Absurdity, Allegory and China

The Kingdom from another angle.

Absurdity, Allegory and China header image 4

Entries from May 2008

Yet again, more CCTV photos

May 24th, 2008 · No Comments

I’ve been in involved in a project that has me looking back through my photos, and I came upon these (and many others also) that I had not yet seen. The different angles and constantly shifting light makes it new each time I go to take photos. Enjoy, if this sort of thing rocks your [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: Beijing · CCTV · architecture · photo

Everybody’s Got One

May 19th, 2008 · No Comments

I have been quiet concerning the events on the Plateau over the last couple months for a variety of reasons, all having to do with my involvement with a local school in Qinghai for the past three years, all very legal and officially approved in a place that is, even by Qinghai standards, known to [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: Tibet · reporting

Letter Home: Hells

May 17th, 2008 · No Comments

It’s been a bad week here. The Sichuan earthquake is, of course, dominating the news and finally kicking the torch relay out of the spots. In fact, there has been much Chinese criticism of the relay now that it has returned to home territory, with calls for it to be suspended and the money saved [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: Olympics · Sichuan · Tibet · Uncategorized · architecture · flame · shang

The Bough Breaks

May 16th, 2008 · No Comments

While the earthquake disaster moves from the primary focus of rescue to the grimmer work of recovery and cleanup, there will, no doubt, be some hard questions asked, especially regarding the safety of schools. In fact, parents are asking those questions now as they sort through the bodies and the rubble. As the news continues [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: CCTV · earthquake

S’more

May 12th, 2008 · 2 Comments

Here are a few more photos from the East Third Ring Rd on Saturday afternoon. The light was right.

Technorati Tags: gourley China CCTV Koolhaas

[Read more →]

Tags: Beijing · CCTV · Koolhaas · architecture

CCTV Headquarters Building

May 11th, 2008 · No Comments

I went by the CCTV HQ Building late Saturday afternoon just to make sure that it’s on-schedule. Though there’s still a lot of steel showing, I expect it will be impressively shiny and fully-sheathed, in full-Olympic dazzle, by August 8. I also expect that if there are any problems with the construction schedule, this site [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: Beijing · CCTV · Koolhaas · architecture

Fighting to Vote in Indiana

May 8th, 2008 · 3 Comments

I’ve written in here a time or two concerning the rule of law, so it seems appropriate to illustrate what that term means to some people, and why it’s sometimes necessary to publicly demand it when confronted with its opposite. Below is an email from a US friend, a Democrat, who went to her polling [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: election · voting

A Star Is Born

May 8th, 2008 · No Comments

Ciren Wangma

[Read more →]

Tags: CCTV · Olympics · Tibet · flame

No News Is … No News

May 6th, 2008 · 4 Comments

I’ve been following the Tale of the Torch on its way up Qomolangma via Reuter’s Countdown to Beijing blog. The biggest story coming from the Everest Base Camp where Nick Mulvenney, David Gray and Mark Chisolm are holed up is that there is no real news to report, though they have been there for a [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: Olympics · Tibet · flame

Brave New Words

May 5th, 2008 · No Comments

It’s official! There are two new names to add to the torch relay games that relate to the ascent-in-progress of Qomolangma (Mt. Everest):

Event name: Beijing Olympics Torch Relay Qomolangma Leg
Torch-carrying team: Chinese Mountaineering Team

No word yet on whether there will be a team to keep the medals’ podiums sacred and inviolate. I just [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: Beijing · Olympics · flame