A man, some light capturing devices, and quite the possibility of some comprehensible words about adventures, photographs and all things awesome in the People's Republic of China.
First let me say, yes, I have an iPad. I just got it about a week ago. Don’t think that I that I am that person with all the latest gadgets because I have more money than I know what to do with. China has it’s fair share of those. China probably has more than its fair share. I got the iPad for work, and play, but mostly for work. And let me tell you that it has turned out better than have imagined, it’s basically built for exactly what I do.
When I am in the factory I have to look at PDFs of designs, drawings, orders, etc. I for one don’t like to lug around a computer, nor a massive stack of papers. But with the iPad, I don’t have to. Every single thing that I need is with me at all times. It’s amazing.
I got a dictionary that has handwriting input, radical input, and pinying input. I got the ability to edit excel docs, view PDFs, and photos. I can play games, look at the Internet, and even edit photos. I can take photos with my phone and send them to the iPad, I can email all of the above. Really it replaces my commuter for everything but actual designing and heavy computing. Freedom at last.
Right this moment I am typing on Ia writer. Which is a beautiful writing app. I can listen to my music or Pandora radio. I can play two player games one it or over Bluetooth. Really this is what my mom and dad should both have. It will for the most part never slow down, get a virus, or crash like stupid pcs do. It’s hands on and intuitive. You can Skype on it, watch movies and everything else they want to do. No mouse, long battery life and Internet. My mother lives in the sticks and can’t get anything but dialup for Internet. Not really the best of the web you could say. But I could get her one of these and a prepaid at&t sim card and she could finally actually read this blog.
I’m thinking about it. At least it would give her something to do.
Anyway, time to actually write about something that maybe someone actually cares about besides me
So I have only been privy to attending one Chinese wedding, and even that wasn’t really anything too awesome. I barely knew the Bride and Groom and didn’t stay long. However I have seen my fair share of parades and festivities from the outside. From what I can gather it’s all a contest of how much of my wealth can I show the world. Case in point.
That’s right folks. These are all Mercedes Benz for, what I can only guess is, shuffling wedding people from one place to another. Yep. All rented. Oh, I forgot the mention the Bentley, yes, a Bentley at the front of the line. All complete with drivers.
And billboards with the couple’s photo on them. Really? Yes really.
Cute!
Don’t forget the fireworks. These bad boys are cheap and everywhere. In fact I could, right now, 8pm, for buy a box of these motar shells and let them rip anywhere I please. No stupid laws to get in the way of my childhood dreams.
Smack dab in front of the hotel where I assume there are eating and trying to make a baby tonight.
I got a friend that I hope this year will have a big wedding because I really, really want to be in charge of the pyrotechnics.
As far as the showing of wealth goes. This wedding probably cost more then a wedding in the States. And I suppose you argue that weddings in the States are kind of the same thing. At least in China you get a 红包 “red envelope.” Translation: MONEY!
The diesel, well, you could say she’s a little tired.
Had a someone fix it, a coworker, it amounted to reving it probably as high as she could go. Got rid of what I can only assume is frozen water in the tank or something.
Don’t forget in China we are striving for a better planet.
Shopping online is huge in China. Or at least with the people I know. You can get most of the knock off items without having to argue with anyone about price, and the “market” sets the price. So the prices are already low.
I’ve been looking at a few things but the sizes are a tad small. Go figure, I’m in Asia. Either way I think I am going to drop the hammer on them. A jacket for 15 USD, Beanies for 1.50 USD, and scarves for 2 USD. Can’t beat that.
The second day in Beijing we headed to the Olympic Stadium and then onto the Great wall.
It was super interesting to see the Great Wall and where the opening to the Olympic were.
Here are some photos.
The Bird’s Nest
Read this, it’s awesome.
Business Cards.
The Great Wall.
More Wall.
Even more Wall.
A door and some Wall.
Yet more Wall.
Door to top of tower.
My shoes.
Bag.
Fruit.
Car.
Car.
High voltage power line.
Awesome Pizza.
This pizza place is called The Kro’s Nest. I would of boycotted it but, the pizza is awesome. A foreigner started it and eventually got pushed out by his Chinese partner. I don’t know the entire story but it probably went like this. Of let’s start a pizza place, oh we have a lot of money coming in, we are rolling in it. Chinese guy, yes we are, now I’m pushing your ass out because I want all the money for myself. You have no legal recourse, sucker. But I might be wrong on this.
Last weekend I went to Beijing with a friend and his family for a little sight seeing. It’s good to get out and see China and do the touristy thing. Even though this really isn’t the real China, it is and isn’t, it’s something you got yo do while you are here. So, onward with the story. We’ll start with day one.
Day one.
We arrive in Beijing and head to the hotel. I remember my first time in Beijing and things start coming back. We stayed and the same hotel that I stayed at when I came to China the first time. We drop off our things and head to Tiananmen and the Forbidden city.
Time for the photos.
We had b fest super close to the Beijing Hooters. I’m not sure what to think of this. I still have yet to sample the fine food they have within. Maybe next trip.
The Forbidden City Entrance.
A massive door. You touch the golden domes for good luck. By golly I spent an hour touching all of them.
The tallest building in the Forbidden City. It contains the large gates and probably a secret bar no one knows about.
Detail of beams that are on the ceiling of the buildings.
I went to Beijing for the weekend to do all the gooky tourist things. Tiananmen (天安门), The Great Wall (长城), getting into fights while shopping, you know the usual things.
So in the next couple days I’ll try to write about what I did and provide some photos for the interested people.
On the way back from lunch we spotted this little gem. An electric scooter on fire. Everyone was just sitting around watching it burn. I doubt the fire department even came. Why go to all the trouble when it was just going to burn itself out anyway. Buy hey I could be wrong. We drove past the same spot today and saw a black spot on the pavement. Awesome.
I’ve been reading a magazine recently, one that I have know about for some time. It came by way of a friend. I do enjoy reading this magazine and I will tell you why, then I will probably tangent into something else.
I have always been fascinated with hand made items. The workmanship, the thoughts that the person had, dreams, mental notes, whatever they may be, are in the handmade product. A thought of a lover, the twitch of the knife and the slightest imperfection that it made. You can’t take that back. Items that have time put in them.
I enjoy what they do. How they do it, and the time it takes. I have recently become very interested in the video features that have been posted.
Stories of individuals who, by all accounts are creative. They all produce things that take time, craftsmanship, love. All things that I admire.
Products that, may only last one minute, but took many to create and products that took only but a few to make but will last a lifetime. I admire history. Maybe this stems from my name, and how it is three generations old. Possibly Objects that my elders have cherished and now have given me. Whatever it may be, I do like the idea of having something for thirty years and passing it onto my kids. Telling them to imagine how long thirty years is, and what might have happened in thirty years. To imagine if this object had a memory, what it might remember and what it will see in the future.
Yeah I like that idea.
Please go take a look at The Scout Magazine. Trust me, you just might learn something.
