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Thursday, October 15, 2015

Severed Fingers and Haunting Chocolates at Pizza Hut in Shaoguan, China

It's that special time of the year in China. You can feel it in the air, even in Shaoguan, Guangdong. Which means, of course, Pizza Hut has pulled out its special Halloween menu.

portion of Pizza Hut's Halloween menu in China


And Pizza Hut's excitement over Halloween in China doesn't end there. Halloween-themed M&M's characters are available as well.

Halloween-themed M&M's characters for sale at Pizza Hut in Shaoguan, China


Curiously, a Halloween M&M's pizza wasn't available.

But more Halloween fun is available elsewhere. An RT-Mart, a Taiwan-based hypermarket chain similar to Walmart or Carrefour, I visited in Shaoguan now has a Halloween section.

Halloween section at RT Mart in Shaoguan, China

A bit of Halloween spirit is nothing new in parts of China, and these signs of the holiday in Shaoguan may reflect the holiday's growing popularity. I won't still be in Shaoguan during Halloween, so I won't have the opportunity to see if related festivities arise like those I have come across elsewhere in China, including Changsha a few years ago. I haven't noticed any indications trick or treating will be a big thing though. The RT-Mart didn't even have a Halloween candy section.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

A Change of Room Views in Guangdong

A view outside the window where until yesterday I recently stayed in Zhongshan, Guangdong:

view from a window in Zhongshan, China


A view outside the window where I am staying now in Shaoguan, Guangdong:

view of the Wujiang River from a window in Shaoguan, Guangdong

I wouldn't characterize the differences between the cities using these two photos, but I appreciate the change of scenery afforded by my new room nonetheless.

While I have had an easy time viewing many scenes since arriving in a city I have never visited before, I have not had an easy time viewing my own blog due to significant challenges connecting to my VPN, which I need to access a variety of blocked-in-China services. Although some potential fixes did not offer a lasting solution, things may have returned to normal, my normal at least. As usual, I can't be sure why, but in many ways much of life is like that.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Alley Cats in Zhongshan

The other day in Zhongshan I met two Chinese alley cats in, of all places, an alley. I saw one cat expertly catch a butterfly — looked like it tasted rather good. The other cat was more open to petting and also far more talkative. After I made a quick trip to a nearby place, soon both were quiet. You can figure out what happened from the photos. Not sure it was better than butterfly though.

Cat walking in a Zhongshan alley

cat resting with its eyes closed in a Zhongshan alley

skewered barbecued meat in Zhongshan

two cats licking their paws after a meal in a Zhongshan alley

An American friend who earlier saw these photos in a less clear sequence jokingly asked, "They became quiet because you turned them into cat on a stick?!?!"

Well played, perhaps more than the person realized. I have occasionally seen restaurants and people in food markets in this region of China selling cat. I can't say I have seen anything similar in Zhongshan, but I also haven't looked. Anyway, the cats I met seem to have a relatively good life, though they probably wouldn't mind more butterflies. Or chicken from the nearby food stall.

Friday, October 9, 2015

An Opportunistic Pose in Zhongshan

I often aim to capture "real life" moments in my photography. In those cases, ideally I would like the subjects in the photos to be unaware of my, the photographer's, presence as that can impact their behavior, including small details of body language. Sometimes it doesn't work out as hoped though. Today in Zhongshan, one captured moment reflected two possible results when my presence has been detected: wondering what I am photographing and posing.

young man looking in the opposite direction while a young woman poses — both on the same scooter

Well played. Admittedly, it wasn't what I expected. But both reactions have their own "real" stories to tell as well.

Scenes Around the Camões Garden in Macau

Over three years ago in Macau I met someone who had made a day trip from Zhongshan to buy milk formula from New Zealand. Yesterday for the first time, I made the same trip, though not for milk formula. Near where I am staying in Zhongshan I boarded a direct bus to the border between Gongbei, Zhuhai, and Macau. After the one hour, 27 RMB (about U.S. $4.25) bus ride, I crossed the border in my shortest time ever, easily less than 15 minutes to pass though both mainland China and Macau immigration. Returning to Zhongshan at night was also simple, though the bus cost 28 RMB instead. The trip would likely have taken much longer had I gone during the recent holiday.

The Camões Garden is part of a set of famous sites in Macau which extend southward. The many winding streets just to the West, North, and East see far fewer tourists, yet like Macau's nearby Three Lamps District, which is also in Freguesia de Santo António (St. Anthony's Parish), they have their own charm. I spent a rather pleasant hour an half walking around the area beginning around 5pm. For yet another side of Macau, below are some photos from my walk with any streets names written in Portuguese, which along with traditional Chinese is typical in Macau.

Rua Ribeira do Patane and Avenida do Almirante Lacerda in Macau
Rua Ribeira do Patane and Avenida do Almirante Lacerda


Rua da Palmeira in Macau
Rua da Palmeira


Tou Tei Temple in Macau
Tou Tei Temple 


European architecture in Macau
One of the many examples of European architecture in Macau


buildings in Macau
Other varieties of architecture


Building at Escada do Muro and Escada do Caracol in Macau
Meeting point of the steps Escada do Muro and Escada do Caracol


Rua do Patane in Macau
Rua do Patane


Intersection of Rua de Tomas Vieira and Rua de Coelho do Amaral in Macau
Intersection of Rua de Tomas Vieira and Rua de Coelho do Amaral


McDonald's on Rua de Coelho do Amaral in Macau
 Rua de Coelho do Amaral


Calçada do Botelho in Macau
Calçada do Botelho


View towards Zhuhai from Camões Garden in Macau
View from the Camões Garden towards Zhuhai across the Qianshan Waterway 


Northern view from Camões Garden in Macau
Another view from the Camões Garden


man walking down stairs towards Travessa dos Calafates in Macau
 Stairs leading towards Travessa dos Calafates


Cat eating above a sign for Calçada do Galo in Macau
Cat eating above a sign for Calçada do Galo


food stall in Macau
Street vendor selling food at Rua de Cinco de Outubro


food vendor stall in Macau
Street vendor watching video at Rua da Ribeira do Patane

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

More National Day in Zhongshan: War Ground, Budweiser, and Fake Sprouts

On this last day of the long holiday, light mention of three more things (other things here, here, and here) which caught my attention in Zhongshan, Guangdong, on National Day:

1. Earlier this year in Zhongshan I saw a Women's Day sale at the military-themed clothing store War Ground. So it wasn't surprising they also had a National Day sale.



I wonder whether they will have a Christmas sale.

2. I didn't see anything specifically mentioning National Day, but along with some other nearby temporary tents a Budweiser promotional tent appeared to be targeting the holiday crowds. Although it declared "Made for Music", any time I passed by I only saw Western movies offered as entertainment.



Budweiser products were available as well. Some of the people who watched the movies even drank them.

3. As seen in one of the photos in an earlier post, a new fad in China has made its way to Zhongshan. Sometimes referred to as fake sprouts, a wide range of plantlike hair pins are now available. On National Day they appeared to be selling well, as they were elsewhere in China, and I saw many younger people with fake plants sticking out of their head.



I gave it pass. I did have visions of wearing an entire bonsai tree on my head though.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

People in Zhongshan Without Patriotic Flags on National Day

On China's National Day I saw a number of people displaying Chinese flags, some upside-down, in Zhongshan, Guangdong. Most people didn't have any flags with them though. So below are twenty National Day photos of people not displaying Chinese flags in areas of Zhongshan similar to those in the earlier posts. The photos show a little more of how some people in China spent their time during a big holiday.

Some people I saw ate cotton candy.

girl eating cotton candy in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some ate ice cream.

girl and mother eating ice cream in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some ate noodles.

little girl and boy eating noodle soup outdoors in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some collected recyclable trash.

woman collecting recyclable material in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some wore cosplay costumes.

three females wearing cosplay costumes in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some wore shades.

girl and woman wearing sunglasses riding a scooter in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some paid for shade.

people buying umbrellas in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some paid for hair clips with fake sprouts.

young women buying fake sprouts hairpins in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some didn't want to pay.

female wearing a shirt with "LOVE DON'T PAY THE BILLS"


Some jumped.

girl jumping on trampoline in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some drove.

boy playing a moving car arcade game


Some floated.

children riding plastic bumper boats


Some rode at the back of a scooter.

girl facing backwards riding on the back of a scooter


Some rode at the front of a scooter.

two small children riding a scooter in front of the man who is driving in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some road alone.

man riding a Segway-like vehicle in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some received a ride.

man pushing a girl in a stroller in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some waited to give a ride.

auto-rickshaw driver waiting for passengers in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some walked with family.

girl walking with parents in Zhongshan, Guangdong


Some walked alone.

man walking up stairs for a pedestrian bridge in Zhongshan, Guangdong


And finally, although not carrying a flag, some wore clothing with a flag-inspired design, just not the Chinese flag.

young woman wearing a skirt with a U.S. flag design

Monday, October 5, 2015

Why Did a Person Display an Upside-Down Chinese Flag in Zhongshan?

A sharp-eyed reader asked a question about this photo from a post featuring people in Zhongshan displaying Chinese flags on National Day:

young man on electric bike with an upside-down Chinese flag

The person is flying the flag upside-down. Does it have any significance there as it does here in the US? Or does it not really matter there?
Similarly, not too far away I saw a street vendor who also had an upside-down Chinese flag. Both cases were atypical. In a more famous case, as captured in a photo shared by the Chinese news agency Xinhua, an upside-down Chinese flag appeared during the opening ceremony for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

photo of boy with upside-down Chinese flag walking with Yao Ming during the opening ceremony for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing

Xinhua's caption to the photo:
Basketball star and flag-bearer of Chinese Delegation Yao Ming and nine-year-old Lin Hao, a pupil fron quake-hit area in southwest China's Sichuan province, parade into the National Stadium at the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 8, 2008. According to media reports, when the May 12 tremor struck, Lin Hao risked his life and suffered multiple injuries for rescuing his schoolmates from the collapsed buildings. He was later awarded the title of "Teenage Hero in Earthquake Rescue and Relief." (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
Some may question how a nine-year-old could qualify as a "Teenage Hero". It may simply reflect an imperfect translation of the Chinese word "qīngshàonián" (青少年) which can refer to a broader age range, such as 10 to 19 years-old, and can also be translated as "adolescent". More people may question how an upside-down Chinese flag could have escaped people's attention during a meticulously planned opening ceremony.

But the biggest question was, similar to the examples I saw in Zhongshan, whether the upside-down flag reflected a simple mistake or a deliberate act, since it can be a sign of distress or political protest. Even if the boy didn't intend to communicate anything negative, perhaps the person who gave him the flag did.

In all of the cases, I don't know the true intentions. However, similar manufacturing/assembly mistakes are not uncommon in China. And the difference between a normal and upside-down Chinese flag doesn't appear to be as visually salient as it is for other flags, such as the flag for the U.S. So people may be less likely to notice or to care. Also, if it were an act of negative expression and widely interpreted as such, all of these people would be taking a huge risk. A recent example of publicly raising an upside-down China flag in protest possibly occurred in Hong Kong, but people can more freely express themselves there.

Personally, without evidence showing otherwise, I would assume the person in the photo from Zhongshan was not boldly expressing himself. I wouldn't say it is impossible he was though.

China should be aware that others make similar mistakes. Not long ago the U.K. government prominently placed two flags at the signing of a trade agreement with China. They correctly oriented China's flag. But they weren't so lucky with their own flag, something which was described as "a terribly British thing to do".