A Bubble Wrap Cat and Uploads

Yesterday I spent a lot of time troubleshooting why sometimes websites loaded at decent speeds yet I couldn't upload anything. As I am in mainland China, I wondered if the Great Firewall had something to do with it, since I was using a VPN to access blocked sites.

So . . .

I have one photo I took in Shenzhen which I managed to upload as a test.

Yes, that it is a cat proudly standing next to a fine roll of bubble wrap.

Yes, I had to walk to the elevator lobby with my laptop to make this happen.

Yes, it is more complicated than that.

Maybe this post will publish. Maybe it won't. But that cat will have plenty of bubble wrap regardless.

An Apartment Visit and Another Activist in Jail in China: Two Post Liu Xia Departure Links

After years of detainment despite never being charged with a crime, yesterday Liu Xia left China. Here are links to two relevant articles, both from Agence France-Presse, published today:

1. In "On the eve of freedom, a glimpse inside Liu Xia's flat" Becky Davis shares her recent visit to Liu Xia at her home in Beijing:

Judging by her apartment on the eve of her departure from Beijing to Germany, Liu Xia seemed completely unaware of her impending freedom -- or perhaps unwilling to believe it.

AFP on Monday evaded tight security to gain rare access to the fifth-floor duplex apartment.

Perhaps the Chinese government deliberately allowed Davis to slip by security as a test to see if Liu Xia would follow a "request" not to say anything about an upcoming departure.


2. In "Chinese democracy activist sentenced to 13 years for 'subversion'" Joanna Chao reports an example of how human rights remain a significant issue in China despite Liu Xia now being free:

A prominent Chinese political campaigner was sentenced to 13 years in jail on Wednesday, a court in central China said.

Qin Yongmin was found "guilty of subversion of state power," the Wuhan City Intermediate People's Court said on its official website. . . .

The European Union on Wednesday criticised a "deteriorating situation of civil and political rights in China, which has been accompanied by the detention and conviction of a significant number of Chinese human rights defenders."

And the world turns.

Liu Xia Free and Out of China After Years of Detainment for No Crime

Post updated with additional tweets and attributions at 5:42 p.m.

Nearly one year ago, Liu Xiabo died in China. Today his wife Liu Xia, who faced her own long and difficult journey, is finally free under more positive conditions — as reported by Suyin Haynes in Time:

Liu Xia, the widow of Chinese Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and human rights activist Liu Xiaobo, has left China for Europe after eight years under de facto house arrest.

Family friends said that Liu Xia boarded a flight from departing from Beijing on Tuesday headed for Berlin . . . .

An accomplished poet and writer, Liu Xia was placed under house arrest by the Chinese authorities in 2010, after her husband won the Nobel Peace Prize but was unable to collect it due to his detention on political grounds. She had never been charged with a crime and was placed under close state surveillance. Concerns for her health mounted after she was heard in an April audio recording saying that she was “prepared to die” under house arrest following the loss of her husband.

The recent lack of high-level official condemnation over Liu Xia's previous ongoing detention was striking. Jane Perlez in The New York Times reports Germany played a key role in her release and provides one reason for the relative quiet:

European diplomats had said over the last several months that China had left Ms. Liu in limbo as a show of resolve against Chinese human rights dissidents, despite aggressive efforts by Germany to press for her release.

After Ms. Merkel’s visit to Beijing in the spring, the Chinese authorities let the Europeans know that if Ms. Liu’s case was not publicized, her release would be possible, a European diplomat with knowledge of the case said.

Although Liu Xia is now in Europe, as reported by Catherine Lai and Tom Grundy in the Hong Kong Free Press she may not yet be entirely free.

Patrick Poon, researcher for Amnesty International, told HKFP: “It’s really wonderful news to hear that Liu Xia is eventually able to leave China. She has been suffering depression. It’s good that she can receive medical treatment in Germany now. Her brother Liu Hui is still in China. Liu Xia might not want to talk much as she would be worried about his safety.”

So some are calling for her brother to take a similar voyage.

Incredible news that poet and artist Liu Xia may finally be free after eight years of house arrest without ever being charged with a crime. We celebrate her freedom and hope her brother Liu Hui will be permitted to join her soon. https://t.co/YBvP50H9d1

— PEN America (@PENamerican) July 10, 2018

Some see positive signs in the news that extends beyond Liu Xia's freedom.

Liu Xia's belated release and departure from China shows pressure on China can work if governments are willing to exert it. She's the long-disappeared widow of Liu Xiaobo, the detained Nobel Laureate who died in Chinese prison. https://t.co/Alcn2JKTfl pic.twitter.com/qWYeT2TxKR

— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) July 10, 2018

Some don't see Liu Xia's release as a sign of broader positive change inside of China.

It’s very good that Liu Xia is on the way to Germany. However, I do hope people dont read too much into this one positive development, do remember that the human rights situation in China remains truly mind blowingly horrible, and that this is not a sign of any change at all.

— Kevin Carrico (@kevincarrico) July 10, 2018

I met Liu Xia, at a dinner in Beijing in 2006 with Liu Xiaobo. They were the electric, magnetic life of the party. What she endured since is monstrous. Her freedom is cause for celebration, but also a moment to reflect on the utter injustice of her captivity and now, exile.

— Susan Jakes (@susanjakes) July 10, 2018

But the news may still suggest something about changes outside of China.

Important to consider that this is the work of Germany, and not the US. https://t.co/AuU1HKskOH

— Melissa Chan (@melissakchan) July 10, 2018

Angela Merkel, leader of the free world. https://t.co/VmZmkOdppr

— Jeremy Goldkorn (@goldkorn) July 10, 2018

I found Liu Xia's detainment extremely troubling and feared she would meet final circumstances similar to her husband's. So it is heartening to see she will now be in a far better situation, to say the least. Hopefully she can recover her health. And may she find it possible to safely express herself.

"Created by Liu Xia during the time of Liu Xiaobo’s labor reeducation in 1996-1999, the 'ugly babies,' as Liu refers to the dolls, are positioned in tableaux that evoke confinement and repression."
Source: Columbia University's The Italian Academy

A Hong Kong Mural: Donald Trump and Barack Obama Still at a Noodle Cart

Early last year I came across the Cart Noodle Expert (車仔麵專家) — a restaurant in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong — and noticed the mural on its side. Remarkably, its depiction of a line of people waiting for noodles cooked at a cart included both Donald Trump and Barack Obama.

So a few weeks ago I was curious to check up on the restaurant. Much had changed in the world since my previous visit, but I found the mural appeared to be exactly the same.

See the earlier post for close up photos of the mural. Obama is smiling while he waits in line. Trump isn't in line and is making a familiar definitely-not-smiling expression. I had eaten just prior to passing the restaurant, so I am still not able to offer any opinion on the noodles. But it seems that if there's a line, nobody gets to cut in front.

A Dinosaur Dining on Bus Passengers in Hong Kong

The "Meet The T. Rex" tram wasn't the only example of dinosaur-themed vehicular advertising I recently saw in Hong Kong. In the other case, the vehicle was a double-decker bus instead of a double-decker tram.

Similar to the trams, Hong Kong's double-decker buses are commonly covered with a single advertisement. In the above advertisement for the movie Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the special setting offered the opportunity to make it look like some of the passengers are about to become a snack. Most Hong Kong buses are safer than this.

For those wondering how I photographed the bus from this angle, I must admit it required a quick reaction, especially since I was heading the opposite direction. And of course I was sitting on the second level of a tram. Unfortunately (fortunately?), it had no dinosaurs on it.

Surrounding the Dolphin Sculptures in Jiangmen and Hong Kong

Next to the Jiangmen River in Jiangmen, Guangdong, earlier this year I saw a sculpture of dolphins.

More recently at Tsuen Wan Park in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, I saw another sculpture of dolphins.

In both cases I couldn't find anything indicating the name of the sculpture or the artist. Notably, they are both partially surrounded by structures. But the structures are rather different in style.

And that's as deep as I'll go with these dolphins.

A Flower Ice Cream and Giant Hummingbird Mural in Hong Kong

Happy Fourth of July to the U.S. folk. Remember, fireworks don't work without fire. And rose-shaped ice cream attracts giant hummingbirds. Goodness can result from both of these things. But nothing is totally safe, so please take care and have a joyous day. Those giant hummingbirds are enchanting yet ravenous.

Alongside Shelley Street in Central, Hong Kong

Looking Across Victoria Harbour from a High Place

Posting has been intermittent lately, but I plan to return to a more regular schedule soon. For now, here is a view from Hysan Place in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, looking northward across Victoria Harbour:

More later . . .

That Isn't Just Shanghai: An Incompletely Labeled Photo Taken From Space

After a quick look, one of the examples in the recent Quartz article "Can you recognize the world’s most famous cities from space?" (HT Ray Kwong) didn't appear to be a city familiar to me. So I was surprised when I saw it was labeled as Shanghai.

After a closer look I quickly found the distinctively shaped Huangpu River which flows through Shanghai, but it was in an unexpected location on the far right side. Had this been a photo of only Shanghai, I feel confident I would have easily identified it. But this photo captures quite a bit more than a large part of Shanghai. Approximately the entire left half is actually Suzhou — a neighboring city in Jiangsu province. Labeling the photo as "Shanghai" is plainly incorrect.

I later sorted out that the photo, taken by an astronaut from the International Space Station in 2012, was originally posted on NASA's Earth Observatory website. The post includes another version with labels marking both Suzhou and Shanghai.

The post also includes a photo taken from a similar vantage point during the day in 2002.

Another photo in the Quartz piece includes two cites as well — Antwerp and Brussels. In that case both cities are identified. The Brussels metropolitan area has over 2 million people and Antwerp just over 500,000. Suzhou is one of China's most prosperous cities, has its own subway system, and the entire prefecture-level city has a population of over 10 million people. Good noodles too.

So please, don't ignore Suzhou.

A "Meet The T. Rex" Tram in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's population is greater than 7.4 million people. According to a careful examination of my web traffic statistics, most of them didn't read my post about the Tyrannosaurus rex currently on display at the IFC mall. So fortunately there are other ways for Hongkongers to discover they have an rare opportunity to see a South Dakotan dinosaur for free. The other day while I was across the street from an historic building in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, a tram rolled by with a "Meet the T. Rex" advertisement.

I have long been intrigued by some of the implications of advertising on trams and previously shared many examples in 2011 and in 2012. None of those included dinosaurs though.

A South Dakotan Dinosaur at the IFC Mall in Hong Kong

While you can now hear occasional loud roars at a mall in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, showing live World Cup football matches late into the night, you probably won't hear any roars at the IFC Mall in Central, Hong Kong. Given what is currently on display there, that is probably a good thing.

According to a sign, the complete adult Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton is 12 meters long and was found in South Dakota, U.S.A. The IFC Mall's website indicates the skeleton is 30% fossil bone and 70% polyurethanes fossil cast (see the blog Dinosaurpalaeo for some motivations for using either fossil bones or casts).

If the dinosaur were to somehow magically turn into its former living self, according to recent research there is at least one thing people no longer need to worry about. The Tyrannosaurus rex wouldn't be sticking out its tongue at people:

Dinosaurs couldn't stick out their tongues like lizards. Instead, their tongues were probably rooted to the bottoms of their mouths in a manner akin to alligators.

Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the Chinese Academy of Sciences made the discovery by comparing the hyoid bones—the bones that support and ground the tongue—of modern birds and crocodiles with those of their extinct dinosaur relatives. In addition to challenging depictions of dino tongues, the research proposes a connection on the origin of flight and an increase in tongue diversity and mobility.

To catch the T. Rex at the IFC Mall (and to imagine it catching you despite its tongue limitations) visit the mall no later than June 27. It is a rare opportunity to see a Hong Kong mall featuring something from South Dakota.

A Hong Kong Trickle of Xiangqi

A game of xiangqi next to the 30-year-old Lek Yuen Bridge (瀝源橋) in Sha Tin, Hong Kong: