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This guy goes fast

He was stoked to get his picture taken. I really wanted to show you the back of his vehicle with all it's nobs, spitting sputtering pipes, and bare driver belts. It's a video I will have to hunt down another day.

Worker home and detail (the destroyed room)

Yes, we are watching you

Just in case you can't read there is a picture. Just in case you can't see the picture there is a camera. You should really watch out...or, look for what's so valuable, grab it, and run.

mix a lot

There is a man behind the cloud of smoke in the second picture. He was very excited to see me and wanted to show me how his machine worked. Now I need to find a way to print him a picture as I went again last week and he made a big commotion about my camera. I had the feeling he wanted a picture. It reminded me of this horrible situation I got into 5 years ago when I ended up in Tibet for a month. I was wandering about near the Potala Palace on a very cold day and this poor tourist came rushing up to me and wanted me to take his photo. After I did this he ran over to me and thought I could print him a picture (Polaroid cameras used to be very common.) It was really sad, especially since all I could do was haltingly explain that my camera didn't print pictures and being the dead of winter (everything closes in winter as tourism basically stops up there) there wasn't anywhere I could see to do such a thing. The story gets even more tragic as I got him to write down his mailing address with the thought that I could mail him a picture. how great it would be! He scribbled some things down very enthusiastically on a piece of paper and when I got back to Beijing I had a friend translate the writing. He wrote his name and the city he was from. That's it!

Bye bye cabbage...see you next year

The cabbage is all but gone. Draped on wires or forgotten in piles stacked between walls and trees. I hope no one is still expecting to eat any of these. (On a similar note I have an apple on my desk that is turning into an experiment. It has been here almost 3 weeks. It started sweating the first 2 weeks, and then it turned darker shades of browny-red. Someone poked it which made me very unhappy).

Underground

This was one of the better experiences of the area so far. I found an abandoned building that hasn't been finished. There are lower levels and I'll try to get back to explore the lower depths. These are long exposures that make it seem deceptively light down there. Partly felt like a tomb, partly "24 hours" later kind of feeling when I was poking about. I wonder what a chinese vampire would look like?

Edit: 28 days later...or 28 weeks later, you can take your pick of the two. I messed up yet another reference. And actually there is a funny movie called 28 hours later in which the description reads: "A party-goer wakes up after a night of disco fun to discover the city of Kuala Lumpur devoid of humans." Beijing is kinda close to KL and that city is crazy! Last time I was there police were firing their shotguns in the air to try and kill murders of crows.

The Van Gogh "Manure Heap" or the "Monet Garden"

I'm considering trying to write an article on this place. It has been motivating to wander around and see how it develops. I feel like I am in another world when I wander around this place. I've started to meet some of the workers and am surprised by their enthusiasm when they see me. Well that's not totally true, some are excited while others think I shouldn't be there. If anyone can find this painting ("Manure Heap") or a reference to it I would really appreciate it.

Strange dig from afar

It looked like a grave which interested me. I've seen other graves in China that are not much different from this. The funerals here are pretty intense with everyone dawning white sheets and pointed hats. i wont get into that but will briefly say that this is an uncomfortable subject over here. I recently asked where all the dead people go and got some very off put expressions. I then attempted to explain that I wasn't trying to talk about religion and the afterlife (another touchy subject) but that grave yards fascinate me. That didn't make things better (how do I explain that I wrote about Dracula, the suspension of time, and photography IN school without sounding creepy?). There are a LOT of people in China and I have never seen a cemetery or graveyard, yet alone a funeral home, or anything death related. It's like nobody dies over here. They just disappear.

Cabbage and more cabbage

Look at these succulent cabbages. Right now they are hung up and no longer on the ground. I am realizing that at 1 RMB per cabbage (20 cents) they don't necessarily need to eat them, rather they are strung up on fences and near doors as a sign of good luck. Suddenly that giant fake cabbage at the start of this blog is making more sense. I saw a smaller version of the fake cabbage at a Beijing market...I think I'm going to try and hunt it down.

Bunny...speakers. Yes!

I promised the previous post was the last in the "cute animal" theme, but how could I not listen to these? I made a video where they danced but it just looked really silly.

i want to call him Puss & Boots

This is whitey. OK, that's not his name and I think he would be offended if you called him that. He has been a cat around here for the last 5 years and I don't know his name. If anyone has a suggestion please leave it in the comments and i can tell it to everyone and ask him if he likes it. Seriously, he keeps the earth cleaning (look closely at the second photo) and is the first cat I've seen to eat a yam and bacon in one sitting. In the last picture he looks funny. Check out his/her eyes. (it is true, i don't know the gender). That is it for the cute animal posts for awhile.

Gaurd dog#1

Following up on the "pandas" is a guard dog (first in the series). He isn't scary but gets you to stand still in awe. I hate little dogs but they are like little foxes over here. Like little midget foxes. His "master" can be heard off camera. But we all really know who picks up the poo.

Pandas are everywhere

I see this everyday while I wait for the bus. Wanted to dedicate this to all the special Pandas out there. If you come out here I'll take a portrait of you all making a phone call. Oh you didn't know? They are phone booths!

Tuan Li Wander

There are many strange things all around where we live. From "Magical garden inspired by Monet" and "Such eloquence as Van Gogh Manure Pile" to funny tricycles and trees. More to follow as our little town of Tuan Li grows it's own "German wonderland" next door.

School Train

This is how we get to school everyday. The two of us and our white cat who has one blue and one green eye. At lunch the kitchen staff get very excited as they get to go for a ride as well. How proud they look in their black gum boots and white aprons. They recently put big red lettering on the side, and now they are even more happier than ever.