Spotted in a Beijing hutong, I think there are multiple layers of symbolism about China embedded in this shot.
Month: February 2015
Random Observations from a Short Visit to Beijing
Earlier this month I got to spend two weeks back in Beijing, my former “home town.” My primary reason for the trip was to spend time with a friend undergoing cancer treatment, but I was also able to get out and about to connect with local friends as well. Here are six random observations noted…
Nixon in China, 43 Years Ago
Forty-three years ago this week, President Richard Nixon made his historic visit to China. It was 1972, and I was a junior high student at Karachi American School in Karachi, Pakistan. I remember our social studies teacher taking us to the US Consulate where we were able to watch news reports of the visit (some live,…
Smoking in the Park
I recently stumbled across this short video of things you see people doing in a park in Beijing. Parks in Beijing (and any other cities in China) are where retirees go to hang out. They sing, dance, play cards, and, apparently smoke. A lot! http://vimeo.com/111341580 Seeing all the smoking brought to mind a conversation I had with a tour…
Beijing Subway
When I moved to Beijing in 1998, this was the map of the subway system (unchanged since 1969): This is the Beijing subway map today: What a difference 17 years makes! Image credits: people.reed.edu, Wikipedia
Friday Photo: Fireworks and Pollution
Wednesday was the eve of the Chinese New Year, the night that ushers in 15 straight days of shooting off fireworks. In the run-up to the holiday this year, I spotted a poster in a Beijing neighborhood reminding people that fireworks are a source of pollution. It says (roughly) “How much healthy air is taken away…