China

The old original wall and gate for Nanjing.

Our guide George had a great way of speaking English.

"It's pie in the sky for George to own a condiment".

(That's Chinglish for "I can't afford a condominium.)

Background has the ubiquitous crane.

50% of the world's cranes are in China, 50% of those are in Shanghai.

Sketches of Bronzes in China, mostly over 2,000 years old

View from the Suzhou-Shanghai train

This is the classic view of modern China.

This little farm was holding out by the side of the lake.

Laundry and ducks clearly evident.

In the background was the almost completed 8 lane highway.

I was on a high speed train.

View of The Forbidden City from Tiananmen Square.

We waited a while here, it gave me time to observe the Chinese tourists visiting their own landmarks.

This little "one-child family" proudly posed in front of Mao's picture over the front main gate to the Forbidden City. "Haole" roughly translates as "OK?" As in "Did the picture come out OK?" You hear it ALL THE TIME!

Entrance to Confucious' Mansion

In the middle of the Master of the Nets Garden

Two Cranes in a Landscape

Zig Zag Bridge in Nanjing

Simaitai, The Great Wall

Hong Kong Harbor, The Garbage Junk

I was being watched by a collection of little old ladies who couldn't stop giggling. When I was done I asked what was so funny. "You've been sketching the boat that collects the garbage". They were doubled over.

Guilin, The Peach River

This is the hometown of my father, James Lau (Liao Chi-Ming). His mother (my Li-Li) moved to Hong Kong in the 1960's, I met her once. My mother visited here with my dad in the mid-1940's, she slept on a board at the Missionary building. In 2006, I slept in a Sheraton with a min-bar.