Photo of the Day: At Ease

My first time in Beijing! These guys passed by while we were on the way into the Forbidden City. May in China is already pretty warm, so I imagine they were roasting in those uniforms. They seemed at ease enough, though who knows with those looks of determination.

Today's picture was actually picked by my good friend Leanna, who I met in Dalian and came with me on this trip. All she had to say on this was, "They're really skinny."

Photo of the Day: Alone

Yeah, I really couldn't come up with a better title than that. (Note: the picture is much more impressive if you click on it for the full-size version)

Man doing some exercises at Xinghai Square's "book" monument. A year ago today I moved to Dalian, so a picture of a person all alone in Dalian seemed appropriate. Much as I grew to love the city, I have to admit that first night was rough.

Photo of the Day: Nightly Exercise

Zhongshan Square, Dalian. However, this is a scene played out every night in all cities throughout China. (Apologies for the quality; it's a night shot and my camera was in its dying stages by September)

Photo of the Day: Spot the Rainbow

Taken on what I refer to in my memory as "The Most Beautiful Day in Dalian" -September 24. It was a super sunny day with an incredibly blue sky! This was taken at Xinghai Square, and coincidentally, it was the only time I've ever seen those water fountains actually working.

Photo of the Day: Mountains in Sichuan

My cousin's uncle (my uncle-in-law? His sister is my aunt but we're related by marriage....) taking a rest in front of the gorgeous view of a VERY remote village in Sichuan Province.

We'd brought the whole family out to visit distant relatives in these mountains for Chinese New Year, and spent hours after lunch making snowmen, falling down hills, and having snowball fights. I realize now I should have appreciated the pure beauty I was in a bit more...but at that point I was still adjusting to living in China, and being in such cold weather!

Photo of the Day: Temple to Guanyin

Guanyin was a female boddhisatva associated with compassion and in the West is known as the Goddess of Mercy. This temple or museum (I'm not really sure what it was actually but it did have MASSIVE old rock carvings) was in Guangyuan, Sichuan Province; which was where I spent a week for Chinese New Year 2008 with some extended relatives.

Photo of the Day: Chuar!

Seriously, NOTHING beats eating chuar on a warm September night. I mean come on, it's food on a stick! Though perhaps the memories I associate with chuar, especially the night of this picture, can't really be described....Fall was a good season in Dalian.
(This particular stand is by Olympic Square, next to JD's)

Photo of the Day: Curiosity

One of my favorite pictures from the entire year.

Photo of the Day: Ghost City of Fengdu

An overview of the city of Fengdu from the top of one of the hills; the city is on the Yangtze River and is part of the ongoing Three Gorges Dam project. It is believed that all souls come here first after death, before moving on to 'other' places (wherever they may be)

Photo of the Day: Waiting for the Tourists

Photo of the Day: Boats Adrift

On the Yangtze River, where tourist cruise ships would dock ('cruise' in this sense means like the big white boat in the background, not Royal Carribean style!)

Photo of the Day: Wild Puppies

Photo of the Day: Soup on the Street

Outside Taikang Lu, in Shanghai. You pick all your raw veggies, meats and noodles, then they cook them in the broth to make soup. Delicious!

Photo of the Day: Part II

My good friend Hillary, who went to Dongcai with me, in front of the window in the monastery.

Even though we met in Dalian, her college is only 40 minutes away from mine, and our schools actually have a huge rivaly! We spent this Valentine's weekend together; I took her to my house so she could enjoy a home-cooked meal- we were both craving REAL Chinese food!

I love this picture because I totally caught her off guard, and I think it worked really well with the lighting.

A Valentine's Photo of the Day: Longing for More

One of my favorite pictures of all the thousands I've ever taken. This was in the Tibetan monastery in Inner Mongolia that was POTD a couple weeks ago.

A fave because it's one of the only times I've put thought into a picture beyond lighting and angles; I thought about what I wanted the picture to say-
I wanted it to convey the feeling of what it might have been like being a monk stuck inside, wanting to know what more lay outside his walls....

Photo of the Day: College Shopping

The Trust-Mart (like a Chinese version of Carrefour or Tesco) across the street from the side gates of Dongcai, our university

Photo of the Day: Labor Park in June

One of the main parks in Dalian; located close to Dawai, the school I went to for spring semester. Dalian was so fantastic for walking around....

Photo of the Day: Old Building on Connaught, Hong Kong

Photo of the Day: Stanley, Hong Kong

Where I was the night of the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Photo of the Day: Storm over Dalian

An early morning summer storm, taken from the kitchen window of the Dawai dorms.

Photo of the Day: Tiger Hill Pagoda

Located in Suzhou, about an hour outside of Shanghai. Went with a family friend...I think I took as many pictures of the blossoms on the trees as I did the Pagoda. It's been leaning since 1638 AD, like China's own Leaning Tower.

Photo of the Day: Sun Yat Sen's Mausoleum, Nanjing

Using the color accent feature on my Canon; near the top of the ~300 steps up to the Mausoleum (and it was a hot August day when I went!)

Photo of the Day: Yangzhou

Took a tour on my own. Didn't understand the tour guide. Wandered off. This was the result.

Photo of the Day: Dalian's Coastline

Along Binhai Lu, a long stretch of road along Dalian's coastline. This was off a steep, rocky side road of BHL, where a gorgeous photo shoot was obviously taking place. I would love to see how their pictures turned out. The reason I loved this isolated little cliff was because the water was so clear and I loved watching it crash on the rocks. Along the beaches in Dalian the water was generally clean for China, but still nothing compared to this.

Photo of the Day: Dazu Rock Carvings

A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Dazu County, in Chongqing. The carvings were from the 7th century. This photo has no perspective but the giant Buddhas were about six times the height of us- Massive!

Photo of the Day: DVD-Land

My local shop in the French Concession, around the corner from where I live in Shanghai. At 10 kuai a piece ($1.50) they're actually considered expensive. When I lived in Dalian, I had a special guy I went to, in a secret room three flights underground, who sold them to me for 6, 7 kuai a piece. ($1)

Photo of the Day: The Water Town of Zhouzhuang

About an hour or so's drive away from Shanghai. The town is gorgeous, but a bit too touristy now. I think I liked Suzhou better.

Photo of the Day: Boat in Victoria Harbor (HK)

Was a weird sight to see on this very windy, rainy day- a tiny boat rocking in the waves, against the background of the famous Hong Kong buildings that make up the skyline of Victoria Harbor