Protest against the Israeli treatment of Palestine

Sat. Jan. 10, 2009
Woman protesting the Israeli treatment of Palestine.
Outside the Israeli consulate, Bloor St. W., Toronto.

Toronto Restaurant Ad

... just had this shot published in The National Post as an ad for Vertical restaurant. Vertical is on King Street West in the heart of Toronto's financial district.

Shenzhen to Hunan, China

Although this post isn't topical, it's here by request of several family members and friends who are curious about this trip. Enjoy!



City of Shenzhen in Southern China.


Fruit and vegetable market, Shenzhen.

Girl amidst the clutter of her father's appliance repair business.
The girl's mother (in background) was delighted to have her daughter photographed. I returned the next day with a print for the parents ... they were thrilled, and extremely thankful.


Street vendor shoe repair, Shenzhen.


Our train from the southern port city of Shenzhen to Yueyang, in the province of Hunan, wasn’t what I expected! My pre-conceived vision presented a 1950s vintage steam train, yellow stars embossed on its iron-clad sides, chugging its way through the Chinese countryside, huffing and puffing to climb any incline encountered. Actually, it was a fairly modern and fast engine, pulling comfortable, quiet coaches (at least in the case of our sleeper cabin). “This is home for the next 14 hours” I said to Don, my friend who traveled with me for about a week. Our guides and escorts Ye and Huang saw to it that we were boarded and settled in properly, before embarking in their own cabin. “I’m so glad these guys are traveling with us” I said, after negotiating our way through the crowd boarding the train. Our Mandarin skills were virtually non-existent, and communication proved to be a challenge at times. Mandarin is a difficult language, and utilizes four tones in the pronunciation of most words and phrases – I found myself producing all kinds of facial contortions and oral calisthenics in my futile attempt at pronunciation.

Ladies in an exercise program, Shenzhen.

Poultry vendor, Shenzhen.



Another cobbler!



Fruit vendor, Shenzhen.


We settled into our small room of 4 bunks, where fortunately, we were the only occupants – any opportunity one finds in China to enjoy more space is welcome; and in a land of 1.8 billion people, space is often at a premium! In another stroke of good fortune, we both benefited from Don’s foresight to pack a bottle of Scotch. We provoked double-takes from our fellow passengers as they walked past our open cabin door – often backtracking for a second look at the foreigners on board, no doubt an unusual sighting, and a reaction that would repeat itself many times over the next few days! The ultra-modern buildings of Shenzhen, with their spot-lit features and laser-clad apexes soon faded to black as we snaked our way into the night of China’s interior. Pre-dawn light cast an eerie glow over an industrial landscape as our train pulled its way through many towns and small cities on our way to Yueyang, and the traveler is offered a glimpse into how a post-revolutionary China must have appeared just a few years ago. There IS beauty amongst all this – in the details of a farmer’s furrows, the architecture of some rural communities, the dominating bright yellow of rape fields, and the seemingly slow but methodical pace that farmers employ in their duties tending crops and livestock. The sun had completely risen, but a grey pall hung over our destination - Yueyang. This city assault’s one’s senses – noise, traffic chaos and construction debris and rubble everywhere – but interesting never-the-less.

YueYang, Hunan, China


We were met here by a friend of our escort’s and ushered into taxis that would ultimately deliver us to the local hospital where he worked as its director. I thought in retrospect that this taxi ride could easily have resulted in our visiting a hospital via a different route and under unfortunate circumstances. Thankfully that wasn’t the case! Our host’s hospitality was generous indeed, he provided us with tea, fruit and sweets, followed by a tour of his hospital’s facilities. He asked (through our translator) “have you heard of Dr. Norman Bethune?” “Of course” I replied. This distinguished Canadian doctor is revered in China for his medical support to troops in Mao Tse Tung’s Red Army during their struggle with the Japanese. It seems he’s much better known in China than he is in his own country!

Doctor and nurses at their station in YueYang Hospital.

A happy and relieved mom with her child in the recovery room, Yueyang Hospital.


Food, companionship and conversation are an important part of the socializing process to the Chinese people, and much to our delight we were taken to lunch at a local restaurant in a bustling part of Yueyang on the shore of Dongting Lake. Freshness is key in the preparation of ingredients and meals, and our host provided a lunch of locally harvested vegetables and fish from the Lake – live fish - unusual looking fish … not like any fish I’ve encountered in my gastronomical lifetime. Hunan cuisine is renown for its spiciness, and often includes fiery peppers and hot sauces. So, we discovered the most complimentary addition to any Hunan food was Chinese beer. China produces some excellent beers – Tsingtao and Kingway to name just two really good ones. I was told that German expatriates in China started a brewing business years ago, and their methods and technology have been widely adopted throughout China – Undeniably, one of the great benefits of cultural integration! Eating in Hunan is a great pleasure, but we had a lot to see in a fairly short time, so it was off to visit Yueyang Tower on the shores of Dongting Lake – just a short walk from the restaurant.

YueYang Tower, Hunan, China

YueYang Tower, Hunan, China


Built originally in 716 as a naval training facility for general Lu Su of the Wu Kingdom, Yueyang tower is considered to be one of China’s greatest. The structure has undergone several changes and renovations to arrive at its present configuration. The wooden building uses no nails, only finely crafted mortise and tenon joints in its construction. The roof is shingled with exquisitely glazed yellow tiles, and the overall structure is adorned with fine wood-carving and ornate metal work. This is a land of contrasts and they manifest themselves in the most unusual places – colourful children set amidst urban decay, modern architecture in ancient cities, hi-technology in the surrounds of old-fashioned facilities.

Food vendor and customers, Shenzhen.


Everything here seems to be a negotiation - buying goods, ordering restaurant food, hiring taxis. However, the one thing that is constant is the kindness of China’s people, at all times and in all places we were warmly welcomed and treated with the respect worthy of foreign dignitaries. The people we met were kind and hospitable, and seemed hard-working, hopeful and optimistic. They have a thirst for knowledge and were genuinely curious about all things western. Children were especially curious about us, and often engaged us with a friendly “hello.” These kids see any opportunity to practice English, no matter how minimal, as an exercise in learning, and their quest to broaden their knowledge and horizons is commendable, and something we tried to encourage throughout our trip. I realize that given the requisite purchasing power, kids will be kids anywhere, and will buy sweets after school – children, by their ways and innocence, are the great international equalizer.

Children buying sweets after school, YueYang.


The road to Changsha, capital of Hunan province is a modern highway and part of an overall road system stretching from Beijing to Shenzhen. The road’s center meridian is planted with conifer trees, all pruned to exactly the same size and shape, literally millions of trees requiring millions of work-hours to maintain. A mind-boggling display! Our bus is clean and comfortable, but we are accosted by the loud and distorted audio playing from the bus’s overhead speakers. There was an action movie playing on the video system, and for some reason, it seems that it must be played at an excruciating volume. I felt every punch and kick those guys threw! – in my ears at least. Changsha is a beautiful, youthful city, housing a world-class university.

Students on the campus of Changsha University.

Our hotel was on the university grounds, and offered clean and comfortable rooms in a pleasing and relaxing environment of unique architecture, ponds and trees. “We’ll be meeting with 2 distinguished professors for dinner this evening” said our guide Ye. It turns out that Liu Yuen Zhi and Zhou Seng Bin were both very accomplished, one a geneticist and the other a physiologist. Conversation with these men was challenging through a translator, but still provided an interesting element to our evening, and yielded some fascinating details - Liu Yuen Zhi is held in high regard in the Chinese scientific community for his work in fish genetics – using genes from fish sperm to develop anti-aging compounds.

Professors Liu Yuen Zhi and Zhou Seng Bin.

Following a comfortable night and wonderful breakfast of dumplings, vegetables, hard-boiled eggs and french-fries??? at the Changsha University Hotel, we toured one of the world’s oldest universities (over 1100 years old). Ancient classrooms, now functional art studios and music rooms, are still featured in the modern-day tour of these ancient facilities.

A woman in costume, The Music Department, Changsha University.

Buddhist nun, Changsha.


“We have to hurry, the bus for Yiyang leaves fairly soon” Huang said. A fairly short 2 hour trip landed us on the doorstep of this bustling city. It seems the entire city was under construction, there were work crews and equipment everywhere, it’s though the whole city has been slated for a complete makeover.

Construction worker, Yiyang.

We’re met by 2 representatives of the local government’s tourism department, and taken by mini-bus to a local farm to meet the farmer and experience his environment – he’s now 80 years old, and has developed this property gradually over his many years.

Farmer, outskirts of Yiyang.

This destination it seems, is not just a farm, but a retreat of sorts where city people and local farmers come for some R&R. There’s a picnic area, a pond, a restaurant and a lounge where people are entertained.

Hotel guests singing karaoke under the watchful eye of Chairman Mao.


”What kind of things could we do to promote our destination?” inquires the tourism rep. We offer some advice and ideas about how tourism marketing is done in Canada, and they are genuinely curious and thankful. Lunch is on them, then we headed off to “The Bamboo Mountains” a hilly landscape forested almost exclusively with bamboo. “How long does it take for these trees to mature?” I ask our guide. “Bamboo is not a tree, it’s actually a grass” he tells me. The growth cycle from start to harvest is about 4 years, so it’s considered a fairly “green” product as far as environmental issues are concerned.

Bamboo processing worker, Hunan.


The uses for this plant are wide-ranging and many small enterprises and large corporations are involved in its value-add processing. Flooring, furniture, building products and handicrafts are just some of the many applications for bamboo, and this part of Hunan is a major player in China’s bamboo industry.

Not at all like BC's logging trucks, but despite this, I'm considering a submission for the cover of "Truck Logger" magazine.


A local museum displaying artifacts, documentation and recent products all relating to bamboo offered us a glimpse into this grass’s venerated history. Seeing people work with bamboo is a fantastic experience, on the outskirts of Yiyang we observed furniture being hand-made, and both bamboo stem and root being carved into intricate forms and striking masks. There’s very little modern tooling and virtually no automation. “Our workers are all deaf mutes” says the manager of the facility. He continues by telling us “these folks are provided with jobs and opportunities they may not otherwise have if it weren’t for this industry.” The workmanship of these people is outstanding, and my limited space is the only reason I didn’t load up on some of their art!

Bamboo Carver, Hunan.


It’s back to Yiyang now, where we check into the Zhongxin Hotel in Yiyang – a modest place with spartan rooms. Waking up and looking out our hotel window revealed an otherworldly cityscape, grey, nondescript buildings that reached as far as the eye could see, clothed in an ethereal fog. A faint glow from streetlights below managed to penetrate the low, pre-dawn light.

Pre-dawn, Yiyang.


Our day started like most others – breakfast, then on with the journey. The train station was some distance and required a taxi ride to get there on time. One could write a series of action-adventure stories just based on taxi travel in some of these cities! Hairy, dangerous and without regard for rules of the road, these taxis are a sure-fire way to get one’s adrenaline pumping first thing in the morning. If you weren’t quite awake when you got in the cab, you certainly were when you got out! After Yiyang, I was looking forward to getting back into the countryside again. The trip to Zhang Jia Jie didn’t disappoint, it exposed us to some wonderful scenery and a gradual shift in geography, from flatland plains to a mountainous terrain. The soul of China’s landscape was finally revealing itself in dramatic rock formations, steep canyons and fast-flowing rivers. Stepping out of the train station in Zhang Jia Jie, one knows that he’s in a tourist destination. Vendors converge on you selling maps, souvenirs and food.

Tourist shops of Zhang Jia Jie.


Ye tells us that “the majority of tourists here are from South Korea” and he added “since they trained guides and tourism staff in the Korean language, the service to this market has improved tremendously, and the numbers of tourists has grown very much over the last few years.”

Tujia women in traditional costume, Zhang Jia Jie.

Dancers at Zhang Jia Jie nightclub.


We’re met by a guide and a driver who’ll take us to the Unesco World Heritage site of Wulingyuan and Zhang Jia Jie national park. Arriving in Huan Shi Zhai, a small valley village surrounded by tall, craggy sandstone peak sand pillars, spring was emerging and the Suoxiyu Valley floor was taking on a fresh, emerald hue, punctuated by occasional fruit blossoms.

Zhang Jia Jie national park.


I was delighted to learn that part of our adventure on this particular day would be an excursion to the tops of the mountains we were admiring – features and mountains with names like Treasure Box of Heavenly Books, South Pillar of Heaven and Golden Tortoise Watching the Sea. A spectacular 15 minute cable car ride delivered us to the top – this cable-car system seemed to be very modern and hi-tech – fast and efficient, providing some excellent views along the way.

Cablecar in Zhang Jia Jie national park.


“This place was used by bandits and outlaws as a place to hide and evade the law” said Ye. “You can see that it would be very difficult to catch someone up here.” Just getting here without modern transportation would be a difficult challenge, and one that obviously was exploited by those on the run many years ago. There are so many photographic viewpoints in this dramatic landscape that photographers are “spoiled for choice.” Breathtaking rock formations, mountain plants, and distant, fog shrouded valleys all contribute to the beauty of this world heritage site.

Limestone pillars of Zhang Jia Jie national park.

Hunan is indeed a land of contrast, and travel here reflects that also … it’s an incredibly interesting and scenic place, but negotiating travel here has its challenges and is not easy. English speaking guides are very reasonably priced, and undoubtedly will make your trip easier and more enjoyable, and I would highly recommend hiring one. Treasures and rewards await those who are somewhat adventuresome, and willingly tour off the beaten path.