I know I posted a picture of a wall covered in ads like this a couple months ago, but when I was combing through my pictures from December this one immediately jumped out at me for its starkness and simplicity. 
Erqi Square in Dalian is known for the host of tailors that set up shop at the base of the hill. To have something custom made here (for example, my red peacoat) cost about the same as buying it off the shelf in the States (in my case, $50). Because of this, we expats frequently went to look at patterns and designs and had things made that we didn't need; it was like regular clothes shopping but without the instant gratification of taking your purchase home with you. 
Western Sichuan province over Chinese New Year, visiting relatives (not mine) who lived high in a remote mountain. Their humble abode had very simple living conditions- dirt floors, no electronics, a stove that required someone to continuously feed and stoke the fire when in use- so I was surprised to see this satellite dish nestled in the bricks.
A relaxing park in Dalian close to Dawai. Not sure how or why, but it so happened that I only ever visited this park once every season. This meant I saw the transformations from winter, when I arrived, through spring and summer to fall, when this picture was taken.
The back walk-up to Dongcai, where I studied Chinese in the fall semester. I didn't live in the international student dorms so I had to commute every day; class ended daily at noon and I would usually walk through this gate to reach the 202 tram.
Building in Shanghai that sits between Nanjing Road (the famous shopping street) and the Bund (the famous waterfront).
Erqi Square is known for its abundance of tailors, and lining the streets to those tailors are various food vendors. Some are focused on one product (apples, fried chicken, sweet potatoes) while others, like this man, have more to offer. This set-up provides for varying degrees of hunger, from snacks for the peckish to cheap meals on the go for the busy bee.
It's an oft-seen, well-known sight in China: The Squat. Yes, it doesn't matter where you go, someone will be squatting. I have heard a theory that while us Americans squat leaning on our front toes, this squat distributes weight evenly over the entire foot, thus effectively making the person sturdy and near-impervious to being pushed over. Of course, upon hearing this, we foreigners all had to test out this theory. (Admit it, you will too.)
Some Aston English teachers got together for a friendly expats vs. locals football (soccer) game. This was taken at halftime. I forget who won, but the expats all walked over to Noah's bar aftewards for mid-day drinks; was a good day. Taken at Olympic Square, which is also the pitch we used for Gaelic football practices.
In Kaifaqu, which is the Development Zone about half an hour's lightrail away from the city center of Dalian. Where this picture was taken, there were two giant shopping malls, and of course an endless number of vendors setting up shop in between the two.
These candles were kept inside a desk-like container (as seen below) at the Tibetan monastery we visited in Inner Mongolia. Getting this picture involved multiple tries because the camera had to be in such close proximity to the flames; I kept wimping out and pulling my hand away.
The view from the steps of the monastery onto the mountains. The view of the monastery itself was POTD on Jan 29. I loved it there because of the slightly higher elevation; the air felt crisp and clean and the overall atmosphere of the monastery was very relaxing. I started feeling very pensive and waxing philosophic. Cheesy but true.
Wangfujing is a famous shopping street in Beijing. We happened to be here on the last day of our BCA trip, October 1st, which was National Day. It was packed. In fact, "packed" doesn't even do this crowd justice. I would stop to take a couple pictures, lose my friends, and frantically search the crowd for four Caucasians. Then repeat.
Riding on camels through the Tengger Desert. We rode for 15-20 minutes because we only paid about three dollars, but there were packages that let you ride for two days and camp out in the middle of the desert at night. For the record, these camels gave off quite an unpleasant odor.
The exit at the Beijing Railway Station, with quarter-past-six-in-the-morning sunlight. One of the many upsides to overnight trains are seeing some beautiful sunrises, and being able to watch an entire city wake up. Especially a city like Beijing, where it doesn't take long at all for the hustling and bustling to begin.
In the fall, suddenly there were piles of green vegetables covering the streets. Mostly cabbage, but as you can see here, sometimes onions were collected too. Copious heads of cabbage were still lying about town, drying I assume, when I left in January.
