Observer of Things, Part 2

• Waiters Waiting
• We met the weirdest waiter who loitered around the table and kept trying to like bat his eyes at me and say things in Chinese. He tried a few things in English, repeated pretty much everything we said in a creepy robotic way, and told us his name was Rick. 
• Toilets
• I read an article on a plane about squat toilets vs. Western toilets. Scroll down for a nice illustration. There's also some facts about tradition and cleanliness.
• More Packaging Tape

On a tree

• Double Whammy:

Slippery marble hallway lined with plastic sheet that slides around. Mostly secured by packaging tape. 

• Park Anywhere
• Last night, Josh's colleague said there aren't stop signs in Beijing. We found one with a pretty typical parking job. This one you can actually walk around. 

Cars parked on sidewalk and car driving down sidewalk.
I tried to take a backwards photo while walking so no one would honk at me.

• Tree Trimming
• happens all over so you better be careful. These trees seemed to interfere with the extraordinarily low hanging electrical wires. Photo taken from back of taxi. 

• Litter
• There is litter pretty much everywhere, and I don't understand. Even in a protected wilderness area on the Tibetan border, in the streets, subway, bathrooms. There are garbage cans and recycling bins. I can't wrap my head around it. 
• Westerners Not Saying Hello
• I'm not looking for a kiss hello or a friendly introduction, just a nod and I smile like, "You are in a weird place, I am in a weird place, let's acknowledge this together."
• Umbrellas
• Everyone, especially women, carries umbrellas. Everywhere. When it's not raining. 
• I was told by one of Josh's colleagues that in China, the paler a woman is, the more beautiful. So they shield themselves from the sun with umbrellas, puffy arm warmers, and
• Tights
• Lots of skin colored tights which makes girls' legs look like creepy cyborg legs. 
• Tree Pits
• Most sidewalks are lined with trees, which are nice, but they are planted in these deep hell pits. I don't know how everyone doesn't have sprained ankles what with all the high heels and swerving. 
• Cool Toys? Knickknacks? 



Sleeping cats and dogs made of what must be hair. 

• Can't Make That Cocktail
• We will have bar menus with American/European cocktails on them, then, when someone orders one of them, we will shake our heads and say we don't know how to make it. 
• A Manhattan in Shangri-La contained a dangerous amount of absinthe.
• Matching Outfits
• Couples, parents and children, friends. 

Matching shoes and capris accompanied by a sidewalk death trap, the tree pit.
Also, cars parked on sidewalk and mystery water. So much happening in this one.

Mother-daughter. 

Colorblock couple with fringed purple umbrella. 

• Pollution vs. Rain
• When it rains, the rain "knocks down" the pollution, which makes the sky clear. 
• Pollution is a thing that can be knocked down.
• Where does the pollution go? Probably onto the sidewalk. 
• I feel like my entire experience in China has been about sidewalks. 
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Because he has fancy China tea cup water dishes. 
• He is also terrifying.

• Art

Portraits of Obama, Putin, Xi stand proudly over some fantasy painting of woman on round thing at sea, old man on sea staircase.
(Photo was hard to get as the gallery employee was hovering.)

I'll leave you with this nightmare.