Road Construction Fun in Shangqiu

Shangqiu, a prefecture-level city in Henan, China, recently came to my attention, and I was inspired to write a related post. I won't finish the post today, so for now I will share a photo I took in November 2010 of some boys who were playing in the middle of a road construction site in the walled Shangqiu Ancient City.

More on the construction theme later. And then a bit about some more recent destruction in the historic area.

Touching Kinmen

A Luggage Ride in Shenzhen

I recently saw many examples of luggage sales at the Dongmen shopping area in Shenzhen. Most buyers likely planned to use their new luggage for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

I saw one example, though, of a more immediate benefit.

Pedestrians on Two Roads in China

I am now far away from the pedestrian street in Shanghai which appeared in the previous post, but China has many pedestrian streets. So here are two happy girls I saw today at Xiamen's Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street.

Yet Xiamen isn't the city where I took the photo of the earlier mystery scene I shared after departing Shanghai. I left that city this morning on a high-speed train which a regular announcement identified as "Harmony". Fortunately, Harmony didn't present an endlessly repeating promotional video like the train from Shanghai.

Nobody correctly identified the location of the earlier scene, although there were some reasonable guesses. Keeping with the pedestrian street theme, I will share another scene from the city.

As a close examination of the photo will reveal, it isn't exactly a pedestrian street. People on motorbikes often made their way on the narrow roadway past the street vendors and through the crowds. It all seemed to work, perhaps even harmoniously, like many other aspects of life in Ningde.

Ningde and Xiamen both differ significantly from Shanghai. And they differ significantly from each other as well, although they are both on China's southeastern coast in Fujian province. So Fujian flavors are on the way (amongst others), including those found on pedestrian streets.

Multitasking in Chongqing

A boy on a mission earlier this year at the Chongqing Flower Park (重庆市花卉园)

A Thanksgiving Dance With a Turkey

My first Thanksgiving in the U.S. in 10 years was similar to many others in the country. So I will share just one holiday moment — a four-year-old girl (almost five!) dancing in a shirt with her own turkey art.

A return to China themes (and China) soon . . .

Night Studies in Shaoguan

There was a time not long ago when I thought I would have two posts ready for today. I suppose the previous sentence already implies that I likely will not. It could also imply I may have three or more posts for today. I definitely didn't intend the latter interpretation.

Instead of either of the two posts I had initially planned, which need just a little more work that is not going to happen at this moment, here is a photo of a girl focusing on her own work tonight.

Abstract flamingos and a colorful (heavy on the red) place on Shaoguan's Wuya Alley shall appear shortly.

A Game of Real Leaps in Shaoguan, China

As I observed and photographed life at a location on Shengping Road in Shaoguan, Guangdong, two girls behind me played a game involving action poses and dramatic jumps. More about Shengping Road, a small bit of which appears below, another day. Today is for the girls, who enjoyed viewing their captured moments and happily posed for a somewhat more typical photo before I left. They provided an entertaining example of how children can still have a lot of fun without electronics or extra equipment.

Mid-Autumn Festival Lanterns in Taipa Village

From last week in Taipa Village, Macau, here are some holiday lanterns for today's Mid-Autumn Festival lit up at night along with two children and a dragon:

Fun at the Sewing Machine and an Unfortunate Encounter With Metal in Zhuhai

Last night after doing my best to make the most of a buffet dinner, I saw two children outside amusing themselves around a sewing machine. Fear not, it was not an example of child labor. There are numerous people who offer inexpensive sewing services in this part of Zhuhai. They always look much older.

I share the photo in part because it reminds me of a happier period last night. Not long after seeing the children, my shin made contact with a metal object firmly connected to the ground. I wish I had noticed it earlier, because if I had I would have chosen to avoid gashing myself. Since then, life has been interesting in a number of unexpected ways, some of which I could do without. After two trips to Macau in a single day, too much blood, and too little sleep, all is now OK.

And yes, the post I keep delaying will be delayed further. Really, I have a good excuse and a story to tell as well, if I can motivate myself to relive it. In the immediate future, I simply look forward to following the doctor's orders and get some rest.

Running for Red Star: A Near Miss on an Old Street in Nanping

Yesterday while I stood in a narrow old road in Nanping Town, Zhuhai, a boy quickly ran by. As I tried to the capture the moment, something surprised both of us — an incoming man riding a scooter. The boy deftly responded.

Nobody was hurt, and life went on. I didn't expect to see the boy again, yet he soon returned running with a focused expression on his face. For a brief moment when I glanced down, I noticed the small bottle of Red Star erguotou he now carried. Presumably he had purchased it at a nearby small store for someone older, perhaps his father or grandfather, who would have more interest in strong alcohol than a typical boy. I would have asked, but clearly this was a boy on an urgent mission.

Assorted Links: Agriculture Spying, Child Brides, Exploding Ducks, and China's Democracy

For today, here are links without much introduction to some unrelated pieces which caught my eye:

1. An engrossing story, much of it set in Iowa, emphasizes how trade secrets about agricultural products can matter in ways similar to those about military weapons for the U.S. and China.

“These are actually very serious offenses,” Lin says.

“They could treat us as spies!” Ye interjects.

Lin, exasperated, responds: “That is what we’ve been doing!”

2. Thought-provoking examples offer some light on child marriage in Bangladesh.

“When I asked both girls if they were happy they seemed almost confused by the question,” Joyce said. “They both replied along the lines of ‘Well this is my fate, I didn’t have any say in it. This is my life now.”

3. Roasted duck is a part of Hong Kong culture. Blowing them up with bombs is not. Yet two men in Hong Kong are accused of doing just that in a country park. Their stated goal was to kill wild boars. No word on whether exploded roasted duck would also be on the menu. Hopefully the passerby who was injured had a speedy recovery.

4. And finally, a brief point about a peculiar Global Times editorial which claimed China is the world's largest democracy.

Tofu, Bud, and a Wobbly Doll: Killing Time on an Overnight Train in China

Not long ago, I felt inspired to make a long trip by overnight train instead of taking a plane. To pass some time during the evening portion of the ride, I decided to buy one of no-frills meals for sale from a passing cart. When I asked if there was a chicken option, the man pushing the cart looked at me like I was crazy. So like the last time I rode an overnight train, I paid 25 RMB (about U.S. $4) for the only option available. I also noticed beer in the cart. Although it was far from my favorite, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy a can of the unexpected brand for 10 RMB.

The meal was more substantial than my earlier overnight train meal, and the fried fish tasted just like the fish sticks I commonly ate as a kid. The tofu-like object tasted like tofu. The other stuff had flavors. And the beer had just as little taste as I expected, so I ordered a second one to wash down the first one. Overall I give the meal and the beer a passing grade, as they proved successful in helping me kill some time in a cramped space.

After sleeping, or finishing trying to sleep, the next day dragged on more than expected since the train arrived two hours late. But fortunately a friendly four-year-old girl provided some entertainment.

Better than the beer.

Needless to say, I am not in Shanghai at the moment. And I am not even sure where I will be tomorrow night. But I will be somewhere, and I will be moving forward with the various posts mentioned earlier, plus other posts, including one about a wonderful item I found in Shanghai for the first time which surprised me far more than finding American Budweiser as the sole beer for sale on a Chinese train.

Passing Moments in Shaoyang

At Chengnan Park in Shaoyang, Hunan

A Snack for Two on a Motorbike in Changsha

Some people talk on a mobile phone while on a motorbike. Some people sleep on a motorbike.

Today in Changsha, some people ate while on a motorbike.

And in the background, you can spot something related to a couple of themes for some upcoming posts.

Shooting Rubber Covered Pockets of Air in Shaoyang

A common evening sight along the river in Hengyang is people shooting balloons. In neighboring Shaoyang I didn't see as much of the activity, including at a popular pedestrian riverside area somewhat similar to the one in Hengyang. Possibly I was just not at the right place at the right time.

I did see the activity on at least one evening though. This time a boy enjoyed the opportunity to obliterate threatening colored balloons.

In true balloon-shooting spirit, the boy showed no mercy. He noticed me watching, so, similar to the four boys with toy guns I met in Maoming last year, perhaps I was lucky to walk away unscathed.

Inflated and Deflated Hunan Style

At Donghu Park in Zhuzhou, Hunan, during the day children enjoy playing on an appropriately inflated slide.

At night children may reflect when they discover the slide has been deflated.

Some may even prefer it that way.