Despite earlier claims, I will not be posting anything tomorrow. In an act of atonement, and reflection as well, I offer a peaceful scene from today at Jingshan Park in Zhuhai.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Friday, September 11, 2015
One Wheel May Be All You Need in Zhuhai
A piece which I had initially planned to post yesterday and then said I would post today won't make its appearance until Monday. The delay is entirely fitting given the topic of the piece — a rather long bridge currently under construction that has been delayed to a far greater degree. So instead I will unashamedly share something else today connecting to the transportation theme.
While walking past a shopping market today in Gongbei, Zhuhai, a man on an electric unicycle fortunately zipped by me.
I say "fortunately" mostly because he wobbled during his approach, and I wasn't sure whether a collision was imminent. He achieved more stability just before he passed.
After taking the photo, I remembered the girl I saw riding an electric unicycle in Changsha and considered the frequency with which I have also seen them in Zhuhai — not an everyday sight but not rare either.
So I was not entirely surprised when just 5 minutes later I saw a store selling electric unicycles and similar powered vehicles.
What most caught my eye was the example on the sign of a British-themed electric unicycle. Scooters are banned in Zhuhai, yet the unicycle offers people something similar in spirit to British-themed scooters common in cities such as Shanghai and Changsha.
And yes, they had one in stock. No, I did not buy it. Perhaps I will see one in use soon though.
While walking past a shopping market today in Gongbei, Zhuhai, a man on an electric unicycle fortunately zipped by me.
I say "fortunately" mostly because he wobbled during his approach, and I wasn't sure whether a collision was imminent. He achieved more stability just before he passed.
After taking the photo, I remembered the girl I saw riding an electric unicycle in Changsha and considered the frequency with which I have also seen them in Zhuhai — not an everyday sight but not rare either.
So I was not entirely surprised when just 5 minutes later I saw a store selling electric unicycles and similar powered vehicles.
What most caught my eye was the example on the sign of a British-themed electric unicycle. Scooters are banned in Zhuhai, yet the unicycle offers people something similar in spirit to British-themed scooters common in cities such as Shanghai and Changsha.
And yes, they had one in stock. No, I did not buy it. Perhaps I will see one in use soon though.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Not a Deep Thought From Today: A Bit of Las Vegas in Zhuhai
A more substantial post I had planned to finish today will appear tomorrow. So instead, I will follow yesterday's photos of "deep thoughts" I saw in Zhuhai with a photo of a not-so-deep thought I recently saw one night also in Zhuhai.
I didn't ask, but I would guess the shirt's appearance simply relates to the rather large gambling industry in nearby Macau and its connections with Las Vegas. I doubt this offer still stands in Zhuhai, though offers of a similar nature are readily available at a nearby street frequented by tourists.
I didn't ask, but I would guess the shirt's appearance simply relates to the rather large gambling industry in nearby Macau and its connections with Las Vegas. I doubt this offer still stands in Zhuhai, though offers of a similar nature are readily available at a nearby street frequented by tourists.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
A Dinner Break in Zhuhai With a View
 |
| View in Zhuhai of Macau across the Qianshan Waterway (water not visible; much more visible here) |
Today I saw some of the construction occurring in Wanzai, Zhuhai. More about that later.
Monday, September 7, 2015
A Casino Resort, Taipa Village, and a Garden: The Photographed Portion of a Sunday in Macau
I have been to Macau many times, and planned to simply enjoy myself there for much of the day yesterday. Below are some photos. They don't cover all of my day. In fact, they don't cover what I would most want to share here from a more "local" part of the city less visited by tourists. But something unexpected occurred shortly after taking the last photo below.
My camera's battery ran out. Actually, that wasn't unexpected.
After putting in a second battery, I discovered it had no power left either. Now that was most unexpected. This has happened perhaps once before during years of photographing China.
So here is a light story for the first part of my day, which offers a somewhat unconventional look at Macau:
Yesterday morning I walked to the Gongbei Port immigration checkpoint in Zhuhai so I could cross the border to Macau. Since a work day had been shifted to Sunday to allow three consecutive days off for the recent holiday, I hoped there wouldn't be much of a crowd. Indeed, although it often takes around an hour, I made it through Chinese and Macanese immigration in less than 15 minutes.
Once in Macau, I bordered a free bus operated by the Galaxy Macau — a hotel, shopping, and casino resort. The already large complex had recently finished a major expansion I wished to see, partly due to interest in whether there will be sufficient demand for the still-growing number of shopping and entertainment options in Macau.
Before boarding the bus I was handed a pamphlet about the Broadway Macau, also owned by the Galaxy Entertainment Group, promising "hot girls with fire heating up the atmosphere", pedicab singers, a uni-juggler, and stilt walkers.
The bus took a highway down the east side of the Macau Peninsula and over a bridge to Taipa. Soon I was at the the Galaxy Macau in neighboring Cotai.
Once inside, I found an ATM and withdrew enough Macau patacas to hopefully get me through the day. I then walked into the new east portion of The Promenade, basically a large luxury mall. I noticed a message on one of the walls, but I could not decipher it.
The mall itself was just like a mall, most reminiscent of a luxury mall or two in Shanghai. I noted one of the signs included a possible reference to The Hobbit. Gollum himself would have recognized the significance of placing the word "Precious" near a man's hand in his pocket.
I quickly made my way through the mall and found the bridge over a wide road to the Broadway Macau.
The indoor entertainment areas were rather quiet — not unexpected since no shows were on at the time. However, I could see some of the promotions, including one for a magic show in December.
Another sign promised "Broadway Babes".
Whatever type of entertainment you like, a hallway promised unlimited fun, which sounds like a lot of fun. The only catch was it appeared to be behind a locked door.
I then made it to the outdoor pedestrian street called The Broadway. It didn't look anything like New York's Broadway, but it did remind me of what some streets in Orlando might look like if they had a bunch of Macanese and other Asian restaurants.
The area was rather hot and notably quiet —no pink scooters, pedicab singers, or girls on fire. Apparently those are part of the nighttime festivities.
So I made my way back across the pedestrian bridge, through The Promenade, and left the Galaxy Macau. While crossing the street to head to my next destination, Taipa Village, I briefly looked at the progress on the Pai Kok station for the under-construction Macau light rail.
I had timed my arrival in Taipa Village to match with the opening of my lunch destination. I will refrain from posting any photos of the edacious and potatory event since I had a nearly identical experience during an earlier visit to the Portuguese restaurant "O Santos". The food was as good as ever, and I said hello to the owner who as usual enjoyed a meal at the front of the first floor dining area. Some changes since my first visits years ago included photos of more recent Portuguese football teams and Mick Jagger's visit there last year.
After eating more than enough, the results of poor sleep the night before encouraged me seek a bit more caffeine. So I walked to the nearby Taiwanese Fong Da Coffee and ordered a "South Italian" espresso — a more special experience than visiting the Starbucks also not far away.
As the caffeine molecules began to do their work, I briefly checked out of the small Taipa Flea Market and observed a purchase.
Now rather thirsty due to the hot weather, I headed toward a ParknShop supermarket where I knew I would find some items of interest. On the way I saw a taxi with an advertisement for place I had visited several years ago — Danang, Vietnam.
Upon entering the building with the supermarket I noticed a piano sale.
A collection of piano music had been left open, and I quickly recognized a great piece. Bonus points if you can identify it (the answer should be rather easy for piano majors).
The piece is beyond my meager piano skills, so I headed inside the supermarket for a treat rather hard to find in most of mainland China — low fat chocolate milk.
Since I was in Macau, a land with much Portuguese influence, I bought something else also not common in mainland China — Luso spring water.
As I rehydrated outside, I considered the challenges and pressures many face in Macau, and the rest of China — owning a home.
I was also reminded of how many cats love nothing more than a big cardboard box.
Soon it was time to head to my destination for the afternoon. Just as I approached the bus stop the right bus arrived. I did not take it. A few seconds later another bus for the same route arrived. I took it. My final bus stop back on the Macau Peninsula was next to a peaceful site, so I decided to visit the Lou Lim Ieoc Garden.
I spent some time at an art exhibition there — more about that in a later post. I also watched children feed some turtles and fish.
I also enjoyed the garden's winding paths.
And I saw a number of people enjoying the surroundings.
That's the unexpected end to this post. I do have a story sans photos to tell about what happened next, but I will save that for another day.
My camera's battery ran out. Actually, that wasn't unexpected.
After putting in a second battery, I discovered it had no power left either. Now that was most unexpected. This has happened perhaps once before during years of photographing China.
So here is a light story for the first part of my day, which offers a somewhat unconventional look at Macau:
Yesterday morning I walked to the Gongbei Port immigration checkpoint in Zhuhai so I could cross the border to Macau. Since a work day had been shifted to Sunday to allow three consecutive days off for the recent holiday, I hoped there wouldn't be much of a crowd. Indeed, although it often takes around an hour, I made it through Chinese and Macanese immigration in less than 15 minutes.
Once in Macau, I bordered a free bus operated by the Galaxy Macau — a hotel, shopping, and casino resort. The already large complex had recently finished a major expansion I wished to see, partly due to interest in whether there will be sufficient demand for the still-growing number of shopping and entertainment options in Macau.
Before boarding the bus I was handed a pamphlet about the Broadway Macau, also owned by the Galaxy Entertainment Group, promising "hot girls with fire heating up the atmosphere", pedicab singers, a uni-juggler, and stilt walkers.
The bus took a highway down the east side of the Macau Peninsula and over a bridge to Taipa. Soon I was at the the Galaxy Macau in neighboring Cotai.
Once inside, I found an ATM and withdrew enough Macau patacas to hopefully get me through the day. I then walked into the new east portion of The Promenade, basically a large luxury mall. I noticed a message on one of the walls, but I could not decipher it.
The mall itself was just like a mall, most reminiscent of a luxury mall or two in Shanghai. I noted one of the signs included a possible reference to The Hobbit. Gollum himself would have recognized the significance of placing the word "Precious" near a man's hand in his pocket.
I quickly made my way through the mall and found the bridge over a wide road to the Broadway Macau.
The indoor entertainment areas were rather quiet — not unexpected since no shows were on at the time. However, I could see some of the promotions, including one for a magic show in December.
Another sign promised "Broadway Babes".
Whatever type of entertainment you like, a hallway promised unlimited fun, which sounds like a lot of fun. The only catch was it appeared to be behind a locked door.
I then made it to the outdoor pedestrian street called The Broadway. It didn't look anything like New York's Broadway, but it did remind me of what some streets in Orlando might look like if they had a bunch of Macanese and other Asian restaurants.
The area was rather hot and notably quiet —no pink scooters, pedicab singers, or girls on fire. Apparently those are part of the nighttime festivities.
So I made my way back across the pedestrian bridge, through The Promenade, and left the Galaxy Macau. While crossing the street to head to my next destination, Taipa Village, I briefly looked at the progress on the Pai Kok station for the under-construction Macau light rail.
I had timed my arrival in Taipa Village to match with the opening of my lunch destination. I will refrain from posting any photos of the edacious and potatory event since I had a nearly identical experience during an earlier visit to the Portuguese restaurant "O Santos". The food was as good as ever, and I said hello to the owner who as usual enjoyed a meal at the front of the first floor dining area. Some changes since my first visits years ago included photos of more recent Portuguese football teams and Mick Jagger's visit there last year.
After eating more than enough, the results of poor sleep the night before encouraged me seek a bit more caffeine. So I walked to the nearby Taiwanese Fong Da Coffee and ordered a "South Italian" espresso — a more special experience than visiting the Starbucks also not far away.
As the caffeine molecules began to do their work, I briefly checked out of the small Taipa Flea Market and observed a purchase.
Now rather thirsty due to the hot weather, I headed toward a ParknShop supermarket where I knew I would find some items of interest. On the way I saw a taxi with an advertisement for place I had visited several years ago — Danang, Vietnam.
Upon entering the building with the supermarket I noticed a piano sale.
A collection of piano music had been left open, and I quickly recognized a great piece. Bonus points if you can identify it (the answer should be rather easy for piano majors).
The piece is beyond my meager piano skills, so I headed inside the supermarket for a treat rather hard to find in most of mainland China — low fat chocolate milk.
Since I was in Macau, a land with much Portuguese influence, I bought something else also not common in mainland China — Luso spring water.
As I rehydrated outside, I considered the challenges and pressures many face in Macau, and the rest of China — owning a home.
I was also reminded of how many cats love nothing more than a big cardboard box.
Soon it was time to head to my destination for the afternoon. Just as I approached the bus stop the right bus arrived. I did not take it. A few seconds later another bus for the same route arrived. I took it. My final bus stop back on the Macau Peninsula was next to a peaceful site, so I decided to visit the Lou Lim Ieoc Garden.
I spent some time at an art exhibition there — more about that in a later post. I also watched children feed some turtles and fish.
I also enjoyed the garden's winding paths.
And I saw a number of people enjoying the surroundings.
That's the unexpected end to this post. I do have a story sans photos to tell about what happened next, but I will save that for another day.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
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.
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.
Friday, September 4, 2015
Beer and Patriotic Shorts on the 2nd Day of the Victory Over Japan Holiday in China
Yesterday after the “Commemoration of 70th Anniversary of Victory of Chinese People's Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War” military parade had finished, I saw people eating Japanese food during the Victory Over Japan holiday. Today is also a day off for many due to the holiday. But again I didn't see anything which specifically mentioned the holiday. But also again, I saw something which may be a sign of people celebrating.
Tonight in the new Walmart in Zhuhai's Gongbei subdristrict, two young women discussed which beer to purchase. One of them even wore shorts with a patriotic design. I am not sure if they were looking for a Japanese brand, but I didn't see any. Interestingly, their final choice was a beer from Germany, another country which came out on the losing end of World War II.
Or maybe, like with the Japanese food, it had nothing to do with the holiday. Hard to say.
Tonight in the new Walmart in Zhuhai's Gongbei subdristrict, two young women discussed which beer to purchase. One of them even wore shorts with a patriotic design. I am not sure if they were looking for a Japanese brand, but I didn't see any. Interestingly, their final choice was a beer from Germany, another country which came out on the losing end of World War II.
Or maybe, like with the Japanese food, it had nothing to do with the holiday. Hard to say.
Chinese Traveling to Japan During the Victory Over Japan Holiday
Chinese are spending their time during the Victory Over Japan holiday in a variety of ways, including watching the "Commemoration of 70th Anniversary of Victory of Chinese People's Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War" military parade or eating Japanese food in China. Takuya Karube reported for Kyodo on another way which presumably involves Japanese food:
Japan was one of the most popular overseas destinations for Chinese tourists during a three-day national holiday through Saturday, travel agencies said. . . .As Liz Flora noted in Jing Daily, the increase of Chinese travelers to Japan, not only during the current holiday, is remarkable:
“I chose this time to visit, because the government suddenly announced (in May) this special holiday,” Yu Yong, a 40-year-old employee of an information-technology company, said. “I heard that Japan is a very good place and recently it’s a hot tourist destination.” . . .
Yu said he made a good decision to leave Beijing around the time of the parade and it has been worth seeing the many differences between the two countries with his own eyes, although he thinks the 70th anniversary should be observed at a state level and by the rest of the world.
After seeing a dramatic downturn in the number of Chinese tourists in the wake of China’s fall 2012 anti-Japanese riots, Japan’s rebound has been swift. Buoyed by price-conscious Chinese shoppers chasing a weaker yen and no sales tax for foreigners, the country is expected to see 4 million Chinese tourists by the end of 2015, a two-thirds increase from last year. . . .So while Beijing has been loudly displaying its growing military power, Japan may be more quietly building its soft power.
Despite an onslaught of anti-Japanese propaganda TV shows and films in the lead-up to the parade, this summer saw especially high Chinese traveler growth numbers in Japan as many Chinese tourists opted to skip South Korea due to the MERS outbreak and Hong Kong due to increased travel restrictions and anti-mainland sentiment.
Eating Japanese Food on the Victory Over Japan Holiday
Signs of some national holidays in China, especially Chinese New Year, can be easy to see, even if just through store promotions. For example, around Labor Day earlier this year I saw a patriotic image used for a Labor Day sale in Shaoyang, Hunan.
“Commemoration of 70th Anniversary of Victory of Chinese People's Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War” events no doubt left their mark in China today, especially in Beijing. But although the crowds were noticeably larger in shopping districts in Zhuhai's Gongbei subdistrict, an area which sees a large number of tourists, I didn't see a single thing specifically referencing today's Victory over Japan holiday.
Perhaps people were quietly feeling patriotic as they shopped. And maybe it was no coincidence one person I saw wore a "VICTORY OR NOTHING" shirt today. Maybe it was also no coincidence she made an order at a small establishment serving Japanese-style food.
Or maybe not.
Whatever the case, anti-Japanese sentiments in China weren't stopping her or others from eating Japanese food today.
Maybe that is a small positive sign.
“Commemoration of 70th Anniversary of Victory of Chinese People's Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War” events no doubt left their mark in China today, especially in Beijing. But although the crowds were noticeably larger in shopping districts in Zhuhai's Gongbei subdistrict, an area which sees a large number of tourists, I didn't see a single thing specifically referencing today's Victory over Japan holiday.
Perhaps people were quietly feeling patriotic as they shopped. And maybe it was no coincidence one person I saw wore a "VICTORY OR NOTHING" shirt today. Maybe it was also no coincidence she made an order at a small establishment serving Japanese-style food.
Or maybe not.
Whatever the case, anti-Japanese sentiments in China weren't stopping her or others from eating Japanese food today.
Maybe that is a small positive sign.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
22 Holiday Tweets: A Military Parade in Beijing Marking a 70th Anniversary
Today is a special national holiday in China marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. The most notable set of events today included a military parade in Beijing with the official title “Commemoration of 70th Anniversary of Victory of Chinese People's Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War”. I didn't watch the parade. Instead, I kept up to date using Twitter. The Great Firewall blocks the service in China, but there are still ways to access it, including through use of a VPN. I am not sure which methods are preferred by official Chinese news services such as Xinhua and People's Daily, but they, like many others, tweeted comments, images, and links regarding the parade.
Below are 22 tweets which offer various perspectives, some including humor, on a parade difficult to fully characterize (images may not appear if viewing this post through some RSS readers). The tweets aren't intended to be representative of all peoples' viewpoints, even just on Twitter, but together they tell a story. What that story is will depend on your own viewpoints.
Below are 22 tweets which offer various perspectives, some including humor, on a parade difficult to fully characterize (images may not appear if viewing this post through some RSS readers). The tweets aren't intended to be representative of all peoples' viewpoints, even just on Twitter, but together they tell a story. What that story is will depend on your own viewpoints.
Tanks rolling into Tiananmen pic.twitter.com/IokDotmPXx
— Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsin) September 3, 2015
"Don't breathe this." pic.twitter.com/kw1lKu8VI3
— Alan Wong (@alanwongw) September 3, 2015
#VDay Highlights: PLA female soldiers of the guard of honor of the three services pic.twitter.com/8BwnsT79I0
— People's Daily,China (@PDChina) September 3, 2015
WW2 parade begins with traditional symbols of peace and anti-fascism pic.twitter.com/HcuUD1zbRf
— China Daily Show (@chinadailyshow) September 3, 2015
Nukes "a sheild for national sovereignty and national dignity" pic.twitter.com/jtnBIHiDus
— Erik Crouch (@erikcrouch) September 3, 2015
OK, I confess: I turn back to Victory Parade, and they’re showing “Now the second formation of NUCLEAR MISSILES.” Do we do this even in US?
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) September 3, 2015
Also, my gay Chinese friends are loving the colorful fighter jet display and keep sharing this: pic.twitter.com/Nzwuc9fy7t
— Katharin (@Whitey_chan) September 3, 2015
From the Beijing home. pic.twitter.com/I2g5g7A9TO
— XQ (@MissXQ) September 3, 2015
Mao's grandson taking much more relaxed approach to #VDay than Chairman Xi pic.twitter.com/rfAeSkTaYO
— Robert Foyle Hunwick (@MrRFH) September 3, 2015
Snapshots of foreign troops in China's #VDay parade. Which country starts its name with "V"? #Vanuatu, #Venezuela pic.twitter.com/Xmke4KVFN7
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) September 3, 2015
— Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) September 3, 2015
The much less reported Taiwan defeat of fascism in China parade with a lot of veterans http://t.co/eeUTBoxEmD pic.twitter.com/15WBCo9nPg
— China Rhyming (@chinarhyming) September 2, 2015
Xi and wife Peng Liyuan greet Sudanese President Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court. pic.twitter.com/aVLSFQs3gs
— Chris Buckley 储百亮 (@ChuBailiang) September 3, 2015
so basically: china is throwing a big party for winning a war it didn't win. and the most notable guest is an international criminal.
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) September 3, 2015
Oops. Just warned by building security that snipers saw us pop open the door to snap this photo at #China parade. pic.twitter.com/kSeoLBDNIH
— Eunice Yoon (@eyoonCNBC) September 3, 2015
By tweaking the pic, I’ll bet this was what China’s leaders thought about the parade’s theme of “peace” @eyoonCNBC pic.twitter.com/govF0KXTzn
— Daniel Lin (@DLin71) September 3, 2015
Xi Jinping: "We love peace"
State TV commenter on parade: "Look at this missile, it can hit Hawaii"
— Benjamin Haas 本雅明 (@haasbenjamin) September 3, 2015
Lots of sniggering about parade here on Twitter but for many Chinese watching, ample pride in knowing China will never again be invaded.
— Kaiser Kuo (@KaiserKuo) September 3, 2015
My Weibo and Wechat feeds full of pride, but also not insignificant amounts of snark about the waste of money etc... https://t.co/Sxgx2190xa
— Jeremy Goldkorn 金玉米 (@goldkorn) September 3, 2015
Even friends who previous complained abt waste of money and inconveniences of life due to military parade are now full of pride
— Offbeat China (@OffbeatChina) September 3, 2015
This is the ultimate demonstration of Xi's power over PLA, and everyone in the PLA understands that. Even if some foreign pundits don't...
— Bill Bishop (@niubi) September 3, 2015
And at the end of all that, the doves of peace. pic.twitter.com/9uTLwbHfuw
— Edward Wong (@comradewong) September 3, 2015
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