Don't think twice, it's all right!

Goodbye Jin Bei & Wang

Yesterday, after the Great Wall travel day, we said good-bye to our Jin Bei van and our driver Wang. What a treat to be able to work with him.

spiraling through

A day in Beijing is always filled with the unexpected. Cab Drivers who make pit stops and vote on who will take me home to the Lido, the salvation of google maps on my i-phone when I'm lost, extremes of heat and rain and food glorious food. Everyday we sample yet another of the wonderful cuisines of China.

Hou Hai

Fog and mist in the afternoon become rain in the evening.









After dinner we watch dancers at the Lotus Gate and navigate hutong alleys, bright and glistening, and loud with soccer on the plasma screens.

Beijing days like blur

Time blurs us like a smear of rain across the night black sky. We are here, finally, waking with our alarm clocks. But our minds wander back and back and back.

Conversation days fill time and long traffic jams on the way. Laughter. Questions. We don't know where we are going. And moments of connection follow confusion and wonder and enlightenment.

Late at night it's tough to summon the strength to post and sort pictures.

But the flickr group is evolving -- new pix posted now: please click on these pictures to link.

We're exploring and learning and stumbling together.

Coffee and the Man in the Gorilla Suit

Thursday morning started with coffee and the story about the man in the gorilla suit (m.g.s) - He actually joined us for the day…did you hear and see him?

Tibetan born street photographer Mo Yi, set the stage for inquiry and action with a gallery talk about his current exhibit, Me in My Surroundings -80, 90, 2000 at 3 Shadows. His work from the 1980's is a clear mirror of his questions, emotions and attitudes towards cities and cities as societies. His presence, photography, and the manner is which he deliberately yet modestly discussed his work and thought process, really resonated with me. He helped me to be a little bit more straight forward while considering my own emotions, attitudes and questions in relation to Beijing.

The m.g.s stayed the course and joined us at Chamber Gallery's, to meet with Simon and view, Seen in Passing: New Works by Shi Jing. Wow! Talk about ‘full circle’…In such a short amount of time a lot of ideas are starting to converge, emerge, and have an impact on my perception of the historical and personal, past and present and on the superficial and the profound... from Kim San to lady gaga, anything goes.