commentary

before i launch into my final bit, i wanted to mention a few things.

1) health - my hip's getting better for those who are interested. i think i pulled the rectus part of my quad or maybe the lower part of ilio-psoas, or something that attaches to the ilio-pubis and causes flexion of the hip and hurts at the level of the inguinal ligament. if anyone can tell me which tendon is actually involved, they will be granted an immediately effective medical degree from the 'say no to evidence' chinese medical research institute.

2) in china, most old sites have been torn down and replica buildings have been built in their place. people say it's 'traditional but not original'. it's true, and you get a bit of a ripped off feeling when visiting an historical site that's younger than you are, as it may just as well have been built in australia or west papua or burkina faso. i'm not here for the buildings however.

3) i went to a family-run restaurant a while ago and it had already closed. the family were sitting around their own dinner. regardless, all three of them jumped up, re-opened the kitchen, cooked me a meal (the father even rode down the street on a pushbike to get ingredients they were missing) and put me right in front of their TV to watch the movie they had been watching, all the while letting their dinner go cold. if i was a chinese tourist walking into an aussie diner late at night, would the same thing happen?

4) they say that the average westerner consumes 32 times the amount of energy that a person in a developing country does. america and oz didn't ratify the kyoto environment protocol because they believed it would harm their economies, especially because countries like china were not involved. but when i look around at the 1.3 billion people in this country (actually they're all behind me peering over my fucking shoulder to see what i'm writing), it's obvious to me that all people have a right to strive for the highest standard of living (that oil can buy). i know it's not nearly so simple, but surely if we care about the environment, we should not only be signing the damn treaty and investing in alternative energy R+D, but should especially be assisting countries like china to use environmentally friendly methods in their pursuit of higher living standards, and lead by example because we can. what are your thoughts?

5) love - i'm so in love with china i can't believe it. i was explaining to some other foreigners at youth hostel a while ago what i thought of being here. after a few minutes of near hysterical ranting with goosebumps, tears in my eyes, and frightened exchanged glances between members of my audience, one guy turned to me and said 'wow...i've never seen so much...enthusiasm'. I LOVE IT!!! YEAHHHHH!!!!!

pics 1 to 5 - people