CHINA
Country Overview:
"A land of contrasts, where ancient traditions meet rapid modernization, and delectable cuisine coexists with complex political realities."
My seven-year journey in China, from May 2013 to August 2020, was a whirlwind of experiences. I taught English, pursued my Master's in Politics & Foreign Policy at the prestigious Tsinghua University, and immersed myself in the media landscape at China Today and Xinhua News Agency. Beijing was my home base, but my travels painted a vibrant tapestry of China's diverse landscapes and cultures: the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, the historic city of Xi'an, the tropical paradise of Sanya, the unique blend of East and West in Macau and Hong Kong, and countless other destinations in between. From savoring the exquisite flavors of regional cuisines to navigating the intricacies of daily life under a distinct political system, China left an indelible mark on me.
Banana Man // Sanya
My friends who live in Sanya both work for a photography company and they needed to test out their new gear. So I suggested I buy a banana costume and we go to a street market to take pics and film a music video — which is exactly what we did. My friend is working on editing the video, so that will be posted when it’s finished. Chinese people laughed when seeing me in costume and little kids kept shouting “BANANA!”
Classic Gym Problems
I’ve always believed that very specific rules come about because of an “incident” that require that rule to be made. I only wish I were here the day my gym needed to make this specific warning.
Girl Power
Something funny about seeing these PLA guys next to “The Power of Girl.” Maybe it was intentional. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it’s Maybelline.
宜家
Lingering among the stacks of furniture on the 1st floor of IKEA lurk those offering a special service. Trained mercenaries? Sex workers? Possibly the latter, but even more useful when buying un-assembled Swedish furniture are those undercutting IKEA's delivery system and providing their 1980's van for immediate service. "Deliver goods?" She asked in flawless Chinese. "Sure" I said, in equally impressive English. She looked confused. I translated it to Chinese. I am a Mandarin Master. 4+ years in this country are finally paying off. She creeps behind me as I make my way through the checkout and wheels my boxes outside. A man on the other side of the gate, her husband, greets me with a cheerful smile and carefully guides my boxes over the wall onto a cart and into the back of his van. We have the usual "Chinese person + white foreigner" banter and we arrive at my place. He helps me get the stuff into my apartment, I pay him roughly $20, and he returns to IKEA to repeat the process. It's situations like this, among the smog and daily grind of this city, that makes me say, "I fucking love China".
So I thought it was funny because "player" can also mean someone who flirts or gets with multiple girls, and the guy is talking to 2 girls, but it's funny because they are children. I don't necessarily think my sense of humor is the same as everyone else's, but I thought this banner was unintentionally funny.
Guess who?
Buddy got his hands on some "Mao" glasses. Everyone who tried them on looked creepy
So Close..
This is what almost making it into the Forbidden City looks like. Went in the wrong entrance (Palace Museum), took me 35 minutes to find an exit and loop back around, and by that time, tickets were sold out. 80.000 tickets sold between 8:30-11:30, so I settled on noodles and baozi. If you look carefully at the noodles, you can see the ever-present peace sign that Chinese people throw up in almost every picture.
