China has invested tremendous amounts of money in high-speed rail. It currently links major metropolitan hubs including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wu Xi, Nanjing and Beijing. The train above is called Harmony and is the one that I take when traveling between Nanjing and Shanghai. The trains are new, convenient, relatively cheap, comfortable, crowded and, of course, fast.
Student life at Chinese universities can be very different from that at American colleges and universities. This picture was taken just outside of the faculty apartment where I lived during my semester of teaching music at the Shanghai Normal University. The students would be out on the basketball courts in front of the high-rise dorms visible in the background. And yes, those are various meats hanging on the line strung along inside the fence surrounding the court. I never did quite figure out who was responsible for producing this odd juxtaposition of “food and fun”, but every week there seemed to be some sort of animal protein – cow, fish, pig, chicken, pigeon, or some such, hanging out in the Shanghai air.
I am not a subscriber to any particular religion; one of the reasons being that I believe that religions often take themselves too seriously. But that is apparently not the case with the “laughing” Buddha, an icon that mostly seems to adorn the counters of Chinese restaurants. But since spending time in China, I have come to really enjoy this often-whimsical figure. It is now difficult for me not to smile when I encounter him. Recently I learned a curios bit of information about my name in relationship to Buddhism. My last name, when translated – or roughly transcribed into Chinese, yields two distinct words – “Fo” is the word for “Buddha”, and “lun” (with the one vowel alteration of “a” to “u”) can mean “blue”. So the rough translation of my last name is “Blue Buddha”. Go figure…
Since in the previous postcard you could barely see the vehicle itself, here is one that is off duty. If you think that these vehicles look old and rusty, you are correct, as they are often cobbled together from old parts, and the only requirement is that they run. Strictly functional you never see a “pretty” one.
Anything capable of locomotion can qualify as a delivery vehicle in China. And given the amount of goods produced in the country, not to mention the raw materials that must keep all of this production going, you see all types of vehicles acting as transports. But what is more remarkable is how efficiently even small vehicles can carry so much at one time. The one above is basically a tricycle outfitted with a flatbed and powered by a small electric motor. Sights like the one above, even though commonplace, always just make you shake your head and wonder how they do it.
The main concert hall of the Hong Kong Cultural Center is the home of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. It also hosts many great ensembles from around China and around the world. I have performed here with the Hong Kong Bach Choir. What is rather unique about this space is that the audience is seated on all sides of the stage, giving some unique views of the performers. Above, members of the Philharmonic prepare for a rehearsal of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in 2013.
I am not sure what the name of the bay is but it certainly could be described as idyllic. There are many such vistas from the road that winds its way through the hills to the East of Hong Kong. This picture was taken in mid December – not bad weather if you can get it.
I could literally fill all of these pages with postcards of the various cuisines that I was served over the last several years. I have now tasted at least five different major cuisines that have included Hunan, Se Chuan, Shanghainese, Cantonese, and Mongolian. As you can see from the picture, it is pretty easy to figure out what part of the duck that is. Tongue of various animals is common in China, and duck tongue is particularly popular. It is also often eaten on hikes as it makes a good snack and is actually quite nutritious, if also a bit tough to chew. Let’s just say that it could be referred to as “Chinese beef jerky”.
The Hong Kong flower market is where flowers and every imaginable type of plant and other flora are in season all year round. What was so striking to me is how cheap everything was, so it was easy to have fresh flowers in the apartment every week. The flower market itself covers several city blocks and the air is always full of wonderful scents of all kinds.
The one sure thing that you can say about China is that you are never sure what arrangements have been made and what might happen next. Such was the case when I was invited to the Ying Wa College in Hong Kong. I arrived expecting only to meet with school faculty and administrators and receive a tour of the school. Instead I was ushered into an auditorium with the entire student body present, along with faculty, administrators and other invited guests, and sat for the next two hours as the principal judge of the school’s annual choral competition. I learned that this was a longstanding tradition, going back to the early part of the 19th century. The “college” is actually a high school for boys. In the picture above with what must be one of the very few Hammond organs in Hong Kong are myself, the principal of the school, two fellow adjudicators, and my translator/guide. (Picture courtesy of Boron Li)