of my roommates speaks mandarin, but he's Korean and doesn't always know the protocol of things in Beijing. Brian's friend began telling me that the police were talking to him and saying I have to move out or renew my temporary residence status. While I'm on the phone with him, I hear a firm knock at the door. Sure enough, it's the community watch (the people the police send to do smaller tasks... pesky people). Luckily for me, Casper is local and savvy, and knows how to deal with these people. The end result is that we have to head to the police station.<br /><br />A bit of background: In Beijing, you need to have approval to live outside of certain (very limited) designated areas. The approval is easy to get, you just go to the police station with your passport and they give you a "temporary residence status" certificate. It expires on the day your visa does. I didn't even go to get mine, Brian took my passport and went with Casper. Convenient for me... at the time. From that point, I mistakenly thought that they were pretty lenient. I know better now.<br /><br />When Casper and I arrived at the police station, the officer in charge of our area was near-infuriated. Though I couldn't understand him, I was told he threatened jail-time and deportation numerous times. He kept saying I should've come to the police station first, and that people were dispatched to my place to tell me that. I never received such a dispatch. Anyhow, though I didn't understand his words, his tones expressed enough to let me know to shut-up and look innocent and humble. After half an hour of discussion (ie. being preached to), he told us to follow him. We walked outside of the first building and were going around to the back. I couldn't help but think he was leading us to the jailhouse. But, luckily it was only the residential department. They have records for all people living in this vicinity, and foreigners get a special (mostly empty) shelf zone.<br /><br />Further complications arose when they went into their system to verify whether or not my visa was being processed. I used an agency to extend my visa (since I was changing visa types, which you technically have to do from the chinese embassy in your home-country... or pay an agent). The agency has ties in Tsingdao, a coastal city 600km away from here. So, that's where my passport is. However, when processing it there, it doesn't show on the Beijing system. So, they couldn't verify whether or not it was being processed. On top of that, using an agency to extend visa's is illegal, and so I didn't want to admit to it for a while. Eventually the truth came out, and I was forgiven since I didn't know. The same officer who had threatened me then gave me his card and had the pesky community watch dispatched to my place to post a note of the police station phone numbers where I can reach him in case of any trouble. Casper was of immense help throughout all of this. I didn't speak a word of chinese the entire time... thinking it was better to play as ignorant a role as possible. I think my humble, innocent expression helped too, but there's no way to verify that.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">All police signs here are adorned with a cartoon police officer. Ironic?</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYkEXPEgy7Vm-CCfZOzRmmceQZ_QSRK3ZiOL0SnQILk86vIFyJE-bTirZMmC9sG-M9QkhxyqT2Oihq5VvJFhSPtJ1qfUQd__nHVJ0vUh_HIqGcP534SzldXT4OKQt0FBf9q8ROcg-S8EO/s1600-h/IMG_2025_resize.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYkEXPEgy7Vm-CCfZOzRmmceQZ_QSRK3ZiOL0SnQILk86vIFyJE-bTirZMmC9sG-M9QkhxyqT2Oihq5VvJFhSPtJ1qfUQd__nHVJ0vUh_HIqGcP534SzldXT4OKQt0FBf9q8ROcg-S8EO/s400/IMG_2025_resize.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060573413267336370" border="0" /></a>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-58735189772088945432007-04-20T04:20:00.001-05:002008-10-15T04:59:29.025-05:00"Safety" in BeijingWhen Beijing was fighting hard for their Olympic bid, one of their slogans was "Beijing: safety number one". It's clearly a joke, and anybody who spends more than 1wk here can see that safety is not a priority. They're leaps and bounds behind the west in terms of workplace safety, especially when it comes to protection against fumes and falling hazards.<br /><br />I was at Wangfujing last week, on my way to a hospital to xray my sprained toe (short story: I kicked a curb), and I saw a demo team taking apart a building. I have been known for being a bit fearless and putting myself in unsafe positions (and having the occasional accident), but I would never work in these conditions. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l2FbVL3oQuo"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l2FbVL3oQuo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Yesterday I visited a friends factory (yes, I've made friends with a factory owner). The factory produces fancy furniture. The carving part is pretty harmless, but what got to me was the varnishing. They spray the varnishes on in this one room, and all they wear are thin little cotton masks. Some people weren't even wearing their masks. I cringed a little, thinking about how they do the same job every day and don't have any protection whatsoever (and get paid pennies, but hey, this is China). What a place.Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-11933667069210578522007-04-02T02:09:00.002-05:002008-10-15T05:00:53.447-05:00Forbidden CityThe Forbidden City (Forbidden Palace, 紫禁城) lies in the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;q=39.91599,116.390963&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=14&ll=39.916912,116.390963&spn=0.031796,0.080338&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;t=k&om=1&iwloc=addr">center of the city</a>. It is the hub around which the city has grown. It's walls are considered the first ring of the city, followed by subsequent rings. The rings beyond the palace have become major roads that encircle the city. I live adjacent to the 2nd ring road, and thus, not very far from the palace (10min bus ride). The 2nd ring road was once a wall itself, but it was demolished sometime during the mao-era to create a road system for the booming population. A few sections remain, like around Hepingmen.<br /><br />So, why is it forbidden? Well, it's not, at least not anymore. The Forbidden City was opened to ordinary citizens in 1912. That year marks the end of the last dynasty, the Qing dynasty, and the year during which China abandoned monarchy and became a republic. Before then, the Forbidden City was the home of the emperor, the imperial throne of the country; a place of imperial business and personal affairs. The inner city was restricted to the emperor, his concubines, and over 1000 of his serving eunuchs. More on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_City">wikipedia</a>.<br /><br />Overall, I found the experience pretty mild. There was one massive tick against it to begin with: many of the major temples are being restored in time for the tourist surge the Olympics will no doubt cause. Also, it was a bit expensive for a something in China, 60Y entry fee, 15Y to see the extra part at Tian'anmen, and the snack prices were pretty exorbitant. I understand that this all translates to under $15, but I no longer convert to Canadian because it's too easy to spend too much that way.<br /><br />The nicest part in my opinion is the imperial garden in the North-most section. Also, Jingshan park, directly North of the palace, was a nice highlight. The park was created with the soil that was excavated in order to create the moat that surrounds the entire complex, and the artificial lakes to the West of the palace grounds, Nanhai. At the top of the hill is a nice little temple with a good view of the city. I waited for a clear day to check out the temple and Jingshan park. Entry to the park was a lofty 2Y ($0.30)... I sometimes wonder why they charge in the first place. After a brisk upward walk, there's an excellent view of the city.<br /><br />Beijing has a very different layout from most western cities. What one would think is the downtown, the central area of the city, is quite flat and full of hutongs (old-style Beijing neighbourhoods). The 2nd ring road is where everything grows. So, the skyscrapers form a ring around the city-centre. Anyway, the view was quite nice, it's the highest point in the city-centre, so you can see the ring growing all around.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;">The front of Tian'anmen (gate of Heavenly Peace). This is the south entrance to the Forbidden City.</span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIw2_PcPqjbFyU5mEzq0it8ZmpAKhjUZAQrtRqkfcV2-vSbqJZ_Zqvl_Aksc8CJYHFvVeF1YJ5igf1kEx-jO1PdzwxtcEGYE-oh8EHfTG3prd6yyMjG7qfQqFgrZvtV-ntwvR-nX6EHGn/s1600-h/CRW_6641.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053199397629892786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIw2_PcPqjbFyU5mEzq0it8ZmpAKhjUZAQrtRqkfcV2-vSbqJZ_Zqvl_Aksc8CJYHFvVeF1YJ5igf1kEx-jO1PdzwxtcEGYE-oh8EHfTG3prd6yyMjG7qfQqFgrZvtV-ntwvR-nX6EHGn/s320/CRW_6641.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Of course, there's still a huge portrait of Mao adorning the Gate of Heavenly Peace. Ironic? A bit...<br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjFVxE0kTfUXBpt5zN_tm4aFhad-z7lpc9cqeGoufrWkg_fKHv-rO6qdcL_7aeY4dTOdX7ukUIjJSFCVQP55E0RmV_IYfxWeMSp8cwhlkD0e2aZOe9jXtrX-VN9Uh1S3FWRE_cpRJ9RhY/s1600-h/CRW_6642.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053199401924860098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjFVxE0kTfUXBpt5zN_tm4aFhad-z7lpc9cqeGoufrWkg_fKHv-rO6qdcL_7aeY4dTOdX7ukUIjJSFCVQP55E0RmV_IYfxWeMSp8cwhlkD0e2aZOe9jXtrX-VN9Uh1S3FWRE_cpRJ9RhY/s320/CRW_6642.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;">The view while entering through Tian'anmen.</span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzSLTmp5aP-RMgNrxYr4xKaw83g9FfghxYHZb5WgKA47P9GUml5vtpg4q26m7GBdi17_Wq7oV9eZtHrG0ojNNwL1raYE-Z_7UMB9FFMN5ohuyMwMRCUD1C4YPuQ4IPhZ9BUaYHP_J8h6u/s1600-h/CRW_6646.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053199685392701666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzSLTmp5aP-RMgNrxYr4xKaw83g9FfghxYHZb5WgKA47P9GUml5vtpg4q26m7GBdi17_Wq7oV9eZtHrG0ojNNwL1raYE-Z_7UMB9FFMN5ohuyMwMRCUD1C4YPuQ4IPhZ9BUaYHP_J8h6u/s320/CRW_6646.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">For an extra 15Y, I went up into the Tian'anmen building. It was well adorned. This is where the emperor used to receive criminals and give addresses.<br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcym0fFPrvW61ldsTUhYWjO-xMRbPYyP5wmEMk70WZqw7wxNbAeOCLFnJl-ICbaAYsEBcgcx-uL_gixglRVt0Ho6IdAzVO9cfJOocId3OurJb8W8qNnq14kYRkoJa12BCL7VzhxTDs5kAE/s1600-h/CRW_6665.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053200136364267810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcym0fFPrvW61ldsTUhYWjO-xMRbPYyP5wmEMk70WZqw7wxNbAeOCLFnJl-ICbaAYsEBcgcx-uL_gixglRVt0Ho6IdAzVO9cfJOocId3OurJb8W8qNnq14kYRkoJa12BCL7VzhxTDs5kAE/s320/CRW_6665.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />The sign says "No photography please"... so I snuck this one. </span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOPbg-aIutMAliAMf_TIzOzIiXq-nm3U8Xvny4cXPggUZjFq_-p5kdUqykTYCGc1c6c2xp2rZ_Xp1xIC8X6PIe5cr4jwpzC5cy5bbEOF_ueS9MIao7gKXCWBMZC2-2AdSnZWjNRdr4F5x/s1600-h/CRW_6667.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053200140659235122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOPbg-aIutMAliAMf_TIzOzIiXq-nm3U8Xvny4cXPggUZjFq_-p5kdUqykTYCGc1c6c2xp2rZ_Xp1xIC8X6PIe5cr4jwpzC5cy5bbEOF_ueS9MIao7gKXCWBMZC2-2AdSnZWjNRdr4F5x/s320/CRW_6667.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The view from Tian'anmen, facing South, overlooking Tian'anmen Square.<br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFj67ckYFhF4F3r5UtvooED4AryQCPVKh5NxFIjCO7pbiMZaz_cHDjzQx97ZLJD1E35Qo4tqXo-vEOnCTt2Y5oMHR6zGvZCI9jY4v36k2NHz6B7IRq9bqwc2IK5rDNIq22Aruw4nduJsZm/s1600-h/0pan_tiananmen_from_N.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053199393334925458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFj67ckYFhF4F3r5UtvooED4AryQCPVKh5NxFIjCO7pbiMZaz_cHDjzQx97ZLJD1E35Qo4tqXo-vEOnCTt2Y5oMHR6zGvZCI9jY4v36k2NHz6B7IRq9bqwc2IK5rDNIq22Aruw4nduJsZm/s320/0pan_tiananmen_from_N.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />You may have noticed this building on the right hand side of the above photo. It's the new national theatre, currently under construction. The locals call it the "big egg". </span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5LoORbJ7539HQLYMm97EqaQhFs3t72_glN6HPd6r2BkdvIIZGICvPC8wrJHIbi8GJ-iXyf8ln37rLPiK4oUhKSQ0LKNnqSA2zEk0dfukfyf-UdN_e5-jA2xmbaKGmz2QnP1Wlwzf-cdF/s1600-h/CRW_6660.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053199689687668994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5LoORbJ7539HQLYMm97EqaQhFs3t72_glN6HPd6r2BkdvIIZGICvPC8wrJHIbi8GJ-iXyf8ln37rLPiK4oUhKSQ0LKNnqSA2zEk0dfukfyf-UdN_e5-jA2xmbaKGmz2QnP1Wlwzf-cdF/s320/CRW_6660.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />A zoom from on top of Tian'anmen. You can see the Monument to the People, in front of Mao's Mausoleum. </span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqpKVeBhg_781aYWe75Oe9gXD0U-3VoTL5Wx5IbfBlPI1dNWDjAw3Mai54co4e94rrpQvgcgjmyiC0DPoEh_W_hgnwm00d69NO9a2DrpyM7hOPpbBarKbF4tF-2y4KA1HB3fmxSyjbQ7k/s1600-h/CRW_6661.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053199693982636306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqpKVeBhg_781aYWe75Oe9gXD0U-3VoTL5Wx5IbfBlPI1dNWDjAw3Mai54co4e94rrpQvgcgjmyiC0DPoEh_W_hgnwm00d69NO9a2DrpyM7hOPpbBarKbF4tF-2y4KA1HB3fmxSyjbQ7k/s320/CRW_6661.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />At the rear of Tian'anmen, looking North into the Forbidden City complex. The middle stucture is the next gate. </span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5En0w8RszqLGvhN_VrkwZm3q_3JxEbh4JoBG-Iylt5S_GZxBr8KCPecDs4TohGrq0zl1_cLmdjJrssSfYOKvY_e7Nc-78nfugYE0t9zX70YFaUWU-4gm9kFIXX-XmuVpo3uh4TWhW_xtw/s1600-h/0pan_tiananmen_gatetop_rear.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053199397629892770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5En0w8RszqLGvhN_VrkwZm3q_3JxEbh4JoBG-Iylt5S_GZxBr8KCPecDs4TohGrq0zl1_cLmdjJrssSfYOKvY_e7Nc-78nfugYE0t9zX70YFaUWU-4gm9kFIXX-XmuVpo3uh4TWhW_xtw/s320/0pan_tiananmen_gatetop_rear.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Cool statue I saw from the courtyard.<br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDwvwVDQj6IxB3LVhvMGuIncy7lL6NAu-I-L3nEjN3LCxs2Tehnn3xxZHJewsu66RWLqo1AADbJh00EZjlJIhNL_BzSj1s2k1y1oke3Kwh2wFBaoMiOUT7WkRdwMXXVOZDb8jrYMUjBlH/s1600-h/CRW_6647.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053199689687668978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDwvwVDQj6IxB3LVhvMGuIncy7lL6NAu-I-L3nEjN3LCxs2Tehnn3xxZHJewsu66RWLqo1AADbJh00EZjlJIhNL_BzSj1s2k1y1oke3Kwh2wFBaoMiOUT7WkRdwMXXVOZDb8jrYMUjBlH/s320/CRW_6647.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;">And the same statue from the rear of Tian'anmen.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienvJiQNqp4QLPiRuIAzDrWBcI7zM89GUMvvlWkfFm15O61xeX52NBAoTcBTZAtUKhrhDkOLqoYENHtmvVkRcIW4wzJRXvzRvq7iN5oPpdtKEjpaE2ZOiWFgYrA6SoZIjoDmSYdlt5a-al/s1600-h/CRW_6675.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053200140659235138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienvJiQNqp4QLPiRuIAzDrWBcI7zM89GUMvvlWkfFm15O61xeX52NBAoTcBTZAtUKhrhDkOLqoYENHtmvVkRcIW4wzJRXvzRvq7iN5oPpdtKEjpaE2ZOiWFgYrA6SoZIjoDmSYdlt5a-al/s320/CRW_6675.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">A bridge within the complex.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGMP2tZ15u6Lrc32dSs2s5TFPcwnjxTzk1fxdf8TNM_9nYoiPCcXhvrYrwXF5ymxQtm0-L16ebh7yWjm5969k6ycn4TqUwrSSBzoeQwXFTZSDRErHXxyt_TdRBmr59-GNc8B3jFfKutFe/s1600-h/CRW_6645.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053199685392701650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGMP2tZ15u6Lrc32dSs2s5TFPcwnjxTzk1fxdf8TNM_9nYoiPCcXhvrYrwXF5ymxQtm0-L16ebh7yWjm5969k6ycn4TqUwrSSBzoeQwXFTZSDRErHXxyt_TdRBmr59-GNc8B3jFfKutFe/s320/CRW_6645.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">These guys were dressed up on the 2nd gate, everyone was looking at them, surprised. Perhaps it's not every day that they dress up in imporial garb.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8uZnFGgNdZE-S1HaDWfcV4XjsmhxqJIVyyUm8SN_U-kStkFj0WEl0lE0xaJOcmYZ6sLIq7NhITgfTvL27WsCFtm1CEzbw0syguHGF0UJCXP5E9MTR7g4w7X_-1-BvRIpu80pryelcmPK/s1600-h/CRW_6677.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053200144954202450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8uZnFGgNdZE-S1HaDWfcV4XjsmhxqJIVyyUm8SN_U-kStkFj0WEl0lE0xaJOcmYZ6sLIq7NhITgfTvL27WsCFtm1CEzbw0syguHGF0UJCXP5E9MTR7g4w7X_-1-BvRIpu80pryelcmPK/s320/CRW_6677.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Some of the squares inside had a nice, rustic feel. It was cool to think of all the officials and historical figures who may have helped to wear down these stones by just walking on them.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVuSF3Ng8ge7_K7y_YmAgT1KMJXZdwe8bvxTNhDx18bqsNUvi-PL50Jq7is_HandR7dvj96fw1DJOa43ET8u_11b0k7XdhAEb_gTKT_16IGtt8VR_Q3Grj2tYfIweO6uHjUpy2stYGdnH/s1600-h/CRW_6697.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053200149249169762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVuSF3Ng8ge7_K7y_YmAgT1KMJXZdwe8bvxTNhDx18bqsNUvi-PL50Jq7is_HandR7dvj96fw1DJOa43ET8u_11b0k7XdhAEb_gTKT_16IGtt8VR_Q3Grj2tYfIweO6uHjUpy2stYGdnH/s320/CRW_6697.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">A cool, original cauldron.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOQ33O9FFxdwfaprWCeUsUzN4wbRt9zDilq_LKnJj_uOVw0-wlkBfq13mdgrjilptjzNUKFaHUk3yqP5s_emP6QZ-bcB9mteC8SVN6peJopYmWgpY9pr5NMRkUE_HGVeFU2T8h8ier-K_/s1600-h/CRW_6698.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053200643170408818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOQ33O9FFxdwfaprWCeUsUzN4wbRt9zDilq_LKnJj_uOVw0-wlkBfq13mdgrjilptjzNUKFaHUk3yqP5s_emP6QZ-bcB9mteC8SVN6peJopYmWgpY9pr5NMRkUE_HGVeFU2T8h8ier-K_/s320/CRW_6698.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Safety number one! This was one of China's slogans for the Olympics, they're quite clearly full of it.</span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOFbuLroaYGlyKr26iZhO01OQwoclwAq7SOb1IvmhYgDNbRXnnNf2-RtM4fOkCw127jX-yR2rDLjRR9C7UnefcPQb38Ldl7nSKDv3dntmPU4k1X2bdlLQx0zNW9GLIU8aAf5ghkUAwaAk/s1600-h/CRW_6700.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053200647465376130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOFbuLroaYGlyKr26iZhO01OQwoclwAq7SOb1IvmhYgDNbRXnnNf2-RtM4fOkCw127jX-yR2rDLjRR9C7UnefcPQb38Ldl7nSKDv3dntmPU4k1X2bdlLQx0zNW9GLIU8aAf5ghkUAwaAk/s320/CRW_6700.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBjMQoF0Gj6E_5kGdeyIdr6scyWDy7EdrtbrG28FuGPs7rcskm6pXna785A1Bcw1ABipTn0vXe4Ht16o3YAgq6eMDFtIQYMMU_jQsjVi-xS5zYYvP0oYc9H7mHati3-FWwoBmxRRb3X3N/s1600-h/CRW_6701.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053200647465376146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBjMQoF0Gj6E_5kGdeyIdr6scyWDy7EdrtbrG28FuGPs7rcskm6pXna785A1Bcw1ABipTn0vXe4Ht16o3YAgq6eMDFtIQYMMU_jQsjVi-xS5zYYvP0oYc9H7mHati3-FWwoBmxRRb3X3N/s320/CRW_6701.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnb0HZ7N-N2qAMla8ElxPshCmIfnSoUi_qEMu3m1LMtGM4mA2C8fE03hBs4mRT6wbplvez2MptRtVhQ8TSs2Ntwq_BeG2uaOfNubrZzbcGOVldTiDlIg_RxjzjXOT6TpsBGB84zwuY7V4/s1600-h/CRW_6702.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053205908800314066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnb0HZ7N-N2qAMla8ElxPshCmIfnSoUi_qEMu3m1LMtGM4mA2C8fE03hBs4mRT6wbplvez2MptRtVhQ8TSs2Ntwq_BeG2uaOfNubrZzbcGOVldTiDlIg_RxjzjXOT6TpsBGB84zwuY7V4/s320/CRW_6702.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;">There was grass growing on these yellow-tiled roofs. </span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifp9tNRh7L9SbU3J3MZCF6BG8l1GxkYe294sq5woh1Nqbe7IIU_4a_zf8YoSmIIHnNf7lKD1FyxNQGiW5gJXNpR0ze88ZIbpzkgXUCGlPtUa6jQdqV_EKpvAAZFv7hgX3yyYqd6rs7H5RS/s1600-h/CRW_6705.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053200651760343458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifp9tNRh7L9SbU3J3MZCF6BG8l1GxkYe294sq5woh1Nqbe7IIU_4a_zf8YoSmIIHnNf7lKD1FyxNQGiW5gJXNpR0ze88ZIbpzkgXUCGlPtUa6jQdqV_EKpvAAZFv7hgX3yyYqd6rs7H5RS/s320/CRW_6705.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />A cool relief carving. (damn railing shadow)<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyc5gX4rL3srWHUayqZkAf2EoorKZMLu4zpj2bpggmF0TwfIBSBPzTYcF07eVgdigTzftiXJppC7fIvgzXpAevrGHDoVO4hoxAyKMCZIPQKFiIQ_6VO2STkLnzHHMCCVV6beuOfTQirMZ/s1600-h/CRW_6712.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053200651760343474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyc5gX4rL3srWHUayqZkAf2EoorKZMLu4zpj2bpggmF0TwfIBSBPzTYcF07eVgdigTzftiXJppC7fIvgzXpAevrGHDoVO4hoxAyKMCZIPQKFiIQ_6VO2STkLnzHHMCCVV6beuOfTQirMZ/s320/CRW_6712.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is sort of the highlight of the entire complex, and as you can see, the main temple is fully covered with scaffolding. It was quite a let-down.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41qZglLY5zDxnu1aHmEsFS-4Tw9gegOglTt_tQVjRqP-WvLDeQj7Qr4HRHsAmATx-augCY1xB9qyX3KZyDSmZ7rtkej0cuZVTYfK4KDreIpkTUfsNNHNJ51ETc4ygUEHaNJEYmo2TIXhD/s1600-h/0pan_middle_court.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053199393334925442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41qZglLY5zDxnu1aHmEsFS-4Tw9gegOglTt_tQVjRqP-WvLDeQj7Qr4HRHsAmATx-augCY1xB9qyX3KZyDSmZ7rtkej0cuZVTYfK4KDreIpkTUfsNNHNJ51ETc4ygUEHaNJEYmo2TIXhD/s320/0pan_middle_court.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is the largest single stone carving in the world. The stone was transported to the palace by pouring water to make an ice-path in the dead of winter, and then gliding it along. It took 10,000 men 3 months to move. </span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvlh8I8xN7Jt94UVqNjsQjp5yvchierx0upWl8wRVHTP0F7fOND6gQUIorC9JfPT4VD0Yt3HJZGot00R-QBy1KA3I_tF92L7cUpqlRcvXDDfUHMzLpQIKVWiPoZbE0QgpGEjVEfVv14oy/s1600-h/0pan_carving.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053198190744082482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvlh8I8xN7Jt94UVqNjsQjp5yvchierx0upWl8wRVHTP0F7fOND6gQUIorC9JfPT4VD0Yt3HJZGot00R-QBy1KA3I_tF92L7cUpqlRcvXDDfUHMzLpQIKVWiPoZbE0QgpGEjVEfVv14oy/s320/0pan_carving.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">This was a particularly popular venue. This was the empresses quarters. Apparently, one famous empress hanged herself from a beam in this room sometime in the 16th century.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiH-_z3Sfr8NJMzMXe9OqQO7DYvJrZtk4aITvHd182KhsEgse-ASb9G1q5cmUsf8Qk0uY-0LiJf8nG_fzqGWeGSco_-r9r1mD92T5meDg0mciq7sbUcmcpzTlmakk8lWJipx2ZqCK3LkL5/s1600-h/0pan_empress.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053198195039049794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiH-_z3Sfr8NJMzMXe9OqQO7DYvJrZtk4aITvHd182KhsEgse-ASb9G1q5cmUsf8Qk0uY-0LiJf8nG_fzqGWeGSco_-r9r1mD92T5meDg0mciq7sbUcmcpzTlmakk8lWJipx2ZqCK3LkL5/s320/0pan_empress.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26rtWGiYy5J7_xetWFiWBEa7re-P-dYqUUoRExooknYtb5i_4yNQGkXFVt22vOQ5mb4iCgEdrJM14WvOfmqDx1E7tlroe-ejD-GHsyoiG4PH2b-LQ4qZIu2YGGkNol-vS0bgMdgTVTA3_/s1600-h/CRW_6714.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053201326070208962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26rtWGiYy5J7_xetWFiWBEa7re-P-dYqUUoRExooknYtb5i_4yNQGkXFVt22vOQ5mb4iCgEdrJM14WvOfmqDx1E7tlroe-ejD-GHsyoiG4PH2b-LQ4qZIu2YGGkNol-vS0bgMdgTVTA3_/s320/CRW_6714.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNIyGmQ0Hi4boOWbM-wTHjdiA9NdxOA1jDWz9yC3KfSyXfOU5q7aQoRtCXXibP2QmzBowxQDvYc3VqwmuFO7U7FUbx5w1_2QzjGK33_flJd42G_8LbX250ktBdgtxu7S23dKU3-2Meb7C/s1600-h/CRW_6715.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053201330365176274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNIyGmQ0Hi4boOWbM-wTHjdiA9NdxOA1jDWz9yC3KfSyXfOU5q7aQoRtCXXibP2QmzBowxQDvYc3VqwmuFO7U7FUbx5w1_2QzjGK33_flJd42G_8LbX250ktBdgtxu7S23dKU3-2Meb7C/s320/CRW_6715.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MBxFvpv2JM-72cqZ2OuBRYF3F_7XgnjD98yls1F9ceOlfBkXDYpKxowLhxwWbe1gXYmMYQv8Y5Wy8NJPTjMcoP8AeUZAILmm7WTL5s3BAJOY4wqNy2c0SHySgvan5t6uobs8A9YrEwsZ/s1600-h/CRW_6716.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053201334660143586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MBxFvpv2JM-72cqZ2OuBRYF3F_7XgnjD98yls1F9ceOlfBkXDYpKxowLhxwWbe1gXYmMYQv8Y5Wy8NJPTjMcoP8AeUZAILmm7WTL5s3BAJOY4wqNy2c0SHySgvan5t6uobs8A9YrEwsZ/s320/CRW_6716.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7HmAxK9udpQ1iwCw41r28xSk-_pgtvVzzU8p5gXrRj2LwDfaAZryqZKoxUKtCfed9fzzoMDK3uYQWWFcfAkiKbP6KECRHLemvm4Jy_TbdY03yZc2CW_TjmksDeZkt2MLLKDPOzj5AuFn/s1600-h/CRW_6718.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053201334660143602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7HmAxK9udpQ1iwCw41r28xSk-_pgtvVzzU8p5gXrRj2LwDfaAZryqZKoxUKtCfed9fzzoMDK3uYQWWFcfAkiKbP6KECRHLemvm4Jy_TbdY03yZc2CW_TjmksDeZkt2MLLKDPOzj5AuFn/s320/CRW_6718.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The entrance to the imperial gardens.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_J_2DBA_RA7OG8WfkvT8muUtQt9AzI451DeocNfSQArWsFOpI1zz2mT3R3MqXnfqNJmC5l2WRZDTZjObNo1qZg6o2bHkQ9mNyfsQhs3rDG0w8ZbsxUaAjBJmrKDIdaJhhTUOa4Qs2RI8/s1600-h/0pan_imperial_garden.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053198203628984418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_J_2DBA_RA7OG8WfkvT8muUtQt9AzI451DeocNfSQArWsFOpI1zz2mT3R3MqXnfqNJmC5l2WRZDTZjObNo1qZg6o2bHkQ9mNyfsQhs3rDG0w8ZbsxUaAjBJmrKDIdaJhhTUOa4Qs2RI8/s320/0pan_imperial_garden.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1nmyRK1bCFQG5uxCKoxKENQUwEoUr3z1k-iBZXUafMeC8saLOQdXXOEuSVddVfKf364ijnBCYXMmPL6f3sLe9YIl-9d-4Zf10ClPvGAIINSZBQIDA16rWe1HTBBzR0c0LT-5_HBYaY5y/s1600-h/0pan_garden_rock.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053198199334017106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1nmyRK1bCFQG5uxCKoxKENQUwEoUr3z1k-iBZXUafMeC8saLOQdXXOEuSVddVfKf364ijnBCYXMmPL6f3sLe9YIl-9d-4Zf10ClPvGAIINSZBQIDA16rWe1HTBBzR0c0LT-5_HBYaY5y/s320/0pan_garden_rock.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviblBkB66aLatFgEFpq8KS_7cbiWnaj6NFiT2VvZcGrciGE_Lsh6omHu7_NXkppOgsJbF38_r87t-Gx0noaw28KDrPvKW_7dzk2yLwp35yeGIKwzK9eTzaKC7OMD9tCUB7EYgS8JOi-x-/s1600-h/CRW_6743.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053201338955110914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviblBkB66aLatFgEFpq8KS_7cbiWnaj6NFiT2VvZcGrciGE_Lsh6omHu7_NXkppOgsJbF38_r87t-Gx0noaw28KDrPvKW_7dzk2yLwp35yeGIKwzK9eTzaKC7OMD9tCUB7EYgS8JOi-x-/s320/CRW_6743.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRIbn9d1hQE9sdSR4VjWWtB0MrHTg8DgvGOJj_eKhqAscsc4nLB0dXXyMHIBdYAvZ7tCInmp26OPrm8Hz13uZ4Gl4ajC0f7rhNfastDU6dHkXzis3UZ9gslHbygz-lYIjnH44HgO-qiCV/s1600-h/CRW_6744.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202039034780178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRIbn9d1hQE9sdSR4VjWWtB0MrHTg8DgvGOJj_eKhqAscsc4nLB0dXXyMHIBdYAvZ7tCInmp26OPrm8Hz13uZ4Gl4ajC0f7rhNfastDU6dHkXzis3UZ9gslHbygz-lYIjnH44HgO-qiCV/s320/CRW_6744.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWd3z488bIv-l3QC9IU25SB1ss1tIAXxFY8HgQkAEJFOyCngD59aG41b9CCuFt9BnUa5BZ4onWwB3ZV1A0vSRyqexRP1rVvlvYeSDrNFGVFjSqxvaU4sZ5Cn0pMNymo4I_GkCh7Z-8PA42/s1600-h/CRW_6745.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202043329747490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWd3z488bIv-l3QC9IU25SB1ss1tIAXxFY8HgQkAEJFOyCngD59aG41b9CCuFt9BnUa5BZ4onWwB3ZV1A0vSRyqexRP1rVvlvYeSDrNFGVFjSqxvaU4sZ5Cn0pMNymo4I_GkCh7Z-8PA42/s320/CRW_6745.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMedEuAIf-64GHmfA0b4dLlsekFpeJbpknAaf40_frxpyDlXAA-0KbfilakNov3AWx8qC4kReDdWFGsMaFFRsx7vvLohy-KVZW6FNg1BjTb7V_I9TVBYxDuk8vtHkmUWUQvmeY4fhLJbA/s1600-h/CRW_6748.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202043329747506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMedEuAIf-64GHmfA0b4dLlsekFpeJbpknAaf40_frxpyDlXAA-0KbfilakNov3AWx8qC4kReDdWFGsMaFFRsx7vvLohy-KVZW6FNg1BjTb7V_I9TVBYxDuk8vtHkmUWUQvmeY4fhLJbA/s320/CRW_6748.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is the view from the North exit of the palace. In the distance is Jingshan, my next destination.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriw3OSxHY2jy_GBZ3jyURzIJmGlcH9aNzXx7PKh40K7jAj2S5e1gl4nNEYdnEUxDxntsbxP-rfHYBCkOc7RyKE6TBr8RdX0j1lyp6AVcFn7E8fthOixmElab8XYJMxjKTJY2sJbcglz4q/s1600-h/CRW_6755.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202047624714818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriw3OSxHY2jy_GBZ3jyURzIJmGlcH9aNzXx7PKh40K7jAj2S5e1gl4nNEYdnEUxDxntsbxP-rfHYBCkOc7RyKE6TBr8RdX0j1lyp6AVcFn7E8fthOixmElab8XYJMxjKTJY2sJbcglz4q/s320/CRW_6755.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqSGTCJdfASzbYhNlpiO2SQqx2Hq_mOlYbWKvWuA30EsbXuA6Wh5C5Rn5kOQX7-JFn6dcyYpVgFd3-5r1REGkXFGLyKuG2ea6_VQifZMaKoUd99SG8m1s-Qs-G-8FZx-1BqAslPonqe9O/s1600-h/CRW_6758.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202051919682130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqSGTCJdfASzbYhNlpiO2SQqx2Hq_mOlYbWKvWuA30EsbXuA6Wh5C5Rn5kOQX7-JFn6dcyYpVgFd3-5r1REGkXFGLyKuG2ea6_VQifZMaKoUd99SG8m1s-Qs-G-8FZx-1BqAslPonqe9O/s320/CRW_6758.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsRihHZz0_OIMPUHCtpdXwaGY_s2cYbsAQfJu9TMBvi41WLaB9DHHsVdYb5ii_tiOQSL7LbtCcfUqFyL9UXrCgjVsA63fwTDIeTWxhgaFX4VCtlrYxPOhKqsMN1g7ISWvzoOBiFAVdDgj/s1600-h/CRW_6764.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202528661052002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsRihHZz0_OIMPUHCtpdXwaGY_s2cYbsAQfJu9TMBvi41WLaB9DHHsVdYb5ii_tiOQSL7LbtCcfUqFyL9UXrCgjVsA63fwTDIeTWxhgaFX4VCtlrYxPOhKqsMN1g7ISWvzoOBiFAVdDgj/s320/CRW_6764.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Looking North from the peak of Jingshan. A cool contrast of old vs. new.</span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06gRnwOKAwzFEcT06E6kxqvFLGyh5tyQjg97AySm6OtYxozfDOdYzD9lUdA_CEy7_64u6A_1yUzAdNDre_eQeA_AhBjKOVWfib_F2ntanj_4n-SpxOsUsaxPkJuJjAoBl0RmiZ24pyrvP/s1600-h/CRW_6775.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202532956019314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06gRnwOKAwzFEcT06E6kxqvFLGyh5tyQjg97AySm6OtYxozfDOdYzD9lUdA_CEy7_64u6A_1yUzAdNDre_eQeA_AhBjKOVWfib_F2ntanj_4n-SpxOsUsaxPkJuJjAoBl0RmiZ24pyrvP/s320/CRW_6775.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">This is the Northwest guard station of the Forbidden City, as seen from Jingshan.</span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhRpP81dPoj-j4o0Ei2v8hYUQaAZrnAHELurqFaRCKO534JppqTw1kXREOL3cHxqc6T_pKz3F17Els0D1OkvHbIzTTsSb8fm2eU7XlHWQNRunvyk-Ost_FnGCIRWqqcszGGe3zNuErLvO/s1600-h/CRW_6817.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202537250986626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhRpP81dPoj-j4o0Ei2v8hYUQaAZrnAHELurqFaRCKO534JppqTw1kXREOL3cHxqc6T_pKz3F17Els0D1OkvHbIzTTsSb8fm2eU7XlHWQNRunvyk-Ost_FnGCIRWqqcszGGe3zNuErLvO/s320/CRW_6817.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The EGG, from Jingshan.</span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpwdRedwo39-4T2jX0h4sNUp9SMHdFVAECbS7wBgJmzgH7oaaKNUI5av6jb-jxe3iBc-JnRoDGrg7J_uMeIigv7k9vi1gzrCXPbHQOy6QY49L-tk9s5jSt1wcPs3_cwQ4k89yZRsB32IE/s1600-h/CRW_6819.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202541545953938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpwdRedwo39-4T2jX0h4sNUp9SMHdFVAECbS7wBgJmzgH7oaaKNUI5av6jb-jxe3iBc-JnRoDGrg7J_uMeIigv7k9vi1gzrCXPbHQOy6QY49L-tk9s5jSt1wcPs3_cwQ4k89yZRsB32IE/s320/CRW_6819.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />A look over the Forbidden City.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fF-kHwrRHmeSXeX6XilICzpx-3iLrUoFqUAxcWL6LhlsOkGQetaXtdnQ1riyDkErXctsKJDsYUgdgY5Pccaz7IX43_DOAXPo54dEEQplt9ifXy375Yghyphenhyphen9gTLwNqvs0hU0QT9SvlObuP/s1600-h/CRW_6820.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202541545953954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fF-kHwrRHmeSXeX6XilICzpx-3iLrUoFqUAxcWL6LhlsOkGQetaXtdnQ1riyDkErXctsKJDsYUgdgY5Pccaz7IX43_DOAXPo54dEEQplt9ifXy375Yghyphenhyphen9gTLwNqvs0hU0QT9SvlObuP/s320/CRW_6820.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:85%;">The other people looking with me. </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-swOWiRC9aouGDaUOAM6SQzzYLCs19yP4IunO2dsrM2LFCwylKF0amHfdb2HMJr7t90QtEOvioXkvr_INab7mKh8GVMr3SxHVI1HWsyLwUzv5a_QoBBL3jYdZ5LyCQlUdK90rl27DHC3/s1600-h/CRW_6822.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202855078566578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-swOWiRC9aouGDaUOAM6SQzzYLCs19yP4IunO2dsrM2LFCwylKF0amHfdb2HMJr7t90QtEOvioXkvr_INab7mKh8GVMr3SxHVI1HWsyLwUzv5a_QoBBL3jYdZ5LyCQlUdK90rl27DHC3/s320/CRW_6822.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The view N and NE from Jingshan.</span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQHWFzWPP51tetmL2BBnCF45rxzmZyqc5Q9T8XFpbC0ZqoJ1GEeXO_Jb1bX-26_tdfVRrLoCDUa0qPsL57DDuWQkPTZNA4xTInTPbLr4pYEcs2XSStnrZvZaTVZO8XaQEUvS6MA-CTV7h/s1600-h/0pan_jingshan_E_SE.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053212149387795170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQHWFzWPP51tetmL2BBnCF45rxzmZyqc5Q9T8XFpbC0ZqoJ1GEeXO_Jb1bX-26_tdfVRrLoCDUa0qPsL57DDuWQkPTZNA4xTInTPbLr4pYEcs2XSStnrZvZaTVZO8XaQEUvS6MA-CTV7h/s320/0pan_jingshan_E_SE.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The view E and SE from Jingshan.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbA0wR5wrUpXAzlRBrZMQ-CYwe9rugu-Zc2MQM4MUaOoAZau6XWJ2Jwr3MkSvRLGIee6V7IZfz49RtwbtU6XNJi2D8aeTx7xFSILHIFJrltQzgM9qcRGmnzXd2E_1qcwTxnogasop0pe5/s1600-h/0pan_jingshan_N_NE.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053212153682762482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbA0wR5wrUpXAzlRBrZMQ-CYwe9rugu-Zc2MQM4MUaOoAZau6XWJ2Jwr3MkSvRLGIee6V7IZfz49RtwbtU6XNJi2D8aeTx7xFSILHIFJrltQzgM9qcRGmnzXd2E_1qcwTxnogasop0pe5/s320/0pan_jingshan_N_NE.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvrgTFt7-GJxn3rs5VCCp76o5fLHXSVviT-ZhWJWD0oGFpUfQEOhziXhOBQJSSOHhHrOGzhGGm1f3fnbJHEIiEGASvkMSHJzMlIMlVtlG6gLHg0-JOMwSemFslOjF28nHW9UFgmeofcVb/s1600-h/CRW_6824.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5053202859373533890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvrgTFt7-GJxn3rs5VCCp76o5fLHXSVviT-ZhWJWD0oGFpUfQEOhziXhOBQJSSOHhHrOGzhGGm1f3fnbJHEIiEGASvkMSHJzMlIMlVtlG6gLHg0-JOMwSemFslOjF28nHW9UFgmeofcVb/s320/CRW_6824.jpg" border="0" /></a>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-21148973046810795422007-03-30T10:28:00.002-05:002008-10-15T05:02:39.040-05:00Spring is in full gear!The fresh air... I love it. Most Beijingers complain about spring; they say it's too windy. Bullocks to that, it's so refreshing. The winds come in from the W and NW, after running over the mountains full of coniferous trees. In other words, it's FRESH! It blows away the smog and replaces it with fresh mountain air. It can be pretty forceful at times, but I think the locals complain because it messes their hair. The only down-side to the winds coming from the NW is that they occasionally carry a lot of silt and dust from the deserts in inner mongolia, just beyond the hills, and that can cause some pretty nasty dust-storms. But so far this year I've only been subjected to said dustiness a couple of times<knock on="" wood="">.<br /><br /></knock><div style="text-align: center;"><knock on="" wood=""><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M8yC5D4vdpY"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M8yC5D4vdpY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></knock><br /><knock on="" wood=""></knock></div><knock on="" wood=""><br /></knock><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2NZPP5IU1Vhhg5caZIzXe42uQkE3U1KFPvRdBBbeRsfrIxP7U4EQEGqT1hGt5rSVJSH_pwPCgWpk0eX3fIxn-ZP6vlbAZFF_ThAqWFvnEXOud7yyum50UEssGeRaO7Ji0F0E7a-piHqm/s1600-h/CRW_6736.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2NZPP5IU1Vhhg5caZIzXe42uQkE3U1KFPvRdBBbeRsfrIxP7U4EQEGqT1hGt5rSVJSH_pwPCgWpk0eX3fIxn-ZP6vlbAZFF_ThAqWFvnEXOud7yyum50UEssGeRaO7Ji0F0E7a-piHqm/s320/CRW_6736.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048860385434990898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUQDRQc4WjcSk4grG6nQV38O9UhvqljmE7uv67muV27xuFko0r1i0N4bFb64hMVeXzczPqoPLWx0Y3TZxuJdWzMfY7byTo5-aJaPzFDa9QzuXdZfcfg9VQLS0VtbeqpwLY2Cu51pO4n7C/s1600-h/CRW_6760.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUcLjt4tFv7y4G4w4ZpBHkq8JsOedr9hs22iLUKoWe4A0nVf-k3Vj40Va0YJoRzJ4Z1tD76d-mafBRJ059-SHwCHdEJ-aj3KTx2HuRild7d3EyZx-zXuqZPS_SGnx0RC7spGMr99Hnq4t/s320/IMG_1809.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048858469879576738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXMb7iocKnBY_XAfwW7yyOx2-IcUV77DLFwmzQbsOx4RAdFETO4nFDCvS0htJGrA3H9rlV59jQUoyYwi7HoiE3lIH2Y3B-ev8Lk-ZPg7rtq2Mxi8j7vQ2UNv9ShKgcF3baiyYlP3aPHgN/s1600-h/IMG_1819.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXMb7iocKnBY_XAfwW7yyOx2-IcUV77DLFwmzQbsOx4RAdFETO4nFDCvS0htJGrA3H9rlV59jQUoyYwi7HoiE3lIH2Y3B-ev8Lk-ZPg7rtq2Mxi8j7vQ2UNv9ShKgcF3baiyYlP3aPHgN/s320/IMG_1819.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048858478469511346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3vKrZB8LgbhnF87-7PKE1HyJcT_Hox8A5vCDmdfSNZGgsVQKdsophpflkBterrJMzTZMyzmSkk-tCe2473Sxv2ASsVpVwyE1d9t0lavtoYYbqz-v4QFJJgWsTz6xAv60hgpEv-t22B8s/s1600-h/IMG_1820.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3vKrZB8LgbhnF87-7PKE1HyJcT_Hox8A5vCDmdfSNZGgsVQKdsophpflkBterrJMzTZMyzmSkk-tCe2473Sxv2ASsVpVwyE1d9t0lavtoYYbqz-v4QFJJgWsTz6xAv60hgpEv-t22B8s/s320/IMG_1820.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048858482764478658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJTqbFlufIWMWw_unp9enP9f2CrnIM3MZD00N3UB3gZc3NQhaDpHDGNUrmP-BFjJ3SQkj0xhuL1atlfh39JXYzNOkCUIlI9mWYqe5VuwdaAJUc0_4HCzmM4MtAVvJezcvyk2gEMaIoZp2/s1600-h/IMG_1834.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJTqbFlufIWMWw_unp9enP9f2CrnIM3MZD00N3UB3gZc3NQhaDpHDGNUrmP-BFjJ3SQkj0xhuL1atlfh39JXYzNOkCUIlI9mWYqe5VuwdaAJUc0_4HCzmM4MtAVvJezcvyk2gEMaIoZp2/s320/IMG_1834.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048858482764478674" border="0" /></a><br /><knock on="" wood=""><br /></knock>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-35587408097208217452007-03-19T07:19:00.001-05:002008-10-15T05:03:14.728-05:00The Underground ShittyThe day I went to fire an AK-47, my aussie buddy Jason, aka. kung-fu guy (who has now returned to Australia) mentioned an "Underground City of Beijing". I'd heard of many cities with large underground tunnel complexes, Moscow, London, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_Chi">Cu Chi (Vietnam)</a>, but I didn't know that Beijing had anything like it. And as it turns out, neither do most of the locals.<br /><br />I was intrigued, but I had a difficult time finding information about it online, especially addresses and details. That's when my roommate Paul pointed out to me that The Insider's Guide to Beijing is a really good source and has pretty much everything. I had been quite curious about the tunnels in the first place, but after reading the Insider's entry I was hyped.<br /><br />I should illustrate some of the most interesting points I found. First of all, the tunnels were built in the late 60's and early 70's, as a paranoid backup in case of tensions (nuclear or other) with the USSR. 70,000 workers were employed for the task, the tunnels could hold 300,000 people (40% of the population at the time) and covered 85 km². Within the complex, aside from the bomb shelters, were living quarters, theatres, schools, barracks, infirmaries, arsenals, granaries, chicken and mushroom cultivation facilities, and others. The tunnels are also very extensive, reaching past the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;q=40.07505,116.594467&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=13&ll=40.075838,116.594467&spn=0.065546,0.21595&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;t=k&om=1&iwloc=addr">airport</a> in the NE and the summer palace in the NW (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;q=39.998493,116.268997&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=14&ll=39.998887,116.268997&spn=0.03281,0.107975&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;t=k&om=1&iwloc=addr">here</a>, just E of the Fragrant Hills), and reportedly, even to Tianjin (roughly 100km SE of Beijing). Large portions of the tunnels have been converted into civilian uses, including subway lines and stations, mall parking lots and the sort, but many parts of it remain unused and closed off. Only in 2000 did the government open up some parts of it to tourism. More info can be found <a href="http://www.chinapage.com/friend/goh/beijing/underground/underground.html">here</a>. Cool, right?<br /><br />My experience didn't really touch on most of the cool things I had read. To begin with, I have no idea most regular, non-chinese-speaking people are able to find the entrance. Paul and I wandered around for almost 20 minutes in the general area, asking people if they recognized the address, and having no luck. Finally, a traffic-worker understood what we were talking about, and didn't just point us in the right direction, but led us straight to the entrance (about 10min walking from where we had wound up). On the way, we had conversations about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Shan">Da Shan</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Bethune">Dr. Norman Bethune</a>... the two most famous Canadians here. If you say that you're Canadian to a taxi driver or a civil servant of any kind, there's a 90% chance they'll bring up either or both of those names. Paul, who's Scottish, doesn't have to go through that because the locals don't seem to know much about Scotland.<br /><br />The entrance is a shabby, narrow building in the middle of a hutong, an old-style neighbourhood, with nothing fancy about it at all but for a sign that reads Beijing Underground City. In the first room, there are about three or four tour guides waiting for customers. The fee was 20Y each, which is a bit expensive for a tourist site in China, and definitely expensive for what we got. The portion that they've opened to the public is short and disappointing. It took us less than 20min to walk around the designated loop, and all side-paths were locked (though only with some crummy looking padlocks on gates). The only side rooms which were open were a few storage rooms and a classroom. We saw one vent. There are supposed to be thousands. The only redeeming fact was that the tour guides english was pretty good, though her knowledge of the history and facts of the tunnels was only mediocre.<br /><br />Overall, not nearly as cool as it has the potential to be. The best part may have been seeing all the women tour guides wearing army fatigues.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The only ventilation opening on the tour.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9yaz4Uu_q0VhOCXXe1_bMWKb-eyNcm5Ue0wTvXCmEu7JQEPng8OMC7yp8i24dfgzHIUv5nwrjzOnm3MIobw3Sl-NDaLDQouHkztcZvZBoFiWrJR_p86SD-pILVE9mlfsqFY7q96HwuTV/s1600-h/CRW_6584.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9yaz4Uu_q0VhOCXXe1_bMWKb-eyNcm5Ue0wTvXCmEu7JQEPng8OMC7yp8i24dfgzHIUv5nwrjzOnm3MIobw3Sl-NDaLDQouHkztcZvZBoFiWrJR_p86SD-pILVE9mlfsqFY7q96HwuTV/s320/CRW_6584.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046593009683603826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Some relics from the 70's... actually, most of these were just plastic replicas.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtU8s1h6eXCDjiR-MBEc5m33qRj89XOp8pKWh6cuMGA_eTYX4Dj4ZIk6vHBezuTGnJ8xJqSI-FuJwJ0P52nvzlrPLd7oL_iLVNjWwNGepqhixbpYOyLLSwe3GVxTFS04PI0Edt6nhBBNe/s1600-h/CRW_6585.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtU8s1h6eXCDjiR-MBEc5m33qRj89XOp8pKWh6cuMGA_eTYX4Dj4ZIk6vHBezuTGnJ8xJqSI-FuJwJ0P52nvzlrPLd7oL_iLVNjWwNGepqhixbpYOyLLSwe3GVxTFS04PI0Edt6nhBBNe/s320/CRW_6585.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046593645338763650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />A buddhist shrine. This was clearly put in after the Mao era, during which all religious activities were banned.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifihPocWIzsRQ2stls8z-cfG9O7zN_9Y6dljRkJ9sdEeU34G9sic-l20-9r-kKeX36tX5Ukf8nVCFzYdlXLCoYxgLexDt0TKoD7Irit1XgmqcHvH1MnVuKVPCcg_Hsw-aEBjQB2XzkJ0X7/s1600-h/CRW_6586.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifihPocWIzsRQ2stls8z-cfG9O7zN_9Y6dljRkJ9sdEeU34G9sic-l20-9r-kKeX36tX5Ukf8nVCFzYdlXLCoYxgLexDt0TKoD7Irit1XgmqcHvH1MnVuKVPCcg_Hsw-aEBjQB2XzkJ0X7/s320/CRW_6586.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046593649633730962" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The widest portion of tunnel.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeNDxitb9cLaYO-NxjJ-mLA2apzm76-a797GZBsG7M46FhrRuUlRzPxdFUR73fGzHo6Ja_HGT_COR6hbsPZ7Fd64AnRjgMm-bBTC045KgICYk6cNvyPqJuMNGxLypUsLNPrK-X6rX0aMz/s1600-h/CRW_6588.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeNDxitb9cLaYO-NxjJ-mLA2apzm76-a797GZBsG7M46FhrRuUlRzPxdFUR73fGzHo6Ja_HGT_COR6hbsPZ7Fd64AnRjgMm-bBTC045KgICYk6cNvyPqJuMNGxLypUsLNPrK-X6rX0aMz/s320/CRW_6588.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046595217296794018" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Some more mostly-fake "periphenilia".</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImWkPafZHNaAlOrdP2hzeArbiwm6eGsMv6X1sYO6SFzV4lY5pFgJLfkq6p2SgtFhw3UDOm2Z5sQK5vW6Tj2RsQKkBkedNLSVoIaH8H53L44PJhfFIanZfX6RpPquO1QE3cML9o_29F5C_/s1600-h/CRW_6589.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImWkPafZHNaAlOrdP2hzeArbiwm6eGsMv6X1sYO6SFzV4lY5pFgJLfkq6p2SgtFhw3UDOm2Z5sQK5vW6Tj2RsQKkBkedNLSVoIaH8H53L44PJhfFIanZfX6RpPquO1QE3cML9o_29F5C_/s320/CRW_6589.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046595217296794034" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">An interesting relief image in the wall, nicely maintained by the exit sign plastered over part of it.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxqqwi6HuBnJvMoXY6dclSSsQrvIuf0rSJkdwqqV1jwx88Y5vaOkKIrIqEmWf1aeBZSGJnGDP1md9ueQUNqxq6_QAPI3Fqoaa4idu92BV_TXNn8ZTesYgeBvvBliKKhy05VRQ8mkXdeTy/s1600-h/CRW_6590.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxqqwi6HuBnJvMoXY6dclSSsQrvIuf0rSJkdwqqV1jwx88Y5vaOkKIrIqEmWf1aeBZSGJnGDP1md9ueQUNqxq6_QAPI3Fqoaa4idu92BV_TXNn8ZTesYgeBvvBliKKhy05VRQ8mkXdeTy/s320/CRW_6590.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046595221591761346" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">I tried to translate this, but freehand chinese is such a mess.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXP2ts1jFSyxi8mWSMtvX36Hh2b65REHL3eYWoo9LDXBODqgzi82djbQLopxlmt6XmPG6IvG14_oYNxWvWjgMWLwiSmpL4Y_1EBi02iiGGUE5diVD9nl46hhgqoyedJv03AIMGZiQoaz2o/s1600-h/CRW_6591.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXP2ts1jFSyxi8mWSMtvX36Hh2b65REHL3eYWoo9LDXBODqgzi82djbQLopxlmt6XmPG6IvG14_oYNxWvWjgMWLwiSmpL4Y_1EBi02iiGGUE5diVD9nl46hhgqoyedJv03AIMGZiQoaz2o/s320/CRW_6591.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046596157894631890" border="0" /></a><br />After the Underground City, we checked out Wangfujing, a happening shopping district within walking distance. The main strip is a road, which is now closed off to cars, and so more like a plaza. There are many western stores and restaurants and book stores, and some pretty popular chinese clothing stores. As well, it houses one of the famous Beijing Duck restaurants, Quanjude, but it's supposedly not nearly as nice and traditional as the original location just a few km W of it.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">A walk along the main strip.</span><br /></div><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1kgI6ocKVk0"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1kgI6ocKVk0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is a famous hotel in Beijing, <a href="http://beijing.raffles.com/">the Raffles Hotel</a> (aka. Beijing Hotel). There's a bar inside known as the "Writer's Bar", so-named because many famous authors have attended, before attaining fame.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cHORkOru5jeEn9iLsQgbGaKnrNMqwuiS0jDA9Avbp7u_3HoAOgURLrbxFF9MJOdqlu_KTgtwlOIYlgvgQY3o8uHc7QxtolLZFG9QGEBPXkrN4ivH4eOtTfXcQ3ihkOiOSyA5PoTK1S2O/s1600-h/CRW_6599.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cHORkOru5jeEn9iLsQgbGaKnrNMqwuiS0jDA9Avbp7u_3HoAOgURLrbxFF9MJOdqlu_KTgtwlOIYlgvgQY3o8uHc7QxtolLZFG9QGEBPXkrN4ivH4eOtTfXcQ3ihkOiOSyA5PoTK1S2O/s320/CRW_6599.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046596157894631906" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Can't go anywhere without Brad.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBPQ3-BAZyXsl1gDt8Wcr00pnnZsyensckd2W0BuA6D5yOvgLQd7_yO8GoWXUKMBnHwvwe0QL41r7AwD1pV6GIP2Pb9PnWNdaXxaYu8yvPQ67gPO09jVGv6dp-sqI6sAoiP8_SzPcMCNC/s1600-h/IMG_1777.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBPQ3-BAZyXsl1gDt8Wcr00pnnZsyensckd2W0BuA6D5yOvgLQd7_yO8GoWXUKMBnHwvwe0QL41r7AwD1pV6GIP2Pb9PnWNdaXxaYu8yvPQ67gPO09jVGv6dp-sqI6sAoiP8_SzPcMCNC/s320/IMG_1777.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046599950350754290" border="0" /></a>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-30583447733395098172007-03-13T05:06:00.001-05:002008-10-15T05:03:47.533-05:00Apartment vistasThis is a collection of views from my apartment. Simple and plain. One thing I always enjoy about going to different cities is the general views from living establishments. Some of these are repeats from previous posts.<br /><br />I'm going to continue to update this one as long as I keep taking different shots. Last updated: March 16th.<br /><br /><big>From my room<br /><br /></big><div style="text-align: center;">View from my balcony the day after it snowed.<a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070302_0pan_apartment_erhuanlu.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iIf2E-olU7UbaZLiXP-HOnXaAobsNZIJJH-uoJP1INMCSnp48ogb3zk6pO2xJUljuf2RcAy6h1mlASTKSf-7tqNdaL2GB2giMLUErJjOTX3Q27ztV3UEu8XCgtqduIGCG4TkwCG7e0GK/s1600-h/0pan_apartment_erhuanlu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iIf2E-olU7UbaZLiXP-HOnXaAobsNZIJJH-uoJP1INMCSnp48ogb3zk6pO2xJUljuf2RcAy6h1mlASTKSf-7tqNdaL2GB2giMLUErJjOTX3Q27ztV3UEu8XCgtqduIGCG4TkwCG7e0GK/s320/0pan_apartment_erhuanlu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5041353676264664402" border="0" /></a><br />Night exposure shot. A little blurry and it wouldn't merge properly. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070312_0pan_roomview_night.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EsRH4fha_diQXQelzNEvr1D7BSph_etPUwYpbWEdW1z5Wdgfp82pMM86pJgDijYYXGEOXnAyf_MotjzVT8SEJl3L1yuiqmz2_nvMKriZjfHw3nSIsggG73ZX-6v5_IL0bUjkNBEsWiKv/s1600-h/0pan_roomview_night.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EsRH4fha_diQXQelzNEvr1D7BSph_etPUwYpbWEdW1z5Wdgfp82pMM86pJgDijYYXGEOXnAyf_MotjzVT8SEJl3L1yuiqmz2_nvMKriZjfHw3nSIsggG73ZX-6v5_IL0bUjkNBEsWiKv/s320/0pan_roomview_night.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5041353684854599026" border="0" /></a><br />Evening traffic.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAJvs9GMYzAPle12EV-tggDZXo5_ve4FJmjocSaida21WEg8fJ3OvTN8WSrh3LMD433iNjhTCZ0Ows9d4Ha5TbcDrxJy6Lr_deVwXu_D-YrdfdDcqU_KBeqk6urRzsNHZY74dWvF88XLy/s1600-h/CRW_6525.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAJvs9GMYzAPle12EV-tggDZXo5_ve4FJmjocSaida21WEg8fJ3OvTN8WSrh3LMD433iNjhTCZ0Ows9d4Ha5TbcDrxJy6Lr_deVwXu_D-YrdfdDcqU_KBeqk6urRzsNHZY74dWvF88XLy/s320/CRW_6525.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5041353689149566354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><big>From the West-facing walkway</big><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The morning I went to the Fragrant Hills. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_apt_morning_wide.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfpB8rbeGipGyMw8-Pez3L7lGJXoPA93dFs3X88cpLMi7CK_ZP9ERXrXHkNTqbGNQ-cKIl_Xh67rEiYXB1KzzVl93ij7HPjdAgq3YJ5x-halMKrUUpIudoAw-K219BTPcMqiKdlBRYOYr/s1600-h/0pan_apt_morning_wide.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfpB8rbeGipGyMw8-Pez3L7lGJXoPA93dFs3X88cpLMi7CK_ZP9ERXrXHkNTqbGNQ-cKIl_Xh67rEiYXB1KzzVl93ij7HPjdAgq3YJ5x-halMKrUUpIudoAw-K219BTPcMqiKdlBRYOYr/s320/0pan_apt_morning_wide.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040721620287450322" border="0" /></a><br />A zoomed in view, to highlight the hills. The Fragrant Hills are about a quarter of the way from the right side. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_apt_morning_zoom.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHX1IsGT-30IjUF_NeZMfwZGCo23UQGlGkaAxVpcCRVk4bKLK0V_Q2StaBpFOzSIkh0TPUvwJmSNmEKRtiMTir_PBycektZA9nZx5TQE6JLGpH-2p92frvfhKgJ2BBsCR9vhXVJeC-1r9/s1600-h/0pan_apt_morning_zoom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHX1IsGT-30IjUF_NeZMfwZGCo23UQGlGkaAxVpcCRVk4bKLK0V_Q2StaBpFOzSIkh0TPUvwJmSNmEKRtiMTir_PBycektZA9nZx5TQE6JLGpH-2p92frvfhKgJ2BBsCR9vhXVJeC-1r9/s320/0pan_apt_morning_zoom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040721624582417634" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The view at night when I got home from the Fragrant Hills. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_apt_night.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDebQxp-MTmdRcGFfrAUrx_y01Nx181dbhjOVdAwnJaLBQR7wz1vubdQ2UhuOCbO-7l4eDwlI0ETeXmlnVOfTzSPukwAgLqiIl3DIWA0zIxStmdA0JOy0KldTE-ENOG7ExgS24PS0Tt4z/s1600-h/0pan_apt_night.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDebQxp-MTmdRcGFfrAUrx_y01Nx181dbhjOVdAwnJaLBQR7wz1vubdQ2UhuOCbO-7l4eDwlI0ETeXmlnVOfTzSPukwAgLqiIl3DIWA0zIxStmdA0JOy0KldTE-ENOG7ExgS24PS0Tt4z/s320/0pan_apt_night.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040721624582417650" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is a more typical view, less clear, more smoggy/foggy. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070312_0pan_late_afternoon.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidTPKa4dXYUEMwy6siZx3E21Uk_v5a9Crfje_4yd6AGhRipZFFefFqQMOPMV1_Qm9oTDoSfCb078skLojFR9Y-QOi5B05TUJd4IrAqlzjD0dUApi8dZEWB_j39ETPASOfYpFuPATjiP6D/s1600-h/0pan_late_afternoon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidTPKa4dXYUEMwy6siZx3E21Uk_v5a9Crfje_4yd6AGhRipZFFefFqQMOPMV1_Qm9oTDoSfCb078skLojFR9Y-QOi5B05TUJd4IrAqlzjD0dUApi8dZEWB_j39ETPASOfYpFuPATjiP6D/s320/0pan_late_afternoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5041353680559631714" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sun setting on a clear day. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070312_0pan_sunset.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3nbkouri9E735u5Eluo1FBO9kz4rUQnhn1hCTr3N-KwAT6A8oNY5LtXU9a9jSdyrTOfxXWH_BlJgz4yiDGETVLN-0zv5vbQXr8WyKVF_7smdeKpXc-sUdLZtwn78RKvqzjMv2cvaEBJn/s1600-h/0pan_sunset.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3nbkouri9E735u5Eluo1FBO9kz4rUQnhn1hCTr3N-KwAT6A8oNY5LtXU9a9jSdyrTOfxXWH_BlJgz4yiDGETVLN-0zv5vbQXr8WyKVF_7smdeKpXc-sUdLZtwn78RKvqzjMv2cvaEBJn/s320/0pan_sunset.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5041353689149566338" border="0" /></a>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-77598512001985644842007-03-05T00:54:00.002-05:002008-10-15T05:04:41.861-05:00The Fragrant Hills (香山)To the northwest of Beijing is a range of large hills. From the city, they kind of look like mountains, but they also look like they're really far away. It's a bit deceiving, but all the same a nice touch, and quite a bit larger than anything you'll find near Toronto.<br /><br />Beijing can be pretty foggy/smoggy/dusty/whatever. Sometimes the visibility is pretty crappy, and I'd been waiting for a nice clear day to check out the Hills. I got excited when it rained heavily all Saturday long, since last time it pseudo-rained (with the exception of Saturday, it doesn't really 'rain' here) the air was really clear on the following day. However, that rain turned into snow, and it snowed heavily through the night.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The snow was perfect snow-fight quality. I think the locals were too scared to challenge me.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRroIZLtgUMIEa_IKLz9aSRgCijhV61o52uo8S3wrAWxadATeh3Ut6fet7MF6G-oSkJr8N_WqM725Ep86PHIbsBsxnHOaIlZRHzKn-6uQO3MUxqHb7rzLB4Pberz5GaW1G5hWjcWQ111tK/s1600-h/IMG_1662.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRroIZLtgUMIEa_IKLz9aSRgCijhV61o52uo8S3wrAWxadATeh3Ut6fet7MF6G-oSkJr8N_WqM725Ep86PHIbsBsxnHOaIlZRHzKn-6uQO3MUxqHb7rzLB4Pberz5GaW1G5hWjcWQ111tK/s320/IMG_1662.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039805581072624114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBp39COnmSg6y646W_Hl7_48QFUmBz2fcISIQ0FtqOOTknYKY2usL7RdDjp5m2OQPd_V6Xy0Y4yo9GbOhtTYMKd5vZlx3ciXbd5EjJRCmfrG1h7lh0LO2el57Tk_P1INlCSL4gCe1eDC24/s1600-h/IMG_1666.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBp39COnmSg6y646W_Hl7_48QFUmBz2fcISIQ0FtqOOTknYKY2usL7RdDjp5m2OQPd_V6Xy0Y4yo9GbOhtTYMKd5vZlx3ciXbd5EjJRCmfrG1h7lh0LO2el57Tk_P1INlCSL4gCe1eDC24/s320/IMG_1666.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039805585367591426" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoUV3gjv4Zqa0GgUUAD3voWcz5PpnKIuhifRZtanj9WyYme1kcvL-mDtoOiQocFeghBDV4AZ4PWXqbFhmIOmnfrzS3Q1QN4bJxj-Mfpj-rGS4_aoB4FssNDL5WpmNJAUmIaSAE4bMin-J/s1600-h/IMG_1675.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoUV3gjv4Zqa0GgUUAD3voWcz5PpnKIuhifRZtanj9WyYme1kcvL-mDtoOiQocFeghBDV4AZ4PWXqbFhmIOmnfrzS3Q1QN4bJxj-Mfpj-rGS4_aoB4FssNDL5WpmNJAUmIaSAE4bMin-J/s320/IMG_1675.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039805585367591442" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxEhIQUF4B-CW_GYdz-NGtk9TWwvPqTXzW2N31Ge8yiE6bGuqFufDgwayJ03QNaFQSpKNfPViQGWR7zIuhSyhvmhno8Z98MLSNF1VLpsFvY4PhVwzoML6cckQ9uFf1onE6vOoNsyZBWaG/s1600-h/IMG_1677.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxEhIQUF4B-CW_GYdz-NGtk9TWwvPqTXzW2N31Ge8yiE6bGuqFufDgwayJ03QNaFQSpKNfPViQGWR7zIuhSyhvmhno8Z98MLSNF1VLpsFvY4PhVwzoML6cckQ9uFf1onE6vOoNsyZBWaG/s320/IMG_1677.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039805589662558754" border="0" /></a>The next day was a cold, snowy, overcast day... nowhere near the ideal weather I was looking for. But when I woke up on Monday morning, I saw the sun shining brightly through my window. I checked the weather, and the daily high was 2 degrees, which was good, cold means crisp and clear. I went out to my kitchen to look westward, and there they were, the "mountains" of Beijing. I was dead-tired, running on less than 5hrs of sleep, but my excitement was my espresso and I got ready to go.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The view that morning from our walkway on the 13th floor of my building. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_apt_morning_wide.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfpB8rbeGipGyMw8-Pez3L7lGJXoPA93dFs3X88cpLMi7CK_ZP9ERXrXHkNTqbGNQ-cKIl_Xh67rEiYXB1KzzVl93ij7HPjdAgq3YJ5x-halMKrUUpIudoAw-K219BTPcMqiKdlBRYOYr/s1600-h/0pan_apt_morning_wide.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfpB8rbeGipGyMw8-Pez3L7lGJXoPA93dFs3X88cpLMi7CK_ZP9ERXrXHkNTqbGNQ-cKIl_Xh67rEiYXB1KzzVl93ij7HPjdAgq3YJ5x-halMKrUUpIudoAw-K219BTPcMqiKdlBRYOYr/s320/0pan_apt_morning_wide.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040721620287450322" border="0" /></a><br />A zoomed in view, to highlight the "mountains". <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_apt_morning_zoom.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHX1IsGT-30IjUF_NeZMfwZGCo23UQGlGkaAxVpcCRVk4bKLK0V_Q2StaBpFOzSIkh0TPUvwJmSNmEKRtiMTir_PBycektZA9nZx5TQE6JLGpH-2p92frvfhKgJ2BBsCR9vhXVJeC-1r9/s1600-h/0pan_apt_morning_zoom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHX1IsGT-30IjUF_NeZMfwZGCo23UQGlGkaAxVpcCRVk4bKLK0V_Q2StaBpFOzSIkh0TPUvwJmSNmEKRtiMTir_PBycektZA9nZx5TQE6JLGpH-2p92frvfhKgJ2BBsCR9vhXVJeC-1r9/s320/0pan_apt_morning_zoom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040721624582417634" border="0" /></a><br />The Fragrant Hills was originally an empirial getaway, built in the 12th century and added to extensively in later centuries (more info <a href="http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/fragrant.htm">here</a>). There are three main areas: the base, the temple and the peak. The base has a bunch of nice pavillions, ponds, and trees. The Temple of Azure Clouds is a buddhist temple, full of stupas and bodhisattvas, however I didn't see it because I made the mistake of planning to see it after the climb. The peak is a 440m ascent, at the top of a series of stone stairs 2.1km long.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The view from the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;q=39.99262,116.198788&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=39.992723,116.198788&spn=0.003995,0.013561&t=k&om=1">bus parking lot</a>. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_hills_ground.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPpdT_065-IRNpJEt_x_e_zsqCTBDXEg152te3FFs7Cuy20DH_4HZ2BNaK332uY3B5zHk5zeLGct8IM01zHW6j-1zWsQ2eo0GED-2PXXPeMvymAcLEbA-mskdXGojBqK0OrXlicF_W3bd/s1600-h/0pan_hills_ground.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPpdT_065-IRNpJEt_x_e_zsqCTBDXEg152te3FFs7Cuy20DH_4HZ2BNaK332uY3B5zHk5zeLGct8IM01zHW6j-1zWsQ2eo0GED-2PXXPeMvymAcLEbA-mskdXGojBqK0OrXlicF_W3bd/s320/0pan_hills_ground.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040722032604310834" border="0" /></a><br />Firstly, I checked out the main grounds. There were some cool ponds and pavillions, enough said. Nothing mind-blowing though.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">These can be found at pretty much every cultural site in China.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquH0w33he4QNmNyMfFZ_9gbP4KFB6PgTFavd2bd0pRPxcf6RoGFCRmTMy0GNkRxytPdoWq3Lxs1IDwAdRlozZhBfUkdrCF9AkkVtwZRr1Trk2mRhCy0ZyxDTVkXD7XJVK0GRoDw332rdF/s1600-h/CRW_6092.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquH0w33he4QNmNyMfFZ_9gbP4KFB6PgTFavd2bd0pRPxcf6RoGFCRmTMy0GNkRxytPdoWq3Lxs1IDwAdRlozZhBfUkdrCF9AkkVtwZRr1Trk2mRhCy0ZyxDTVkXD7XJVK0GRoDw332rdF/s320/CRW_6092.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040714795584416738" border="0" /></a><br />This led to a cool courtyard...<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3e69x651WTeH1k_iDQCeRQBgwFVSL5LA_79Yy9OGBWgNo8zD-jJ_kvHp9DdvOGWvlf5cnttuxz7oEWWD1E8g3GhQcoW2UADUfSoh9DNuRLNuLWj0P6U9Q64vuVgpH2DX5kk1AX65s-QP/s1600-h/CRW_6099.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3e69x651WTeH1k_iDQCeRQBgwFVSL5LA_79Yy9OGBWgNo8zD-jJ_kvHp9DdvOGWvlf5cnttuxz7oEWWD1E8g3GhQcoW2UADUfSoh9DNuRLNuLWj0P6U9Q64vuVgpH2DX5kk1AX65s-QP/s320/CRW_6099.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040714799879384050" border="0" /></a><br />...in a parallel dimension.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRIrrTl1ZF-hphOQ-4X89dR0NUDyxEUVv5nIlN86J_KXcpogokc7kXeVjuIW3xgnAsyN1jctQmuDX6YY1SHbzRakr1NF1Dq3Ck-hf2Ija5ylrRr0TZzaNwttOkXQ1exJDCX0CJJBqNUi9/s1600-h/CRW_6104.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRIrrTl1ZF-hphOQ-4X89dR0NUDyxEUVv5nIlN86J_KXcpogokc7kXeVjuIW3xgnAsyN1jctQmuDX6YY1SHbzRakr1NF1Dq3Ck-hf2Ija5ylrRr0TZzaNwttOkXQ1exJDCX0CJJBqNUi9/s320/CRW_6104.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040716410492120194" border="0" /></a><br />Beautiful stonework.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinznWf7zviPeep8ohgOo1Fi-N1i-jQN6LesSRKA-o73wPes0Kpafrvo4IHDz4F4-sT07eZt9vEkpL6fk-SCYTTbnw3TF4GFY3Rtjz_MrCvAj_GiBuiymLEwePLYH4fHXozu4c4glO8bPa7/s1600-h/CRW_6107.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinznWf7zviPeep8ohgOo1Fi-N1i-jQN6LesSRKA-o73wPes0Kpafrvo4IHDz4F4-sT07eZt9vEkpL6fk-SCYTTbnw3TF4GFY3Rtjz_MrCvAj_GiBuiymLEwePLYH4fHXozu4c4glO8bPa7/s320/CRW_6107.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040714804174351378" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6VMBr5eXWg9p6nFISiXv0bmU_kl5ZiKH-Sufz8uaBpz8X0H8WSbZKy9on9hyphenhyphen7Xkc9uuP8mJp7xTO1zESFE06dehNbPVSOargr-pDZNXsLY5LuAJ6uhzcZe_ahCp4zosxXilgC6cr9WAC/s1600-h/CRW_6114.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6VMBr5eXWg9p6nFISiXv0bmU_kl5ZiKH-Sufz8uaBpz8X0H8WSbZKy9on9hyphenhyphen7Xkc9uuP8mJp7xTO1zESFE06dehNbPVSOargr-pDZNXsLY5LuAJ6uhzcZe_ahCp4zosxXilgC6cr9WAC/s320/CRW_6114.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040714808469318690" border="0" /></a><br />This pavillion was nice. Looked like there should be a killer whale in it, but there were only a few carp. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_water.htm">(big)</a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijirkackjnmOe4m9ic8bjx2BwXYCIsRoUDxTgZMUBmrOGqAs_JbicfOuscIrWnXyMTIJ5UMBDSfjya5TXqfrz5PsqpKWCaDCM1Js0Ka-gYE5ipAYyLFhkqJdPdXwx0lnzZv_MHeKRwminu/s1600-h/0pan_water.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijirkackjnmOe4m9ic8bjx2BwXYCIsRoUDxTgZMUBmrOGqAs_JbicfOuscIrWnXyMTIJ5UMBDSfjya5TXqfrz5PsqpKWCaDCM1Js0Ka-gYE5ipAYyLFhkqJdPdXwx0lnzZv_MHeKRwminu/s320/0pan_water.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039811087220697810" border="0" /></a>Another view. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_water2.htm">(big)</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSYqpndAC1vCJ5TujYahWmnf9Nz620Cfow2V4vmla-9Ov5zW1U5ZL1npaIY97RWWF0xC5GCdzatmcm5TH1t3AUx20Lanyib1TPowiAD1he3jq1VE5SdjBMsSeuY-0NUfBLwPkiOawC0Jo/s1600-h/0pan_water2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSYqpndAC1vCJ5TujYahWmnf9Nz620Cfow2V4vmla-9Ov5zW1U5ZL1npaIY97RWWF0xC5GCdzatmcm5TH1t3AUx20Lanyib1TPowiAD1he3jq1VE5SdjBMsSeuY-0NUfBLwPkiOawC0Jo/s320/0pan_water2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039811091515665122" border="0" /></a><br />The fattest fish I've ever seen. It was swimming so slowly too. They get overfed by locals looking for tranquility... not sure how tranquil it will be when the fish begin to explode. It has been pointed out to me that she may be pregnant...<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDH15e6HGCYFJnenKL1yv7U14qv7uKhn4JjRG5jpuSxd1Ra-5RJMGNYPxGpovabrgkRzNSrYGLNMIQnRVDmTh_gTBqJ9FXQtghga0gRxHYXyfWY705AsnZCg9LEv9NGJw8CK4qQf98w8pE/s1600-h/CRW_6154.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDH15e6HGCYFJnenKL1yv7U14qv7uKhn4JjRG5jpuSxd1Ra-5RJMGNYPxGpovabrgkRzNSrYGLNMIQnRVDmTh_gTBqJ9FXQtghga0gRxHYXyfWY705AsnZCg9LEv9NGJw8CK4qQf98w8pE/s320/CRW_6154.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040715487074151474" border="0" /></a><br />There were some quaint doorways here.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrMF2ri0kBKwkJxGuyhqMJ2Ys-rPJXWgJZYvLR5Sden1M0Bl-yGeUvU6AOuc1f09OEx7sqL0mqF69bmGu1NHraOqoiZ3D_rg3eE_EroNw3uXi-vEi0C187tTkkSlOAPGRagC2pa1YjWpC/s1600-h/CRW_6157.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrMF2ri0kBKwkJxGuyhqMJ2Ys-rPJXWgJZYvLR5Sden1M0Bl-yGeUvU6AOuc1f09OEx7sqL0mqF69bmGu1NHraOqoiZ3D_rg3eE_EroNw3uXi-vEi0C187tTkkSlOAPGRagC2pa1YjWpC/s320/CRW_6157.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040715491369118786" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">A cool pagoda.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj8v9ZjPTnMwAgR8cvUWxDkSdpZQaCMevVn6jMC_0O3KmfAHxFB8V1bjbt60m0K9RflVp_8G9DVYMRVO8C_SXpV_cKGlU1l-_vDGfoHRg07ZYt7WqED04NJ_MsgyuVHUHUx72ruXfQCxQ/s1600-h/CRW_6387.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj8v9ZjPTnMwAgR8cvUWxDkSdpZQaCMevVn6jMC_0O3KmfAHxFB8V1bjbt60m0K9RflVp_8G9DVYMRVO8C_SXpV_cKGlU1l-_vDGfoHRg07ZYt7WqED04NJ_MsgyuVHUHUx72ruXfQCxQ/s320/CRW_6387.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040716453441793218" border="0" /></a></div>I then undertook the climb. I'm not saying that it's really long and high, but it was good excercise, and I haven't exactly been doing many activities here. It took me a bit of mental effort. There are a number of midway stops, and each blocks the view of the top, and I kept thinking I had made it until I'd turn the corner and there was another stretch of upward-leading stairs. But I made it eventually. The journey was a mix of body heat and harshly cold winds, I kept removing and putting on my jacket. I saw one guy going up with no shirt on! When the winds kicked in, I suspect it was -5 or so around the stairs, and it became progressively colder as I approached the top.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bajnCtVKQPE"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bajnCtVKQPE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></param></embed></object><br /></div><br />Getting to the top was quite a relief, and the view was everything I imagined, making the trip well worth the while.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;q=39.99038,116.1731&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=39.990487,116.173103&spn=0.003995,0.013561&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;t=k&om=1&iwloc=addr">The views from the top</a>. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_beijing_01_tall.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOn4DccJEJm8l3kqny80mb_k6azROADx1L98KlfnDxCMfDLJhQ4FbiwihEByQvrviqj4P1CgLx6M0jNym4yyG8VvSinS7ztj6uDyEkevDgkvS9oRtZ7uMIlGnpJnuU1MDiYhYjABN3ZU7/s1600-h/0pan_beijing_01_tall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOn4DccJEJm8l3kqny80mb_k6azROADx1L98KlfnDxCMfDLJhQ4FbiwihEByQvrviqj4P1CgLx6M0jNym4yyG8VvSinS7ztj6uDyEkevDgkvS9oRtZ7uMIlGnpJnuU1MDiYhYjABN3ZU7/s320/0pan_beijing_01_tall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040721628877384962" border="0" /></a>Zoomed in to see the city. Beijing spreads out so vastly. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_beijing_01_wide.htm">(big)<br /></a></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r6gfcsE1TCkhe49VqUHBwB1ALl0ETmY3kyn-0u0JA_z-aw9Bgan76w1VvjPRluFFz9KXN3BLIRwSiC64vEPxvCD2nOC39FojHbz7g-joIuaKLTB7Ggps3kBBmlRlJXffACl7S-XAdyvW/s1600-h/0pan_beijing_01_wide.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r6gfcsE1TCkhe49VqUHBwB1ALl0ETmY3kyn-0u0JA_z-aw9Bgan76w1VvjPRluFFz9KXN3BLIRwSiC64vEPxvCD2nOC39FojHbz7g-joIuaKLTB7Ggps3kBBmlRlJXffACl7S-XAdyvW/s320/0pan_beijing_01_wide.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040721628877384978" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Same view, with some labels of where I've been and lived. It's interesting to coordinate it with <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/map_labels.jpg">this map</a>. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_beijing_01_wide_labels.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxRJrolPoyipU7PWgHSWHhrPfOxwLIoCSHxuIywxWct5vUulkEbqSIfMIl5-M5v9rmpFEMYKENs4vbuswZcgePEhR4tdwQWh_kjKWTI35EaWdFYJOYumPY-ngG6dSBd36zyCTFcaK-ocr/s1600-h/0pan_beijing_01_wide_labels.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxRJrolPoyipU7PWgHSWHhrPfOxwLIoCSHxuIywxWct5vUulkEbqSIfMIl5-M5v9rmpFEMYKENs4vbuswZcgePEhR4tdwQWh_kjKWTI35EaWdFYJOYumPY-ngG6dSBd36zyCTFcaK-ocr/s320/0pan_beijing_01_wide_labels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040722032604310818" border="0" /></a><br />The hills further W of the peak. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_rear_hills.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh771gfAYBce8PUIBT3QYHsUrlXoUE5fK_kKx2jlVhjz9wh1qQWRxpS_XjEv1iC6wAXCvO1-FakPjZHG3G3F3SRu28DTj4QiIZ0huiTNaerHlafUuwm3HZsFEYkFTl83QCOcFVHYISRp79u/s1600-h/0pan_rear_hills.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh771gfAYBce8PUIBT3QYHsUrlXoUE5fK_kKx2jlVhjz9wh1qQWRxpS_XjEv1iC6wAXCvO1-FakPjZHG3G3F3SRu28DTj4QiIZ0huiTNaerHlafUuwm3HZsFEYkFTl83QCOcFVHYISRp79u/s320/0pan_rear_hills.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040722036899278146" border="0" /></a><br />The structure at the peak. There was a little food-bar in there, to my relief. I had cucumber flavoured Lays... and they were damn good.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9olj3qz3cfm3yu_0DeyBygTmYbMqXPXkplLFRVpLY0FxLmOopgH6UcCHKUWWmYtsmE64vt1KViLPrfVLpK00sGr0aR1cyQJ1qOuuzVQPwOK2_9np7AGF3unr775-AF3cafwrY_FYx90EK/s1600-h/CRW_6210.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9olj3qz3cfm3yu_0DeyBygTmYbMqXPXkplLFRVpLY0FxLmOopgH6UcCHKUWWmYtsmE64vt1KViLPrfVLpK00sGr0aR1cyQJ1qOuuzVQPwOK2_9np7AGF3unr775-AF3cafwrY_FYx90EK/s320/CRW_6210.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040715491369118802" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The view from that building, facing Beijing.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ok3HLL-RsoU5nUsR6vu92QO1_fYD_nVVpi1VhivUHpjV0fGkUzlo5bmMvmJTBQmTNTvXuVY95cLI74woLj8y2Z3pRrdqwkDbIrN5iYVv4c3s55PP_ffuNYM7aXl31i9HWGP5w3LxMzd_/s1600-h/CRW_6243.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ok3HLL-RsoU5nUsR6vu92QO1_fYD_nVVpi1VhivUHpjV0fGkUzlo5bmMvmJTBQmTNTvXuVY95cLI74woLj8y2Z3pRrdqwkDbIrN5iYVv4c3s55PP_ffuNYM7aXl31i9HWGP5w3LxMzd_/s320/CRW_6243.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040715495664086114" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Looking W behind the outpost building.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-eNH1AfCG-cvTGWb2E1Be0ISLBuN3MHA9RwJkYM_QyVZCQsXo4Yvq0njBkwIDf6smcciEZGO2QeJq0fg30TZY7SrF5gRuzc9xMPtcLIxqOT_k1dKNmMyKkIRrJeGEQe67XqOT8sEc_X4/s1600-h/CRW_6249.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-eNH1AfCG-cvTGWb2E1Be0ISLBuN3MHA9RwJkYM_QyVZCQsXo4Yvq0njBkwIDf6smcciEZGO2QeJq0fg30TZY7SrF5gRuzc9xMPtcLIxqOT_k1dKNmMyKkIRrJeGEQe67XqOT8sEc_X4/s320/CRW_6249.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040716410492120210" border="0" /></a><br />That structure on the upper-right of the previous photo.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7oPrkwKcfqF1vP6Beb9-QebXaElv1YfOMrqOrsPog65cRDyokco7RY6_a3cLJg1rHYxb6aKdWfcngPQbJAinU36xxsgZT3E_XmMKctY_KelMc2bakshwXutcWmQM2POnGCCz4G29iATj/s1600-h/CRW_6267.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7oPrkwKcfqF1vP6Beb9-QebXaElv1YfOMrqOrsPog65cRDyokco7RY6_a3cLJg1rHYxb6aKdWfcngPQbJAinU36xxsgZT3E_XmMKctY_KelMc2bakshwXutcWmQM2POnGCCz4G29iATj/s320/CRW_6267.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040716414787087522" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">A video from under that structure.<br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iBySIFFshFs"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iBySIFFshFs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br />The trail keeps going to all these other buildings in the distance. I was too tired to try my luck with those.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNyUEU8_2ov6Kj0stONIB9tyNuLwhEHcS5LRvNiyZXOn9sszQ6hGyHsGXahPnbUaxQ3nTORhA4wa-mSOoquAeY_m00qwSwD0lyghuCANfAMARm65d1nsMqJ8LpkAb3WXLrVBkrqvTX9Dl/s1600-h/CRW_6270.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNyUEU8_2ov6Kj0stONIB9tyNuLwhEHcS5LRvNiyZXOn9sszQ6hGyHsGXahPnbUaxQ3nTORhA4wa-mSOoquAeY_m00qwSwD0lyghuCANfAMARm65d1nsMqJ8LpkAb3WXLrVBkrqvTX9Dl/s320/CRW_6270.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040716449146825906" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This may be the only picture I've had someone take of me in China so far, and I'm blinking... <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPAj2qO9dTdBcCQecDI5vNMDLAnuUMGM9-CPYT6OtfItwivUPKiC_Xnupy6uZ6vfxsWS-5Y2Gc6_M6OngR0LmMNdFp31rZZEse9uQIe9_hEZJjD9noTQjN1Tb-894uBqPG_6rKv7htMGD/s1600-h/IMG_1686.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPAj2qO9dTdBcCQecDI5vNMDLAnuUMGM9-CPYT6OtfItwivUPKiC_Xnupy6uZ6vfxsWS-5Y2Gc6_M6OngR0LmMNdFp31rZZEse9uQIe9_hEZJjD9noTQjN1Tb-894uBqPG_6rKv7htMGD/s320/IMG_1686.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039817306333342642" border="0" /></a><br />The westward view from my apartment at night when I got home. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070305_0pan_apt_night.htm">(big)</a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDebQxp-MTmdRcGFfrAUrx_y01Nx181dbhjOVdAwnJaLBQR7wz1vubdQ2UhuOCbO-7l4eDwlI0ETeXmlnVOfTzSPukwAgLqiIl3DIWA0zIxStmdA0JOy0KldTE-ENOG7ExgS24PS0Tt4z/s1600-h/0pan_apt_night.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDebQxp-MTmdRcGFfrAUrx_y01Nx181dbhjOVdAwnJaLBQR7wz1vubdQ2UhuOCbO-7l4eDwlI0ETeXmlnVOfTzSPukwAgLqiIl3DIWA0zIxStmdA0JOy0KldTE-ENOG7ExgS24PS0Tt4z/s320/0pan_apt_night.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040721624582417650" border="0" /></a><br />I'm going to go back to check the temple and attempt the climb again. It's nice to get out of the city, and the bus ride only costs 8mao (=0.8Y=$0.12). Essentially, it's free. Also, there are some nice trails through the pine forests there, and after a month breathing the Beijing air it was a welcome change.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPAj2qO9dTdBcCQecDI5vNMDLAnuUMGM9-CPYT6OtfItwivUPKiC_Xnupy6uZ6vfxsWS-5Y2Gc6_M6OngR0LmMNdFp31rZZEse9uQIe9_hEZJjD9noTQjN1Tb-894uBqPG_6rKv7htMGD/s1600-h/IMG_1686.JPG"><br /></a>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-59195609297985713452007-03-02T01:57:00.001-05:002008-10-15T05:05:10.368-05:00NEW APARTMENT!I've finally found myself a new apartment. It's in Fuchengmen (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;q=39.9189,116.3498&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=39.918961,116.349796&spn=0.003999,0.013561&t=k&om=1">google-map</a> or my <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/map_labels.jpg">map of Beijing</a>, middle-left), which is a very "Chinese" area. It's not that it's traditional, because it's quite modern. But it's not a foreigner-friendly zone. Therefore, as a foreigner, I am required to register with the police within 24 hours of moving in (they don't stone foreigners or anything like that, just glare oddly). Luckily, the guy whose room I was taking over, an Aussie named Brian, managed to register for me. He went to the station with a very outspoken local, who is now my Beijinghua teacher (Beijing accent), and they registered me without me having to be present. It's funny; they're so strict about the residency part of it, but they didn't even verify whether my passport matched my face. Go figure.<br /><br />So, I took the place over from Brian, who had to return to Australia because his university program had made some policy changes to their correspondence program, and will no longer grant him a degree while not present in Australia. He's probably going to skip all the lectures anyway, what a pain. But if anything good came out of it, it most certainly was a sweet place for me to stay. I didn't have to do any legwork, I pretty much just replaced Brian.<br /><br />I pay 1600CNY/month ($250CAD) for a room in the 3-bedroom apartment. I share the apartment with two other guys: Paul, a 28 year old english teacher from Scotland, and Jaehyun Kim, a 27 year old MBA student from Korea (doing MBA in Chinese). My room is about 11'x20', has a queen-sized bed, desk, 3-seat couch, tv, dresser and cabinet. I also have an enclosed balcony with a view to the 2nd ring road, the busiest road in Beijing. I'm right downtown. For $8/mth, I get a home-phone and fast internet access (1Mbit, fastest you can get in BJ), and I have access to the shared washing machine and gas stove. The apartment is quite nice on the inside, there's lots of hot water and the pressure is good. It's on the 13th floor (they don't skip it here), and there are elevators.<br /><br />The elevators operate on a very strange schedule. There are three elevators spread across the length of the long, and they alternate being used, one at any time during the day. Only 2 of the three are actually used, the third one, which is at our section of the building, apparently is used every once in a while but maybe on par with a blue moon. From the ground-level, you can tell which one is being used because an outdoor light goes on in front of the appropriate entrance. From the top however, the only way to know which is running is by guessing first, then going to the other one if you're wrong. In addition to that, they all stop operating at midnight. I really doubt this affects any of the locals who live here, but it does throw a bit of a wrench into my weekends. To add a bit more confusion, the elevators only stop on the 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th and 13th stories, so if you live in-between these you still have to walk up or down a flight. And, to top it off, there's always an elevator operator, because I <span style="font-style: italic;">know</span> we wouldn't be able to figure out how to push the buttons on our own. It's not that it's a necessity, it's that they need to find jobs for everybody here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZmCaImWCN2mtQfaKdyE9aZZA2VikrrMI8NpLem00z4Sjo72TiBjV47LBhe9bD8m-76wmsPY_th5uixRSo-Rj9Hvc4YVo75lPT4xBOt7VndZlLCJ2o_63_ASiXnyriWlkiJNXGQb5fiWg/s1600-h/apartment_layout.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZmCaImWCN2mtQfaKdyE9aZZA2VikrrMI8NpLem00z4Sjo72TiBjV47LBhe9bD8m-76wmsPY_th5uixRSo-Rj9Hvc4YVo75lPT4xBOt7VndZlLCJ2o_63_ASiXnyriWlkiJNXGQb5fiWg/s400/apartment_layout.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038791986330580194" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Our door<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6kyEHIenVMkSjD6olSc7tWLWrmK_vTeE23dTneLwN1tIC57SZqCr7zc8wDRtXUIKi0aiGPt7CTRoFrfBAbnp46SUPRuvlyx8WnHqY8PA9ht4e3Nn5lJHfC-qDGf5bP2AdMxT0creIK3T/s1600-h/IMG_6451.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6kyEHIenVMkSjD6olSc7tWLWrmK_vTeE23dTneLwN1tIC57SZqCr7zc8wDRtXUIKi0aiGPt7CTRoFrfBAbnp46SUPRuvlyx8WnHqY8PA9ht4e3Nn5lJHfC-qDGf5bP2AdMxT0creIK3T/s320/IMG_6451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038798076594205938" border="0" /></a>The door open...<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqobualehcgWTtj0ZJpEJMv7g-Xw2GG7aiLaCX9IQ1k0pCsO-2CfJdLuT2wtRnqvMJFi2HnpkU_s_Wr0TweNhl5_tPtabZmb92LPF1trZM0xpjlgBycrPRf6rGpkbNDWLsy69SsUxPqN_/s1600-h/IMG_6457.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqobualehcgWTtj0ZJpEJMv7g-Xw2GG7aiLaCX9IQ1k0pCsO-2CfJdLuT2wtRnqvMJFi2HnpkU_s_Wr0TweNhl5_tPtabZmb92LPF1trZM0xpjlgBycrPRf6rGpkbNDWLsy69SsUxPqN_/s320/IMG_6457.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038798080889173250" border="0" /></a><br />And from the next frame. Notice the watercooler and the pile of beers that accumulated as a result of me moving in.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGz-KGtAIj30U8Lm9LAlZdpwvuNEL0InFuhwtLyPZ0n-lkKtGgHIJRMKGF36Kt8YY4aX0dPlAmRTI1D0_7UyCTZyXdJZXZgt8H9kpms42g0esGh7psy6aYigkFzxKgDakEBnTt24YWgTQ/s1600-h/IMG_6459.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGz-KGtAIj30U8Lm9LAlZdpwvuNEL0InFuhwtLyPZ0n-lkKtGgHIJRMKGF36Kt8YY4aX0dPlAmRTI1D0_7UyCTZyXdJZXZgt8H9kpms42g0esGh7psy6aYigkFzxKgDakEBnTt24YWgTQ/s320/IMG_6459.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038798080889173266" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">A panorama of my bedroom. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070306_0pan_room.htm">(big)</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjy0DCiyrV4zzDWVwG_6zxME7eo66L5SLwOn7J9dpmPO94yJvjBwteS8gHUFNI5Na4QxCFSTgEt-A-hu4Z3UShcAUfh1KU6jsYgND4brUZpUkSfr6F-6ElRshny5vh49yDy_0VD7-g5DH6/s1600-h/0pan_room.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjy0DCiyrV4zzDWVwG_6zxME7eo66L5SLwOn7J9dpmPO94yJvjBwteS8gHUFNI5Na4QxCFSTgEt-A-hu4Z3UShcAUfh1KU6jsYgND4brUZpUkSfr6F-6ElRshny5vh49yDy_0VD7-g5DH6/s320/0pan_room.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040549821595610050" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><span style="font-size:100%;">The washer and toilet. Not much to speak of but get the job done.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo-yBla_hhA0YDf0jnhdT0O0dHrM5CWo59xO_EbOJSlArz-iO7aA01yw6eNihAIBkmzaGv_kIynJwq5P9TP5rYlRE1hPoy4um2dgRu7tFOTRkTYq-5Jt6emE0OO2DS2FzJcntuQVJPqHt/s1600-h/IMG_6480.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo-yBla_hhA0YDf0jnhdT0O0dHrM5CWo59xO_EbOJSlArz-iO7aA01yw6eNihAIBkmzaGv_kIynJwq5P9TP5rYlRE1hPoy4um2dgRu7tFOTRkTYq-5Jt6emE0OO2DS2FzJcntuQVJPqHt/s320/IMG_6480.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038798085184140578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />The shower and sink in a separate room. Useful for morning crunches when everybody's doing something different.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgHW2NVrgDQeNgSLjuoeJjwsfbjChtMPu_LC1J7vJ_tmDlzeoMqyIGdXlR4vqeG4PU0ZFOx5X_7xyjcsN0_mcO3SAOBXRH54Prpw-s-AtKVn0DnA06fbD-ToJrv0pnBYYM-hmyj8zOPl_/s1600-h/IMG_6483.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgHW2NVrgDQeNgSLjuoeJjwsfbjChtMPu_LC1J7vJ_tmDlzeoMqyIGdXlR4vqeG4PU0ZFOx5X_7xyjcsN0_mcO3SAOBXRH54Prpw-s-AtKVn0DnA06fbD-ToJrv0pnBYYM-hmyj8zOPl_/s320/IMG_6483.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038798085184140594" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">The kitchen. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070306_0pan_kitchen.htm">(big)</a></span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10vp5f-CNVYFprsvWlqWv7tZLFTs2jiWwtUDb9S1v2vlsOYanIKMsjEuR0lFFD6pWsryQJJAfZOnW7mOyVtTio0orBq5uk1H6D6BlpWyBbAxEH-Y7ZvHPmNUEZaHkWSlmPEsxCzVsQUXM/s1600-h/0pan_kitchen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10vp5f-CNVYFprsvWlqWv7tZLFTs2jiWwtUDb9S1v2vlsOYanIKMsjEuR0lFFD6pWsryQJJAfZOnW7mOyVtTio0orBq5uk1H6D6BlpWyBbAxEH-Y7ZvHPmNUEZaHkWSlmPEsxCzVsQUXM/s320/0pan_kitchen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038800000739554722" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;">This is the view from outside our door. It's quaint, in a run-down concrete-building kind of way. <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070306_0pan_outdoor.htm">(big)</a></span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBqavE7PQJosWs_9y92Ua-OWuCRS7zZ_54Hfqwmr3vUAvWPTOnO6NWP4MQkbfJ5xhebRisG02usp3FTvU6clh3xKx_-3k8aoVG3WzCmolj4ijnfaxrl1Lfl9Q8UU2_syCuDMebS2bLtxC/s1600-h/0pan_outdoor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBqavE7PQJosWs_9y92Ua-OWuCRS7zZ_54Hfqwmr3vUAvWPTOnO6NWP4MQkbfJ5xhebRisG02usp3FTvU6clh3xKx_-3k8aoVG3WzCmolj4ijnfaxrl1Lfl9Q8UU2_syCuDMebS2bLtxC/s320/0pan_outdoor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040550461545737170" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The elevator waiting area.</span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOX9ATJ8cvKZIvzB6Z5Zq02nkvkXXQ_6BroWnUBqFVYnTv9a6ons0kpL7gwuudT9EVPMnwuWo-nShIj8pP82jgnLPyR7W2tbMsNs9HBs1XKj97gjhWhaDuc0WhIDIfqwaRcF6UQ5Z1NiHS/s1600-h/IMG_1689.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOX9ATJ8cvKZIvzB6Z5Zq02nkvkXXQ_6BroWnUBqFVYnTv9a6ons0kpL7gwuudT9EVPMnwuWo-nShIj8pP82jgnLPyR7W2tbMsNs9HBs1XKj97gjhWhaDuc0WhIDIfqwaRcF6UQ5Z1NiHS/s320/IMG_1689.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038799326429689186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">The coolest elevator lady, the others suck compared to her. I snuck this one, even though she's cool.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4Uwpxzu_e-fvUl7FapzRMnGcBrWitnOP-7VPV0FchQucbo4VHr0veqgDHqepPaDXvc2Wjm15eOqRao9c9PpNRYyGV9Hiq7LWENdl4wEUNB5N0DVLqZnurswlM_HjYvkkdecx96mwMD2s/s1600-h/IMG_1691.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4Uwpxzu_e-fvUl7FapzRMnGcBrWitnOP-7VPV0FchQucbo4VHr0veqgDHqepPaDXvc2Wjm15eOqRao9c9PpNRYyGV9Hiq7LWENdl4wEUNB5N0DVLqZnurswlM_HjYvkkdecx96mwMD2s/s320/IMG_1691.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038799330724656498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">Our building, this shot facing SSW.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgIhRx9JPWvRmMk4cnM-Y6GqFTmJBWlUddAXKyRJw_3_P8RnuRae8RoxM0HGD1ZgdBZiLJHu8ti2jJbkeMU-Fvij8XMcMDUYCuDSXr2-k_1CbP36vZWc-bC_RFz-4ZFeHFgteWk0-XocD/s1600-h/IMG_1693.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgIhRx9JPWvRmMk4cnM-Y6GqFTmJBWlUddAXKyRJw_3_P8RnuRae8RoxM0HGD1ZgdBZiLJHu8ti2jJbkeMU-Fvij8XMcMDUYCuDSXr2-k_1CbP36vZWc-bC_RFz-4ZFeHFgteWk0-XocD/s320/IMG_1693.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038799330724656514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Fuchengmen. Beginning of Waidajie (outside avenue, referring to the roads position with relation to the 2nd ring road, more on that later...). This is a bustling corner. Photo taken at 3, you should see it here at 6. This is a very convenient bus hub, as well as mall and market area. Food is SOOO cheap, and the markets don't try to rip you off either, like at the Silk Market.<a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070306_0pan_fuchengmen%20waidajie_resize.htm"><br />(big)</a><br /><a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/pages/070306_0pan_fuchengmen%20waidajie_resize.htm"></a> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLV_xpMgmkxHgIcBcMKZCb9hVjlsTKAHjrfm2Wn4sJSQLW67PebiuRhyphenhyphensTuqAcNyx99j6gZhNnKJcskSWdHGKP_zj_Tl-yeVNZQMWT9NIs-5oqo8AgJBIvLyqW7d7_tcGKlwHgZu2s30P/s1600-h/0pan_fuchengmen+waidajie_resize.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLV_xpMgmkxHgIcBcMKZCb9hVjlsTKAHjrfm2Wn4sJSQLW67PebiuRhyphenhyphensTuqAcNyx99j6gZhNnKJcskSWdHGKP_zj_Tl-yeVNZQMWT9NIs-5oqo8AgJBIvLyqW7d7_tcGKlwHgZu2s30P/s320/0pan_fuchengmen+waidajie_resize.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038799996444587410" border="0" /></a></div>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183416627542639704.post-84873748616688217042007-02-19T22:49:00.002-05:002008-10-15T05:07:03.012-05:00Ah luhvs m'gun, luuhhvs m'gun! (aka. da'AK)I had heard from a few people that there was a firing range somewhere near Beijing at which you can fire all sorts of cool guns, including anti-aircraft, anti-tank, rocket launchers and the like. Well, the rumours were partly true, though not quite as exotic as I initially believed. Jason, an Australian kungfu master (!), was particulary interested in firing an AK-47, and after hearing him talk about it for a while (0.5 seconds) I got the bug, if only just to be able to say I've fired an automatic weapon.<br /><br />Finding information about the firing range was another thing. Neither of the 2 guide books I brought had anything about it, and an internet search proved quite nearly futile. Luckily, Jason had lunch with a friend who knew all about it, not only where it was, but also the most economical way to get there, and he wrote the address in english and chinese, in case the cabbie's Beijinghua (Beijing accent) was too far gone to understand my perfect mandarin. haha.<br /><br />Anyway, we set out early on the morning of February 19th. I met him and a student of his, David, at Dongzhimen subway station. At 8am. It was a bit tough for me to get up at 7ish, especially after having come home at 3ish, but my excitement drove me forward.<br /><br />We went to the Deshengmen bus station, near Jishuitan subway station, which, conveniently, is closed now for construction. This meant we had to walk from the neighbouring subway station. The walk turned out to be quite pleasant, and gave a good view of the Deshengmen bus station. Normally, a view of a bus station would not be something considered pleasant, but this one is particularly interesting, since Deshengmen is an old gulou (meaning drum tower). It was built in 1440, and was a very important gate along the inner-city 2nd ring wall (now gone), opening up to paths leading to the a historically important section of the great wall (badaling pass). It was a nice surprise.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">A river near Jishuitan<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP6F36mdqo1wxAKkJpkv0c8cQgfn4vIy5Iko8uQ5Khv-2xqdmMMQf2gChZC-0IcmQHjXO0tJIec06WI9oiBMfr6ElYFt3Nw6xU49MVqaOKtl_TX8pu_jE8noI5DFtt6OmnKOHKXQibmCS/s1600-h/CRW_5894.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP6F36mdqo1wxAKkJpkv0c8cQgfn4vIy5Iko8uQ5Khv-2xqdmMMQf2gChZC-0IcmQHjXO0tJIec06WI9oiBMfr6ElYFt3Nw6xU49MVqaOKtl_TX8pu_jE8noI5DFtt6OmnKOHKXQibmCS/s320/CRW_5894.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037933632806842674" border="0" /></a><br />This guy had the unfortunate job of cleaning it from the side. The lighting in this picture doesn't really give a good impression of how futile it seemed.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASq_OZeztE8hvKLvycC9kTHJTBRfepFaFGk25Zx05yOZGiOb_nkIaXs5DBcYGAaB4vwHukswpyjJ24H7vD9hdJ-X1r7cfDaWFHpNG3u678ekZdP8Ar7Jsoe4SKdIt9j1rrTEE5UT2uuii/s1600-h/CRW_5895.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASq_OZeztE8hvKLvycC9kTHJTBRfepFaFGk25Zx05yOZGiOb_nkIaXs5DBcYGAaB4vwHukswpyjJ24H7vD9hdJ-X1r7cfDaWFHpNG3u678ekZdP8Ar7Jsoe4SKdIt9j1rrTEE5UT2uuii/s320/CRW_5895.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037933632806842690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHh6saLmnMmU08CDRB02vpdmmlFElYP0_TYnqAo8sCvNct1cCB6ZD3ljEbMz_9tV6DZS8q8XNbdDZf1ZCoMrrugzBVwkfM2ujS9PN7MWlGgKpz6vFOvXZq3HSWi6yhBiGe-97erCQAoqO/s1600-h/0pan_river_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHh6saLmnMmU08CDRB02vpdmmlFElYP0_TYnqAo8sCvNct1cCB6ZD3ljEbMz_9tV6DZS8q8XNbdDZf1ZCoMrrugzBVwkfM2ujS9PN7MWlGgKpz6vFOvXZq3HSWi6yhBiGe-97erCQAoqO/s320/0pan_river_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037944460419396002" border="0" /></a><br />It's the year of the pig!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrXLAnJouCnF3hRQ5ZMhLPPLrV4gW_FuTbg02rlu2GVulp7rRDLIYWOV2LnUoUw_WgbHN1k0ewZUH6xyvFC27M61q8mxDvk6WmmV5xskr4nDydGXf_WwuCGEbedsG24VT5ZydGKwmW5RJ/s1600-h/CRW_5899.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrXLAnJouCnF3hRQ5ZMhLPPLrV4gW_FuTbg02rlu2GVulp7rRDLIYWOV2LnUoUw_WgbHN1k0ewZUH6xyvFC27M61q8mxDvk6WmmV5xskr4nDydGXf_WwuCGEbedsG24VT5ZydGKwmW5RJ/s320/CRW_5899.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037933637101810002" border="0" /></a><br />Yeah... something about a fish from those waters doesn't seem appealing to me.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtAxiVkO-MAjXcvWyqxOu537FZsPmZCD4UT3JCPn_TzRaMV1PxSpcY41et11C4Gmma7Wqktn7o-Pw0EEy42VvJQ-3B7lVh3SHm_gXa9EN4ZbfcV-7cafUMkr4kreib-AVq8F1b_tJvWpj/s1600-h/CRW_5903.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtAxiVkO-MAjXcvWyqxOu537FZsPmZCD4UT3JCPn_TzRaMV1PxSpcY41et11C4Gmma7Wqktn7o-Pw0EEy42VvJQ-3B7lVh3SHm_gXa9EN4ZbfcV-7cafUMkr4kreib-AVq8F1b_tJvWpj/s320/CRW_5903.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928603400138978" border="0" /></a><br />I had to sidle close enough to take this picture.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJqj0SynFdN0SrA0vzcsFPoZIQYdR4w7qq1qCKJJogzA54gYCWisipuc31jlp6Goc-GKjXn9-KDFgcrUnW6ccJEi7ScTAfrsc1OrgIr7OqBxqJBYeNppAY3E1DsBoypC7pM8E0an1mUu2/s1600-h/CRW_5932.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJqj0SynFdN0SrA0vzcsFPoZIQYdR4w7qq1qCKJJogzA54gYCWisipuc31jlp6Goc-GKjXn9-KDFgcrUnW6ccJEi7ScTAfrsc1OrgIr7OqBxqJBYeNppAY3E1DsBoypC7pM8E0an1mUu2/s320/CRW_5932.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928607695106290" border="0" /></a><br />Deshengmen watchtower<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUgpv3vWolCudszEq_qsMO92TFZVwAOFtdpDwCU0pWopdh8wltgxfZmy04rV86Wf-mTe9DcejQ5Jk4kY-G5ihPE7KkZVHazoyG4q7y8GtufS2D8r6MmsIO-4VvwyMi8y1_yBbVLMDMHPn/s1600-h/deshengmen1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUgpv3vWolCudszEq_qsMO92TFZVwAOFtdpDwCU0pWopdh8wltgxfZmy04rV86Wf-mTe9DcejQ5Jk4kY-G5ihPE7KkZVHazoyG4q7y8GtufS2D8r6MmsIO-4VvwyMi8y1_yBbVLMDMHPn/s320/deshengmen1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928607695106306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9spt_cLg-_E_gScp6BtMOUiOl3A8c144VOAvrIEEENDgRsrzTRg2EtZUn_M20KUMsxuacWzombZimsP6F_2RjDKcvYFThsXgBaTWr_r2pXtM9BeBc1KspHHZhd8vQ_LcWT-NPP3m9U35/s1600-h/deshengmen2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9spt_cLg-_E_gScp6BtMOUiOl3A8c144VOAvrIEEENDgRsrzTRg2EtZUn_M20KUMsxuacWzombZimsP6F_2RjDKcvYFThsXgBaTWr_r2pXtM9BeBc1KspHHZhd8vQ_LcWT-NPP3m9U35/s320/deshengmen2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928611990073618" border="0" /></a><br />The bus ride was 45min long each way, and the return ticket cost 12Y (about $2CAD). Bus-rides here are cheap. The bus we took, the 919, also goes to the badaling portion of the great wall, and the city we were destined for, Nankou, is on the way. We were sitting at the very back of the bus, which was packed to capacity (or beyond), and when we arrived in Nankou we had to snake our way to the front, through all the locals going to the great wall. This deboarding took a good 5min. And when we got to the front, the ticket-lady wouldn't let us get off, taking us for dumb foreigners who thought we were already at the wall. Jason and David, in front of me, seemed complacent, and when I determined what the hold up was, I let out my american-side; I yelled to let us off the damn bus. Two years of studying paid off a bit right there.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jOLxAkIO9xA"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jOLxAkIO9xA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />We got ripped on the taxi-ride. We weren't sure exactly how far outside of Nankou it was, I had read somewhere that it was 6km west but really didn't trust the source too much. A 5min taxi ride there cost us 20Y ($3), 50% more than the 1.5hr return bus ride. I wasn't so foolish on the way back to Nankou, which we got back to for 5Y. You actually have to bargain down EVERYTHING here, and the moment you let your guard down, BOOM, you've been ripped. There was a "Firing Range Registration" at the main gate, but we didn't have to register, or even give anybody our names the entire time. The range was <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;q=40.246569,116.10329&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=40.246417,116.103473&spn=0.00398,0.013561&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;t=k&om=1">here</a>.<br /><br />My first impression of the range was pure awe. They have a room in which they display something like a hundred different guns, modern, historical, handguns, sniper rifles, semis and automatics. A woman asks you to choose which guns you want to fire and how many clips. I learned soon enough that not all on display were available, that could choose from about a third of them... still plenty though. As well, we couldn't choose the rocket launcher or anti-aircraft gun, but I imagine if we could they'd have been too expensive anyway. There was an anti-tank gun set up somewhere, but the price began at 1000Y for 10rounds ($150CAD). They charge by the bullet, and based on chinese standards, it was quite expensive. The price of a round ranged from 8-12Y each, and you have to get a whole clip (I guess that's obvious). Since we were going mostly for the experience, and didn't wield particularly fat wallets, we shared a clip for each of the 3 guns we chose: the AK-47 (240Y for 30rounds), a 5.8mm american sniper rifle (120Y for 10 rounds), and a 9mm chinese military handgun (180 for 15 rounds). Total cost for firing three clips in three guns, 540Y ($75CAD), split three ways. $25 got me 20 bullets.<br /><br />Unfortunately, they didn't let me bring my cameras into the firing zone. It sucks, I know. We desperately wanted pictures of ourselves wielding AK's in Rambo fashion (or war-torn-Africa fashion). However, I'll do my best to describe it. First of all, it was a beautiful and clear day, very unusual for the Beijing area. The mountains are very near, and you could not only see them well, but you could see many portions of the great wall (not the badaling section, I'm not entirely sure which section it was). If we wanted to, we could've fired at it.<br /><br />The firing range is partly-indoors, with sliding doors leading to the firing groove (okay, so I don't know all the technical terms for a firing range). The firing groove is open in the front, but covered overtop. The targets are about 15m away, and behind them are large mounds of sand, and behind those, a few km away, the mountains and the wall. When it was our turn to shoot, we pass through the sliding doors, put on ear-muffs (but no eye protection), and they then sit you down on the table. I was manhandled into the right position, probably the most I've been pushed around in China yet. The gun, which was the sniper rifle first, is ready and on the table, with the end of the muzzle resting on a support-type thing. There were about 7 guys (and a woman) standing around watching me fire. If someone wanted to turn around and go buck wild on everybody, they probably wouldn't get very far with 8 ppl so close-by. The targets were brought in after each person's firing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TKWhDput6UfN15mc6APSMScPq-4x2k0h5f66LOC7-DVrrjk_TXQP2K2KcicL60cIdEzVALt9ubwh69THylGVMmzfbzCcBIn79JVy2PuozxIQCJpatdzffiIT9TpLnYNPINDoTrIV9Quh/s1600-h/firing+range.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TKWhDput6UfN15mc6APSMScPq-4x2k0h5f66LOC7-DVrrjk_TXQP2K2KcicL60cIdEzVALt9ubwh69THylGVMmzfbzCcBIn79JVy2PuozxIQCJpatdzffiIT9TpLnYNPINDoTrIV9Quh/s400/firing+range.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037935788880425330" border="0" /></a><br />The sniper rifle was difficult to aim, and I actually had better aim with the AK despite the lack of 10x zoom. There was barely any kickback with the sniper rifle, and the AK was quite manageable. It's a semi-automatic, and you just know I had to hold down the trigger to let off a few in a row. This probably negatively impacted my score, but I didn't care. The handgun was fired in a different portion of the range, set up for standing-fire instead of sitting. For the handgun, the target was closer, and I did much more poorly. Those western's are full of crap.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Prebattle<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCAOEswXc21ejuXXYNdo880D6TyQMXMhgpkrMeRrsA-yaw2VBKhGE2qOt2scOBCIaSNzxw9QCvtxfAC1eWhp3q7wbsHmYO2auUzP34Np9nMEJ5m98FiAdzPJj33NwYmF26VR6Rd0IJ6HK/s1600-h/gun0.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCAOEswXc21ejuXXYNdo880D6TyQMXMhgpkrMeRrsA-yaw2VBKhGE2qOt2scOBCIaSNzxw9QCvtxfAC1eWhp3q7wbsHmYO2auUzP34Np9nMEJ5m98FiAdzPJj33NwYmF26VR6Rd0IJ6HK/s320/gun0.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928616285040930" border="0" /></a><br />What a tease<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaJXw9_rbspvmfA9h26jQglDrb1N0LtlVa6Nmn9AGcVvZ2IlrPQS7CaEeZ7hES4PYSFdFwitwQn5Ftfk_IuH53TRRsiGrcH3WZyHNodetRBGSqLS4avqZA_ir9-g0fbEW9P4t5vngzFR7/s1600-h/gun1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaJXw9_rbspvmfA9h26jQglDrb1N0LtlVa6Nmn9AGcVvZ2IlrPQS7CaEeZ7hES4PYSFdFwitwQn5Ftfk_IuH53TRRsiGrcH3WZyHNodetRBGSqLS4avqZA_ir9-g0fbEW9P4t5vngzFR7/s320/gun1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928289867526290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUi_kBWOWM9iEmBVVk1TL4_8xWq8fc-eYVS9crRvUZBaLTd1SKBB4znd_ofYoEJWxnzbn7VoVu1a6V7JnZd8bI4tfOXK-2GP8UhSDnXh-c0HGcQ6Pko8oynCsXsq8Z_S_RxU091kuTQEXj/s1600-h/gun2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUi_kBWOWM9iEmBVVk1TL4_8xWq8fc-eYVS9crRvUZBaLTd1SKBB4znd_ofYoEJWxnzbn7VoVu1a6V7JnZd8bI4tfOXK-2GP8UhSDnXh-c0HGcQ6Pko8oynCsXsq8Z_S_RxU091kuTQEXj/s320/gun2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928294162493602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4F6_2xs7Lt8g6WC_Vs2BAhHlHqTSFU9SR2nOMKF7Hclf3hx-1Pj5rvLVpG-3oHc6nJlW2WoB0E8if1ddX7ivEP75AaoPbxlPHCMbsZEEGARTO0vNFyIGTGleuFEy-DLzmOynGaV6eZGqC/s1600-h/gun3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4F6_2xs7Lt8g6WC_Vs2BAhHlHqTSFU9SR2nOMKF7Hclf3hx-1Pj5rvLVpG-3oHc6nJlW2WoB0E8if1ddX7ivEP75AaoPbxlPHCMbsZEEGARTO0vNFyIGTGleuFEy-DLzmOynGaV6eZGqC/s320/gun3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928298457460914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBD8iY2f2JDEjRmIWSsgXUbmMnB7u8bo29Oa2hy0XBxGzDwl3MJd78WDSqOcSxStfjUKUcF-H4oNFxdvaA5Gr_4G_pBiW4SomutHAIJ6j2LsW5gHUQIztT4Rxe5Q7Q9s823SiwivomPeRO/s1600-h/gun4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBD8iY2f2JDEjRmIWSsgXUbmMnB7u8bo29Oa2hy0XBxGzDwl3MJd78WDSqOcSxStfjUKUcF-H4oNFxdvaA5Gr_4G_pBiW4SomutHAIJ6j2LsW5gHUQIztT4Rxe5Q7Q9s823SiwivomPeRO/s320/gun4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928302752428226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1G4FD0GxeJ5NU8VW_8Mvsrp7znWn42IJGAewJoPdmowwMaMcCjgu6VOxij2fLM4ugpRDbl6EUg_9EJMMXVt-HQWg8ZFB2I8rCjZRHSwKpEGsKwJeEuWi-jT4bzQMuTNilwoeYw_M8417/s1600-h/gun5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1G4FD0GxeJ5NU8VW_8Mvsrp7znWn42IJGAewJoPdmowwMaMcCjgu6VOxij2fLM4ugpRDbl6EUg_9EJMMXVt-HQWg8ZFB2I8rCjZRHSwKpEGsKwJeEuWi-jT4bzQMuTNilwoeYw_M8417/s320/gun5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928302752428242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YlcvbPO63gcfjO_rA0IaYRLRsqU3RMMUL96XYDMAh9xSSRPSrCmDkG94CUk-LZ7zBXzSixlNwikkaddlDC5f0aVC8Yz9sgC2c9yqSrM3fs17NgcjFv2QPal1SDsaqvjoS_zpN-2hZoWJ/s1600-h/gun6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YlcvbPO63gcfjO_rA0IaYRLRsqU3RMMUL96XYDMAh9xSSRPSrCmDkG94CUk-LZ7zBXzSixlNwikkaddlDC5f0aVC8Yz9sgC2c9yqSrM3fs17NgcjFv2QPal1SDsaqvjoS_zpN-2hZoWJ/s320/gun6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928023579553858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SMi_jnGWv0a_0c9txmTLfCHn1HeXhabyAHgibiTvstj6rzsC9vQWa-SlWLSmRaJo9sz00ttRf9TW5KPqZnbc17htEY4YppdcUqFQPFPRv_B6TZyaY1cnWlErcgrH-4m5DOTeYb5n6Jka/s1600-h/gun7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SMi_jnGWv0a_0c9txmTLfCHn1HeXhabyAHgibiTvstj6rzsC9vQWa-SlWLSmRaJo9sz00ttRf9TW5KPqZnbc17htEY4YppdcUqFQPFPRv_B6TZyaY1cnWlErcgrH-4m5DOTeYb5n6Jka/s320/gun7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928027874521170" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAY4mF45WWYChEbbTWME8TFWpgM0L5G75v5aNPQjlnlTxHC07GXkn9D4Ub_SPxPsH3SKZHnwqqJ2pBUL324MZyTPfK6e1O5yh4Gc4zQADx-blb2UoToDhB_HGnKzTJWfpCcBjYH1Sr6m5K/s1600-h/gun_1541.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAY4mF45WWYChEbbTWME8TFWpgM0L5G75v5aNPQjlnlTxHC07GXkn9D4Ub_SPxPsH3SKZHnwqqJ2pBUL324MZyTPfK6e1O5yh4Gc4zQADx-blb2UoToDhB_HGnKzTJWfpCcBjYH1Sr6m5K/s320/gun_1541.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928027874521186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwRwgqswvGKaRQL6pD8R7Onv1SCZOBNS-MRn8nvi2hi_QoVSIUyeFELC99NNTdi7y_ts3pqdGKxzkwebD2ljfUPlfZ_qYRsNlpaOmK_3KYYqwkWop9SGo97wGjd7erAZc_bNT9mnJWwBu/s1600-h/gun_1542.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwRwgqswvGKaRQL6pD8R7Onv1SCZOBNS-MRn8nvi2hi_QoVSIUyeFELC99NNTdi7y_ts3pqdGKxzkwebD2ljfUPlfZ_qYRsNlpaOmK_3KYYqwkWop9SGo97wGjd7erAZc_bNT9mnJWwBu/s320/gun_1542.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928032169488498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93YvAKAH8PFOwV9a_QLWPKGFp5IPMSiO9jQaZpMLZIluMsYJdXHAANw_kjVdstp2oJ2jGCyX-S_kAd2ExwDWf4S8uOnCtrl0pqDE1tVdrwVz1VGC-TUkKIAS1gD1ubCcsRMuopExPgYbY/s1600-h/gun_1543.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93YvAKAH8PFOwV9a_QLWPKGFp5IPMSiO9jQaZpMLZIluMsYJdXHAANw_kjVdstp2oJ2jGCyX-S_kAd2ExwDWf4S8uOnCtrl0pqDE1tVdrwVz1VGC-TUkKIAS1gD1ubCcsRMuopExPgYbY/s320/gun_1543.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037928036464455810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWjopYQRSfXplDB_mo_bwWDH01YCaoCnp_5bWgKBgx_ouTxnETQBbxOUEMnNYxASRqEmn8Lvo7p2ZbHlhFGQbG3NlVoWIwYsMIQogH9U6IsvSsFBv65Zd2g1gDytSvpVYX887_P-Ynb2S/s1600-h/gun_1544.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWjopYQRSfXplDB_mo_bwWDH01YCaoCnp_5bWgKBgx_ouTxnETQBbxOUEMnNYxASRqEmn8Lvo7p2ZbHlhFGQbG3NlVoWIwYsMIQogH9U6IsvSsFBv65Zd2g1gDytSvpVYX887_P-Ynb2S/s320/gun_1544.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927770176483314" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnLK2Le84iKqqsRDCRKV37BL8JAG5Na2SX-7BUXIj32ZKY5HpPr6b4gTQtfHtqRaRVMgSs9DNR3kM12eURs8IIPXSHrMGPVK18USEc-xE1JhuGCHyKEWMmFs2SBzPwGNaDnu-pWrPI3u_/s1600-h/gun_1545.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnLK2Le84iKqqsRDCRKV37BL8JAG5Na2SX-7BUXIj32ZKY5HpPr6b4gTQtfHtqRaRVMgSs9DNR3kM12eURs8IIPXSHrMGPVK18USEc-xE1JhuGCHyKEWMmFs2SBzPwGNaDnu-pWrPI3u_/s320/gun_1545.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927774471450626" border="0" /></a><br />We fired the top-most sniper rifle, 5.8mm.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0r44HV6YXQ2IrQgFGSsvv8YHnajZ73uh8yFzSSQheut46QR1czDuThaCswHFyyuK8gDlPsYQZy3XPi-q5gqF36zpbheeERKbupmEqzNAjAYqhNcbvgGey8I63w5Rr3Lo6tT0bGG85GMGH/s1600-h/gun_1546.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0r44HV6YXQ2IrQgFGSsvv8YHnajZ73uh8yFzSSQheut46QR1czDuThaCswHFyyuK8gDlPsYQZy3XPi-q5gqF36zpbheeERKbupmEqzNAjAYqhNcbvgGey8I63w5Rr3Lo6tT0bGG85GMGH/s320/gun_1546.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927774471450642" border="0" /></a><br />The AK-47 is second down from the top.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gwiT4z4c-P8p4o6JUt4CWJgoRePaSLiXDoFsznMzU31So35VdhS_k5WDyTowgSIsmlfQ2E4ZMcFL79hSEuPxDI4bzaSL7Fbqw_yFJbu-NFwYdPelZb21xw-FABqnIXD5Dvr5ZbOCGWWo/s1600-h/gun_1547.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gwiT4z4c-P8p4o6JUt4CWJgoRePaSLiXDoFsznMzU31So35VdhS_k5WDyTowgSIsmlfQ2E4ZMcFL79hSEuPxDI4bzaSL7Fbqw_yFJbu-NFwYdPelZb21xw-FABqnIXD5Dvr5ZbOCGWWo/s320/gun_1547.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927778766417954" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9li3GY4xZz3wLS7c-TAB-p_O6nxINLsO9ii8uNRghNEp50kfSQBjdI0gP8PSmNKMRMUU-7fSnX5c4z3TBin56iJ77ErhbAQkn78-98rQGR9svFLs_5H5F5FkhmdYWh2_ycMRu_-CQS38p/s1600-h/gun_1548.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9li3GY4xZz3wLS7c-TAB-p_O6nxINLsO9ii8uNRghNEp50kfSQBjdI0gP8PSmNKMRMUU-7fSnX5c4z3TBin56iJ77ErhbAQkn78-98rQGR9svFLs_5H5F5FkhmdYWh2_ycMRu_-CQS38p/s320/gun_1548.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927783061385266" border="0" /></a><br />The handgun we fired is on the right-most column, middle row.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2D23BET7pTLpVhyEYppgFTSAm9AADxK1pdRLdR0JQ2ogo-rAFE696Y7h9Fth4TKb88aRq5Z9CWP6t8qlM_d1S2tsKBEHgJrBw2NAFRL1mltC-Nnf2zN7DnKVP4JRa3ZjbZtawW-mjw327/s1600-h/gun_1549.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2D23BET7pTLpVhyEYppgFTSAm9AADxK1pdRLdR0JQ2ogo-rAFE696Y7h9Fth4TKb88aRq5Z9CWP6t8qlM_d1S2tsKBEHgJrBw2NAFRL1mltC-Nnf2zN7DnKVP4JRa3ZjbZtawW-mjw327/s320/gun_1549.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927452348903330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchc7nwHaP_Dp4h1nrsJ9-Gr-N6UBOSL3mrHpxaZhRQatlfoykA3QwuUB3LIC2vl1XT_xY9NGWLaMbHTYCJ6hYxxeNu-I423DtZ_21-G3T4E1qTfwBpUMv60uCCqiQskAK5BYg75hmk-Py/s1600-h/gun_1550.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchc7nwHaP_Dp4h1nrsJ9-Gr-N6UBOSL3mrHpxaZhRQatlfoykA3QwuUB3LIC2vl1XT_xY9NGWLaMbHTYCJ6hYxxeNu-I423DtZ_21-G3T4E1qTfwBpUMv60uCCqiQskAK5BYg75hmk-Py/s320/gun_1550.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927452348903346" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-SAQKdOZC5EFb88SZwDVu8rI2kcc8WXDPhD7aO4y9-AaxfpAgGq2WzfDKliuFI6xZx_rVxI2r-AapEMAw8P9oKatqgr0b8HukU_zjb3OHwTbm4s_jHCh52McOpiy98-IAwNRT5DweihC/s1600-h/gun_1551.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-SAQKdOZC5EFb88SZwDVu8rI2kcc8WXDPhD7aO4y9-AaxfpAgGq2WzfDKliuFI6xZx_rVxI2r-AapEMAw8P9oKatqgr0b8HukU_zjb3OHwTbm4s_jHCh52McOpiy98-IAwNRT5DweihC/s320/gun_1551.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927456643870658" border="0" /></a><br />Another tease, it wasn't even loaded.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaL7YdR5UYe1xU8thTjEtlppB9nTKIeAQEjQfYtnl9y0TL1xUwik9fcoYQ4__Z8qESaJjILgNPBskHFZxzBx2gChKhKOmBVOuZO-dVOxJGqrbJBuS_IRhrbERvpPmdiIu4IogVjaIqCQMm/s1600-h/j_david.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaL7YdR5UYe1xU8thTjEtlppB9nTKIeAQEjQfYtnl9y0TL1xUwik9fcoYQ4__Z8qESaJjILgNPBskHFZxzBx2gChKhKOmBVOuZO-dVOxJGqrbJBuS_IRhrbERvpPmdiIu4IogVjaIqCQMm/s320/j_david.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927491003609042" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After our trigger-happy morning, we returned to Beijing. Jason, who was bound to return to Australia in a few days, had been trying to see Mao's mausoleum for a couple of weeks now. Mao Zedong (or old-style translation, Tsetung) died of Parkinson's on Sept.9, 1976. At the time of his death, a hasty decision led to his body being pumped full of formaldehyde in order to be preserved. Funny thing is that too much liquid was used, and his face swelled up and became distorted. Fortunately, when the liquid was drained his face returned to its original shape. Now, his body rests in a mausoleum on the south end of Tian'anmen square, and is open to the public at very strange hours. Three times Jason had gone to see it, and each time it was closed, despite him being present during the hours posted outside of the mausoleum. Nothing in China is convenient, and predictably the 4th time was no charm. A brief chat with the military-outfit at the gate didn't help me to understand exactly <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span> it was closed, but to expect explanations here is near-treason.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Tian'anmen square pan, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;q=39.905514,116.389922&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=18&ll=39.905568,116.389922&spn=0.002,0.006781&amp;amp;amp;amp;t=k&om=1&iwloc=addr">from this precise location.</a> <a href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/images/070219_0pan_TIANANMEN_2s.jpg"> Unlabeled version.</a><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zachhoy.ca/china/images/070219_0pan_TIANANMEN_2s_l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFp-xXegTWpR7iCtMPgAAl5hlCX7abAoRNfbEl1IB81MwGFnasDjSEIXkyM_Ilks7JddH2241zwIYrtMuSZBeD59LQa10D87qp0DCv7GR0GDS34PDHOq92wGfudeeVnON0z5vmsQeYpre/s320/0pan_TIANANMEN_2s_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037944460419396018" border="0" /></a><br />Not sure what this building is, but it's pretty grande.<br /></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRou0Cwa5jTQkGNMWEHKcW71z7Uwx5fb8OpedExhGm3Ap3m5rFn1BwibTAfSR1O0fo-DyuyP8c_qFjnAN_OZiur1yhP_lNKr2_8loYZL8RpUyyYALKd4eeBGY4wS_OslWYMIWLyWHKHVq/s1600-h/0pan_gov_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRou0Cwa5jTQkGNMWEHKcW71z7Uwx5fb8OpedExhGm3Ap3m5rFn1BwibTAfSR1O0fo-DyuyP8c_qFjnAN_OZiur1yhP_lNKr2_8loYZL8RpUyyYALKd4eeBGY4wS_OslWYMIWLyWHKHVq/s320/0pan_gov_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037944456124428674" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllJizBxlXUVkkPZP78lXRK-YbX1vW9rZZAeB0XIEvDqO4ctMoqSsJP4SOZtBA7Jg6irdoY35196ZR7ndKrhElU_hx36d4VwTZ-SgIsjXucDgb5UmJ3H6VuN-DkZa55Ck197G4-yvIiktm/s1600-h/rCRW_5974.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllJizBxlXUVkkPZP78lXRK-YbX1vW9rZZAeB0XIEvDqO4ctMoqSsJP4SOZtBA7Jg6irdoY35196ZR7ndKrhElU_hx36d4VwTZ-SgIsjXucDgb5UmJ3H6VuN-DkZa55Ck197G4-yvIiktm/s320/rCRW_5974.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927181765963634" border="0" /></a><br />By this point it was 2:30, and we had become hungry. South of Tian'anmen is an old gate area called Qianmen (rear gate). Next to it, running E-W, is an old hutong (literally translates to alley or laneway). Hutong's are spoken of much here. In the not-too-distant past, Beijing used to be made up entirely of hutongs, narrow roads that wound about haphazardly. Most of the old hutongs in Beijing are being bulldozed to make way for modern development, and the Beijing of today has mostly wide and cardinal roads (NS, EW, much like Toronto). The Qianmen hutongs are being kept though, supposedly, since they are considered a protected cultural location.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Qianmen on the right, old empirial theatre on left, as seen from <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;q=39.898222,116.3904&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=39.89828,116.390405&spn=0.004,0.013561&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;t=k&om=1&iwloc=addr">here</a><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;q=39.898222,116.3904&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=39.89828,116.390405&spn=0.004,0.013561&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;t=k&om=1&iwloc=addr">.</a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_TANZxwPoEs25gW8PRDx5HMl4xZA7uW_RQkZgqK16tyEEqb0pUmsyuYSqgzDiMv5kThXwqVcpMmRqgV3pEvfBLc-uMC8Vj8mD8ABxNeYh-0RfUqxdGShLjtYjVGb6oj3QVhn1jSvcrHe/s1600-h/0pan_qianmen_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_TANZxwPoEs25gW8PRDx5HMl4xZA7uW_RQkZgqK16tyEEqb0pUmsyuYSqgzDiMv5kThXwqVcpMmRqgV3pEvfBLc-uMC8Vj8mD8ABxNeYh-0RfUqxdGShLjtYjVGb6oj3QVhn1jSvcrHe/s320/0pan_qianmen_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037944456124428690" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Jason. Looks like a nice guy... until he uses some ancient shaolin dragon kungfu technique that splits you in two.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTD7-QrkFk85eN85y4DMGRMur488jLsuppfHcuo9ra77GtzpFtcDLsMJf-G7_ZjQmnUIe9V_27MJdpeUjTJz0Q0n8ucs9ReBTmrhrirHdwnDjbNGSv6vUdsT_e6vOr8lJ6Y9iLbgtU7l2h/s1600-h/jason.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTD7-QrkFk85eN85y4DMGRMur488jLsuppfHcuo9ra77GtzpFtcDLsMJf-G7_ZjQmnUIe9V_27MJdpeUjTJz0Q0n8ucs9ReBTmrhrirHdwnDjbNGSv6vUdsT_e6vOr8lJ6Y9iLbgtU7l2h/s320/jason.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927495298576354" border="0" /></a><br />The hutong was relatively wide, and full of restaurants. The odd thing about the restaurants though was that most had signs with a character I couldn't quite remember, some type of meat I didn't recognize immediately. I'd studied it at some point, but had since forgotten. It wasn't until I asked a local how to pronounce it did I realize that they were all offering meals using dog meat. I wasn't shocked because it was dog. I'll say this very clearly, we kill many intelligent animals for their meat, I don't see why dogs should be any exception. I was shocked because dog meat is not typically found in Beijing, it's much more common in NE and South China. Although I was very tempted to try a dog meal, we ended up at a little dumpling restaurant. The three of us ate dumplings, gongbao (kungpow) chicken, and rice, as well as drank a few beers and some green tea, all for 33Y ($5CAD). Mmmm.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The hutong houses use these charcoal bricks to cook their food. Spent ones become beige.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLjypl1EKZ5xHjZWutaIJAMo8pxyl1-Uzk_c6V8oeVV277eK3Ga1HrApbU6CzBsPuS9tyzQBo5ucS6Je8Z-7kqPM2kvV-14IWfzp-BFCOEKOQzkHtN09BUmEOI2Zf1ArnPz3bukD5VQQ-/s1600-h/random1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLjypl1EKZ5xHjZWutaIJAMo8pxyl1-Uzk_c6V8oeVV277eK3Ga1HrApbU6CzBsPuS9tyzQBo5ucS6Je8Z-7kqPM2kvV-14IWfzp-BFCOEKOQzkHtN09BUmEOI2Zf1ArnPz3bukD5VQQ-/s320/random1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927173176029010" border="0" /></a><br />The first character to the right of the dish is 'dog'. I didn't think the meal looked like dog though, since the bones are kind of small. I guess they use small dogs.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucrzf1CHF1kDrww8__HrweAzXmEvLXxJWkdvurrZSUweJVHTUi4x5nxstkp-i-UHaAMfPIL7MJoJ4iFQmFPvf45jwfmNSUOG5i67FIVwJTBlUvoaUfiaUHNDCtkThPuAuZtmMwmyYxDaU/s1600-h/random2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucrzf1CHF1kDrww8__HrweAzXmEvLXxJWkdvurrZSUweJVHTUi4x5nxstkp-i-UHaAMfPIL7MJoJ4iFQmFPvf45jwfmNSUOG5i67FIVwJTBlUvoaUfiaUHNDCtkThPuAuZtmMwmyYxDaU/s320/random2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927177470996322" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">View of the hutong from near where we ate. Of course, firecrackers being lit off.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFj4nx92baiFPD9CE-aO-FuMDWPmrjHxjCMZvgFDsujAZjnth1YpdB7StcKYYk9fqRNH2Q9EFr090DrYeXLXSmm99Q8buTolQoEVf4_hyhWz4MbfWf_p_D4mYi7-SGp3JbGgvDuyYjkLuX/s1600-h/rCRW_5986.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFj4nx92baiFPD9CE-aO-FuMDWPmrjHxjCMZvgFDsujAZjnth1YpdB7StcKYYk9fqRNH2Q9EFr090DrYeXLXSmm99Q8buTolQoEVf4_hyhWz4MbfWf_p_D4mYi7-SGp3JbGgvDuyYjkLuX/s320/rCRW_5986.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927186060930946" border="0" /></a><br />And the long day at last came to an end.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NrSkeRCxtqr5VKTh-Ra-eB_t4X_tcmYec51QYnawydwkQYxFEgNRSQg-nCrCIYcovtP9qo9FZ4oblXPaYFRDluSzW0_pg4CAjNiREz8GjBCJD1wcHqPjEqlGt-36U2ah3T2l5YHe0JmG/s1600-h/rCRW_5992.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NrSkeRCxtqr5VKTh-Ra-eB_t4X_tcmYec51QYnawydwkQYxFEgNRSQg-nCrCIYcovtP9qo9FZ4oblXPaYFRDluSzW0_pg4CAjNiREz8GjBCJD1wcHqPjEqlGt-36U2ah3T2l5YHe0JmG/s320/rCRW_5992.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037927190355898258" border="0" /></a>Wiser2001http://www.blogger.com/profile/09496080495806389855noreply@blogger.com8