A serious-looking student leaves his afternoon English class. Shenzhen, China.

Captured: April 14, 2008.

Recycling is big business in China. It sometimes seems everyone is collecting the detritus of society. Older women, the venerable ai yis, root through my trash, in the hall waiting to be carried downstairs, stealing away with the empty cans and bottles.

Some entrepreneurs, above, visit businesses, like this one in Shekou, Shenzhen, and collect empty cardboard boxes. The boxes would be taken to a local, street-level recycling depot for cash.

Captured: April 6, 2008.

After a winter that featured the longest, coldest stretch of winter weather in decades, spring has arrived in China. Okay, it wasn’t Winnipeg cold, but every space heater in southern China was sold during late January.

After a few weeks of wondering if I had mistakenly been transported to Canada, the weather improved. Now the city is in bloom. Spring isn’t really spring. It’s the start of April and my air conditioners has been on several time. Yesterday at the gym I wondered if it was possible for a human being to literally melt.

Summer awaits. Time to restock my supply of rehydration salts.

Captured: April 6, 2008.

As I was waiting to meet friends for lunch I wandered to Sea World (hai shang shi jie). No, there are no killer whales or dolphins. Sea World is Shenzhen’s expat hang-out, an outdoor mallish area of international restaurants and shops. The centerpiece of Sea World is an old French-built cruise ship (seized for narcotics smuggling) now cemented into the ground. The ship is now a luxury hotel and restaurant.

As I sauntered in the brutal midday sun I spotted a gathering crowd. This gentleman, a busker, had two large metal ammunition boxes with a shoe attached to the top of each. His promotional sign, all in Chinese, was unreadable by the Chinese illiterate Stevo. Chinese women in their Sunday best and their burly mates tried to lift the ammo boxes. With much grunting the men were able to lift them about an inch off the ground, for a second or two. Yes, they were heavy.

Mr. Busker was about to insert his feet into the shoes on each box, and I’m guessing, walk, demonstrating his strength, skill, and resolve. The crowd parted like the red sea. Camera ready, I waited. He strapped in one foot and was about to start on the other.

It never happened. The security guards who had been hovering nearby descended and stopped the show. The crowd dispersed and I left disappointed.

Such is life sometimes, in the Middle Kingdom, and around the world.

Can you decipher the following?

Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM
Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM
Canon EF 50 f/1.4 USM
Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM

You’re taking great shots with your new Canon DSLR. Landscapes, buildings, portraits of your family and friends: The camera rarely leaves your eye. But, you’re feeling a little limited, hemmed in with the kit lens that came with the camera body. After a quick look at the Canon lenses online you find yourself lost in bizarre nomenclature.

What? What does that mean? I’m not a professional, only a studious shutterbug. What’s EF and EF-S? What is IS and USM? Fear not, Canon lens nomenclature is not as hard as it seems. Let’s break it down. See the rest of the article at Associated Content.

Shenzhen, as a modern city, is only 28 years old. In 1980, Deng Xiao Ping, then China’ s leader, said, “I want a city here!”  The fishing village of 300,000 was transformed into a special economic zone after the army corp of engineers co-ordinated the building of what came to be the city with the fastest growing economy.

From 300,000 to 12 million in 28 years, it’s staggering to consider. Buildings are now coming down, making way for the new. A block in my downtown area is being torn down  (above) to make way for something else. My beloved computer market has been relocated across the street. It took a day of wandering (and the almost impulse buy of a 22-inch monitor) to find my favorite vendors.

Captured: March 29, 2008.