Words and Pictures

Historically China has been quite xenophobic and even when foreign “guests”, as they are called, are allowed into China, a lot of effort is made to separate them from the Chinese populace. They live in separate housing areas and attend foreign schools and for a long time had their own stores. Many of those barriers are breaking down as China becomes from affluent and the gap between China’s wealthy and the foreign residents narrows. Still it is nothing like what one would find in other countries. I never saw this separation more graphically illustrated than on a trip to the seaside resort town of Beidaihe (known for the secretive meetings of top officials). Here there was one beach for the general populace and another (slightly less crowded) for the foreigners.

Things are not always what they appear to be. Here it appears that a car is stranded in the middle of a lake, but in reality the family is out for a nice boat ride. The boat/car provides a fun way for the a young family to go out for a ride and yet keep junior from pitching over the side.

If you are lucky and get a clear day in Beijing, the view from Coal Hill is stunning. This was taken a few years ago and I am certain there are more and taller buildings there now, but the contrast between the undulating tiled roofs of the Forbidden City and the rigid “skyscrapers” of the newer emerging Beijing is remarkable.

Admittedly the old buildings weren’t much for comfort (no central heating or air conditioning) but you can’t beat them for shear beauty and wonder. There are times when old is better.

It is one thing to contemplate the enormity of 1.3 billion people. It is another thing to consider all the things that can be associated with that number of people. For many years bicycles were the preferred means of transportation in Beijing. They were relatively inexpensive, they could be easily produced and with a small family it was not difficult to transport everyone, including a child, with just two bicycles.

This scene at Tiananmen Square in Beijing illustrates some of the unseen complications of how to manage transportation for so many people. I think the hard part is actually identifying which bike is yours.

The next question though is now that cars are preferred over bicycles, where to park them all, not to mention the challenge of accommodating all the cars on the roads. Just another nightmare.

A young craftsman is busy making bird cages at a free market in Chongqing while his pet monkey investigates the contents of his tea cup. Free markets are one of the best places for pictures in China because there are so many people, they are all busy and it is much easier as a photographer to go unnoticed.

George Bush isn’t the only cowboy in Beijing. This young boy at the Beijing railway, spontaneously curled up the brim of his straw hat into what resembled a cowboy hat. In reality there just aren’t very many cowboys in China.

This brass saddle (which is actually on the back of a miniature elephant) was not built for comfort but for beauty. The remarkable skills of China’s craftsmen and women is unparalleled. Granted many of the objects have no function other than to be admired.

It may be pretty from a visual standpoint, but pretty sunsets often come at a high price. This sunset near Beijing was enhanced (not digitally) but by the abundant air pollution from area factories, traffic emissions and lots of atmospheric dust.

For many years I thought the Forbidden City was “red”, but in my heart of hearts I knew it was not an ordinary red. Eventually I learned that it is called ashes of roses. The materials used to make the paint are local to the area and have been used for hundreds of years. The materials and many of the methods have not changed, which gives the Forbidden City its remarkable appearance.

No I haven’t vanished off the face of the earth. In fact, I have seen more of the earth in the last two weeks than I have in some time. We just returned from a 4100 mile road trip through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and back home again. No we are not trying to burn up the remaining supplies of fossil fuels. We were working on an assignment tracking a family that followed the movement of the United States west from North Carolina to Texas. It was a fascinating trip, but also the substance of another discussion.

One of the things that struck me about the trip with how time had stood still in so many places that we passed through. Areas that had once been “thriving” centers of activity have gone back to nature, the stories of the past lost.

Here an ancient sundial in the Forbidden City in Beijing stands mute on a cloudy day. Time is a very strange thing. The activities of the moment are soon gone and become only memory.