Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. Robert A. Heinlein

Mrs. Stevo chillin’ on Saturday afternoon. In other news: My camera is suppose to be ready today (the operative phrase being: Suppose to).

For Robin and Bibliomom.

Are we ever really lost?

We know roughly where we are, be it a city, region or country. We are on the earth, from that point of view we’re not lost at all. We have a place within the cosmos. I have been lost, literally and figuratively. Much of my time is now spent trying to get lost.

But you just asked if we’re ever really lost?

Who’s that? Shut up. Don’t interrupt.

As long as I know which way is north and I have a rudimentary map I can find what I’m looking for. Eventually. Knowing the compass points is key. When I first arrived at my digs in China I was confused. I had no idea where north was. It was good my faith (or total lack there of) didn’t involve facing Mecca. After discovering north, navigating my new world became easier.

New world? Are you Columbus? North? Oliver North?

Shut up.

I was lost, really lost, only once. On a cold, rainy October afternoon some friends and I went hiking. After reaching our destination, the remains of an old uranium mine, we started back. One friend decided on a short cut. His error in judgment led to hours of walking in the rain, wading through beaver ponds, and generally being miserable. It wasn’t a bad place to be lost, it was bordered on four sides by roads and the area was about 18 square kilometers. We would have been found before DNA was needed to identify our remains.

I learned lessons that day. Most involved stupidity, listening to others, and always carrying a compass. None of those have translated into my urban, Chinese, existence.

I stray from the path. A straight line between Point A and B is boring. There are too many alleys to explore along the way. I’m never really lost, I know what city I’m in and my approximate location on a map. I’ll never have to worry about resorting to cannibalism if lost in China as I would in the Canadian wilds. Many varieties of street food are widely available.

If I hadn’t had strayed from the path I never would have found Nui Xiang (translated: cow path) and the mailbox covered wall (above). Getting lost has advantages.

originally published: November 26, 2007

After two weeks of unemployment I’m about to embark upon an adventure. My life is China will no longer be sloth-like leisure time.  Hanging around the house (or Momo Bar – a coffee shop) is fine, but a tad boring. I’ll take a page from Paddy’s current travel diary and put on my traveling shoes.

I’m leaving from Shenzhen, China, on an overnight sleeper train to Changsha, Hunan Province. Once there, Mrs. Stevo and I will hang in the provincial capital before heading to Shaoshan, Hunan – The birth place of Chairman Mao.  Next will be Heng Shan, or Mount Shan, one of the five Taoist mountains in China. I’ll climb it, shoot it, and do a little dance at the summit. Then, to Mrs. Stevo’s village we will go, near Guiyang, Hunan Province, China. A few days in the country, minus air conditioning or running water.

Yes, it will be an adventure.

In other news:

My photograph, Walking with Balloons, was featured on A Photo A Day From Planet Earth. Check it out.

I been looking at the work of a great (somewhat local) photographer. Alex Hofford is a Hong Kong-based photographer with a new website. His images have appeared in a little publication called The New York Times. Check out his portfolio.

I’m offering a great deal on Blog Hosting. Want you own domain and blog? Check out my hot summer blog hosting deal.

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photo credit: alancleaver_2000

Shanghai, The Bund.

I’m back from Shanghai. The 2009 Interphoto Shanghai (show) was a great event. I met a great many photographers from around the world, saw some cool gear, played with expensive toys, and ate at many a buffet. No legendary Shanghai escorts or Shanghai massage from the married Stevo.

Drinking Chinese rice wine, bai jiu, with giggling Korean models was probably the highlight of the trip.  Korean women have a reputation in Asia as being the prettiest – the beauties usually being the ones that have benefited from Korea’s top-notch cosmetic surgery. I’ve heard tell that the average Chinese woman is far prettier than the average Korean woman.  Before I further digress I will abandon this debate.

Rain on a hotel window: Shanghai weather during July 2009.

What did I see in Shanghai? The world famous Bund? The Pearl Tower? The French Concession? Old town? The Shanghai World Financial Center?

Nay.

Side trips to beautiful Hangzhou, West Lake,  or Suzhou?

Nay.

What did you see, Stevo?

Mostly? The hotel, the convention center, and the two hundred meters between the two buildings. And, Pudong and Hongqiao Airports (I didn’t actually fly in or out of Hongqiao: It’s a long story).

Am I bitter? No, it was a good time. I’m always up for a bit of China travel, even if my sightseeing in Shanghai possibilities were limited. My brief taste of the city left me with a hunger for more.

The best part of the trip was my return. No, not the turbulence-filled flight or the delays caused by the foul weather over south China. Mrs. Stevo returned during my excursion to Shanghai and we’ve spent the last week trying to get reacquainted after her 10 month adventure in England.

Stay tuned, cool stuff ahead before I head out on my summer trip.

photo credit: simonsmith001

My first sunrise in China, unemployed.

As anyone who follows me on Twitter knows, as of June 30, 2009 at 10:19 am (GMT +8) I joined the ranks of the unemployed. My contract ended, they school paid me off and gave me the official release letters. No more will I be hailed with the moniker, “Teacher.”

No more students, no more books, no more boss’s dirty looks. For me, as Alice Cooper said, school is out forever. No more teaching English in China, no more being el instructor grande of English as a Second Language.

Okay, I’m only temporarily unemployed.  I have a job to start in a few weeks, after the return of Mrs. Stevo and perhaps a bit of travel. What is that job? A few of you have asked, in comments and by email. When all the i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed I’ll let the cat out of the bag.

Every day is a new beginning. It’s easy to get mired in what seems a daily grind, the proverbial rut. Sometimes you need to take a step back and see each day for what it is: A new start. Here’s to a fresh start and new beginnings. For today, it’s a 6:15 pm flight to Shanghai and the Interphoto & Digital Imaging Shanghai (Show) from July 2-5? Visit me at the Phottix booth at the Shanghai Everbright Convention & Exhibition Center. I’ll be easy to spot: The smiling white guy.

aside: I recent lamented to Norm that China has weak clouds. After last week’s typhoon the sky has been filled with big puffy monster clouds (see above). It’s a pleasant change.

Teaching English in China can lead to some situations that drive you to the brink of insanity. That’s not to say I don’t like China, quite the opposite. But, there are times….

1. I can’t seem to get in a fast moving line, be it at a supermarket or passport control station. If in a line with one person in front of me, the line of ten next to me will speed along. I’m cursed, I tells ya.

2. The check-out lines in Chinese supermarkets labeled “Cash only” or “10 items of less” actually except forms of payment other than cash and many more items than 10.

3. When searching for a gym in China try to find one with a non-smoking section.

4. Before boarding the Hong Kong bus to the mainland, my temperature was checked to ensure I wasn’t infected with swine flu. The Star Trek-like gun-thing would not give a reading when pointed at my forehead. The bus attendant looked perplexed and tried again and again. After four minutes I began to wonder if I was dead and had become a zombie. That’s not outside the realm of possibility.

5. Given my level of exhaustion, and after listening to the screams of small children for 18 consecutive weeks, I am seriously considering a DIY vasectomy.

6. While I am extremely buff at the moment, I think three hours of cardio will be needed each day to balance the amount of beer and I plan to consume. I don’t want Mrs. Stevo to return to a less-than-attractive Mr. Stevo.

7. My contract finishes (thank goodness) June 30. On July 1 I will fly to Shanghai for six days, another photography trade show (missing Mrs. Stevo’s return). Look for more photos of pretty Asian models.

Conversation of the Week:
Poo is a major source of conversation between foreign teachers in China. A former colleague referred to his leavings in terms of snakes. “Oh man, you should have seen that nest of vipers…” I present the following to you:

Teacher: I feel a diarrhea attack coming on. If that happens is it okay if I let my class go early?
Stevo: No.
Teacher: Really?
Stevo: You can’t send your class home because of your bowels.
Teacher: Why not?
Stevo: How would I explain that to the parents?
Teacher: Oh.