A Canal Warning in Tainan

Today I learned a friend is visiting the city of Tainan in southern Taiwan. I will take that as a sign not only to share a photo I took in Tainan but also as a sign to share a sign.

The bike path on Anping Road was separated by a pedestrian walkway and railings from the Tainan Canal, so there seemed to be little risk. But considered yourself warned.

Masked Shining on Lam Tei Main Street

Spotted THIS in Hong Kong

I've seen a number of cars with personalized license plates in Hong Kong. This is the latest:

A Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC

Hong Kong Buses with The Force

Four years ago I shared photos of displays with a Christmas touch promoting the release of Disney's Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the IAPM shopping center in Shanghai. I haven't seen anything as grandiose in Hong Kong for this year's release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Perhaps that is just because I haven't actively looked for anything. In any case, the best I can do now is to share photos of some of the buses I have seen in Hong Kong with advertising for the movie.

Given my previous interest in advertising on Hong Kong trams, I will keep an eye out for any Star Wars trams. No luck yet though.

Needing Sleep: Four (or Five) Chinese Cities in Two Days

Early Tuesday morning I was surprised when my phone's alarm woke me up at 5:10 a.m. It was supposed to wake me up a 5:00 a.m. Presumably I had slept through the first round of the alarm, and it had tried again.

Those 10 minutes mattered a lot. So I ended up taking a taxi to the Nanning East Railway Station instead of the subway. The taxi cost less than expected, just 35 yuan (a little less than U.S. $5 at the moment), and I arrived at the station with just enough time to pick up a sausage mcmuffin with egg for breakfast.

After about three hours on a high-speed train, I arrived at the Guangzhou South Railway Station.

Less than 15 minutes later I boarded another high-speed train, and in little more than an hour I arrived in Zhuhai. Not long after checking into my hotel there, I crossed the border to Macau by foot. Soon I was at favorite cafe for a grilled onion pork chop bun where I noticed a Hong Kong channel was broadcasting a police news conference.

The sound was off but text on the screen indicated it was about the responsibilities of off duty Hong Kong police. Presumably this was in response to the protest-related news which broke the day before about the issuing of extendable batons to off duty police.

Later in the day, I spotted an animal that taxonomically baffled me for a very brief moment. But then I realized it was just your everyday Macanese duck-dog.

Honestly, the animal attracted my attention to such a degree at the time I didn't even notice the "Do not sit on the staircase to avoid blocking" sign above the sitting-on-the-step woman until now. This raises the question of why, presumably, people like to sit there. Could it be related to the duck-dog?

As this animal experience suggests, as usual I enjoyed my time in Macau. I would've happily stayed longer, but that evening I had to cross the border back to Zhuhai.

After a successful crossing where I learned a key fact from an immigration officer, I was at my favorite place for post-midnight razor clams.

I didn't sleep much that night. Actually, I'm not sure I really slept at all. In any case, at 5:30 a.m. I boarded a shared van to Zhuhai's airport.

Soon after arrival, I noticed my plane was already at its gate. So that was nice.

Since I had plenty of time to spare, I ordered a grilled cheese & ham sandwich at a popular Hong Kong chain restaurant.

I'm not clear why they cut the sandwich that way. I probably shouldn't, but I'm still pondering it.


Anyway, soon I was in the sky and presented with an airplane snack.

The steamed bun on the far left was stuffed with some sort of meat-like substance. I will just say I have eaten many, many different types of steamed buns in China, and this one may have been the worst. But at least the turtle shell herbal jelly was decent enough, though I wondered whether it actually had any turtle shell in it.

Whatever the case, the flight was otherwise uneventful, which I mostly count as a very good thing.

After about 2 hours in the air, I found myself much farther north in China than I have been in nearly two years. Yet incredibly I am still in what they call the south.

So I would say in two days I was in four cities, though if you want to count Guangzhou (I wouldn't) you could say five. I need to sleep now. A lot. Once that happens, at some point I hope to mention the fourth (or fifth) city.

A Token Story from Nanning

Today in Nanning a family exited a train at a stop near the western end of the Line 1 metro. One of them, a young girl, paused just before exiting and turned around. For a brief moment she looked conflicted. Her grandmother (I presume), also still on the train, seemed to recognize the issue and hollered something in a local dialect. She and the girl then quickly exited the train just before the doors closed.

The family remained together.

Two of their subway tokens did not remain with them though.

I wondered if the girl could have retrieved the tokens in time if she had acted immediately. I also wondered what they would now do without them. I'm not sure about the former. It would have been close, but I think she had a shot. Still, a risk. Regarding the latter, my first guess was they would have their two kids duck under the turnstiles to exit the station and hope nothing came of it. Or they could just report the problem before exiting and hope for the best.

I left the tokens where they sat. They probably couldn't serve much use now, but at least they had each other.

The Yunlong Bridge on a Sunny Day in Yulin

I had planned to post more context by now for a story I will tell, but I have been derailed. To get back on the rails, here is a photo of Yunlong Bridge (云龙桥) on the hot and sunny afternoon I observed Yulin's Lychee and Dog Meat festival not far away.

More later of course . . .

Almost Injured by a Motor Scooter While Being Closely Watched in Yulin

I took the above photo of the crosswalk in Yulin because something unexpected happened to me there. As I attempted to cross it a woman riding a motor scooter passed so closely in front of me that our bodies touched. I didn't see her coming because she was driving the wrong direction on a portion of road used for making right turns at an intersection. She presumably saw me, though, unless she had taken things to another level by driving the wrong direction on a road and not looking forward. After I took two photos of the crosswalk following the incident, a man riding a motorcycle in the above photo kindly provided me an opportunity to capture a moment of somebody doing something similar to what the woman had done. Fortunately, he didn't feel inspired to include the almost-injure-somebody part.

Incredibly, something even more unexpected was happening to me during the close encounter, yet I didn't know it at the time. I was being followed by at least one person wearing plain clothes. Noticing something curious later caused me to become suspicious. Actions I then took confirmed my concern. And later experiences confirmed my belief this was not just some random person who was innocently curious about the rare foreigner they happened to notice.

Instead, the reason the person was following me was clearly tied to my observations that afternoon of the first day of the Lychee and Dog Meat Festival in Yulin. I had had interactions, also unexpected, with relevant authorities and what I suspect were relevant unofficial authorities. More followed that day.

So, this touches on why I didn't post anything here on the first day of the festival. It also touches on why there was no post yesterday when I spent eight hours on the first relevant bus. Needless to say, I'm not in Yulin anymore.

Also, needless to say, I have a story to tell.

Now, I wonder what my follower(s) thought when I was nearly hit. I'm not even sure if a more unfortunate event had occurred whether it would've simplified or complicated matters for them.

More later.

Towing the Food Cart in Yulin

The Billside Rivierh Mini-Mini Jumbo Wuzhou Bus in Hedong

I had intended that a post about a Jumbo Wuzhou Bus parking area with art above it would be the last on the Jumbo Wuzhou Bus theme. But then I had an opportunity to ride the mallest Jumbo Wuzhou Bus. I did. And that post was supposed to be the real end of it all.

Really.

You know where this is going . . . Yes, this will be another Jumbo Wuzhou Bus post. The reason? Well, I saw a remarkable mini-mini Jumbo Wuzhou Bus tonight.

Two things made this bus grand enough to notice and to share. One, I saw it in the area locals would call Hedong (河东). I hadn't seen one there before. Two, before I had only seen larger Jumbo Wuzhou Buses with advertising. This was the first commercialized mini-mini I had seen.

The ad is for the "Billside Rivierh". I'm guessing they were aiming for the "Hillside Riviera", but I can't say for sure. What I can say for sure is that this ends the Jumbo Wuzhou Bus theme.

OK, I'm not totally sure.

Kicked Off a Mini-Mini Jumbo Wuzhou Bus in Guangxi

Today while I was near a small bus stop in Wuzhou, a mini-mini Jumbo Wuzhou Bus stopped to drop off and pick up passengers.

I didn't know where the bus was headed.

I had other things to do.

But I also had never ridden a mini-mini Jumbo Wuzhou Bus before, and this might be my last opportunity.

I carefully weighed my options for a second or two.

I boarded the bus.

As typical for the smaller buses, the ride cost 1 yuan (about U.S. 15 cents). At the beginning I found it difficult to keep track of my location since I didn't have a clear view while I stood in the packed bus. Later when it was less crowded I had a seat in the back. The ride was mostly uneventful. Some people chatted in Cantonese. Some people looked out the windows. Some people checked their mobile phones. There were no accidents.

So despite previously saying the Jumbo Wuzhou Bus theme was finished, here's another post about them. I suspect some readers might not be thrilled about another bus post yet are now thinking, "Wait, I want to know about the 'kicked off' part mentioned in the title."

OK, it isn't as dramatic as it sounds.

While I was busy looking at a few photos I had taken, the bus stopped. This was not unusual. Buses are supposed to do this from time to time. Then many people got off the bus. This was not so unusual either. Then I noticed that the bus driver was turned around and looking at me.

Something seemed off now.

The bus driver said we were at the last stop. Normally this wouldn't confuse me, but I saw two other passengers still sitting on the bus. Some bus routes in Wuzhou make a circle or loop. So I guessed that this last stop was really just part of a journey that could take me to other locations. Maybe one of them would strike me as particularly interesting and serve to further justify spending an extra yuan today.

So after looking at the other passengers to confirm their existence, I said I would stay on as well.

The bus driver then explained that I was welcome to take the bus again, but I would need to re-board at the stop across the street. Indeed, there was a stop across the street.

But what about the other two people? Why weren't they getting off? Was I missing an adventure?

Trying to help, one of the passengers asked me where I wanted to go. This was one of those situations where I suspected an honest answer was only going to confuse matters more. So I refrained from saying, "I don't know."

Trying to sort things out, I then returned the favor and asked where he was going on this bus that had supposedly already reached its last stop. But the bus driver interrupted his reply and repeated that we were at the last stop. She looked like she really wanted this all to end.

I looked at the passenger who hadn't said anything at all. She looked like she really wanted to have nothing to do with any of this.

I now felt like I had brought enough disharmony to this tiny bus and its inhabitants, so I got off. And then of course I photographed the bus.

At least one of the passengers was smiling

After the bus drove away from its last stop with two passengers still on board, I looked at the bus stop sign wondering where I was.

The sign immediately cleared up several issues. One, this stop was not only the last for the bus I had just ridden but for several other routes as well. Two, not only did I now know my location, but I was quite familiar with it. About 10-20 meters away was the Jumbo Wuzhou Bus parking area with art above it. And finally, three, I now had a possible answer to why the two passengers stayed on board. Possibly the parking lot was a little bit closer to wherever they were going.

Confident that the bus I had just ridden would be at the parking lot, I walked over to take another photo to better record whether it was as rusty as others I had seen.

As I took a couple of photos, a woman came out of a small office and appeared quite concerned. She asked me why I was photographing the bus. Once more, I wasn't sure the first answer that came to mind was going to help matters. So I said something else that was true, "I like Jumbo Wuzhou Buses!"

On later reflection, I believe I said the first half of my answer in Chinese and the second half mostly in English. Whatever the case, I doubt the woman felt like my answer had clarified much for her.

Anyway, for posterity, rust, and all that, here is a photo I took because I like Jumbo Wuzhou Buses:

There's some rust for sure, but it doesn't look like anything is going to fall off today.

I knew there was another bus which departed from there which stopped at the place that had been my intended destination before taking yet another random bus ride. But I wondered if I had attracted a bit too much attention at the parking area. So I walked away . . .

. . . pleased that I had finally ridden a mini-mini Jumbo Wuzhou Bus.

Art Above the Jumbo Wuzhou Buses

Near the Zaochong Neighborhood Bus Stop (枣冲小区站), the end of several bus routes in Wuzhou, is a place were Jumbo Wuzhou Buses can park and refuel that has an extra touch of art.

I will take this opportunity to share a few additional brief thoughts about Jumbo Wuzhou Buses:

• By a large margin, I have seen the smallest Jumbo Wuzhou Bus the least. Sadly, I have yet to ride one. Because of this and the fact that the slightly larger bus seems closer in size with Hong Kong's minibuses, I now refer to the smallest size as the mini-minibus and the next size up, which I have ridden in various environments, the minibus. The larger regular-sized buses also come in slightly different sizes, but I haven't felt the need to give them different names. I would be interested to hear if others have come up with names though.

• A reader previously questioned why the Jumbo Bus Company didn't take better care of their buses' appearance. My sense is that the smaller buses are more likely to have cracked paint or rust on them. Perhaps this is because they are older. Perhaps this is because the larger buses often have advertising on them which may be periodically changed.

• I found the reader's comment striking in part because I suspected the rust and such would have much more caught my own attention a lot more over a decade ago. In particular, it reminded me of the first time I traveled to Yunnan, also in Southwest China. I didn't feel great about getting on a few minibuses there. Now, I wouldn't blink.

And that brings an end, probably to the dismay of some readers, to the Jumbo Wuzhou Bus theme for now.

Two Contrasting Views From Jumbo Wuzhou Buses

Jumbo Wuzhou Buses are a common sight in Wuzhou, and I have recently made use of them on a number of occasions. To share a tiny bit more about the buses and the places they go, below are two photos from rides on smaller buses where I had a good view out of the front window. In the first case I was standing while heading from one central urban area to another. In the second case I was sitting while returning to an urban area after an unexpectedly long walk took me to a far more rural area. Both rides only cost 1 yuan (about U.S. 15 cents). At least one of the buses was a bit rusty, but I would say I still got more than my money's worth.

At the western end of Fumin Road (阜民路)

Heading away from Baishe Village (白社村)

A Comment About a Rusty Jumbo Wuzhou Bus

In response to a post about Jumbo Wuzhou Buses in Wuzhou, Guangxi, a reader commented:

I am surprised at the condition of the bus in the first picture. The cracked paint and rust stains make the bus look unreliable, and I would have expected the bus company to at least apply some paint over the cracks and clean off the rust stains.

My short reply is that I am not surprised and have seen (and ridden) buses in worse condition. While improving appearances might positively change perceptions of the buses' reliability, I question whether that alone would ultimately change many decisions regarding a ride that often costs just 1 RMB (about U.S. 15 cents) — possibly less with an IC card.

Regardless, people desiring less rusty buses could try expressing their feelings at the Jumbo Bus Company office in Wuzhou, which I happened to stumble upon today.

I'm not saying this is at all likely to work, but at least you could buy or add funds to an IC card there.

Since we're on the Wuzhou bus topic once more, I will share that the other night I saw somebody with a notable umbrella.

What better way to wait in the rain for a Jumbo Wuzhou Bus, rusty or not?

An Apparent Mismatch for a Name: Mini Jumbo Wuzhou Buses in Guangxi, China

Hong Kong formally names its minibuses, like the one which appeared in the previous post, "public light buses". Wuzhou, a city in the Chinese autonomous region Guangxi, also has minibuses. But instead of "public light bus" they have another name on them.

The "Wuzhou" and "Bus" parts of the name "Jumbo Wuzhou Bus" make obvious sense. "Jumbo" is less clear, though, since these are minibuses. If that is the jumbo size then what's the mini size?

A larger bus can help begin to clear up the mystery.

They have the same name on them, which is the name of a bus company. This is clearly stated in smaller Chinese print elsewhere on the buses.

Like buses in Hong Kong, some buses have advertising.

However, you won't see advertising quite like what's on the minibus in the previous post. Hongkongers have greater political rights and more freedom of speech than people in mainland China. The "Tell Right From Wrong, True From False" slogan was part of a campaign for the Labor Party's attempt to win a 2018 Kowloon West by-election. But China still limits Hongkongers' rights to a degree that leads some people to claim Hong Kong doesn't have real democracy. These limitations were evident in Kowloon West election when the Labor Party's original candidate, Lau Siu-lai, was barred from running due to her previous stances regarding Hong Kong's self-determination.

Back to more mundane matters . . . in Wuzhou there are buses in between the mini Jumbo Wuzhou Bus and the regular-sized Jumbo Wuzhou Bus in terms of size. So here are two mini-plus Jumbo Wuzhou Buses:

The word "珍宝" in the Chinese name for Jumbo Wuzhou Bus would often be translated as "treasure". But it is also a loanword in Cantonese meaning "jumbo" because of its similar sound to the English word. Like in Hong Kong, Cantonese is a commonly spoken language in Wuzhou.

I can't shed more light on what inspired the choice of "jumbo". But if you want to dig more, it might be worth looking into the Guangzhou buses with a similar name and logo.

Advice from a Minibus in Hong Kong

A Lot of Low Weight in Zhongshan

A Mobile Moment Near a 5th Season in Zhongshan

Riding by on Tingzixia Street (亭子下大街)

Nighttime Cruising in Zhongshan

At Central Power Plaza (兴中广场)

Fixing a Wheel in Zhongshan