Friday, April 26, 2019
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
An Interspecies Confrontation in Wuzhou
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:35 PM
I witnessed the interaction in the above photo while walking in Wuzhou this afternoon. Most of the time, the cat, which wore a collar, stood its ground in a defensive posture while the dog yapped at it. Although the cat didn't seem to be in serious danger, I later tried blocking the dog a few times to give the cat a chance to more safely flee. The cat didn't take advantage of the opportunity, so I left life as it was on the otherwise peaceful street.
Friday, April 19, 2019
The Core Socialist Values of a Fallen Planter in Wuzhou
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:43 PM
Within sight of a new core socialist values sign in Wuzhou a row of planters serve to block vehicles from entering a pedestrian street. Today there was a small tragedy.
After I took the above photo, a woman who had been sitting nearby rushed over and told me I couldn't take photos like this one. She then explained that somebody would be arriving soon to fix things. I guessed she didn't want me sharing what she considered to be a bad look. But I simply wished to capture a moment of everyday life which also spoke to issues regarding design.
Since I was photographing in a public area an inanimate object presumably of little concern to the Ministry of State Security or the Ministry of Public Security and the woman wasn't wearing a uniform, I felt I didn't need to be worried about being negatively affected by at least one of China's core socialist values — rule of law. So I exercised another core socialist value — freedom — and took one more photo for context.
Yes, the woman was still watching me, perhaps thinking I was not following one of the core socialist values — civility.
About two hours later, I returned to the same location. The woman was gone. And the problem had been fixed.
So I will happily share a photo which speaks to yet another core socialist value.
After I took the above photo, a woman who had been sitting nearby rushed over and told me I couldn't take photos like this one. She then explained that somebody would be arriving soon to fix things. I guessed she didn't want me sharing what she considered to be a bad look. But I simply wished to capture a moment of everyday life which also spoke to issues regarding design.
Since I was photographing in a public area an inanimate object presumably of little concern to the Ministry of State Security or the Ministry of Public Security and the woman wasn't wearing a uniform, I felt I didn't need to be worried about being negatively affected by at least one of China's core socialist values — rule of law. So I exercised another core socialist value — freedom — and took one more photo for context.
Yes, the woman was still watching me, perhaps thinking I was not following one of the core socialist values — civility.
About two hours later, I returned to the same location. The woman was gone. And the problem had been fixed.
So I will happily share a photo which speaks to yet another core socialist value.
Harmony |
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Posting the Values Again in Wuzhou
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:56 PM
China's 12 core socialist values are displayed at many (many, many) locations in the country. Now there is at least one more new sign in Wuzhou to remind people of them.
Monday alongside Da'nan Road |
Wednesday |
Monday, April 15, 2019
Friday, April 12, 2019
Riverside Fun With Toy Construction Vehicles in Wuzhou
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:11 PM
This afternoon in Wuzhou a woman brought a little boy to the left bank of the Xi River. The boy was at first momentarily interested in some of the activities ongoing in the river, but soon his attention shifted to the apparent reason he had been brought there.
And he played with his toy construction vehicles in the sand and dirt while the woman used her mobile phone.
Sure seemed like an excellent choice of location.
And he played with his toy construction vehicles in the sand and dirt while the woman used her mobile phone.
Sure seemed like an excellent choice of location.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
From Aristotle to Xie Juezai: Eight "Rule of Law Celebrity Sculptures" at Pantang Park in Wuzhou, China
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
9:50 PM
Pantang Park (潘塘公园) offers a place to walk through a bit of greenery and somewhat get away from the urban areas which surround it in central Wuzhou. The park also offers a bit of a history through a series of busts titled "Rule of Law Celebrity Sculptures" ("法治名人雕像"). The busts are almost all arranged in the chronological order of the lives of the people they depict, ranging in time from Ancient Greece to Communist China. Below are photos of the eight busts and also links to the English Wikipedia page for each person, though the articles for the Chinese figures are less well referenced, if at all.
Notably, the first four busts are all of Westerners and the rest are all of Chinese. I am not very familiar with the history of rule of law in the Western world and China, but I am sure people more knowledgable about the topic would have deeper observations about this selection of people put on display at a relatively peaceful park in Wuzhou.
Notably, the first four busts are all of Westerners and the rest are all of Chinese. I am not very familiar with the history of rule of law in the Western world and China, but I am sure people more knowledgable about the topic would have deeper observations about this selection of people put on display at a relatively peaceful park in Wuzhou.
Aristotle (亚里士多德; 384–322 BC), Greek philosopher |
Ulpian (乌尔比安; 170 – 223), Roman jurist |
Montesquieu (孟德斯鸠; 1689-1755), French judge and political philosopher |
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (黑格尔; 1770-1831), German philosopher |
Shen Jiaben (沈家本; 1840-1913), Chinese politician and jurist |
Shen Junru (沈钧儒, 1875 - 1963), first president of the Supreme People's Court of China in the People's Republic of China |
Dong Biwu (董必武; 1886 - 1975), Chinese communist political leader |
Xie Juezai (谢觉哉; 1884 - 1971), former President of the Supreme People's Court |
Monday, April 8, 2019
A Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong About Donald Trump
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
9:34 PM
About a month and a half ago in Hong Kong, as I left the Yau Ma Tei metro station I noticed an advertisement for the new Cantonese opera "Trump On Show".
Yes, this really exists:
Trump wasn't the only Republican U.S. politician that I recently noticed in Hong Kong. Admittedly, it was a bit confounding to turn around at a bus stop in Kowloon Bay and think "Is that really Dick Cheney?".
I don't expect to attend any "Trump on Show" performances, which opens April 12, or have anything worth saying about the movie "Vice". So this post is probably all you'll find about them here. I will update if I see any indications of a Hong Kong musical about George W. Bush though.
Yes, this really exists:
Start with a performer playing President Trump. Then bring in a long-lost brother who was raised in China.For more about those complications, read Mary Hui's piece about the Trumpian opera in The Washington Post, which includes some perspectives from the opera's creator, Li Kui-ming:
Throw in castmates portraying a ping-pong-loving Mao Zedong, a deal-seeking Kim Jong Un, Ivanka Trump and Mao’s power-hungry fourth wife.
They are singing. Opera. In Cantonese.
And, well, it’s complicated.
Li also studied the president’s quirks and habits — his penchant for fast food and television-watching habits — to develop Trump’s character.Oh boy.
Li, however, was struck by similarities between Mao and Trump.
“What they share in common is they both started a cultural revolution,” Li said.
Trump wasn't the only Republican U.S. politician that I recently noticed in Hong Kong. Admittedly, it was a bit confounding to turn around at a bus stop in Kowloon Bay and think "Is that really Dick Cheney?".
I don't expect to attend any "Trump on Show" performances, which opens April 12, or have anything worth saying about the movie "Vice". So this post is probably all you'll find about them here. I will update if I see any indications of a Hong Kong musical about George W. Bush though.
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Life Moving On The Gui River Western Bank Wall in Wuzhou
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:33 PM
The three rivers in central Wuzhou all have portions bordered by long walls. Below are several scenes on a wall alongside the western bank of the Gui River (桂江). The occasional light rains and overcast sky this afternoon didn't keep some people from walking, riding bicycles, jogging, stretching, and talking their dogs for a walk. In terms of lighting, parks, and number of levels, this wall may not have received as much attention from the city as other walls, but it has its own charm and life.
Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk in Wuzhou
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
12:20 AM
A spilled drink that perhaps included some milk next to the Xun River (浔江) in Wuzhou |
I had plans for an April Fool's Day post on Monday. Early in the afternoon I had a new idea and collected some critical material for it. Then I wondered whether it might be too convincing of a post for April Fool's, a conundrum I've run into before. Then other things came up, and I realized I had no more time.
So, next year. Or next life. In any case, I have material for a less confounding post now.
These things happen.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
The Billside Rivierh Mini-Mini Jumbo Wuzhou Bus in Hedong
Posted by
Brian Glucroft
at
11:14 PM
I had intended that a post about a Jumbo Wuzhou Bus parking area with art above it would be the last on the Jumbo Wuzhou Bus theme. But then I had an opportunity to ride the mallest Jumbo Wuzhou Bus. I did. And that post was supposed to be the real end of it all.
Really.
You know where this is going . . . Yes, this will be another Jumbo Wuzhou Bus post. The reason? Well, I saw a remarkable mini-mini Jumbo Wuzhou Bus tonight.
Two things made this bus grand enough to notice and to share. One, I saw it in the area locals would call Hedong (河东). I hadn't seen one there before. Two, before I had only seen larger Jumbo Wuzhou Buses with advertising. This was the first commercialized mini-mini I had seen.
The ad is for the "Billside Rivierh". I'm guessing they were aiming for the "Hillside Riviera", but I can't say for sure. What I can say for sure is that this ends the Jumbo Wuzhou Bus theme.
OK, I'm not totally sure.
Really.
You know where this is going . . . Yes, this will be another Jumbo Wuzhou Bus post. The reason? Well, I saw a remarkable mini-mini Jumbo Wuzhou Bus tonight.
Two things made this bus grand enough to notice and to share. One, I saw it in the area locals would call Hedong (河东). I hadn't seen one there before. Two, before I had only seen larger Jumbo Wuzhou Buses with advertising. This was the first commercialized mini-mini I had seen.
The ad is for the "Billside Rivierh". I'm guessing they were aiming for the "Hillside Riviera", but I can't say for sure. What I can say for sure is that this ends the Jumbo Wuzhou Bus theme.
OK, I'm not totally sure.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)