Showing posts with label Children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Children. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Basketball with the Help of a Bicycle Tire in Gongbei
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:59 PM
Just a few minutes walk from where I saw a late night game on Gaosha Middle Street in Zhuhai, I saw more kids playing with a ball today. In this case, I wouldn't call it "Gongbei-ball". "Basketball" works just fine here.
Unlike the Gongbei-ball ball, this ball appeared to store bought like another I recently saw. But a bit of creativity was required for the basketball hoop which was made using rope and a bicycle tire.
One of the boys took a few shots while I photographed.
He made almost all of the shots and the hoop served its purpose well, just like the Gongbei-ball ball.
Unlike the Gongbei-ball ball, this ball appeared to store bought like another I recently saw. But a bit of creativity was required for the basketball hoop which was made using rope and a bicycle tire.
One of the boys took a few shots while I photographed.
He made almost all of the shots and the hoop served its purpose well, just like the Gongbei-ball ball.
Friday, September 2, 2016
Another Ball in Gongbei
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
10:44 AM
They asked me to take their photo . . .
Like the boys I saw elsewhere in Gongbei, Zhuhai, the boy and girl had a ball, though it appeared to be store bought. I don't know if they were about to play a game of Gongbei-ball.
Like Gaosha Middle Street, this road has an alley feel to it, and there is not universal agreement on its name. Online maps identify it as either Lian'an East Street (联安东街) or Lian'an Alley. Posted signs there are divided on the issue as well. After taking photos of conflicting signs on different sides of the road almost directly opposite each another, I noticed a man standing in front of a shop watching me. So I asked him the name of the road. He looked down the road for a long five seconds. Just as I began to wonder whether he would answer, he said "Lian'an East Street". So I will go with that.
Like the boys I saw elsewhere in Gongbei, Zhuhai, the boy and girl had a ball, though it appeared to be store bought. I don't know if they were about to play a game of Gongbei-ball.
Like Gaosha Middle Street, this road has an alley feel to it, and there is not universal agreement on its name. Online maps identify it as either Lian'an East Street (联安东街) or Lian'an Alley. Posted signs there are divided on the issue as well. After taking photos of conflicting signs on different sides of the road almost directly opposite each another, I noticed a man standing in front of a shop watching me. So I asked him the name of the road. He looked down the road for a long five seconds. Just as I began to wonder whether he would answer, he said "Lian'an East Street". So I will go with that.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
A Late Night Game of Gongbei-Ball
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:48 PM
Just missed . . .
Caught . . .
Evaded . . .
Bounced off . . .
Late yesterday night in Gongbei, Zhuhai, I saw several boys playing a game of Gongbei-ball. I made up the name, and the game's rules appeared to evolve over time. The main piece of equipment was paper crumpled up and taped into a ball. The boys granted me a throw. I must say, it was a pretty good ball.
The narrow street could easily be labeled as an alley in today's Zhuhai. If you want to find Gaosha Middle Street (高沙中街), as it is identified on posted signs there, good luck. Several online maps give it a different name or no name at all. But these kids know where the street is. And it is full of life even at night.
Caught . . .
Evaded . . .
Bounced off . . .
Late yesterday night in Gongbei, Zhuhai, I saw several boys playing a game of Gongbei-ball. I made up the name, and the game's rules appeared to evolve over time. The main piece of equipment was paper crumpled up and taped into a ball. The boys granted me a throw. I must say, it was a pretty good ball.
The narrow street could easily be labeled as an alley in today's Zhuhai. If you want to find Gaosha Middle Street (高沙中街), as it is identified on posted signs there, good luck. Several online maps give it a different name or no name at all. But these kids know where the street is. And it is full of life even at night.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Friday, August 12, 2016
More Play and Another Chainsaw in Taiyuan
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
7:52 PM
An advertisement for Jolin Tsai's concert wasn't the only example combining "play" and "chainsaws" I have seen in Taiyuan. Alongside Dong'an Road I watched a man shoot water at a little girl who defended herself with an umbrella.
She also held a toy chainsaw. I am not sure of what she had in mind. I didn't see any disco balls around, but it looked like a good time.
She also held a toy chainsaw. I am not sure of what she had in mind. I didn't see any disco balls around, but it looked like a good time.
Monday, August 8, 2016
Two Cs on One Head
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:59 PM
Hearts aren't the only symbol I have seen on children's heads in Taiyuan. This boy's hair brought to mind the knockoff Chanel shirts I have seen in China:
I think that is heart on the top of his head as well.
I think that is heart on the top of his head as well.
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Monday, July 18, 2016
A Monday "Hello" in Taiyuan
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
7:34 PM
While I waited for a crossing signal to change at a street intersection in Taiyuan, Shanxi, today, a little girl noticed my presence and immediately shouted, "Hello!"
Her adult appeared surprised by the excited outburst. I have had many similar experiences in the past, though this girl was especially enthusiastic. I replied with an upbeat "hello", admittedly toned down compared to the girl's. The girl then had a suggestion: I should take of photo of her and her friend. After I expressed willingness, the two adults with them, who still appeared a bit surprised by everything, helped position the girls while making sure they weren't in the photo themselves.
Then this happened:
Once the photoshoot was complete, in Chinese I asked the more outgoing girl (the one holding the flowers) whether she wanted to go to America. She said "yes", so I said "OK, let's go" and started walking away. Without hesitation she happily joined me. Not wanting to spark an international incident, I quickly turned toward the two adults to make it absolutely clear I was only joking.
As we parted, it was evident the interaction had launched the two girls into an extra-high level of activity. And it left me in higher spirits as well.
Her adult appeared surprised by the excited outburst. I have had many similar experiences in the past, though this girl was especially enthusiastic. I replied with an upbeat "hello", admittedly toned down compared to the girl's. The girl then had a suggestion: I should take of photo of her and her friend. After I expressed willingness, the two adults with them, who still appeared a bit surprised by everything, helped position the girls while making sure they weren't in the photo themselves.
Then this happened:
"Hello" from Taiyuan |
Once the photoshoot was complete, in Chinese I asked the more outgoing girl (the one holding the flowers) whether she wanted to go to America. She said "yes", so I said "OK, let's go" and started walking away. Without hesitation she happily joined me. Not wanting to spark an international incident, I quickly turned toward the two adults to make it absolutely clear I was only joking.
As we parted, it was evident the interaction had launched the two girls into an extra-high level of activity. And it left me in higher spirits as well.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Some Thoughts After Guiding a Family of Four Through Hong Kong and Beijing
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
9:21 PM
During the past week or so I have spent a lot of time hanging out with two good friends and their two children and guiding them around Hong Kong and Beijing. This caused me to take more of a break from blogging than I had expected. To get back into things, I will share a few quick off-the-top-of-my-head thoughts regarding the rather enjoyable experience I had with four visitors from the U.S.:
- Hong Kong has been something like a second home for me during recent years. I really enjoyed the opportunity to show some friends a mix of standard attractions I felt were worthy and personal favorites I thought they would appreciate. And I felt fortunate to be able to efficiently adapt to some unexpected conditions, such as discovering two favorite places for pork chops & milk tea don't stay open very long after lunch. We just walked to a favorite nearby place for goose instead.
- They liked the goose.
- China has a number of popular tourist sites which don't necessarily deserve all of the attention they receive relative to other options, and some people have an almost fanatical attitude regarding "must sees". It of course depends on personal tastes, which is why it can be so useful, especially if you are on a tight schedule, to have a guide (or recommender) who better appreciates what you are looking for. I have experienced both sides of this equation, and it makes a big difference.
- Some places which are worthy of more attention might not be as enjoyable if they received more attention. Life is complicated.
- We met up in a similar fashion a year and a half ago in Shanghai, but it was still a reminder how different exploring a city can be when you have children along for the ride. For example, I have written before about requests I receive to have photos taken with strangers and am familiar with experiences other foreigners have had, but it still fascinated me to see yet again the amount and type of attention Caucasian children can receive in mainland China. I will refrain from a fuller commentary, but I will say that in Beijing some people asked if it was OK to take a photo with one or both of the children in the midst of others who were, shall I say, far more direct in obtaining a prized photo.
- For the most part, the kids enjoyed the attention, so my friends were fine with the photography. But in one case when a crowd of photo-seekers swelled to the point where it was clear things wouldn't end anytime soon, intervention was required. We thought it would be nice to see more of the Forbidden City before it closed for the day.
- I had a grand time hanging out with the children. Earlier in Shanghai we discovered they both like eating termite larvae and bees (Yunnan style). Impressive.
- Visiting popular sites during a Chinese holiday is often a tricky proposition. Sometimes I grin and bear the crowds. Sometimes I decide it isn't worth it. Again, life is complicated. So is briefly walking around Houhai in Beijing on a Friday night during the Dragon Boat Festival.
- After landing in Beijing, one of my friends looked outside and saw the air — more specifically, the heavy pollution. He was amazed. I soon commented that it made me feel like we should get some Red Star Erguotou.
- Of course, I bought him a bottle. Part of the experience . . .
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Digging for Fun Near Mao in Xiangtan
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
8:23 PM
The previous post included a photo of a set of statues including Mao Zedong at the Dongfanghong Plaza in Xiangtan, Hunan. For a contrast, here is a scene from last year outside the large BBG shopping mall (步步高生活广场) underneath the plaza:
Neither a shopping mall underneath a large statue of Mao nor an abundance of empty, unused space inside the mall seemed out of place in China. Another day, I will share more about this tenant-challenged mall and the large shopping center under construction across the street.
Neither a shopping mall underneath a large statue of Mao nor an abundance of empty, unused space inside the mall seemed out of place in China. Another day, I will share more about this tenant-challenged mall and the large shopping center under construction across the street.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Road Construction Fun in Shangqiu
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:59 PM
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.
More on the construction theme later. And then a bit about some more recent destruction in the historic area.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Saturday, February 6, 2016
A Luggage Ride in Shenzhen
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
12:22 AM
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.
I saw one example, though, of a more immediate benefit.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Pedestrians on Two Roads in China
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:49 PM
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Monday, October 26, 2015
Night Studies in Shaoguan
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:49 PM
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.
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.
Monday, October 19, 2015
A Game of Real Leaps in Shaoguan, China
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:44 PM
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.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
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