Sprung

Winter has finally broken here in Chongqing (yes, I’m fully aware that you’re having midsummer weather already back in MN), and in honor of this I want to comment on the weather, environment, and scenery here. Forgive me if I repeat something I have mentioned before. Sometimes the same observation strikes me, and I can’t be arsed to check over every post to see if I have written it before. As always with this blog, you get what you pay for. Onward.

The sun started shining after making but a few appearances since September. On a clear day you see a fantastic tableau of skyscrapers, mountains, cranes, and people. Well, actually, the people are always there, they’re just bathed in a bit more sunlight than usual. One quickly forgets what you can see here because the fog and grayness are so pervasive. Next to a bridge I ride over every day is a small community of farms nestled into a hill next to a dirty little stream. Behind these little farms is an expansive vista of 40-story towers spreading beyond into the mountains. Within a few years those farms will certainly give way to the inevitable and all-consuming sprawl that proliferates daily. But for now, seeing these rural images in the middle of a megacity is a severe apposition to what China (and specifically this region) was, and what it is becoming. As for the aforementioned mountains, besides the fact that one is often ascending and descending hills on foot or by bus, it is remarkably easy to forget that Chongqing is surrounded by mountains. On a clear day you see just how fully the city is built upon, and encompassed by, whatever range this happens to be. As for watching the air pollution, instead of the smoke from the power plant stacks simply blending into the low hanging moisture giving off the illusion of a toxic blanket settling over the city every day, the pollutants simply dissipate into the blue sky. Delightful! No less poisonous, mind you, but certainly less ominous.

On Saturday I went into the center of the city for one of my favorite pastimes: the old self-guided walking tour, something I haven’t done in many months (in CQ, anyway). After wandering into new areas of the sunlit city, I took a walk across the river. As I did so, I came to the realization that I’ve lived by two of the world’s great rivers (well, three if you count the Liffey in all of her majesty, but that may be a bit of a homer call). Unfortunately, I was shortsighted and left my proper camera at home, but below are a few shots from my phone, and an extra one that a student of mine just sent me of one of my classes.

Another thing that struck me as I was walking around the city is that after seven months of living here the pace of growth is something that I have not grown accustomed to and something at which I constantly marvel. You are never in a part of the city that does not have some building happening. I have repeated this observation many times since I have come here, but seeing the manic nature of construction here is an image that is undeniably impressive. Also, I still see striking visuals on a daily basis. Because I see novel images every day, I often can’t even remember the ones that make me take notice. But they are there, and I’m sure they’ll come out when recalling the stories. “And that was the time I saw the mother sleeping while riding sidesaddle on the back of the moped and somehow cradling her newborn child…”

I think that I’ll leave off there for the week. Like I said, a few pictures below. I hope you’re all enjoying the weather and scenes from wherever you are reading this.

Urban farming. Unfortunately the angle isn't great, but what you see here is an old lady tending to a plot of vegetables that is seemingly being swallowed by the multitude of towers surrounding it.

What do the people want? A hall, of course. Chongqing's People's Hall. I was going to do the snarky thing and use the picture of the other side of the building showing the KFC attached to it and then point out the inherent irony and hypocrisy of it all (akin to that of the Rolex clock slapped on the top of the People's Liberation Monument commemorating the communist victors post-WWII), but I decided against it. Then I wrote the comment and took the low road anyway.

Prepare for the worst. If an emergency strikes, this location is good and ready to handle it.

Music in the park is an international phenomenon.

A little primary school tucked into the neighboring towers. Cooler looking than my phone can do justice.

Classy.