Year of the Monkey

Posted on June 23, 2016June 23, 2016 by theatrejunkiehm2012 — Leave a comment

Photos from China: Random.

I’ve been here almost 10 months, and I’ve seen quite a few things I still haven’t processed yet, or wasn’t sure how to classify. “Random” seems as good as anything.

When a new shop opens in Zhongshan, bouquets of flowers on stands and BIG blow-up dragons appear!

Some displays are VERY extravagant. This is a lion dancer getting ready to open a travel agency!

These are their flowers! Notice the bright cloth wrapping around the bases holding the flowers?

This is the same kind of arrangement, but in Xi’an. Smaller flowers, more greenery, tulle instead of wrapping. Same idea, but different region. Neat!

Also in Xi’an. Want to buy a fur coat from behind a piece of corrugated tin! Totally legal!

This is glimpse into the grounds of the technical university in my neighbourhood. I can never go in to see it properly without being on business in there. ALL schools have this kind of gate.

Mosquito and sandfly season was hard on me. (Sandflies are midges.)

Never had a mosquito net before coming here. It helped against the mosquitos. The sandflies…eh.

In Hong Kong. Just thought this was cool,.

I came down with the flu, and the pharmacist gave me…THESE. The box came a package of tiny straws to suck back the medicine in these vials.

Me at a coffee house I’ve discovered. Instead of number, they give you a teddy bear to track your order.

Little girl on her way to school on a rainy day.

The Flower Market of Zhongshan. Where they sell more than flowers.

Tropical and deciduous trees going up the mountain. Just on the other side, more building.

China is skyscrapers and high finance. It’s also people selling domestic rabbits out of cages on the street.

During the winter, I had to get this hand warmer / hot water bottle to defrost my hands. It was the Year of the Monkey, so…

Yes, while you get your car washed, you can have chicken meat, goat meat, or dog meat. Your choice.

Posted on February 19, 2016February 18, 2016 by theatrejunkiehm2012 — Leave a comment

Photos from China: Guangzhou, part 4 – the city

The Canton Tower, among the tallest in the world.

Some of Guangzhou’s modern architecture is spectacular too.

All of Guangzhou used to be streets like this.

Fresh pork! How fresh? Oh you have NO idea.

Shangxiajiu pedestrian-only shopping street.

I HOPE this was a Cantonese Opera Theatre. I don’t read enough Mandarin to know.

This is black sesame seed paste, which is them made into soup!

Black sesame and cashew soup. Liquid cashew butter. That is all.

A stall selling only Durian fruit. You think they look scary? I crossed the street because of the SMELL.

A statue of a little boy trying to help his grandpa set off fireworks.

Want to buy a mushroom the size of a coffee table?

For my first breakfast I tried congee. It’s rice porridge, and mine also had bits of meat and seafood. I admit, I didn’t care for it.

THESE, however, are steamed pork buns. MORE.

Inside the White Swan Hotel back on Shamian Island.

Please see the Buzzfeed videos below for further info on the contents of my minibar. The green one top left is Get 27. The one bottom left is Bai Jiu.

Posted on February 12, 2016February 10, 2016 by theatrejunkiehm2012 — Leave a comment

Chinese New Year, IN China! Part 4: Macau

Or Macao. For various reasons, I was only able to stay one night. NOT ENOUGH. Will be going back. I spent most of my time there giggling because my Spanish allowed me to understand just about ALL the Portuguese I saw!

Just past the gate from Gombei Port in China…

The fountain before The Sands hotel and Casino near the harbour.

“Lotus Flower in Full Bloom,” across from the Sands.

One ferry arriving from Hong Kong, another just leaving.

A Cine-Concert…The Triplets of Belleville, with live music. How fricking cool is that?!!

This fellow was just handing out lucky red envelopes to kids!

This is part of Fisherman’s Wharf, very nice restaurants and shops in slightly kitcshy new buildings made to look “old”.

Beautiful fountain in between faux Italian and Tudor English houses!

The aptly named Harbourview Hotel. Not sure what style architecture this is…

Most of the buildings in this area were old-style, but the brick and stone of these tells me they’re genuine.

Looks like a Roman column, doesn’t it? Hee here!

The “Roman” column overlooks the “Roman ruins” of the Babylon Casino!

“Roman” Amphitheatre. I kept telling myself “I should hate this…but I don’t!”

New Year’s Display on Fisherman’s Wharf.

How much more like Vegas can you GET! So ridiculously awesome!

Jardim Vasco de Gama Garden, as seen from the front of my hotel!

Sports centre to one side of the Garden.

Orange trees. I am NOT exaggerating, orange trees EVERYWHERE!

And this is my hotel, from the Garden. If you didn’t hate me yet, you do now. 😀

I treated myself to dinner at Fado, the Portuguese restaurant in my hotel. These are fresh codfish cakes.

All of this came with every meal! 6 different breads, 3 flavours of olive oil, carrots steeped in olive oil, olive tapenade, and garlic-tomato butter.

Seriously, ALL the seafood. This is shrimp and bread stew. Happy Place.

I wish I could tell you what this shop sold, but it was shut!

The other half of the crazy-awesome display.

The air smelled different in Macau. It took me a while to realise ALL of these shrines had incense burning. Those are wrapped cookies in front.

Just hanging off someone’s door. Amazing.

New Year’s decorations down a street median.

I couldn’t stop marvelling at the streets here…

Another church. I lost track. I think the Portuguese colonists were Catholic.

This was a church, now it appears to be apartments. Sigh…

The paving on the street is modern–it fits around manholes–but it’s very nicely done.

Looking down from the ruins of St Paul’s. The crazy pointy building at the back is The Grand Lisbon Hotel and Casino. (Macau has a LOT of those.)

Posted on February 11, 2016February 10, 2016 by theatrejunkiehm2012 — Leave a comment

Chinese New Year, IN China! Part 3: Zhongshan Flower Fair

I was very kindly invited to New Year’s dinner by the family of Becky, one of my middle-school students. Before dinner, though, Becky’s mother had to get some new flowers. THIS is the Flower Fair.

These are decals! The backing is peeled off, and then you place them on your windows.

I love the lady at the bottom of this photo looking up — the flowers are beautiful, AND it’s a good price!

In case flowers aren’t enough, there are branches of ornaments too.

Posted on February 10, 2016February 10, 2016 by theatrejunkiehm2012 — Leave a comment

Chinese New Year, IN China! Part 1: Kai Yin, Zhongshan

Usually the many ponds and water features in our complex are dry. For the New Year, all were filled…

Red and gold banners on a building down the street from mine.

Happy Year of the Monkey! This in One-Plus-One, a local supermarket.

THIS is the Monkey King. Don’t let the pretty flowers fool you. He will mess you up.

EVERY shop has flowers and/or mini-orange trees. Note also that almost all shops are CLOSED for the holidays.

The little shrines before most shops also have fresh incense burning. Oranges symbolize luck.

The aftermath of fireworks being set off. This was everywhere!

Note all the paper remains are red — the luckiest colour.

Posted on February 10, 2016February 10, 2016 by theatrejunkiehm2012 — Leave a comment

Chinese New Year, IN China! Part 2: Light sculptures!

These were all taken on the eve of the Lunar New Year, the night of February 7th, in Sun-Yut-Sen Memorial Park. The sculptures you see are all made of a transluscent, coloured fabric, and then lit from the inside. EXCEPT for the House of the Monkey King — I’m told that’s made of ironwork, scaffolding, and magic!

PS: I cribbed some photos from my co-teacher Jennifer, since her camera is better than mine. Credit where due!