Kesmit3's Blog

Lanes? We don't need no stinking LANES!!! One of the most difficult adjustments for Westerners in China is the beautiful chaos that is traffic. :) Here are two videos that give you a glimpse... (upload in progress) This first short video shows my taxi driver in Chengdu driving down the left side of a major road...in fact THE major road in Chengdu. The entire drive to the airport was some form of creative driving acrobatics, which you will get a taste of in this video... The second video is a typical Beijing moment in traffic...

WuShan is a little city located on the 3 Gorges Damn project. My guide and I walked around town in the evening and I was surprised to see so many....toys. Creepy toys, mind you. As a bonus this video captures my failed attempt at humor, which is probably why many foreigners end up talking aloud to themselves... but that's another story. ;) My comment: "What is That?" (Taken from the Princess Pride "What is THAT THING...") Serious response: "Pedestrian Walkway." Thinking to myself: I know this is a ****** walkway, what is that THING that just went by with a person on it????

Random things native English speakers are asked to do in China? How about being asked to give a Chinese company an English Name? Haha.

I met my friend Hana in Chengdu to go see the Pandas and check out the city. We also made it to Leshan to see the world's biggest Buddha statue/sculpture, which rests in the side of a mountain. Chengdu is a pleasant city located not too far from Tibet. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but it surprised me to see such a commanding military presence there. The center of the city features a massive statue of Mao whose hand is slightly larger than normal proportions. It seems to be saying "In your FACE." but most people think it is a friendly wave... We stayed in a Hostel that cost something around 10 dollars for two evenings. The first day we walked around and looked at the city-center and The People's Park. We only had one full day in Chengdu and woke first-thing to see the Pandas. I was a bit critical of the setup at first...it seemed more of like a panda prison to me, but It's hard to know if they would even be alive if not for places like this. I...