Signs of Democracy

We recently traveled to Hong Kong for a few days and while we were there the student lead protests had just begun. Read more about that with my post Last Night. Be sure to look at the comment section where I posted a link to a young girl’s blog who lives in Hong Kong and is taking part in the protests. A very interesting perspective, one that you won’t get from a news report or newspaper article.

This week Word Press has given us the theme signs. Previously I posted on signs from around China and street and silly signs around my neighborhood in Shanghai. WP talks about how signs can point us in the right direction, decorate, announce and show us about a time or culture. This was very true of the protests that are ongoing in Hong Kong. I decided to post more of the signs from Hong Kong that we saw around Admiralty and Central during the protests. It certainly is representative of time and culture.

The contrast of signs on HK streets Sep. 29, 2014

 

Hand made signs on cardboard, streets and fabric are in English and Chinese stating their feelings and ideas. Most ask for democracy. The contrasts between the handmade signs made from whatever materials were on hand and the massive  neon lighted signs of the high-end designer shops is opposite in every way. Will these become signs of change?

 

one of numerous signs to get the message across

Last night as the police tear gassed the crowds the protesters quickly handed umbrellas out to those closest to the police. They covered themselves in plastic wrap, wore face masks and opened the umbrellas to protect themselves.

 

Stay Tuned…

 

Endurance -Achieve your goals & dreams

Part of being an expat has offered us a great opportunity to travel. The world became smaller. Things that most people dream of are just around the corner, in our backyard or a short trip away. We have been lucky enough to see the Great Wall of China. My first visit was with a tour group, so the time was limited. I wished to get up these steep steps, but managed barely half way before the time forced me back. My goal, if I ever returned, was to get further. I really wanted to reach the top of those steps and the end of the restored section of the wall where some of the great monument lay crumbling from countless footsteps and hundreds of years.

This past summer we were able to return. Here is the starting point around gate 13 at the Mutianyu section of the wall. Goal in sight we started off.

Just after the cable car the start of the wall… go as far as you dare.

 

Around gate 19 or 20 we can see the steepest section ahead.

Warning steep climb ahead

The top! The day was glorious with clear blue skies and we could see further in the distance than our last trip to the wall. The wall snaked and turned over the green hills into the distance. August can be quite hot and humid, but today was reasonable. Once we started the climb I was sweating quite a lot. My legs began to shake and I wasn’t sure if I could make it. I had just recovered from a bad virus that sapped all my energy and strength and I was still not 100%. Throw in a touch of jet lag and a busy travel schedule to top it off. Later I would discover I was sick again and in 2 days time the same or similar virus returned and I was in bed. I was determined. I stopped regularly and took in the view while I rested. I drank lots of water and pushed on.

Reward… a view like this!

Look at the rocks to the left then look at the first picture. That will give you perspective how FAR we went.

My endurance paid off and I made it to the top of the steps and past the final gate #23 open to tourists. We went to 24, but just couldn’t make the next steep climb on unsecured steps to #25. Maybe next time. Sometimes it is best to leave some travel dreams ‘undone’ so you have the desire to return.

We started at the star… gate13. We went right to the end of the map (left side) #24. Approx. 5km one way and hundreds of steps.

Have you ever pushed yourself even when your body and mind said “I can’t”? Tell me about it in the comment section, or join Word Press this week for their photo challenge Endurance.

Sorry I am still not into my regular routine and I post when I can. Please stay tuned…

 

Tip Toe Travels

Oh if my feet could talk the stories they would tell. For the last week we have been on a whirlwind tour of the globe travelling half way around the world from Toronto, Canada to China with some stops in between. July 30th we left Canada and flew Toronto to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We had 2 nights and 3 days in Dubai. From there we flew to Shanghai and after 2 nights here we travelled north to Beijing to see the Great Wall. After 2 nights and 3 days we returned to Shanghai where we have settled with some much needed rest.

Why would we do such an intense schedule with such great distances you may wonder…. well a friend from home made the return journey with us and we had to make the most of her time. We tried to fit in as much as we could before my return to work. After planes, trains and automobiles, desert, rock, mountains and sidewalk not to mention little sleep and numerous time zones we managed to fight off jet lag and see a lot in a short period of time.

The following post will be a brief summary of events and at a later date I will write more .

Canada – soft green grass to tickle my toes as we prepared to leave for the airport.

Canadian Feet -EH?

30,000+ feet up – on the plane somewhere between Canada and Dubai.

High above the clouds

Dubai – in Dubai we did a desert safari. Sand as far as you can see….

in the dunes

China – the Great Wall. Last trip we did a tour and didn’t get to hike as far as I would have liked. This time we hiked from Tower 14 to 24… almost to 25. That is a lot of steps.

a little rest on the stairs before the big hike to the top

Click Clack -tired toes resting on the train back to Shanghai.

speeding from Beijing to Shanghai at 300KM/hr

 What have your feet been up to lately?

Stay tuned for more…

 

 

People: Pixelventures Photo Challenge

This week’s theme over at Bastet’s Pixelventures is PEOPLE. I have snapped some interesting pics of people here in Shanghai and when travelling around Asia. The hard part was narrowing it down to the most interesting and ones you hadn’t seen before. One of my favourite pictures of PEOPLE was posted here for Juxtaposition & Surprise back in January.

Monks at Angkor Wat

This first picture was taken on our trip to Cambodia. Inside the Angkor Wat complex you will often see Monks dressed in the bright orange. I decided to post this one because they were just like the rest of us tourists smiling at the photo they had just taken with their camera. It also shows a variety of other tourists who come from all over the world to see the Angkor Wat complex.

Picnic in the Park

 

I have posted similar pics of this before, but this one is clearer and up close. When local Chinese go to a park they often take small tents to provide cover and shade. Sometimes the grass will be covered with tents and blankets. With so many living in apartments warm spring weekends often draw out everyone and they descend on the local parks.

 

Little Red Riding Hood is that you?

 

OK I really am stumped with this one. A few times I have seen younger Shanghainese walking around dressed up like in costume. I am not sure if this is part of the Japanese phenomenon of dressing like animated characters or something else. Last spring we went to Shanghai Botanical Gardens and we ran into the lone girl dressed like Little Red Riding Hood basket and all. We did a double take and said   什么 (Shénme  – WHAT???)

These last 2 are typical sites as the older way of moving things still lives on. Small electric trike bikes or bikes with a trailer are often piled high with recycled material, small animals in crates, large bottles of water or other things to be sold. The first bike is either someone moving items, or old broken and unwanted items being collected. The second one has a pile of wood with the wife along for the ride. When we first arrived some of these piles would be well over 5 feet high. Now the police crack down on these unsafe heights.

These are my example of people. Check out Bastet’s Pixelventures for more examples.

Hit the OLDER POST button to see some examples of Letters and PEOPLE from yesterday’s post.

Stay Tuned…

On Top in China: Photo Challenge

For this photo challenge I thought I would take a look back. These photos are from 2011 from a day trip to Zhejaojiao (ZGee-jah-je-ow) just outside of Shanghai. For some of my  followers you may recall the one photo used to be my header. This is my take on this week’s theme set by word press On Top. Which Sara states can be a physical location, or perspective.

Crowds of People On Top of a Small Bridge

 

Many old buildings are adorned with dragons on the tile rooves. Here is a close up.

 

Decorative Dragon On Top of a Roof

 

This small town is called the Venice of China with the winding river and many small bridges. Many little shops, tea houses and restaurants line the river. You can take a small boat to cruise around and avoid some of the crowds. To get there we took a taxi which cost about 400 RMB ($60-70) back in 2011. The drive took 1 hour, one way. We were off the meter, so we could negotiate the price. We also had the driver wait for us, so we had 3 hours to explore at our own pace, which was more than enough time. If you want to read more check out my original post The Venice of China.

 

I have been busy blogging away this weekend. I took advantage of the extra day off. You can check out my other posts by following the links here:

• Hong Kong: Time Fries in Hong Kong
• Photo Challenge: Dusky Hues

Hoppy Easter (:)

Stay tuned…

Round: Tourist in Your Own Town

Recently we went up the Pearl Tower here in Shanghai. It is an interesting building that has pink coloured glass and round ball shapes. Certainly not your traditional straight lines and rectangular shaped building. Word has it that the name came from the round balls, similar to pearls. It was the tallest building in Shanghai at the start of the building boom. The Pearl Tower was completed in 1994.

One of the upper decks has a glass floor where you can view the streets below. Looking through my photos I loved the circular shape.  I loved looking down at the round pedestrian walkway and round about. I thought that would be a cool idea for this month’s Tourist in Your Town photo challenge – ROUND.

Looking down at the (g)round.

Around and Around they go

Now you don’t need to go to a tall building to get your shot. Just look (a)round you and show us something in your backyard, from your street or skyline. It can be round in shape, or hey maybe it could even be something that has been (a)round a long time. Get creative!

How to join in:

• take a photo or search your files for something that fits the theme round
• use Round and Tourist in Your Own Town in the tags and title of your post
• link back to this post, so others may join
• add a link to your post in the comments below, so others can find you
• have fun… this challenge is up a bit early and lasts the month of April before a new theme will be posted

Be sure to check out my post from earlier today for WP theme street scenes.

Stay Tuned…

Shanghai Street Scenes: Photo Challenge

This week WP has asked us to show a street scene. There are so many interesting sights and sounds here in Shanghai that it is hard to pick what to show you. Streets are generally crowded with people and sellers showing off all things to tempt you from t-shirts to DVDs to books to dishes to flowers and fruit.

A few weeks ago we had some visitors from home and we took to the streets. Here are some new and interesting shots I captured while we toured around.

Enjoy my views of the streets of Shanghai.

One thing you see on occasion is a small gathering of men playing this traditional game.

Game ON!

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These men were near the bird and insect market that I posted about here. Quite a crowd gathered to see this man’s items for sale and  little birds.

For Sale

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A typical side street is crowded with people, bikes, and cars. There is always laundry hanging out of windows. It certainly makes for an interesting site. This is more typical in the older part of Shanghai. With newer buildings the balcony has racks for hanging laundry so it is not as noticeable.

Laundry Day

 

Please visit Word Press to see more examples or find out how to participate.

Stay tuned…

 

A Market For Everything

It seems like Shanghai has a market for everything. Want new clothes made, go to the Fabric Market. Need some electronics then the electronic market. How about souvenirs, luggage, knock offs? There is a market for that too. I have shown you Art Street, a sort of market for paintings. A class trip even brought us to a flower market. I needed new glasses, where did I go? The glasses market of course! Spread across the city there is a market for a variety of things, whatever your needs. I have stumbled on some, explored others and have many more to discover.

A market I heard about my first year here has been on my ‘do-to’ list for a while. We had visitors from home last week and they love shopping.  I decided we should take them to see more of ‘real’ China and explore a market that would be filled with sights, sounds, smells and crowds. The market in question was a bird and insect market. The market promised a variety of interesting insects, many of them crickets used for fighting. Small birds and other pets would also be housed here. Now it is not your Western Pet Store, so a warning of cramped and crowded conditions was mentioned in the description as I searched for the address of the location.

After a wrong turn we found our way jostled by people cramped on a crowded, narrow sidewalk. We eventually made our way to doorway leading to the market. Immediately cricket chirping deafened our ears. Pushy people came pouring in as we stopped and adjusted our senses to all we were seeing and hearing. Stalls and small storefronts no larger than a small closet lined the maze of rows of stalls. Our first section houses turtles, fish and crickets. At the next turn were small birds and bamboo cages. As we neared the end hamsters, guinea pigs and bunnies were for sale, housed in cages and small plastic containers or boxes.

Small turtles for sale

Puff ball or bunny? It almost didn’t look real until it moved.

Most of the patrons were locals with a sprinkling of tourists or western expats  like us wanting to snap some interesting photos. Most vendors did not notice or care, but some shooed us on saying ‘NO’ when they spotted us raise our camera. The market was not as big or interesting as the one we saw in Hong Kong, but a cool side trip not far from Xintiandi and YuYuan Garden. The address is:  South Xizang Rd, 西藏南路 From Line 10 get off at Laoximen. It is only a short walk from the metro. Turn right out of the subway away from the Bread Talk and Electronics store.

Stay tuned….

Skyline: Tourist in Your Own Town

I cannot believe it is March already and time for a new Tourist in Your Own Town theme. It is a dreary damp rainy day, so my original plan for the theme was put on hold. I could not bear treading out in the rain yet another day. Last week it rained here 3-4 days and this week we had 2 straight days of steady rain with a cloudy break for one day and then 2 more days of rain with a short break. Instead of getting soggy I looked through my photos and came up with these photos and a new theme.

Shanghai Skyline and fluffy clouds

The theme for March is Sky. Show us the sky where you live. If you live in a big city, like I do in Shanghai, show us the skyline. If you live in a small town or out in the country show a starry night, sunset or cloudy blue sky. What does the sky look like where you live? With the cold winter in North America and the cloudy and rainy weather in Shanghai show us some bright sky to lift our spirits.

Natural Sepia tones March, 2014

In the Pink -Shanghai March 2014

How to Join In:

• post something to show the SKY where you live
• use  Tourist in Your Own Town in the title
• use the tag sky and tourist in your town
• link back to this post
• link to your post in the comments below so others can find you
• a new theme will be posted the first weekend of April, so lots of time for sky posts

Shanghai Skyline along the Bund at night

On a side note thanks to all those who voted for me in the Canadian Blog Awards. The contest ran differently this year and the results are already up. They only show the top 3, so I am not sure of how I did. I did not make the top 3 😦 Oh well I will try again next time.

Stay tuned….

GO CANADA

What a great game last night. To be out and able to watch it live on TV with a bunch of other Canadians was pretty exciting. It was certainly edge of your seat action. Both sides played hard and Canada dumped it in first in the first period. Sweden fought back, but Price (the Canadian Goalie) had cat-like reflexes and deflected, blocked and saved. Canada scored again in the second period and then the third. There were a lot of close calls too where it just hit the post. Sweden fought harder and the last minutes seemed like it rarely came out of the Canadian end, but Canada held on.

Being in a restaurant in Shanghai we could almost imagine we were back home. Red hockey jerseys and Olympic gear was worn by 90% of the patrons. The game started and everyone was glued to the set. The place is covered in flat screen TVs and many of them had the local Chinese channel on. A few TVs had a live feed from another English-speaking country, so we could hear the commentary. It was no Hockey Night in Canada, but would do. It was funny since the games didn’t sync up and on 2 occasions the bar cheered and some of us were left wondering what??? Then 10 seconds later we saw the Canadian goal. A few people hushed the crowd and said “Don’t spoil it!”, but it just added to the excitement and energy in the room.

It was an amazing game. I was always waiting for Sweden to score…. but they didn’t. Canada had a lot of shots and misses, but got it in an incredible 3 times. In the last minute and half of the game our table started to sing Oh Canada. This was our game, and we were winning and we were proud. Our poor Aussie colleague I am sure isn’t sure what to make of all this. Soon everyone was singing along at the top of their lungs. What a moment. Didn’t matter if you were a singer or not -you joined in and sang loud. If you closed your eyes we could have been in any bar back home, but we all came together and cheered on our home country here in Shanghai. What a memory….

Great game men!

GO CANADA!!!!

CAN-A-DA  CAN-A-DA    CAN-A-DA

Did you watch the game???

I have photos from last night, but I am running off to work now. I will add pictures later, so check back tomorrow.