From Shaoguan to Changsha: A Brief Look at a Long Day

After reaching a boarding platform at the Shaoguan Railway Station last Wednesday morning, I headed in the wrong direction. To ensure the high-speed train didn't leave minus a confused passenger, staff asked me to board the nearest train car. The long train appeared to be two trains connected together, and there was no way to pass from the one I had boarded to the one with my reserved seat. Fortunately, finding a new seat wasn't a problem. During the 1 hour 44 minutes needed to reach my destination 480 km (298 miles) away, I was the only person sitting in the train car I had entered.

After arriving at the Changsha South Railway Station, instead of taking a taxi with a bust of Mao Zedong as I had done two years ago, I took the subway which had opened more recently.

In my hotel room I discovered one of the lightbulbs needed replaced. I notified hotel staff and not long afterwards left my room. In the elevator lobby I saw a hotel employee walk towards my room with a light bulb. Minutes later my room had more light. The elevator lobby, where I had watched the employee remove the light bulb from the ceiling, now had less.

I hit the streets of Changsha with a number of goals in my mind, most related to seeing what had and had not changed since my previous time there. Since my stomach desired lunch, my first destination was a new favorite for Liuyang-style steamed dishes on Jixiang Lane (吉祥巷). My old favorite and an old new favorite on the same lane are both long gone.

As expected, a variety of options, many spicy, were available in the steamer.

As not expected, the fish I chose was far from spectacular. I may branch out to other lanes next time.

I then made my way to the Kaifu Wanda Plaza. Behind it a pair of men encouraged me to try their specialty of pig and chicken feet.

Being full, I passed on their offer. And I soon passed some non-foot meat for sale nearby.

While walking down Yongxing Street (永兴街), a man sitting outside a mahjong room requested I take his photo. I obliged, and he convinced a woman to join him.

Later, near an area with a number of mobile phone stores and markets, I met two boys sharing a chair . . .

. . . a boy with a Chinese sanjiegun . . .

and a sanjiegun-less mutt.

Upon reaching the mobile phone markets, I checked out their current selection.

I then walked to a large shopping district around Huangxing Road and saw a Minions mascot . . .

. . . a child with a dog . . .

. . . and a couple of other mascots, these for Dianping.

The mascots were part of a promotion at a mall which, similar to many other promotions I have seen in China, concluded with dancers.

The dancers conclude this set of photos as well.

I was in Changsha for less than 24 hours but still managed to cover much ground. The above photos capture just a small portion of what I saw. In the future, I will share more, including updates to some earlier Changsha-related posts. And perhaps someday I will return to the elevator lobby to see whether it has regained its earlier brightness.

Chickens in China Not Crossing the Road Today for Different Reasons

Today in Haikou: Why did the chicken.... wait, no, it doesn't look like he made it that far.
Posted by Erik-Nicki Johnson on Thursday, October 22, 2015

Whatever the fuller story for the chicken in Haikou may be, it doesn't seem likely to be a happy one (if no photo appears above, the link on the date leads to it). So on a related yet happier note, today in Shaoguan:

The first time I saw this hen she appeared to be looking inside cages with birds for sale as pets. I wondered what she was thinking, surely something profound. This time she was on her way to join her companion, here eating within sight of the caged birds:

Despite living in the middle of a city, these two lovely domesticated fowl are free to roam about, which has some obvious pluses. Unlike a chicken I once saw in Malaysia, though, I have not seen them show any desire to cross the road next to their home. The answer to this different riddle may have something to do with the large number of cars and motorbikes passing by.

As to these chickens' ultimate fate, I am not sure. Perhaps that riddle is better left unanswered.

Alley Cats in Zhongshan

The other day in Zhongshan I met two Chinese alley cats in, of all places, an alley. I saw one cat expertly catch a butterfly — looked like it tasted rather good. The other cat was more open to petting and also far more talkative. After I made a quick trip to a nearby place, soon both were quiet. You can figure out what happened from the photos. Not sure it was better than butterfly though.

An American friend who earlier saw these photos in a less clear sequence jokingly asked, "They became quiet because you turned them into cat on a stick?!?!"

Well played, perhaps more than the person realized. I have occasionally seen restaurants and people in food markets in this region of China selling cat. I can't say I have seen anything similar in Zhongshan, but I also haven't looked. Anyway, the cats I met seem to have a relatively good life, though they probably wouldn't mind more butterflies. Or chicken from the nearby food stall.

A Dragonfly Photobomb in Zhuhai

While I faced west on the Changsheng Bridge (昌盛大桥) today, a dragonfly made an unexpected appearance in a photo I took as the sun lowered in Zhuhai's sky.

It reminded me of a dragonfly which similarly photobombed a photo I took of the Fengyu Bridge at Yuejin Lake in Changsha, Hunan. In both cases, the dragonflies were welcome.

A small portion of a crane appears in the upper-left corner of the photo as well. More about that construction project in a later post.

Shanghai Follow-Ups: G+, Patriotic Motorbikes, Best Buy, and a Cat

During my recent time in Shanghai, I have seen several things which aren't especially related to one another except that they all continue themes from earlier posts and don't require extended commentary. So I will share them together in a single post.

1. Last year I wrote about a restaurant chain with a logo remarkably similar to one used for Google+. The location in Shanghai featured in the post was still under construction at the time. It is now open.

Since I have yet to eat at the restaurant, I am unable to say whether I would give it a +1.

2. Motorbikes in Shanghai with a Stars & Stripes theme covering much their surface have caught my attention. I also saw a motorbike with a less flamboyant design but which features a fearless bald eagle.

This gives me hope it is just a matter of time until I see a U.S. flag decorated motorbike with a large bald eagle sculpture affixed to its front.

3. At the end of last year, I shared thoughts about Best Buy's experience in China and asked why the lights remained on at Best Buy's location in Xujiahui despite its last stores in China closing in 2011. Not much has changed. The storefront sign still turns on as evening approaches.

And I still am not sure why.

4. Finally, yesterday I shared photos of cats in Changsha, Hunan. I often see cats in a small independently-owned stores, though it depends on which city I am in. Today in Shanghai, I also happened to see a cat. More remarkable, the cat resided at the store of a popular mid-sized grocery chain.

Although it may appear to be signaling its intent to bring about my demise in the photo, my impression was that the talkative cat merely hoped for a head scratch. The results of a test supported my hypothesis. And a later conversation with store workers supported another hypothesis. The friendly cat is valued as a rodent catcher.

In Memory of a Big Black Cat: Eight Felines Living in Changsha, China

I have seen some treated better than most humans, some regarded only as low maintenance mouse catchers, and some sold next to vegetables and chickens in street markets. Born on a farm in rural Pennsylvania, one of these creatures lucked out and found himself in a home with plenty of attention and food, though Howie wouldn't have minded another treat. A few people feared him, sometimes to comedic effect, but one would never know why from only watching this big black cat with his human mother. I fortunately fared rather well with Howie, including when I gave him an airplane ride in my hands as my sister watched in astonishment. A few days ago my sister chose to bring Howie's long life to a more gentle end than cancer would have otherwise allowed. Undoubtedly, he has earned his place in our family's Pantheon of pets.

A couple of months ago in Changsha, Hunan, I saw a number of Howie's extremely distant Chinese cousins, often at small convenience stores or shops. Comparing what I know of their lives to Howie's reminds me of the immense similarities and differences between China and the U.S. and how much life varies within in each. Below are photos of eight cats in a land far away from Howie's. I suspect all of them would appreciate a treat.

More Watery Walmart Scenes in China

Earlier this year at a Walmart in Zhuzhou, Hunan, I saw a man removing a number of large fish from a tank.

He seemed to be choosing those near death, if not already there. It was not what I would call a thriving fish community, and I wondered what would be done with the removed fish. I wasn't able to come back the next day to see if there was a special on spicy fried fish.

A couple weeks before that at a Walmart in Loudi, Hunan, I saw a boy who appeared interested in catching a fish.

I wasn't able to stick around to see if he gave it a try. But at least most of the fish were swimming in a relatively normal fish-like manner.

Although these scenes aren't as dramatic as an escape attempt I saw in Chongqing, they too capture some of how Walmart has localized its groceries in China.

In Memory of a Crab and a Turtle: Watery Escape Attempts in Chongqing

One day earlier this year in Chongqing, China, I unexpectedly witnessed two daring escape attempts. I waited to share the dramatic story to reduce the chance that either of the individuals would face additional repercussions.

One escape attempt involved a plucky crab.

The other involved a determined turtle.

It appeared hopeless for the turtle with its short, widely spaced limbs to pull its heavier body out. The crab fared better, possibly assisted by a higher water level, yet remained hanging from the tank's edge. Perhaps the crab realized that letting go wouldn't lead to much of an escape, since both it and the turtle were at the highest level of three rows of stepwise tanks.



As they say, "Out of the frying pan into another frying pan". Or something like that. In this case, a frying pan likely isn't far off from their ultimate fate, which I assume has already occurred, since they weren't being sold as pets.

May this crab and this turtle never be forgotten. They not only showed remarkable spirit, but they also demonstrated how the grocery section of a Walmart in China can be a bit more interesting than those in the U.S.

Mystery Critter at Fuzhou West Lake

A large number of people seem captivated by China's stock markets these days. I have some thoughts on that topic, but I will instead cover something unrelated (unless you are especially creative in finding analogies) for a change of pace.

During my explorations in China and elsewhere I have come across a large number of creatures I have not seen before, often insects or arthropods, that I can't identify. In part, this is probably due to many relevant resources I find being focused on North American or European creatures. For example, I am still struggling to identify a creature I saw (and ate) in Cambodia two years ago, though I now have a lead to follow up. Fortunately, as with one type of giant centipede in Hong Kong, I sometimes have a much easier time.

So today I will highlight another magnificent creature which has confounded me. If you can convincingly identify the species, you will win a prize of untold proportions. I would tell you the prize, but then the proportions will have been told. Since they are untold, this cannot happen, at least not yet. Please don't get excited about the proportions. Please do get excited about the creature.

Below are two different individuals, I believe of the same species, I saw near the Kaihua Isle in Fuzhou. The length from the end of their body to the tip of their head was roughly equivalent to or slightly smaller than the diameter of a Chinese 1-jiao coin or a U.S. dime. They both ran rather quickly and did not appear to enjoy being photographed, despite me refraining from poking, eating, or criticizing either of them.

I would guess they are some sort of beetle, but I'm looking for something more specific. So, dear readers, what are they?

A Dragonfly Photobomb in Changsha

Dragonflies have long fascinated me, so I am not bothered by this:

I had noticed the dragonfly darting about today as I looked at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion and Fengyu Bridge at Yuejin Lake, but I didn't expect to capture it in a photo. It almost makes up for the hazy air.

Another Sculpture in Changsha Conducive to Sitting and Photography

The previous post about sculptures of string players and string instruments in Changsha mentioned that some people enjoyed having their photo taken while posing with the smaller sculptures — a common sight in numerous Chinese cities. However, the man in the post's last photo was not posing for a photographic moment but instead was taking advantage of a place to sit afforded by the sculpture. I have recently seen similar examples there and elsewhere nearby, including at the South Huangxing Road Commercial Pedestrian Street where on one occasion I saw a woman using her mobile phone while sitting on a sculpture's small stool.




Another time at the same location, I saw photography practiced in parallel with the more mundane act of sitting.

This raises an issue relevant to the design of public spaces in China: the competing interests between those who wish to use a suitable sculpture for an extended period of time as a place to sit with others who desire to use it more fleetingly for photos. Perhaps if a sufficient number of places to sit existed in the surrounding area, which research for this pedestrian street found to be a common desire, the conflict would arise less often.

Barking Dogs, Barbecue Buddha, and a Broom Attack

Today while walking down Renmin Road in Changsha, I encountered two dogs who had plenty to say to me.

Perhaps the closer dog had realized at this moment I knew they were mostly just bark. But at least they were standing next to an interesting location — a Chinese barbecue shop.

It opens at 5:00 p.m. and closes around midnight. When closed it displays a painting of what appears to be Buddha holding grilled skewered beef.

Or maybe it is tofu. Whatever the case, the shop's name specifically mentions beef.

As I took photos of the shop and the Buddha painting, something unexpected occurred. A shirtless man approached me and began screaming at . . . I'm not sure who, maybe the dogs, though they weren't doing anything at the time. He was possibly using the local dialect.

I sensed something wasn't quite right as it certainly wasn't normal behavior. Especially compared to what I had seen and dealt with during my earlier 10 years of life in Baltimore, I wasn't worried, but I remained alert. I commented to the man about the painting. His yelling continued unabated.

I then decided to start video recording to capture the moment to see if a local friend could understand the man. But he had stopped yelling by then and started to walk away.

I sensed all was not over.

As the following video shows, I was not wrong, but what occurred was even more unexpected — especially the dramatic "unsheathing".

After the man walked away, one person watching nearby used hand gestures to communicate he thought the man was "crazy". I am somewhat surprised I haven't seen similar examples more often in China. Baltimore was more eventful in this regards.

I have no idea what the man did with the broom handle. It looks like it could have been a great skewer for some large pieces of beef.

A Feline Minibus in Hong Kong

It isn't a Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro but instead a minibus in Hong Kong with a veterinarian ad:

Trams in Hong Kong aren't the only form of transportation offering a platform for creative advertising.

A Cool Dog Just Standing Around in Zhongshan

I have seen a number of pet dogs in China. Today in Zhongshan, Guangdong, I met perhaps the coolest of them all.

Dogs Where the Dogs Don't Go in Hong Kong

A recent post about dogs in Chongqing reminded me of a scene two months ago on Sharp Island in Hong Kong. Both a sign and how it was observed seemed to say something about Hong Kong's pet culture.