A View Out My Window: Part II: Night

The sky at night is super bright.

I used long exposures for the night shots.

It was cooler yesterday, so I decided to go down to the river, the "Chang Jiang" which translates into "long river." (The name does not translate well.) Nanjing resides next to the Chang Jiang which flows into the South China Sea next to the port city of Shanghai.

I took the extensive bus system to the river.

Nanjing is under a "etiquette" reform campaign. Wen Ming, or 文明 city reforms are to stop jaywalkers and "non-proper" behavior in general. (Mind you, there is plenty of "reform" to go.)

At the river, and in front of a old port.

Hopefully more pictures to come as I go around Nanjing.

A Whole New World

Its been two weeks since my arrival in Nanjing. The city has changed dramatically since my last visit. Old building being torn down to make way for high rises. Cars clog the streets. The economic development wave has offically hit Nanjing.

Social and economic mobility has increased considerably since the "open-door" policies of the 80's. Many Chinese have moved up the economic ladder in the middle and higer classes. Yet, when I walk around Nanjing I still see a huge informal economic sector based on cheap and abundent labor. These people work in the "street" or informal economy, selling newspaper or flowers in the street or opening doors for clients.

Hopefully economic develpment will give them a chance out of their menial status.

A View out of My Window

Still have not started work yet, so I took some shots from my window view. Its not the best view but one with some character.

People in China almost always hang dry their cloth instead of using a drying machine.
Electric and motor scouters are a stable in the streets of Nanjing.

I (Heart) Wal-Mart

I do not particulary like Wal-Mart. They do have the lowest prices, but the atmosphere is not the most friendly or enjoyable.
Yet, I have gone to the Wal-Mart Supercenter in the center of Nanjing twice since my arrival. Two times in one week. The reason was because it was the only thing familiar to me. Its was rather refreshing going to Wal-Mart and experiencing something familiar and not foreign. I was so glad to see the Wal-Mart sign and its array of products lined up just like in the States. But in China's Wal-Mart, they sell chicken feet.

BBQ Nanjing Style

The Mid-Autumn Festival has arrived and instead of eating Mooncakes, lets do some BBQ, Nanjing Style. One of my extended families invited my grandma and I to a park outside of Nanjing for a little fun in the sun.

The extended family at the BBQ pit. (My grandmother's brother's daughters and their husbands.) As you probably noticed we used sticks of wood instead of coals.
They had bamboo rafts but we ran out of time and did ride them.

A lake in the park.

Dozens of people are able to ride on one raft.

At my extended families apartment. They live on the 17th floor. The view is quite nice.

Night.

Fall is almost upon us and so is cooler weather.

Los Angeles to Nanjing, China

My flight to Nanjing was quite a long one. I first flew from LAX to Seoul, South Korea.

At LAX with Ted, Ming, and Abe.

In Seoul, my grandma and I had a 7 hr. layover. We stayed in the airport for the whole time it was quite boring.

I walked around and took some shots.

South Korea is super developed and also clean.

My grandma in Seoul and searching.

We finally arrived in Nanjing after a 2 hr. flight from Seoul.

The crossstreet of my grandma's apartment. The building is from 1930's China.

View from the balcony of the apartment. My grandma is tending to her plants.

A close up from the balcony.

I hope to post more picture. (I need to start taking pictures.) China is changing so fast. Things are gone before you know it.

Bring the Rain

Its starting to rain in Nanjing. Rain is needed in Nanjing, not because of a need for water, but rather it clears the air of pollution. In Nanjing, and I would imagine everywhere in China, pollution clouds the air. Everyday I walk outside, I seem to smell a new type of fume coming from industry. I do not know how people smoke in this environment. Clean air is a luxury.

The Far East

I'm in Nanjing, China and sweating hard. I hope to use the blog to post pictures of life and drop some lines about the Orient. Bye Bye.