Software

Like the movies that you can buy for 4 rmb on the street corner, most software comes from a dao ban die – pirated disk. An operating system or new virus software is about 15-20 rmb usually, but I was trying to find zhen ban – the non-pirated version. After asking around Computer City I found someone selling the authorized version of XP Pro…for two thousand rmb. Yes, one hundred times the street price and about level with an average person’s monthly salary here. Perhaps a local could bargain for more of a discount than I managed, but no wonder nobody buys the real stuff.

Biennale

Chengdu's biannual art show is held far south of the centre, in the heart of our high tech district which to this foreigner is confusing to navigate and has the feel of being permanently under construction. It is a fitting location for the show, which has the theme Reboot. Many of the works were very new, created within the past year or so.



Much of the art was uses traditional media and techniques depicting modern themes, or modern media with a very tradtional feel. One example is this piece of plexiglass pierced with holes; the shadow on the wall makes the image:



There were some interesting pieces that mixed an image with sculpture. Here is one with a virus theme:



Texture and Light:




This is the final frame from a series called Entertainment Family: Demolition by Zhou Yong. The character is one we see on many traditional buildings that are fated to be torn down.

FIFA Women's World Cup

The first round of the women's world cup 'football' playoffs concluded this week.(Everyone here learns British English.) The last game in town was between Canda and Australia, and was delayed a day because of the typhoon in Eastern China. I got a ticket with a face value of 60 rmb for 20 from a scalper, but only made the last half of the game due to work. Australia had just scored for a 1-1 tie when I arrived.



The audience of 29000 was very into the game, and there were drummers in the stands that would stir up the crowd during rushes (if that is what you call it in soccer). One guy sitting just below me was making impassioned comments that made everyone else around us laugh. Most seemed to be cheering Australia though.



The Canadian team had several near misses during the second half and managed to score near the end of the game for a 2-1 lead.



Canadians showing support:



For some unknown soccer reason, the game was extended by three minutes after regulation and the Aussies managed to tie it up.



The game ended with a 2-2 tie. The Canadians needed a win to advance to the next level of the tournament, and there were a lot of tears after having come so close. Australian fans celebrating:

Home base

Very glad to be back and settled for a while. This is supposed to be the hottest part of the year, and we get rain showers almost every afternoon and it feels tropical. We can buy mitao ('honey' peaches) on the streets now, and white pomegranates. I found figs the other day too.

Caught in the rain at Tianfu Square:

The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace is more like a park, very cool and pleasant compared to the heat of the city centre. I grab a bus from Qianmen, near where I am staying, which takes over an hour to arrive. The above, I believe, is the Garden of Harmonious Interests.

View of Kunming Lake from Longevity Hill:



View from the lake of the Tower of Offering Incense, with a temple behind it.



Lotus flowers on Kunming Lake:



Traditional musicians playing in the Hall of Eternal Ripples. (Who makes up/translates these names? Seriously, who?)



Lovely and peaceful place, my favourite spot in Beijing so far.

Wangfujing and Donghuamen

This is a night market and snack street area to the east of the Forbidden City. The snack street has some good things but is mainly for shock value – you can watch a grill guy putting live scorpions on skewers. You can get really good chuar there (triple the cost of chuar at home) as well as grilled corn, takoyaki, and a very good sandwich that was like a cross between shawarma and a guo kui. I got some shan xi dao shao mian (shanxi style knife-cut noodles) which just made me homesick for the Chengdu version.

The tourist requisite scorpion picture:



The foreigner gouging is rampant here, worse than India. The convenience stores and restaurants along the hostel street have English signs and most services charge outrageous prices: sixty kuai for a 40 minute foot massage, seven kuai per kg for laundry, two kuai to send a one page fax. When I ask at the hostel about a cab to the airport they want to charge 150 kuai to call me a taxi, a fifty percent markup. The girl suggests I walk a couple blocks to the main road to flag my own cab and offers to write ‘I would like to go to the airport’ in Chinese for me. (No, that's OK, thanks.) Next time I am going to find a hotel that Chinese people stay at.

Tian An Men Square by night

Monument to the People's Heroes



Beijing has several of these Olympic Countdown billboards. (Chengdu has at least one as well.) This one is in front of the Great Hall of the People.