[Matt]

Joni and I are back in the City of Chengdu... and our appetites are back. We meet up with Jing every night to sample Sichuan Cuisine (more on this in the Food thread). Saving on cash, we start taking advantage of the new Chengdu subway, which finished construction last fall. Just one line, it luckily stretches from my hotel to Jing's computer shop, to some nice neighborhoods with good eateries.

Communist countries put a lot of grandeur into their public transportation projects it subways have always been a showcase for "government for the people produces results for the people." Many cities throughout Russia have subway systems far superior (in looks at least) than to the cities that house them.
The Chengdu subway is clean, simplified, with plenty of digital screens, bright lights, and high security (if you consider teenagers with x-ray machines and metal detectors to be high security). Bags go through the x-ray just like any airport, and people walk through the metal detector. My camera set off the detector every time. No one cared. I guess I don't fit the profile.











During the day, I would hang out in Jing's shop in the computer market with my new friends Chow and Hong


It's a small shop in a 6 story market. They only have 7 models of Thinkpad, and they compete with 1 other Thinkpad retailer in the building, and three across the street. Because there are so many people in China, they can sell in such large quantities, that Jing can actually make a nice living out of it. She is expanding to a larger shop this year.

The view from the shop




Walking down the street one day, I see this and had to check it out.




Californian wine. Actually this is 7-11 brand wine we also have in the USA for $4/bottle. Priced at just under $11 here.


Bought a Rochester-originating product!

[Matt]

With Jing working, Joni and I set out to explore the old neighborhood of Chengdu.
Half of the property is shopping and food. The other half is a museum and garden. Joni was all for the museum part. Excellent. The place name is Wen shu yuan.



Inside the old complex there are plenty of temples to pray at.




Joni starts posing for glamour shots. Apparently, girls like to lean up against walls and things for their fancy pictures. As I'm photographing one things, she calls to me to take her photo. She's leaning, almost rolling up against a black wall. I just laugh... These ancient Chinese buildings didn't use black paint, they used a mixture of charcoal carbon and pigments. Her left side was covered from top to bottom in black powder. So... had to borrow a hose from one of the gardeners so she could clean up.



Dozens of buildings spread throughout the gardens here.

[ApproachingLight]

beautiful. the annotations add so much! thnx

[Kelly]

TRICKY!

[hobkyl]

Great photos again!

However, I have to ask...what is that thing coming out from the bottom side of the panda statue?

[Kelly]

I wondered the same thing, and decided it HAD to be a tail.

[Kelly]

Stunning as always. Beautiful shots. I especially think it's cool to see candid shots of real people going about their everyday lives. Here, I call it a slice of American life, when I travel around - and there, well, a slice of Chinese life I guess. It's all good. Really fun to see!

[Matt]

Pandas don't have tails that big

[ApproachingLight]

And so you are saying....

[Kelly]

And so you are saying....

Uh....wishful thinking?

An interesting biological reason for the low pregnancy success rate is written on the wall in the panda breeding center in Chengdu: '(The) male panda's penis is so short, and female panda's vagina is so long relatively that the insemination rate is low. This is one of the causes of panda's scarcity.' The penis of a 100 kg (220 lb.) adult giant panda has the proportion of a human thumb. And the males are clumsy lovers. 'The male giant pandas do not know where to put it. Sometimes they climb on the females' heads and start pushing,' said zoologist Chen. 'This irritates the females and they start to fight, often smashing each other's heads and breaking limbs,' he said." (Inside China Today)

The long and short of it.

So David, you now have something to post on the"It's Friday - What did you learn this week?" topic.

You're welcome.

[Brenda]

[champy1013]

Nice Matt - love those shots, especially the ones in the villages.

[Matt]

More shots from the old village


A lot of pathways lead to doors I can't open.

Food storage


This courtyard was filled with red ribbons and bronze locks. Couples come here and lock a ribbon to the chains, around the courtyard. The locks and ribbons say cheesy things like "eternal love".






The courtyard is surrounded by gardens of this flower, the same color as the ribbons.

[ApproachingLight]

LIke the "cheesy things." The filter on the stone and grass IMHO works.

[Kelly]

Aside from the food, these are my favorites so far.

To have been able to produce such beautiful documentary AND artistic photos while touring in a foreign land, all while dating dozens of Asian girls at the same time is an authentic gift - and you have it my friend.

Stunning work. Really.

And here's a tip. Doors open very easily once you think to ask for the key.