Beijing Skyline

Calligraphy

Pants Building

Halloween

Went as Robin Williams from the movie The Birdcage. Got mistaken for Goose from Topgun, Mario, and Don Johnson from Miami Vice. The mustache truly is a remarkable piece of facial hair

Fall Leaves

Beijing

Lets Taco bout it

I’ve eaten a lot of tacos lately. Don’t know why, just one of those things that continues to sound good  

Flags

Due to the 19大, there have been an abundance of chinese flags around the city. Reminds me of the 4th of July, but as they love to say here, with chinese characteristics

Clarification

I apologize for the lack of posts recently. Over the past two months, I have been working on a novel and have aimed to write 1,000 words per day. As someone who doesn't think of himself as creative, this has been a challenging process. It's a fictitious work about a global policy that works to resolve overpopulation. Will I try to publish it? Absolutely. Do I think it will get published? Ehhh. For me, it's more about trying to do something that I never thought possible. I'm about 20,000 words away from my goal and as soon as I wrap that up, so begins the editing process. I'll continue to work on keeping my blog up to date as I'm sure the only person who reads this, my mother, is still curious about my life in China. 

In the future, I will work to post at least once per day and work on writing more. I know I've gotten lazy with simply posting a picture but you know what they say, "worth a thousand words."

Great Achievements Exhibition of "The Five Years of Development of China”

Tomorrow is the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and because Beijing is the capital, life here is pretty crazy. All AirBnBs were suspended this month, bars or clubs with live concerts were shutdown until the end of the month, packages bought online will take longer due to increased security, the loophole that allows VPNs to work has been plugged, some gas stations have stopped selling gas for a few days to cut down on traffic, messages containing certain keywords + memes of the president cannot be sent on social media, and subway stations have lines running all the way into the street due to increased security. Ah the joys of living in the capital.

The pictures above were from an event I attended for China Today, the magazine I write for. It showcases all of China's advancements and development, with the tour divided into sections such as education, military, healthcare, diplomacy, and technology. I was with the English speaking diplomat group, and oddly enough, also the only one not in a suit. It was really interesting to see all that China has achieved, but at the same time, it was very 'over the top' and a bit cheesy. There were at least 100 photos of Xi Jinping, China's president, all over the exhibition. Overall, very interesting, but China, you don't need to throw your achievements in everyone's face and put it on display in such a tacky way. 

Fall in the Hutong

Beijing Rain

Lunch

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

Mooncakes, even after 4 years, are still pretty gross 

Panjin 3

Panjin 2

Panjin

Situated to the Southwest of Shenyang in Liaoning Province lies Panjin, a flourishing city in Northeastern China. Originally formed as an oil town, Panjin has grown into a bustling and culturally rich city. Among Panjin’s modern looking architecture and quiet streets is a booming culture of art. From September 22 – 24, Panjin hosted a number of events, including the 2017 Traditional Chinese Realistic Painting Art Fair at the Liaohe Art Musuem, The Silk Road New Atmosphere – China & Ukraine Photography Art Exchange Exhibition, and Exotic Shining Eyes – Asian Art Fair International Artist Panjin Tour Photography Exhibition. The event brought together two unique cultures, with both Ukrainian and Chinese artists featured in the exhibit, highlighting the culture and humanity of both countries.

The city is eager to develop its art scene, as it is home to a large and modern art district, housing a number of galleries and artists workshops. Ranging from traditional Chinese watercolor to abstract pieces, the art district was reminiscent of Beijing’s 798 art district. Surrounding apartments had large murals painted on the outside, breathing life into what would have otherwise been standard buildings. The art scene is alive and well, with a number of local artists gaining both national and international acclaim for their work.

RICE

Looking out over the yellow grass of the rice fields is 大米 (Da Mi), or as it’s commonly referred to, “The best rice in China.” The short grain rice of Panjin are of high quality and great taste. Combined with the clear blue skies and crisp Fall air, Panjin is a nice escape from the business of Beijing’s city life. Although skeptical, from personally trying multiple dishes which offered Panjin’s dami, I do think the rice is better than rice I’ve eaten in Beijing. I would describe it as fuller, fluffier, and smaller than the rice I’ve had in Beijing. Something that goes along nicely with Panjin’s famous dami is their Chinese mitten crabs, a famous delicacy in Chinese cuisine.

RED BEACH

From the 5th story of a bright red platform, one can look out over the Red Beach (红海滩), which is famous for its landscape featuring the red plant of Suaeda salsa (碱蓬草). Stranded wooden fishing boats sit perched on the sandy banks, reflecting the culture of an older era. As the sun shone, the cool wind rustled over the beach, which stretched as far as the eye could see. Compared to having seen pictures of this online, seeing it in person was unquestionably more impressive. Serving as a barrier between the land and the sea, Panjin’s Red Beach is not only beautiful, but is also home to hundreds of birds and animals. 

Jingshan Park

Clever

Good design

I understand the cost associated with something like this, but it makes traffic so much easier with pedestrians not blatantly disregarding street lights. I wish there were more of these in Beijing. 

Don't mind the bad panorama. Cars were moving, things got weird