Monday 22nd in Zhengzhou, China

Today I finally started my teaching at Zhongyuan University of Technology. But since my classes were scheduled 4.00 - 5.40 and 6.00 - 7.40 pm (no, that's not a mistake. And it gets worse: the unfortunate students are having to attend next Saturday and Sunday, too, for more from me) I had chance to stroll towards the downtown area with my camera. Here are a few shots I took.


Above: view looking back toward my hotel (Jin Jiang Inn). It's the building centre. My room is on the top floor facing the camera.










Above: he was playing a one-stringed fiddle while she bashed two sticks together and "sang" at full belt, and occasionally at a pitch to seriously worry a sheepdog (I'd guess!).




Above: the future of China!


Now I wonder what that's trying to tell us?
The white dove's fly-past was a complete fluke. Yes, it is indeed real. There were lots of them in the park. Rather appropriate though, don't you think?


Above: not sure what the attraction was, exactly.
(Maybe the young lady in the foreground!)


Above: an olympic athlete? He doesn't look too comfortable though, does he?


Seen at close-quarters, that building (which is quite close to my much-more-humble inn) is a clear rival to both the London and Paris Hiltons; just another recent sign of the upwardly-rocketing China.


But happily, traditions are being maintained. I haven't a clue what this was all in aid of, but whatever it was, it was popular, very noisy and being televised.

Above: this is an exceedingly rare shot - an empty road junction! The brave lady in the yellow top will be taking her life in her hands, however: within a few seconds she will be surrounded by scooters, bikes, cars and lorries with the sole intention of getting to their destination. She will actually have a "walking" green man signal with a countdown . The fact that it is on green, I believe, indicates that she is PERMITTED to ATTEMPT to cross. I shudder to think what happens if you try to cross on red! I was crossing on green and cars were not actually aiming at me, but I was under no illusions - it was me that had to give weay to them. I am seriously convinced that they would run you down. It's not that they have anything against you (I hope), more the fact that to them you are invisible or, more likely, irrelevant.

Finally, here's a fascinating observation. The other day I heard "Happy Birthday" being played out in the street very loudly, repeatedly, and in electronic tones reminiscent of Grommet's card in "A Grand Day Out" (or was it "The Wrong Trousers"?). I couldn't see what it was, being as how I was in my hotel at the time, but it was obviously mobile. It had to be an ice-cream van, didn't it? Or possibly somebody celebrating a birthday? Wrong. It happened again while I was out walking in the boulevard. Believe it or not, it was the road-cleaning vehicle.

Zai Jian!

M