Hong Kong, China - April 2008

The very famous skyline of Hong Kong. Across the strait is Kowloon

For the architecture buffs:

The Bank of China Tower. Pretty much my favourite building in Hong Kong. Designed by I.M. Pei, who also designed the Louvre Pyramid


The also very famous Star Ferry transporting people from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon


Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Double-decker trams and buses!


Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Tributes to a colonial past


Kowloon. Streetscene with a gazillion neon signs


Not everyone is so rich in Hong Kong...


Woman selling roasted chestnuts on the street


Man Mo Temple. Incense hanging from the ceiling


Wong Tai Sin Temple. Woman offering incense


Tai O. Old fishing village on Lantau Island where many houses are built on stilts in the water


I love Tai O. It's like going back in time. Lots of memories from my childhood. Here, people are drying salted fish and egg yolks...


... and here people are making shrimp paste blocks...



... and here Dad and I are catching crabs. For fun, not to eat :)

Macau, China - April 2008

Rua da Felicidade. Besides casinos, Macau has some really nice old streets


People in Hong Kong also like to do this: gather with friends for the gezelligheid while listening to their birds sing


Little old ladies in front of Igreja de S. Domingos


Making traditional cookies

For all you architecture buffs:

Ruínas de S. Paulo. Facade of the early 17th century church


Igreja de S. Domingos


One of the casinos

Wuyishan (Mt. Wuyi), Fujian Province, China - April 2008

It was raining like mad and my shoes turned into swimming pools, but the view was worth it! For anyone who's ever seen a Chinese painting with mountains and rivers and "seas of clouds," Wuyishan looked exactly like that that day


Another view with the bamboo rafts going down the river...


... and Dad and I got to ride in such a bamboo raft down the river!


Bamboo


Tea plants (the ones on the mountain, not the tall tree)



A local market. How much for a chicken?

For the industrial design engineers:

Furniture and baby carriage made of bamboo

Dali, Yunnan province, China - April 2008

Ancient (8th century?) capital of the Bai people



Passersby



Vegetable seller (left) brings veggies directly to your door!

Lijiang, Yunnan province, China - April 2008

Lijiang, an ancient city of the Naxi people
(For all the people in NL and/or urban planners: There are canals in Lijiang! And also a big square for a "markt"!)


A typical Chinese garden near Lijiang



Old women in traditional Naxi clothing on the street and in traditional dances


The Naxi use the last remaining written pictographical language in the world

Brugge, Belgium - March 2008

Begijnhof

Egypt - Dec 2007

Giza


Streetscene, Cairo


Islamic Cairo. Interior of a mosque


Islamic Cairo. Those furry things on the ground are not carpets...


Ramses Station, Cairo. The local way of getting from one train platform to another


Near the Citadel, Cairo


Near the Citadel, Cairo

Humourous signs

I love signs. They try to convey messages quickly and especially to people who don't understand that particular language. And kudos for attempting in English when that is not the native language in the area. But I must say I had to haul out my dictionary for some of these signs... [Attempts at proper translations in italics]



Ouch. Hong Kong seems a dangerous place for pedestrians


No, this is not a black hole. It represents a "traffic black spot," a.k.a. frequent collisions so be careful. Hm, did I mention Hong Kong seems a dangerous place?


Oh, I will!
[Beware, ground is slippery]


I mean, who really does mind tumbling?
[Be careful of falling]


I dare not go against the 2nd Law...
[Do not litter]


???
Dictionary.com: virescence, n. The state or process of becoming green, especially the abnormal development of green coloration in plant parts normally not green
[Protect our plants]


Biogenic whaaaaaat??
Dictionary.com: karst, n. An area of limestone terrain characterized by sinks, ravines, and underground streams
[Basically, protect the area, don't break things off etc.]


This doesn't make sense in either language. The Chinese reads: The match that sells the little girl


Did they mean "automated"? Actually, maybe not:
Dictionary.com: ostomate, n. one who has undergone an ostomy. ostomy, n. surgical procedure that creates an artificial opening for the elimination of bodily wastes
The Japanese text really does use the word "ostomate"...



No translation problems, just cute signs :)