July photos

Finally some photos from Beijing in July. I haven't had access to blogspot for a few weeks now, following the riots in Xinjiang province. Every time there is violence in China, the government blocks websites like these to prevent people from sharing photos or videos from the events.

Our bird 'Guazi', terrorizing us both :)

He's a big fan of Steve Coogan

Tian'anmen Square on a misty morning. It had been foggy all morning and I decided to walk over to the square to see what it looks like. I couldn't see across.

Tian'anmen Square

Chen Yi, all ready to go on a trip to the beach

Our bird being silly.

He was actually stuck for a few seconds before shaking off his 'helmet'

I'm still not sure what he was looking for

We made dumplings at a friend's place one day. We four made over 100 of them! We used banana for stuffing as an experiment, and it tastes pretty good!


nice

Out around Beijing

While my parents were visiting, I took them out around in Beijing. Every day something different.


Caught red handed! (or should I say red-faced...?)
This little yellow terrorist has been eating all the flowers, throwing them around the house, eating the remote controls and newspapers, and making lots of noise.

City gate South of Tian'anmen Square

City gate South of Tian'anmen Square by night

We walked around one of the many hutongs

People playing Go on a sunny spring afternoon. They don't seem to mind that they are sitting on a busy intersection (near Zhangzizhonglu) with the traffic rushing past them.

Too bad I didn't record the sound this dog was making. In the hutong that we walked in, it seemed like everyone and all the animals were staring at us.

The local fish vendor

These fish were still alive; sometimes jumping out onto the ground. That's as fresh as it gets around here.

Someone left a pair of yellow boots

Plastic bottle buyer. People walk all around the city to collect empty plastic bottles and sell them per kilo.

Piles of paper and cardboard are delivered in small carts and stacked onto this truck.

This car has no hood, a hole in the wind screen and a busted front.

We ended the day at "Li Qun's Beijing Roast Duck Restaurant". It is a famous place, and we had only one hour to eat. The roast duck was delicious.

By the front door guests can inspect 'their duck' being roasted

Lanterns

I title this photo: "Abbey Road" ~ it is actually policemen parading on Tian'anmen Square

Two girls asked if they could take a photo with my mother

More security forces on Tian'anmen Square

Still in Beijing

I am still in Beijing.

Here are some photos of Tian'an men Square:

China National Museum
People waiting for the guards to lower the flag, in the middle of the square. This is a very static and official event.

Guard

Monument to the fallen heroes, on Tian'anmen Square

Mao Ze Dong on the outer wall of the Forbidden City

Just a little joke: is it "B-swine", or "BS (bullshit)-wine"?

That 'thing' besides it is a spicy chicken claw, in case you're wondering...

Chen Yi on Tian'an men Square

With our friend Young

Scorpions for sale in a Qingdao market

"xiao didi": awkward looking seafood in Qingdao. The kind of thing to see in a market that makes you stop and think twice if what you saw was real.

I actually ate one of them :s