Rooftop cafe

My Chinese language teacher had the great idea to have an open air lesson. The cafe is on the 30th floor of a building, right in the heart of Guiyang. But it stretches over three floors. Two of them are not accessible by lifts, but only via an indoor and an outdoor staircase. The cafe has many rooms of different sizes and differently decorated, and by closing the door behind you, you can enjoy the privacy you want or need.
I have to admit, that it was hard to concentrate with this view.

If you would like to read more by me, here are my novel and my diary from Ar'ar, in the northern Saudi desert. Both available on Amazon as soft and hard copy. 

My name is Yu, Huang Yu

One day after the 'beware of the handsome foreigner who could be a spy' campaign, there was this in the news. It's not the handsome foreigners who spy and leak secrets, but their own people.
Here is the link to the article. Not sure if it is still active. If not, I've attached screenshots of it, so you can read it.

Oh what a funny world we live in!

Link to the article (opens in a new window)

Photostory

If you would like to read more by me, here are my novel and my diary from Ar'ar, in the northern Saudi desert. Both available on Amazon as soft and hard copy. 

My name is Bond, James Bond

The following made a round in the various WeChat expats chat groups yesterday, and we all find it hilarious.

The link won't work today, that's why I post screenshots of my mobile phone. The website has been taken off the net. Censorship hooray!

But this news has made its round around the world as you can see from the screenshots and the link.

Please have a read.

Article in The Guardian (opens in a new window)

If you would like to read more by me, here are my novel and my diary from Ar'ar, in the northern Saudi desert. Both available on Amazon as soft and hard copy. 

Sunday afternoon walk part 2

Sunday time, walking time.
My friends have taken me on a stroll around town.

                     You can see posters with characters like this one everywhere in this country. Characteristic for Chinese cartoons are a huge head and big eyes. Sometimes big or long ears. Businesses use them to advertise themselves or their services. There are QR codes, which if scanned, give you all the info you need about the business, their services, brands or products.

                     I'm a dragon.

   OAPs playing Chinese chess

Some local culture

Guizhou Cultural Palace for Minorities

   Chairman Mao

   Yes, the deal is perfect. Two containers and I'll pay in cash. Midnight at the pier? No prob!

   Red Army busy texting

    Are you with me? Are you with me? (I wanna dance by the water 'neath the Mexican sky, drink some Margaritas by the string of blue light, listen to the Mariachi play at midnight....)

    Law and Order

    Nanming River, not the Rivers of Babylon

   .... and meet me at the back of the blue bus, doin' a blue rock, on a blue bus ....

    Ole!

    Guiyang version of Big Ben

    Afternoon traffic jam (pump up the jam, pump it up, while your feet are stomping, and the jam is pumping, look ahead the crowd is jumpin' ....)

    It's not wood what he's putting on his tricycle, Chinese sugar cane. People eat it all the time.

    I'm a strong cat, showing you my muscles

   Globe

    Welcome to Guiyang

    Some ancient Chinese characters

    The Government of Guiyang built this in October 2006 (This is what it says, just in case you were wondering).

    Musicians

    More musicians

    Public loo

    Sheraton Hotel

    Mobile kitchen

    I'm a dragon

    Don't expect any hygiene standards.

    Food for the brave and for those with a strong stomach.

    Guihatten

    Shouldn't there be a snake dancing to the beat?

   Balloons

                      Chimneys? Columns?

                      I'm a doggy fountain with no water (one of the twelve zodiacs)

                      I'm a monkey fountain with no water (one of the twelve zodiacs)

    People's Square. There's one in every city.

                     I'm a horse fountain with no water (one of the twelve zodiacs)

   From outta space

    Police car

    The Kite Runner

    Afternoon nap

    Police car in disguise? Ran out of juice?

    Futuristic bridge

    Texting

   Bei dou (Basket people) having a break. The basket people walk around all day, looking for people who need their help. They will carry everything for you and you pay them as much as you like.

    Fruit and veggie vendors having their break

   The Grand Theatre of Guiyang. Home of the Symphonic Orchestra.

    Government building in the afternoon sun

(As always, videos do not show or play on iPhones and iPads)

Chinese people started about a decade ago to gather in the streets and squares and dance or even exercise. When a recession hit the country, many people lost their jobs. Especially the older ones. They were sent to early retirement with very little pay. In order not to get crazy by staying in the house and watching telly all day, they started gathering outdoors at various times of the day. You see groups of people early in the morning, usually practising Tai-Chi, some even dance and others do gymnastics. After lunch it's the same picture. But most people gather in the evenings. They put a modern version of a ghetto blaster on the ground and move to the beat. 

It's not only old people who do this, especially in the evenings you will see many teenagers or people in their twenties and thirties. 

If you would like to read more by me, here are my novel and my diary from Ar'ar, in the northern Saudi desert. Both available on Amazon as soft and hard copy.