CHINA

Country Overview:

"A land of contrasts, where ancient traditions meet rapid modernization, and delectable cuisine coexists with complex political realities."

My seven-year journey in China, from May 2013 to August 2020, was a whirlwind of experiences. I taught English, pursued my Master's in Politics & Foreign Policy at the prestigious Tsinghua University, and immersed myself in the media landscape at China Today and Xinhua News Agency. Beijing was my home base, but my travels painted a vibrant tapestry of China's diverse landscapes and cultures: the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, the historic city of Xi'an, the tropical paradise of Sanya, the unique blend of East and West in Macau and Hong Kong, and countless other destinations in between. From savoring the exquisite flavors of regional cuisines to navigating the intricacies of daily life under a distinct political system, China left an indelible mark on me.

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Notorious

Did a photo shoot for my English school 2 years ago and I've finally made it to Shenzhen

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Side by side

The difference between yesterday and today

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New Logo done by Inhouse_Design @ Envato Studio

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Olympic Park Forest

Walk. That's pretty much all there is left to do

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生日快乐！

Happy birthday Sammi! May your old age make you worse at poker so the rest of us have a fighting chance

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Ramen

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Mo' Mao

Beijing Agricultural University and a crossing guard who shows up around 4:30 and then proceeds to yell at people to stop, who ultimately don't.

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56

These totems represent the 56 unique ethnic groups of China, showing a man and a woman in traditional clothing. Didn't have a chance to see each and every one of them, but very interesting to see how diverse Chinese culture is all in 1 place

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Qing Ming Festival

Social media has been filled with Chinese girls taking pictures of themselves with flowers, so I thought I'd give it a shot as well. Happy Tomb Sweeping Festival from Beijing! These were taken at the Olympic Forest Park

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Gym

Gymnasium at China Agricultural University

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View

View from my new place. 14th floor, Liudaokou

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Exactly

I feel the same way bro

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Getting there

Maybe this is why some consider China as a developing country

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Donkey

Don't knock it till you try it

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Spring

Spring, beef noodles, and just one of the buildings in Wudaokou that is part of Beida.

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Copy That

It starts with small things, purses, clothes and eventually escalates all the way to complete cities (see Paris in Hangzhou). China is the counterfeit capital of the world, blatantly ignoring copyright claims on just about everything. Not even Easter Island is safe. I can only hope they copy the West's attitude about Internet censorship and stop this nonsense.

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Robots

Despite the fact that I thought these were battle bots and then completely got my hopes crushed, watching them pick stuff up and climb mountains was pretty cool

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Bei Bei Beijing

Smoggy, crowded, noisy

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Public Space

It hasn't really occurred to me until I came to Tsinghua, but throughout Beijing, I've noticed a lack of public places to sit and gather. I argue that it goes back to the Tiannanmen Square incident and not wanting people to congregate and 'plot against the CCP'. Or maybe it's just bad urban planning. Regardless, the lack of benches, chairs, or places to sit makes for a somewhat cold environment. Everyone is moving, with a bustling atmosphere; no one pausing to sit and enjoy their Jianbing. Even within Tsinghua, many of the buildings don't have benches or places to congregate besides the classrooms. It's sort of weird, but then again, it's just Beijing.

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What?

I'd like to think they are just missing a 'T', but based on the equal centering of the 'rabbi' with 'home', confusingly I think it was intentional. To add to the mix, the store sells toys and has posters of anime around it.