Running for Red Star: A Near Miss on an Old Street in Nanping

Yesterday while I stood in a narrow old road in Nanping Town, Zhuhai, a boy quickly ran by. As I tried to the capture the moment, something surprised both of us — an incoming man riding a scooter. The boy deftly responded.

Nobody was hurt, and life went on. I didn't expect to see the boy again, yet he soon returned running with a focused expression on his face. For a brief moment when I glanced down, I noticed the small bottle of Red Star erguotou he now carried. Presumably he had purchased it at a nearby small store for someone older, perhaps his father or grandfather, who would have more interest in strong alcohol than a typical boy. I would have asked, but clearly this was a boy on an urgent mission.

Assorted Links: Agriculture Spying, Child Brides, Exploding Ducks, and China's Democracy

For today, here are links without much introduction to some unrelated pieces which caught my eye:

1. An engrossing story, much of it set in Iowa, emphasizes how trade secrets about agricultural products can matter in ways similar to those about military weapons for the U.S. and China.

“These are actually very serious offenses,” Lin says.

“They could treat us as spies!” Ye interjects.

Lin, exasperated, responds: “That is what we’ve been doing!”

2. Thought-provoking examples offer some light on child marriage in Bangladesh.

“When I asked both girls if they were happy they seemed almost confused by the question,” Joyce said. “They both replied along the lines of ‘Well this is my fate, I didn’t have any say in it. This is my life now.”

3. Roasted duck is a part of Hong Kong culture. Blowing them up with bombs is not. Yet two men in Hong Kong are accused of doing just that in a country park. Their stated goal was to kill wild boars. No word on whether exploded roasted duck would also be on the menu. Hopefully the passerby who was injured had a speedy recovery.

4. And finally, a brief point about a peculiar Global Times editorial which claimed China is the world's largest democracy.

Another Outdoor Meal in a Familiar Place

Last night I didn't eat a meal on a train. Instead, I ate a late dinner in more spacious conditions.

It felt good to be back in Zhuhai, a city where I have enjoyed many late night meals before, some in this same alley, and where I once saw a giant inflatable Vivo-Android robot.

Tofu, Bud, and a Wobbly Doll: Killing Time on an Overnight Train in China

Not long ago, I felt inspired to make a long trip by overnight train instead of taking a plane. To pass some time during the evening portion of the ride, I decided to buy one of no-frills meals for sale from a passing cart. When I asked if there was a chicken option, the man pushing the cart looked at me like I was crazy. So like the last time I rode an overnight train, I paid 25 RMB (about U.S. $4) for the only option available. I also noticed beer in the cart. Although it was far from my favorite, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy a can of the unexpected brand for 10 RMB.

The meal was more substantial than my earlier overnight train meal, and the fried fish tasted just like the fish sticks I commonly ate as a kid. The tofu-like object tasted like tofu. The other stuff had flavors. And the beer had just as little taste as I expected, so I ordered a second one to wash down the first one. Overall I give the meal and the beer a passing grade, as they proved successful in helping me kill some time in a cramped space.

After sleeping, or finishing trying to sleep, the next day dragged on more than expected since the train arrived two hours late. But fortunately a friendly four-year-old girl provided some entertainment.

Better than the beer.

Needless to say, I am not in Shanghai at the moment. And I am not even sure where I will be tomorrow night. But I will be somewhere, and I will be moving forward with the various posts mentioned earlier, plus other posts, including one about a wonderful item I found in Shanghai for the first time which surprised me far more than finding American Budweiser as the sole beer for sale on a Chinese train.

Bu Ye Cheng (Long Xiao) Communications Market in Shanghai

About 300 meters (1000 ft) to the east of a pedestrian bridge near the Shanghai Railway Station is a market which fills the majority of a large building. The market's name is written, translated and transliterated in numerous ways. A map inside the market, the sign of a complaints office for the market, and a sign by the market's management, all indicate a name which includes the Chinese "龙晓通信市场" which I'll translate as "Long Xiao Communications Market"*. But names more closely resembling "Bu Ye Cheng Communications Market" — "Bu Ye Cheng", sometimes spelled as a single word, comes from the name of the entire building — appear to be more commonly used. Whatever you call the market, fortunately the gold-tinged building with a large digital billboard at the intersection of Tianmu West Road and Meiyuan Road is easy to spot.

If you so desire, you can collect business cards from the hundreds of stalls and marvel at the different names they give the market. But of more interest to me are the various mobile phones and related products that mostly fill its six dense levels.

I think it offers the closest experience in Shanghai to some of the markets in Shenzhen's immense Huaqiangbei electronics commercial area. I recommend taking a look, especially if you are interested in mobile phones and won't be in Shenzhen. I will refrain from sharing more details about what I saw there, since a closer look is in store for some similar markets in Shanghai and elsewhere in China.



*Two of the signs used the slightly longer name "上海龙晓通信产品市场".

A Greener View from a Pedestrian Bridge in Shanghai

Although they all included trees, for readers who were hoping for something even greener than the five photos taken from a pedestrian bridge in Shanghai, here is yet another view from the bridge:

The man walking his dog is an added bonus.

Just another Shanghai scene . . .

Views from a Pedestrian Bridge Near the Shanghai Railway Station

Recently I shared a brief story about some people I met on a pedestrian bridge while taking photos near the Shanghai Railway Station. To offer a few more everyday Shanghai scenes, below are views from the bridge, which surrounds an entire intersection, presented in a counter-clockwise order.

Hengfeng Road looking southeast

Tianmu West Road looking east

Pedestrian area leading towards the Shanghai Railway Station

Hengfeng Road looking northwest

Tianmu West Road looking west

The second photo includes a sliver of a gold-tinted building with a large number of mobile phones for sale. More about that building later . . .

Beads of Light in Zhongshan

A view of an artistic structure near an apartment complex in Zhongshan, Guangdong:

A sign nearby identified it as "光立忘". I am hesitant to translate titles of art, but for purposes here I will go with "Light Immediately Forgotten". Happy to hear other suggestions.  I share the photo because it made me think of a more obviously personal installation work by Hwang Buh-Ching I saw in Taipei.

A Photographic Moment in Shanghai with a Man from Shangqiu

While taking some photos from a pedestrian bridge near the Shanghai Railway Station, a man asked if he could haven his photo taken with me. I said "sure" and he handed his Coolpad mobile phone to one of the two boys with him. After the photos were taken, I asked if I could take their photo.

Although I have received many similar requests in the past and once discussed the phenomena while sharing 10 photos of people who requested to have a photo taken with me during just two days in Zhanjiang, it happens far less often in Shanghai, with some touristy areas being occasional exceptions.

The man told me he is from Shangqiu, a prefecture-level city in Henan province about 740 km (460 miles) away to the northwest. I mentioned I had visited there and neighboring Kaifeng. He spoke of Kaifeng's well-known old town, so I mentioned that Shangqiu has an interesting small old town as well. He agreed yet appeared surprised. I interpreted his reaction as "oh, you really have been to Shangqiu". Based on what people there told me and people's reactions to seeing me, few foreigners come to the city.

Several especially memorable experiences I had there now come to mind — stories for future posts. For now I will just say I really enjoyed my time in Shangqiu and appreciate the unexpected opportunity in Shanghai to briefly meet someone from there.

Watering an Overpass in Hengyang

As I walked underneath an overpass one day in Hengyang, Hunan, I barely escaped an unexpected shower. These things happen.

I was then lucky enough to witness a water truck being used to water the flora alongside the road above me. These things happen too.

Another Scene of the Mobile Phone Brand Vivo in Hengyang

To show that the Vivo-related photos I took last year in Hengyang didn't capture something fleeting, here is a promotion for the mobile phone brand I saw in the same area this year:

And I saw it on the very first day I returned to Hengyang. They weren't overrun with people when I passed by on a Sunday afternoon, but in general the area seemed rather quiet.

Apple on Windows Above Apple in Shanghai

Above the Nanjing East Road Apple Store in Shanghai, a mall's digital billboard displayed an advertisement for the Apple Watch.

And like what I saw at a mall in Haikou, I discovered the digital billboard runs on Windows.

This case just included an added touch of irony.



Perhaps-not-needed-but-would-rather-error-on-the-side-of-openness-disclosure: I previously worked as a user experience researcher at Microsoft China. I didn't work on any projects directly related to digital billboards, partly because they are difficult to carry around.