Interesting fare for blog updates has been a bit few and far between lately.
Nick and Jessica recently adopted a stray puppy they found huddled and miserable in a mud puddle. His name is Frank. He's an adorable, energetic and perfectly healthy little Chinese mutt, and he's been growing very quickly this last few weeks on a steady diet of boiled chicken-breast and pig knuckles. Frank really enjoys riding along inside Jessica's messenger bag during the daily errands, chewing on toes, and trying to eat anything and everything he finds on the ground. He's a coiled spring of energy and when he winds down he crashes hard. We assume him to be a Border Terrier or a mix of some sort. He's going to be a very good pet.
Nick and Jessica recently adopted a stray puppy they found huddled and miserable in a mud puddle. His name is Frank. He's an adorable, energetic and perfectly healthy little Chinese mutt, and he's been growing very quickly this last few weeks on a steady diet of boiled chicken-breast and pig knuckles. Frank really enjoys riding along inside Jessica's messenger bag during the daily errands, chewing on toes, and trying to eat anything and everything he finds on the ground. He's a coiled spring of energy and when he winds down he crashes hard. We assume him to be a Border Terrier or a mix of some sort. He's going to be a very good pet.
I've spoken to Kwinn several times this last few weeks. He put me into contact with the dean of a 3D design and animation school here in Chengdu, but unless I drastically improve my Chinese, it's unlikely I'll be able to teach at any of the schools here in Chengdu.
I've been pointed in the direction of an international mobile phone / table game company here in Chengdu, and I'm hoping to be able to start working with them soon, perhaps even full-time once my EF contract ends.
For now, I've been tasked with converting some Powerpoint presentations of company promotions into Flash. There's also been a company hoping to use Holotech to produce 3D models of their furniture line and us the A.R. technology to display it in the client's home or office. Any models I create could then potentially be sold in Second Life as well. Which would be an added plus.
I've taken to riding my bike across town whenever I visit the Tongzilin area. The bike lanes beside the street are very convenient and are relatively safe. Construction and and certain intersections sometimes divert cyclists into the traffic lanes, but usually the evening and night-time traffic is easy enough to navigate.
Here are a few pictures taken along the ride.
I've been pointed in the direction of an international mobile phone / table game company here in Chengdu, and I'm hoping to be able to start working with them soon, perhaps even full-time once my EF contract ends.
For now, I've been tasked with converting some Powerpoint presentations of company promotions into Flash. There's also been a company hoping to use Holotech to produce 3D models of their furniture line and us the A.R. technology to display it in the client's home or office. Any models I create could then potentially be sold in Second Life as well. Which would be an added plus.
I've taken to riding my bike across town whenever I visit the Tongzilin area. The bike lanes beside the street are very convenient and are relatively safe. Construction and and certain intersections sometimes divert cyclists into the traffic lanes, but usually the evening and night-time traffic is easy enough to navigate.
Here are a few pictures taken along the ride.
On Monday night I made the trip again, following Nick's bus as it went across town. I grabbed some dinner at the Muslim Noodle restaurant near my old apartment and joined up with Nick and Jessica for a few movies. I spent the night in the spare room of their apartment and ealy in the morning, Jess and I met Rachel at the Bookworm for some coffee and breakfast before we all caught a cab to the Panda Research Center.
The cab driver on the ride over ripped us off though. Both Jess and Rachel began to suspect something when the fare started climbing much higher than it should have. I started watching the meter and saw that it would go up by one RMB, then by two RMB, then by one, then by two again, etc. Rachel was pissed and wanted to walk off without paying the driver, and Jess agreed. In the end I just paid the guy, and incidentally, I found out the next day that he gave me back a counterfeit 50 RMB note with my change. Thankfully Rachel snapped a photo of his credentials so we're going to report him to the police.
Even though I've lived here in Chengdu for nearly a year now, I hadn't yet visited the Pandas. The best time to see them is during the winter or early spring, first thing in the morning, when the animals are active and eating. As the day wears on, they become more lethargic and spend of their time sleeping.
The cab driver on the ride over ripped us off though. Both Jess and Rachel began to suspect something when the fare started climbing much higher than it should have. I started watching the meter and saw that it would go up by one RMB, then by two RMB, then by one, then by two again, etc. Rachel was pissed and wanted to walk off without paying the driver, and Jess agreed. In the end I just paid the guy, and incidentally, I found out the next day that he gave me back a counterfeit 50 RMB note with my change. Thankfully Rachel snapped a photo of his credentials so we're going to report him to the police.
Even though I've lived here in Chengdu for nearly a year now, I hadn't yet visited the Pandas. The best time to see them is during the winter or early spring, first thing in the morning, when the animals are active and eating. As the day wears on, they become more lethargic and spend of their time sleeping.
I'm told that many of the zoo's in China are depressingly unkempt, but a large amount of money and effort has been put into making the Panda Center very clean, open, and well-maintained. The Pandas are, of course, part of China's cultural identity and the Research Center attracts a lot of foreign tourism.
The park has many winding paths lined with bamboo groves and blossoming peach trees with many different exhibits. In the center is a large man-made lake and rose garden with restaurants and tea service. The base is in the North East suburbs of Chengdu and admission is a very reasonable 60 RMB.
The park has many winding paths lined with bamboo groves and blossoming peach trees with many different exhibits. In the center is a large man-made lake and rose garden with restaurants and tea service. The base is in the North East suburbs of Chengdu and admission is a very reasonable 60 RMB.
The pandas lazy and endearing, always perfectly content to sit in one spot and chew bamboo for hours, or climb a small tree to doze off with a permanent smirk of self satisfaction on their muzzle. The only time they rise from their blissful stupor is to scratch at themselves or react with dim wonderment when one of them tumbles clumsily off the platform like an under-inflated beach ball.
Some of the Pandas have been segregated into individual enclosures for closer observation during the course of their breeding program. But there are several large, communal enclosures occupied by the sub-adults and the mothers and their cubs. Unfortunately we saw very little of the cubs except from at a great distance. They happily lope around the sitting adults at a speed the adults can't hope to match, and are either swatted at so that they somersault gleefully through the grass or they are wrestled into submission by their frustrated mothers.
Some of the Pandas have been segregated into individual enclosures for closer observation during the course of their breeding program. But there are several large, communal enclosures occupied by the sub-adults and the mothers and their cubs. Unfortunately we saw very little of the cubs except from at a great distance. They happily lope around the sitting adults at a speed the adults can't hope to match, and are either swatted at so that they somersault gleefully through the grass or they are wrestled into submission by their frustrated mothers.
We were able to see much more of the Red Pandas, who do their fair share of lounging around in the sun. in their large communal enclosures. The most interesting part was a large, enclosed area of the park where the tourists can walk along a fenced in walkway lined with waist-high chain link. The fences had gaps that allow the Red Pandas to move through and across the paths themselves. And while the little omnivorous pandas will occasionally interact with the tourists, there are plenty of multi-lingual signs to remind people that they are still wild animals and that the Red Pandas are "somewhat fierce." They look like fanciful plus toys come to life and are usually much more active than their giant cousins. They climb and walk slowly, with a strange slinking gate, somewhere between that of a large lizard and a house cat. The are undeniably adorable.
Here's a link to a short video: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjkzNTcyOTc2.html
Here's a link to a short video: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjkzNTcyOTc2.html
The three of us continued to walk through the park's long circuitous paths. The air was clean and full of the smell of flowers and the mournful cries of the roaming peacocks. Large groups of wandering females, one robust male with full tail plumage, and a few hopeful younger males that couldn't compete with his swagger.
The large groves of bamboo are shady and relaxing and there are some remarkably colorful plants and flowers planted all around. The peach trees are blossoming all over the park, another sure sign that spring is well and truly here.
The large groves of bamboo are shady and relaxing and there are some remarkably colorful plants and flowers planted all around. The peach trees are blossoming all over the park, another sure sign that spring is well and truly here.
We stopped by the Swan Lake and were greeted by the hungry mouths of roiling koi fish and temperamental geese. We took a break from walking and enjoyed some Jasmine tea by the lakeside. The Chinese add the Jasmine flavor to many things, from tea, to toothpaste, to chewing gum. After making plans for the preparation for our friend Shawn's birthday party that evening, we started making our way out of the park.
We made our obligatory pass through the gift shop and browsed the panda paraphernalia. There we some interesting souvenirs available and a few strange ones, including this ironically-titled book.
And finally, META-PANDA! It's a panda wearing a another panda! Ready to conquer the hearts and minds of tourists from all over the world. And incidentally, those aren't actually boobs on the Meta-Panda, they're supposed to be pom-poms on the ends of hoodie-strings.
We took a cab from the Panda Center to the North Railway station and hopped the metor back to the Tongzilin area. Rachel went back to her apartment to change for the party and Jess and I grabbed ingredients for Sean's birthday cake. Jess and I debated the treatment of The Hobbit as a three movie trilogy as she prepared the batter and started baking. Rachel arrived shortly after and joined the discussion. Once the second layer was in the over, Jess started to get ready for a harp-gig across town, and we listened intently to her as she described the steps for completing the cake.
Rachel and I finished the cake in her stead, spreading cream cheese-Nutella frosting on it and decorating it with squares of dark chocolate. Then we wrapped the tray in cling wrap and set out for the Beer Nest bar where Shawn was waiting, Frank riding happily along in his bag. Rather than walk the full distance, we hailed a took-took to Rachel's apartment and continued from there, letting Frank out to walk along side us for awhile. We joined Shawn and shared a few shots of tequila before Jess and Nick arrived. We had some dark beer and cake and talked well into the evening.
Rachel and I finished the cake in her stead, spreading cream cheese-Nutella frosting on it and decorating it with squares of dark chocolate. Then we wrapped the tray in cling wrap and set out for the Beer Nest bar where Shawn was waiting, Frank riding happily along in his bag. Rather than walk the full distance, we hailed a took-took to Rachel's apartment and continued from there, letting Frank out to walk along side us for awhile. We joined Shawn and shared a few shots of tequila before Jess and Nick arrived. We had some dark beer and cake and talked well into the evening.