Earlier this month I had an interesting experience getting home from downtown. I need to take at least two buses to get anywhere from where I live. On this particular day the first bus I was on hit a VW Jetta and all the passengers had to get off the bus and wait for another bus. I’m not one for waiting and the bus stop to catch the second bus I need to take wasn’t too far away. So I decided to walk.

On the way, there is an old apartment building that I had passed everyday on the bus and only noticed it because I need to change buses after the old, run-down, apartment building. Walking by it for the first time I noticed this mini-mart that a man had set up out of his bedroom. His apartment is one the first floor and he leaves his bedroom window open to act as the counter.

This is something that would, almost, never happen in the USA. There are just to many rules in the way. How would one get a liquor licence? In China a business doesn’t need to have a liquor licence. You don’t even need to register your business. Just get enough stuff to sell it out of your bedroom and you’re good.

Earlier this month I went to retirement home near the university I teach at with students from the photography club. I took the opportunity to practice using my flash off camera and to get some portraits of the residents. This guy was the big pimp of the retirement home.

Over the October holiday I visited the Leshan Giant Buddha. I arrived at 5pm thinking that would be plenty of time to see the Giant Buddha with great evening light. At first I thought I was right. The place appeared empty until I arrived at the Buddha itself and saw the line to go down the cliff to the bottom. At that point it was 6:30, still plenty of time I thought. Two hours later I finally made it to the bottom and it was well dark. Thankfully the Giant Buddha is well lit at night and I was able to take many photos.

The view from the rooftop of the building I live in. It’s been a particularly smoggy week here in Chengdu.

I finally got another of my places to see in China off of my checklist and I learned a few things in the process. 1: never go to any tourist site in China over the national day holiday. 2: the Leshan Buddha is will lit to make up for the all day wait to take a look. 3: extremely long lines are better when there’s a rollercoaster at the end.

I’m slowly coming to grips with the fact that my phone is now what I use the most to take pictures with. I would have never gotten this photo if phones didn’t come with cameras. I was on my way to downtown Chengdu in a black taxi when I saw this tower appear before me around a corner. My phone, being in my pocket, was the one and only option I had to get this photo. I always have my phone with me. I don’t always have a DSLR with me.

I’ve been playing with a new app, retro camera, that I found for my phone. I’m liking it a lot so far.

I went to the Changchun Zoo over the summer. This is the first time I went to a zoo in China. It’s a depressing experience. The zoos in China aren’t near as nice as the zoos I’ve been to in the US. As you can see from the hippo home, the facilities are run down and not big enough for the animals.

At the beginning of my summer holiday I went out with a friend in Chengdu whose favorite food happened to be rabbit head. Being the adventurous person I am I decided to try one. It’s surprisingly delicious.