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Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Grass-Mud Horse Makes Another Promotional Appearance in Beijing

Today was a special day. I saw a promotion in Beijing with a grass-mud horse.

Alpaca in a promotion in Beijing's Sanlitun area

Or maybe it was an alpaca — hard to say. Whatever the case, this isn't the first time such an animal has been part of a promotion in the Sanlitun area.

Maybe tomorrow I will see a promotion with a river crab.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Tiananmen Flagpole and Sky

National Flagpole at Tiananmen Square after the flag-lowering ceremony
National Flagpole at Tiananmen Square after the flag-lowering ceremony

Some Thoughts After Guiding a Family of Four Through Hong Kong and Beijing

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.
  • Of course, I bought him a bottle. Part of the experience . . .

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Back in 北京

night scene of a street and a pedestrian bridge ramp in Beijing, China
Beijing

Hong Kong Nature and Power

A friend visiting Hong Kong asked me to take her to somewhere with nature. She seemed pleased with the island I chose, even though this happened:

View of the Lamma Power Station from Hung Shing Ye Beach on Lamma Island, Hong Kong
View of the Lamma Power Station from Hung Shing Ye Beach on Lamma Island, Hong Kong

Monday, June 6, 2016

My First Time to See the Lights in China on June 4

Since starting this blog, I have noted what I saw on June 4, whether in Chengdu (2011), in Xining (2012), in Qingdao (2013), in Hengyang (2014), or in Changsha (2015). One common theme of those days was what I saw seemed unremarkable compared to many other days I have experienced in China.

For most of June 4 this year, much was the same. But that night I saw something which undoubtedly spoke to the day's importance. It only happened because I was in a part of China where the rules are different — where people are allowed to remember.

When a friend and I arrived at the vigil commemorating the 27th anniversary of the crackdown in Tiananmen Square, we were told the main area was already full and were diverted to another area in the park with large video screens. After spending some time there, we made our way to the main area, which held more video screens and the main stage. And there were candles. Lots of candles.

Presented in the order they were taken, below are photos from Victoria Park in Hong Kong on the night of June 4, 2016. They are unlike any photo I have taken in mainland China on June 4. They are unlike any photo I have taken in mainland China on any day.

For me, they are rather remarkable.


person holding a candle at a vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

woman and girl holding candles at a vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

2016 vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

young woman holding a candle at the vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

hand holding a candle at the vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

"Vindicate June 4th" sign at the vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, commemorating the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown

Friday, June 3, 2016

Helmets for Sale in Sanchong

They aren't extra large helmets, but these helmets I saw for sale in Sanchong District, New Taipei City, stand out in their own ways:

Scooter helmets with a Hello Kitty design, a butterfly design, and furry animal tops

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Riding Past Taipei's East Gate

I will later follow up on the previous post about a Bioré promotion with a post about some relevant Taiwanese music history. Yes, it turns out there's more to say about those large helmets.

But for now, here is a scene which includes some smaller helmets at Taipei's East Gate (Jingfu Gate):

people riding motor scooters and driving cars past Taipei's East Gate

Monday, May 30, 2016

UV Protection Meets Spaceballs In Taipei

Yesterday at the Xinyi Place shopping area in Taipei, I saw something unusual.

to young women wearing huge silver helmets and passersby


The large shiny helmets, reminiscent of the movie Spaceballs, were hard to miss.

young woman wearing a huge helmet applying lotion to a toddler


Soon the helmets came off. Yet the activities proceeded as before.

young women in silver skirts applying lotion to passers by in Taipei


This wasn't a promotion for a Spaceballs sequel. Instead, it was a promotion for lotions with UV protection — a common type of product in a region where many want to keep or make their skin a whiter color — from the Japanese brand Bioré. The young women wearing the helmets offered to apply lotion to the arms of passersby, whether woman, man, or child.

Nothing was available for purchase, but some people had their photos taken with the lotion.

young woman having her photo taken with a Biore lotion


The large helmets appeared to be helpful in attracting attention. Presumably, they represent the lotion's ability to block UV light, which raises a key question I'm not sure Bioré has considered.

How many people would rather buy the helmets?

Two giant Bioré UV helmets

Taipei 101 Contrasts

Two photos of Taipei 101 taken on Saturday and Sunday from opposite sides of the skyscraper.

View  from Xinyi Public Assembly Hall (信義公民會館) of Taipei 101 on a cloudy early evening



view from Xinyi shopping district of Taipei 101, and under-construction building, and an ad for Brappers

Friday, May 27, 2016

Assorted Links: School Commute Peril, No Need for Refrigerators, and Deceptive Medical Treatment

1. Photos of how some children in Sichuan province must commute to school remind me of nightmares I have had:
Authorities in south-west China have vowed to come to the aid of an isolated mountain village after photographs emerged showing the petrifying journey its children were forced to make to get to school.

To attend class, backpack-carrying pupils from Atuler village in Sichuan province must take on an 800m rock face, scrambling down rickety ladders and clawing their way over bare rocks as they go.

2. Fortunately, most in China don't have as difficult of a commute. In fact, an especially short commute is one of the reasons why some people like those in a small Shandong town don't use refrigerators:
Aunt worked as a nurse in the local hospital, and as traditionally is the case with state-owned institutions in China, there was an apartment complex specially built for the hospital workers right across the street, which saved her from having to make much of a commute. On most days—so long as she had not worked the night shift—she would go to work in the morning and come back a little before noon, when she would have enough time to prepare lunch. This schedule was more or less the norm in Jiaxiang. Adults had long breaks off work in the middle of the day. And high-school students, who might be in school till 8 or 9 p.m., were given enough time at midday to go home for lunch. The daily schedule of working adults and students thus accommodated schedules that allowed lunch to be cooked and eaten at home, and that, in turn, meant that most food eaten at home would be finished off the same day it was prepared.

3. Sometimes, large pieces of equipment are bought and used for reasons relating to deception:
A salesman at Dongnan Medical soon explained why many of the devices were built to resemble MRI machines. "Private hospitals need to let customers know these are valuable pieces of equipment," he said. "The big devices entice customers in for treatment" . . . .

The machine resembled a large, open-style MRI machine, and its sleek white exterior held long English words—"Electrochemical Apparatus," "Infrared Light." On the patient table, a framed certificate stated the machine was made by the USA Wolman Prostate Institute, which later research revealed is a dummy company . . .

"The red light cures prostatitis," the salesman said, beaming proudly and handing me a brochure for the Wolman Prostate Gland Treatment System. The brochure featured a photo of the USA Wolman Prostate Institute's research center, which, thanks to a clearly labeled sign on the building, I quickly discovered was actually a photo of Invesco Field, where the Denver Broncos play football.
In multiple ways, the ending to this disturbing story about medical malfeasance in China is not a happy one.


4. As usual for these "assorted links" posts, I had a forth link to share. But another perspective just came to mind, and I want to consider it more. I have to run now, so I will share the piece later.