Saturday, April 26, 2008

Travel

'Sfunny. We go traveling and surprisingly the energy is still there. At our age. (We are in our seventies. Yup, seniors. Have been for years.)

Getting up as early as 4 o'clock in the morning does not slow us down. Packing and unpacking can be trying, true enough. Not something we enjoy doing, that part. Or hauling heavy bags out of the airport carousel. Or long lines at security checkpoints. Or long waits in airport lounges. Or flight delays, airline food, tight spaces.

We endure it all just so we can see a bit more of the world before the joints doth protest too much.

Friday, April 25, 2008

China - The Land and The People

Hong Kong -The boyfriend is late

Hong Kong - A gathering of flamingoes

Hong Kong reflections

Xi'an - Old-timer with cane

Xi'an - Courtyard of a village house

Xi'an - Kitchen of a village house

Xi'an - Village schoolyard

Hong Kong - Park benchers

Xi'an - Cellphone, cigarette, camera, and coat

Xi'an - Mother and child with bicycle

Xi'an - Toy vendor

Xi'an - Lunch break

Xi'an - Muslim breads

Suzhou - Bridge over the Grand Canal

Suzhou - One child per family

Suzhou - An orange after lunch

Suzhou - The Painter and the Critic

Suzhou - Young woman in a museum

Guilin - Old man having breakfast

Guilin - Bicycle repair

Shanghai - Hi-rise apartments

Shanghai - Youthful energy

Suzhou - City Father

Chongqing - Floating Dock

Chongqing - Panda and a bamboo feast

Chongqing - Tricycle Taxi

Chongqing - River view

Chongqing - Elderly couple at the zoo

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]


Smog over Hong Kong

This short video will give you an idea of the pollution over the beautiful harbor of Hong Kong.

A dense layer of smog comes down the Pearl River estuary from the manufacturing plants of Guangdong province in south China. Great sunsets, though, if you can see them through your smarting eyes.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Guilin - Apartment building


Apartment buildings are fascinating subjects. This one is located on a pedestrian street in Guilin, China, not far from the Li River, and a short walk from the main city square. The building has features that are similar to others I have described for Macau

apartments-in-macau

in previous postings to this blog – mainly middle-class dwellings with balconies, weather stains, metal windows, and air-conditioners.

In Asian cities, laundry hung to dry in balconies is a common sight, and this is visible in the balconies in the picture.

This building is unusual in that one level above where the shops are located is a raised sidewalk with a wrought iron railing and street lamps. On this level, which can be described as the ground floor for the residents of the building, there are no balconies, but instead the sidewalk provides a space wide enough for a children's swing to be installed. It also allows tenants to engage in commercial activities, the "Lady Keep Slim" shop being one colorful example.

The sign outside this establishment advertises membership rates ranging from 5 to 300 yuan, for different services and times. It is a fitness club, and the slim young woman pictured in the sign may be typical of the clientele. The two young women approaching from the left seem to be going shopping rather than to the club.

Under the awning to the right of the air-conditioner hang a striped red and white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, which probably belong to someone inside the club, perhaps the owner or a worker. The blue-green door is not the one used for the club's clients; they enter through the glass door with the metal collapsible gate to the left of the sign. There is a red welcome mat outside.

To all appearances the fitness club is for women only. It does not, however, seem to be very busy.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Hong Kong Veggies


Don't have time to add more than this one image today.

Monday, April 14, 2008

China Trip: Beijing

Here is where I have posted some pictures of Beijing. We returned last week from a trip to China that took us to Beijing, Shanghai, the Yangtze Gorges, Chongqing, Xi'an, Guilin, and Hong Kong.

Gallery

As time permits, I shall upload more pictures, along with a narrative. Stay tuned.