Pictures that make me feel something. From the cold, roaring heart of the beast that is China. Tailiu Plaza, Shibei, 2020 To wander wearily, without end, through the haunted neon valley in the carnival of lost souls is not as much fun as it sounds. The thrills are cheap and get old real quick. Once … Continue reading A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #10
A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #9
Pictures that make me feel something. From the cold, roaring heart of the beast that is China. Old couple, Licun, 2020 I have no idea what I was doing in the old part of the city that afternoon. I had no business being there. At the best of times, it’s a rough-and-rowdy industrial hood where … Continue reading A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #9
Brothers in arms
Over time, loneliness has a way of sneaking up on you when you are stranded in a truly foreign country. At first, it hides behind all the outlandish sights, sounds and smells that overwhelm you as you allow yourself to be dragged by the frenzied senses through streets and crossroads, straining like a bobcat on … Continue reading Brothers in arms
A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #8
Pictures that make me feel something. From the cold, roaring heart of the beast that is China. Kaide mall, Shibei, 2020 Our neighbourhood mall, a consumerist temple consisting of eight glitzy levels, has a yellow teddy bear as its totem. Effigies of this cuddly golden idol are displayed in all shapes and sizes in almost … Continue reading A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #8
Strangers on a train
The Chinese are obsessed with their phones. Day and night, plugged-in people swarm the streets, heads bent over the tiny porthole in their hands as they incorporate an oddly insectoid spatial sense - much like that of thronging ants - to avoid bumping up against one another and the real world. Given that these perky … Continue reading Strangers on a train
A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #7
Pictures that make me feel something. From the cold, roaring heart of the beast that is China. Old man on the pier, Shinan, 2020 Old folks here have pretty rigorous early morning workout routines. Outdoor walking, running, tai chi, aerobic dance moves to kitschy beats, they’ve got it all going on. They’re just a boisterous, … Continue reading A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #7
A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #6
Pictures that make me feel something. From the cold, roaring heart of the beast that is China. Woman brushing her dog, Laoshan, 2020 Sometimes, when you have nothing better to do than chase the smoggy golden hour to the far-flung corners of the city, you get lost veering off the beaten track. On this particular … Continue reading A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #6
Now and Zen
Before coming to China, I had a rather vague, romantic sense of the place as some faraway mystic land, inhabited by meditative monks and warrior-poets, steeped in ancient philosophy and Confucian wisdom. This may well be due to my youthful fascination with the principles of Taoism, Buddhism and all manners of Oriental spiritual tutorage. As … Continue reading Now and Zen
A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #5
Pictures that make me feel something. From the cold, roaring heart of the beast that is China. Boy and seahorse, Laoshan, 2020 This place has a way of conjuring up absurd visual poetry when you least expect it. More often than not, though, no matter how hard and far you look, the tough, glossy shell … Continue reading A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #5
A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #4
Pictures that make me feel something. From the cold, roaring heart of the beast that is China. Untitled, Qingdao, 2020 These hands, resting peacefully with a lit phone in the back of a Chinese cab, shine with a strength I can not comprehend. These hands, seeking only to heal, bristle with forgotten scars. These hands, … Continue reading A photo a day keeps the dragon at bay: #4
