A reenactment of the Transformers movie, sans robot suits, during the summer camp talents show. Oh, to be young.

The horse lay dying on the railroad tracks; a train was racing towards it. A valiant PLA soldier tried to coax the animal away, but it refused. If the train hit the horse, he feared, there would be a massive accident and many lives lost.

The train sped towards them. He looked from the horse to the train, gauging speed and distance. Frantic, the train sounded its horn. In a last ditch, Herculean effort the soldier shoved the animal out of the train’s path, but not fast enough to save himself. His act and sacrifice are remembered by this statue on a lonely hilltop, over the market town of Guiyang, Hunan Province, China.

Stretch. Yawn.

I hated winters when I lived in Canada. I feared the winter. Now, I have a fear of umbrellas.

The people that wax romantic about winter wonderlands are deluded. During my exile in Northern Ontario my cabin was wood-heated. When I awoke in that drafty little building, and the outside temperature hovered around -30° C, I could see my breath. Yes, I hate winters.

My Chinese existence has taught me to love winter. Yes, it’s cloudy and dreary for weeks on end, but the searing 40° C temperatures are replaced with a Canadian-like autumn. And, except for rainy days, there is a distinct lack of umbrellas.

The ubiquitous umbrella, invented in China in the days of yore and a still-used daily accessory, held aloft by women shielding themselves from the sun. Dark skin is considered low-class in China, one look at the cosmetic counters and the plethora of skin whitening creams attests to that. As do the endless infomercials with dramatic before-and-after images of newly nearly Caucasian-Asian women.

Women, and there obsession with light skin, doesn’t cause me concern. If I had some spare bucks I would open an umbrella factory to feed the frenzy and line my pockets. My difficulty with umbrellas is the possibility of umbrella-induced blindness. Yes, you read that correctly. I have a fear of umbrellas.

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There are two things in China you see a lot of: Umbrellas and Watermelons. What luck, both in one image! While watermelons are seasonal, umbrellas are a year-round obsession. If it’s not monsoon rains, it’s the searing sun and the evil tan that accompanies it. Little known fact: The umbrella was invented in China. Stay tuned for my post on umbrella-related blindness.

My sister-in-law, Crystal. A little something I’m playing with.

I’ve pushed this down so my new addy can stay on top. Too cool.