This is Nanpu Bridge (in Shanghai) and one of the most amazing highway 'junctions' I have ever seen. From above at least. Below, while not terrible, certainly isn't as awe-inspiring as views from higher ground.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
I have returned from the internet no-mans-land that is mainland China (by return, I mean I'm in Seoul). I had a great time in Shanghai, which Ill discuss more about soon, but will say that dealing with proxies and VPNs to access what seem basic services to me (like youtube and blogger) left me less than thrilled with Beijings information policies. Now that I'm out, and less likely to have to pay my way out of some slip of the tongue, I will say the obvious: their attempts at blocking websites are a farce. Everyone I met that lives in Shanghai knows how to get to where they want; it's just a matter of cost. If one of the free proxies doesn't work for you, you can easily find someone selling a secure connection (which you can subscribe to for a monthly fee).
In China, it seems all services and even laws happen on a tiered service model. IE, if you are willing to pay more, you get more, even circumventing laws. That sounds completely obvious and surely applies to any system involving people and money. Maybe it's just more transparent in China, where paying off the police or haggling down an "official" fine seem part of a days work.
Anyways, more to come (more sweeping generalizations, that is) as I get back into the swing of all things internet.
In China, it seems all services and even laws happen on a tiered service model. IE, if you are willing to pay more, you get more, even circumventing laws. That sounds completely obvious and surely applies to any system involving people and money. Maybe it's just more transparent in China, where paying off the police or haggling down an "official" fine seem part of a days work.
Anyways, more to come (more sweeping generalizations, that is) as I get back into the swing of all things internet.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
I havent had much time to update the blog while in Hong Kong as everyday has been filled with plenty to see and do, leaving me exhausted when I get back to the Mansions at night. Hong Kong is a fascinating place to visit, and aimlessly wandering always yields something of great interest. One of the best (and most dangerous) aspects of Hong Kong is the accessibility to just about anything I want to do, buy, eat, etc.
It's like the scene in a zombie movie where the main characters find themselves in a grocery store or mall and momentarily forget about the nightmare outside by losing themselves in unbridled consumption. Hong Kong is an example of consumption in overdrive, where you move through mall space almost continuously, as it is integrated into all metro areas. When you wander at street level, you are invariably surrounded by 7-Elevens every 3 stores, mixed with jewelry shops, camera stores, juice bars, and boutique clothing. The model of the city is the convenience store, where you can easily procure anything with a certain anonymity and with minimal personal transactions.
The Octopus card embodies this ideal so perfectly. The card was originally created to make metro usage and payment seamless, removing the need to use coins, tickets, etc from the process. It is a contactless, RFID-based smart card that stores value, which you can add to at machines found at all metro stations. It has grown beyond just metro usage and is now accepted at many convenience stores, fast food restaurants, and vending machines. As it is RFID based, you dont need to withdraw it from your wallet like a magnetic strip based card, but just wave your wallet near the card reader. It is perfectly convenient for a city that seems to strive for it.
On the other hand, the traditional street markets represent a very low-tech but all the more exciting venue for those unaccustomed to it. Under the dripping rain and neon glow, the street markets are just stunning. I cant help but be fascinated by the many butcheries, where meat hangs on display, cuts of fish are laid out for you, and shops are just filled wall to wall.
I could go on, but I am rushing to catch my flight to Shanghai tonight. Ive heard blogger.com is blocked by the Great Firewall of China, so I may be absent for the next 10 days or so. If flickr works, which it should, I can at least update through there, so we will see.
It's like the scene in a zombie movie where the main characters find themselves in a grocery store or mall and momentarily forget about the nightmare outside by losing themselves in unbridled consumption. Hong Kong is an example of consumption in overdrive, where you move through mall space almost continuously, as it is integrated into all metro areas. When you wander at street level, you are invariably surrounded by 7-Elevens every 3 stores, mixed with jewelry shops, camera stores, juice bars, and boutique clothing. The model of the city is the convenience store, where you can easily procure anything with a certain anonymity and with minimal personal transactions.
The Octopus card embodies this ideal so perfectly. The card was originally created to make metro usage and payment seamless, removing the need to use coins, tickets, etc from the process. It is a contactless, RFID-based smart card that stores value, which you can add to at machines found at all metro stations. It has grown beyond just metro usage and is now accepted at many convenience stores, fast food restaurants, and vending machines. As it is RFID based, you dont need to withdraw it from your wallet like a magnetic strip based card, but just wave your wallet near the card reader. It is perfectly convenient for a city that seems to strive for it.
On the other hand, the traditional street markets represent a very low-tech but all the more exciting venue for those unaccustomed to it. Under the dripping rain and neon glow, the street markets are just stunning. I cant help but be fascinated by the many butcheries, where meat hangs on display, cuts of fish are laid out for you, and shops are just filled wall to wall.
I could go on, but I am rushing to catch my flight to Shanghai tonight. Ive heard blogger.com is blocked by the Great Firewall of China, so I may be absent for the next 10 days or so. If flickr works, which it should, I can at least update through there, so we will see.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Hong Kong! It's good to be in Hong Kong again. The first time I visited was about two years ago, and I saw it through very different eyes then. I remember feeling overwhelmed by the crowds, street life, and density of building. At this point, it feels very comfortable.
I am staying in the Chungking Mansions, a famous "building" that's the closest structure to the now destroyed Kowloon Walled City (which you can read more about here). The Mansions consists of 5 separate blocks, some 17 stories tall, with a multitude of shops, guest houses, hotels and residences inside. With the majority of its residents now from outside of China, it's like a microcosm of Asia within one building. Take the last four cities I've visited and put them in one massive building, complete with people hawking cheap tailored suits, fake id's, drugs, and trying to pull you into restaurants deep within. It's a great place to stay, honestly, though maybe my description isn't very convincing. It's just very Hong Kong, to put it simply. Love it or hate it.
It's a very nice change from Dhaka, as well. The public transportation in Hong Kong is outstanding, whereas in Dhaka it is non-existent. I very much prefer taking a busy metro versus sitting in traffic jams of rickshaws in Dhaka (this probably goes without saying). As far as extreme population density goes, these two cities are worlds apart.
What is most lacking in Dhaka is the infrastructure to support such a population, and I'm not just talking about transportation. Consistent power outages throughout the day made it more than obvious that all systems are overburdened, from the electrical grid to waste management. There is a surprising amount of building taking place in Dhaka, but it seems focused on housing, while the streets continue to crumble. Bangladesh is a very recent country, just recovering from genocide, natural distasters aplenty, and a war for independence. But its people are very proud and perhaps it is only a matter of time (and stability) before the city becomes what its inhabitants hope to make it. I can only assume that Dhaka will be at the forefront of the countries development, so maybe one day Ill return and it will be an entirely different story. Time will tell.
For now, Im happy in Hong Kong, but grateful for my time in Bangladesh.
I am staying in the Chungking Mansions, a famous "building" that's the closest structure to the now destroyed Kowloon Walled City (which you can read more about here). The Mansions consists of 5 separate blocks, some 17 stories tall, with a multitude of shops, guest houses, hotels and residences inside. With the majority of its residents now from outside of China, it's like a microcosm of Asia within one building. Take the last four cities I've visited and put them in one massive building, complete with people hawking cheap tailored suits, fake id's, drugs, and trying to pull you into restaurants deep within. It's a great place to stay, honestly, though maybe my description isn't very convincing. It's just very Hong Kong, to put it simply. Love it or hate it.
It's a very nice change from Dhaka, as well. The public transportation in Hong Kong is outstanding, whereas in Dhaka it is non-existent. I very much prefer taking a busy metro versus sitting in traffic jams of rickshaws in Dhaka (this probably goes without saying). As far as extreme population density goes, these two cities are worlds apart.
What is most lacking in Dhaka is the infrastructure to support such a population, and I'm not just talking about transportation. Consistent power outages throughout the day made it more than obvious that all systems are overburdened, from the electrical grid to waste management. There is a surprising amount of building taking place in Dhaka, but it seems focused on housing, while the streets continue to crumble. Bangladesh is a very recent country, just recovering from genocide, natural distasters aplenty, and a war for independence. But its people are very proud and perhaps it is only a matter of time (and stability) before the city becomes what its inhabitants hope to make it. I can only assume that Dhaka will be at the forefront of the countries development, so maybe one day Ill return and it will be an entirely different story. Time will tell.
For now, Im happy in Hong Kong, but grateful for my time in Bangladesh.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Dhaka, I think, is a mix between Cairo and Mumbai. It's hot, very poor, quite friendly, heavily congested, and like Cairo, I am spending what seems an enormous amount of time in a place most people stay 2 days.
I wandered through the streets of Old Dhaka yesterday, which is absolutely maze-like in its layout. If it werent for the river, locating yourself within it would be next to impossible. Similar to downtown Cairo (but tighter), the streets provide the setting for daily life, where anything and everything take place. Old Dhaka is far from charming, though the cacophony of bells from the rickshaws zooming past you create a somewhat surreal experience, at moments combining into a pleasant racket, especially compared to the consistent car horns you hear on the wider avenues.
Sales of bondo must be outrageous in Dhaka, as every bus and most cars bear the telltale signs of encounters with other automobiles, only to be poorly patched with copious amounts of putty. Dhaka also sports a fine aftermarket bumper industry, with every vehicle, from the lowly econobox to autorickshaws being retrofitted with extra bumpers and grills to protect them from the daily road brawls. I think bumper cars would be a more appropriate way to get around, honestly.
Wandering around yesterday, I met a young Bangladeshi man who apparently delivers cigarettes around the city. He spoke some English and wanted me to follow him around so I kindly obliged. From Old Dhaka, we crossed the river and proceeded through several slums, shipyards where boats were being dismantled and repaired, brickyards where bricks were being broken down by hand into pebble-size aggregate, through football fields and many a cricket match, back across the river on another soaring overpass, and finally to another slum where he and his family lived. Here I met his mother, sister and little brother, and before long, all of the surrounding neighbors, as word got out and soon everyone was clamoring for a view of my bewildered face.
After 20 or so minutes of pleasant staring, my guide decided to help me back to my hotel. But, only after we visited several more of his friends in the neighborhood, whom decided to come along with us. I must admit to feeling a little uncomfortable at that point, as I was being led around by 3 young Bangladeshi men, through areas of the city I had no knowledge of. When it was just myself and my "guide", I was less worried as I comically kept repeating to myself that I could take him (mostly because I was so much taller). While still the tallest, I was now outnumbered, so I was feeling a bit more wary.
I started to feel pretty guilty about my original assumptions after spending some time wandering around with them (as they also didnt know where my hotel was) because they seemed only interested in helping me get back, refusing to let me pay for the rickshaw and trying to buy me drinks and snacks along the way. When we finally reached my hotel, they refused to let me pay for their rickshaw back and didnt seem to expect anything from me, further compounding my guilt. I imagine not many would-be muggers introduce you to their whole family (and neighborhood) before appropriating your valuables, but you never know. I am left to assume that my company was the only payment sought.
I wandered through the streets of Old Dhaka yesterday, which is absolutely maze-like in its layout. If it werent for the river, locating yourself within it would be next to impossible. Similar to downtown Cairo (but tighter), the streets provide the setting for daily life, where anything and everything take place. Old Dhaka is far from charming, though the cacophony of bells from the rickshaws zooming past you create a somewhat surreal experience, at moments combining into a pleasant racket, especially compared to the consistent car horns you hear on the wider avenues.
Sales of bondo must be outrageous in Dhaka, as every bus and most cars bear the telltale signs of encounters with other automobiles, only to be poorly patched with copious amounts of putty. Dhaka also sports a fine aftermarket bumper industry, with every vehicle, from the lowly econobox to autorickshaws being retrofitted with extra bumpers and grills to protect them from the daily road brawls. I think bumper cars would be a more appropriate way to get around, honestly.
Wandering around yesterday, I met a young Bangladeshi man who apparently delivers cigarettes around the city. He spoke some English and wanted me to follow him around so I kindly obliged. From Old Dhaka, we crossed the river and proceeded through several slums, shipyards where boats were being dismantled and repaired, brickyards where bricks were being broken down by hand into pebble-size aggregate, through football fields and many a cricket match, back across the river on another soaring overpass, and finally to another slum where he and his family lived. Here I met his mother, sister and little brother, and before long, all of the surrounding neighbors, as word got out and soon everyone was clamoring for a view of my bewildered face.
After 20 or so minutes of pleasant staring, my guide decided to help me back to my hotel. But, only after we visited several more of his friends in the neighborhood, whom decided to come along with us. I must admit to feeling a little uncomfortable at that point, as I was being led around by 3 young Bangladeshi men, through areas of the city I had no knowledge of. When it was just myself and my "guide", I was less worried as I comically kept repeating to myself that I could take him (mostly because I was so much taller). While still the tallest, I was now outnumbered, so I was feeling a bit more wary.
I started to feel pretty guilty about my original assumptions after spending some time wandering around with them (as they also didnt know where my hotel was) because they seemed only interested in helping me get back, refusing to let me pay for the rickshaw and trying to buy me drinks and snacks along the way. When we finally reached my hotel, they refused to let me pay for their rickshaw back and didnt seem to expect anything from me, further compounding my guilt. I imagine not many would-be muggers introduce you to their whole family (and neighborhood) before appropriating your valuables, but you never know. I am left to assume that my company was the only payment sought.
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