Absurdity, Allegory and China

There used to be hope for China. Or at least the appearance of hope. Hope that things were getting better, though what getting better actually meant had everything to do with how bad it used to be in the earlier stages of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Dynasty: the Great Leap Forward, the politically-inspired [...]

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In July 2006 a rumor started on the Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau that the Dalai Lama, the revered spiritual leader of Tibetans, would appear at Kumbum Monastery, one of the Gelukpa holy sites in Qinghai province, a mere 40 minutes from Xining. The rumor had it that the news had spread via text messages through the Tibetan [...]

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I had written a long blog entry to go with these photos, explaining the National Holiday air quality issue, but I lost it. It happens. Though I’m not one who usually lets things go, there’s not much I can do about this one, so I’ve come to terms with the fact that it has been [...]

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“Go!” ________ On Thursday morning, September 30, 2010, I went to the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Huajiadi (Beijing, not far from IKEA) and visited the CAFA Art Museum, a building designed by Arata Isozaki that was opened in 2008. On this day I was more interested in seeing the space rather than [...]

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In Amsterdam this past Monday evening, September 27th, there was a book launch of Koolhaas in Beijing, by Edzard Mik, the fifth book in a series of essays commissioned by Fonds BKVB / Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture. The designer Marco Stout of Stout/Kramer, Rotterdam has introduced the book on their website. [...]

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On the evening of September 27, 2010, Brendan O’Kane (@bokane) tweeted, “Tmw morning at 9: first ?? ceremony at the Beijing Confucius Temple since 1949. No info on whether or not it’s open to public, but will go.” I decided to go too. When I arrived at the Confucian Temple – one of my favorite [...]

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There is nothing quiet so dramatic as the seasonal journey of a lotus pond: the rising up from muck in the summer heat; the outrageous, near-brashness of the flowering, the floppy leaves like mainsails catching the least breeze; and the inevitable collapse in the low-angled light of autumn, adding a remarkable physicality to the season [...]

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Here are a few photos from an early morning walk I took this morning. And, no, there are no CCTV photos. At least not yet.

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I probably read the New York Times more than I do any other news outlet (don’t ask me why; habit is all I can answer), though I find myself questioning the quality of their journalism more and more. Thomas Friedman is one who always raises hackles among those who know more about China than any [...]

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Below are a few shots from this morning at Guomao, where the Dongsanhuan (East Third Ring Road) and Jianguomen Dajie entwine. It was another lovely, steamy, smoggy, summer morning in the capital city. It’s not always like this, though it is quite a lot. These photos are part of a larger set shot between 5:24 [...]

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