The Sojourner

Lantern Festival 2010

Today marks the end of the Spring Festival (a.k.a. Chinese New Year Celebration) in this freezing country. The last day is called Lantern Festival.

If you remember last year, the celebration of the Lantern Festival created chaos and unbelievable traffic around the East 3rd Ring Road in this city due to fire accident that caused the burning of the newly-built Mandarin Oriental Oriental Beijing which is on the north side of the CCTV Building, a modern architectural landmark designed by a Dutch architect, Rem Koolhaas.   

It was said that fireworks caused the accident but.... mmmnnn... who knows?

Tonight, my dinner date and I walked around the Houhai bar district to listen and watch the fireworks display but it didn't turned out as we expected since it was snowing and the fireworks were not as spectacular as that of the Chinese New Year's Eve celebration.

There were actually a lot of people, photographers and camwhores walking around the area. Perhaps, like us, they, too, were waiting for something wonderful to happen. But, nada.

Amazingly, I didn't complain about the freezing temperature outside---because someone put his arm around me while the immaculate snow gently fell as if it's a sign that we were meant to be for tonight.

Just for tonight.

Temple of Heaven

Pardon me if this blog has turned into a photoblog. My life has not been exciting this past weeks and it's my choice. I'm on hiatus from raves and going to parties that involves drinking.

It's doctor's advice. I should be sober (meaning, alcohol-free) for the next three months to see if this uncomfy feeling that I've been having these days is... u know...

But, I did break the rule last Spring Festival. I had glasses of vodka red bull, bottles of beer and a big glass of mojito. What's an electronic music without a social lubricant that makes you feel like you are in trance of movements so wonderful to resist.

Ok, enough drama.

The photos below are taken from the Temple of Heaven. I've read some travel books that describe this monument as Asia's most wonderful architectural style, next to Taj Mahal. I won't contest it, anyway. I'm illiterate when it comes to ranking architectural this and that. And besides, I've never been to Taj Mahal.

WUSHU
Temple of Heaven is a cultural mecca of everything Chinese. If you go there in the morning, you'll see people doing Chinese stuff or dexterously showing off their skills at everything.




TAICHI
I tried this once but my knees are just too weak. And I can't even feel what taichi is for. Perhaps, my body has so many pressures, issues that I need to resolve to exactly feel the peace and health benefits of this exercise?



MUSICIANS
Lots of musicians do their stuff publicly that, of course, catch the attention of every passerby. They're pretty serious improving and doing their stuff and good at it, too.



DANCING
While others have musical talents, these couple dance their morning away to the tune of something ballroom. I think they were doing the Swing.



TIANZI
This guy was a total show-off. He practically told everyone to move backwards so he could move freely in a big space and well, to be photographed. He knew my lenses were focusing him so he came nearer to my direction and when I clicked the shutter and left, he literally stopped. Whatta guy!



COURTSHIP DANCE
Though I didn't really understand the music they played, it was obvious that they're doing some courtship dance of their tribe. It was wonderful to see them dance skillfully in their happy feet.



POKER
This game is, perhaps, the most overrated game that you can find in every corner of the Temple of Heaven, especially on the benches of the Long Corridor.



FAN DANCE
To the tune of a Chinese traditional music, this guy flaps his fan like a pro. Bravo!



MASS DEMONSTRATION
The guy in red jacket led these group of people into a choreographed square dance from beginning to end. It's quiet exciting at first but it gets boring after 3 or 4 rounds / squares. :)



PEOPLE-WATCHING
Then.... there are people who find joy, contentment and fun watching tourists as they pass by...

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The Monks

I've been photographing a lot of people lately. People seems to fascinate me; their facial expressions, their wrinkles, their skin, their color, their eyes---everything. Even the way how they react to my lenses when they found out they're the object of my affection.

Last week, I saw these monks at Lama Temple / Yonghegong (Palace of Peace and Harmony), a Tibetan temple whose Temple chief monk is chosen by the government instead, of course, of Dalai Lama.

Aside from taking this photo, I also eavesdropped in their conversation. The guy was asking the monk about his fortune, health and life.




When I took this photo, these two reacted by making a face. Funny.

Obviously, he's looking at me as if telling me to fuck off? :))

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Dimsum

Last night, I brought my friend's family, who are visiting Beijing for 6 days, to this Dimsum restaurant that I have been so many times but can't even figure / say out the name of it in Chinese. It's a good thing that it's near the subway and a famous park that perhaps, every Chinese has been to.

Finally, I was able to take photos of the dimsum food we ordered. I'd recommend this place if you are already tired of the usual oily Chinese food. Dimsum here is cheap and the Chinese dishes they have on the menu are medium priced and a dish served is good for four people.

This is the restaurant. It's between the Yonghegong Lama Temple Subway in Line 2 and the South Gate of Ditan Park. This restaurant doesn't accept booking. You have to go there early and join the queue of people waiting. Waiting for your table here means eating melon seeds for free.



Oh well, everybody's familiar with this food. Chinese people ALWAYS eat this on Spring Festival for more money? I was told that how dumplings are formed actually look like a coin. Hmmnnn...

I hate steamed dumpling but I adore the fried ones.



I'm not really a foodie person who can easily remember the names of food but I do remember the taste of this---it's yummy! Hahahaha!!!



There's no doubt that this is my super favorite dimsum. It's a combination of pork and seafood. It's deliciously heaven.



This is rice flour or something that you have to dip it in the sauce before savoring it. If you don't, it's just like you are eating raw flour, I reckon.



I know this is not dimsum but we also ordered Chinese food. Chicken feet is one of them. You should know by now where the Adidas logo got it from.

I guess, if you wear Adidas shoes, you have chicken feet? Hahahahaha!!!
Literally and figuratively.

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Cupping

I have always wanted to try this. I've been longing to do this for the past seven years or so in my stay in China but never had the chance---until this week.

Being on holiday and nothing much to do, I decided to try CUPPING, a traditional Chinese medicine. It's an acupressure technique with fired vacuum cup applied to the skin.

After such, my back looks like I'm a battered human, or maybe, gang banged? Whatever.

The photos below doesn't look fabulous but it is fabulous to try everything in life. Even if such leaves mark that scares the twinks away.

When the fired cup touches my skin, it was a bit painful but it's kinda pain that you'll be wanting no matter what.

Grossssss... They look like over-sized nipples of a tranny. 



Now, they look like a red cupcake. Anyone want one?

It doesn't look good, of course and I sort of not feeling any difference before and after the treatment. These marks, they say, would last at least 2-3 weeks.

Thanks to Dinah for the shots. You still need MORE practice.

Mr. Gay World 2010 Winners

Here are the winners for Mr. Gay World 2010!

Mr. Gay South Africa wins the most coveted rainbow title the gaylandia has ever known. 

And yes, the controversial delegate from China is in top 5!

Congratulations to the winners!

Except for Mr. Gay China's photo, other photos below are from and properties of Mr. Gay World website.

Charl van den Berg
South Africa
Mr. Gay World 2010

Byron Adu
Australia
First Runner-Up

Rick Dean Twombley
Hongkong
Second Runner-Up



Xiao Dai
China
Third Runner-Up

Sergio Lara
Spain
Fourth Runner-Up

Lucky T-Shirt

This makes my day. I wish I were a t-shirt.

Sigh.

Temple Visitors

I visited the White Cloud Temple yesterday because I was bored. Literally, I had nothing to do yesterday so I called my student to come with me to this Taoist Temple called White Cloud Temple or Baiyun Guan, in Chinese.

It's not very touristy and the temple itself has many stuff to see, like: temple halls, altars, statues of Taoist gods.

Alright, just like any other temples in Beijing. :)

Instead of photographing the structures around the temple, I decided to focus my lense to the temple visitors who came in with a common denominator: good luck for the Year of the Tiger.

At the threshold of the White Cloud Temple, every visitor touches this monkey carved on its gate. What else, but, for good luck. Yes, I did. :)

What do you think is she wishing for? A handsome, rich boyfriend? Good health? Good job? A brand-new car? A new plumber or ayi?



Everytime a temple visitor puts money on a small box next to this man, he lists the visitor's name and will be included in their daily prayer.



These security guards are everywhere around the temple. They, of course, maintain order in the place when it gets crowded.



These women scrubbed their palms into this cauldron carved with dragons for good luck.



A son looks up while the mother is hanging the red ribbon with their wishes scribed on it.



For RMB10, you will be carried around the circular area between the halls. While these men carry this carriage, two or three men play the traditional instruments / music to accompany the procession / parade.


 
A child puts the joss sticks which the mother bought for RMB10 in front of the temple's altar.



A mother and daughter touches the 12 carved animals of the Chinese zodiac for good luck in the New Year!

A taoist monk receives the joss sticks from the visitors and he personally throw those in this rectangular vessel for burning.

Fireworks

The dark night sky during the celebration of the Chinese New Year turned colorful, but, mostly orange--as if there was a wildfire at the distance.

I took so many pictures but these are the only ones that are presentable. Or so I thought.

Enjoy.

 

The Growling Tiger

Last night was a blast.

And the tiger growled beyond this country.

Not because I was a bit wasted (just a bit) but because the firecrackers and fireworks were much better this year than last year as a I remember.

Boy, it was like watching up front how war in Iraq and Afghanistan are done, sans, of course, the real ammunition. Just gunpowder.

We started the night with a dimsum dinner at Yonghegong area, near Ditan Park. Thought that the restaurant was crowded so we came earlier but to our surprise that there were many tables empty and the staff where actually having their "New Year's Party" on the first floor while watching the CCTV New Year's Gala on a huge screen.

After that, we went to the Drum and Bell Tower and witnessed the fireworks display in a terrace of Drum and Bell Bar.

It was super noisy but super magnificent display of colors in the sky.

Amazing. Fabulous.

Here's the video.

And of course, welcoming the Chinese New Year will never be complete without the MUST thing to do: camwhoring.

Tiger pose. Click!

From the Drum and Bell Bar, my friend and I walked for 4 kilometers (I think) because taxis were very scarce after midnight in a freezing winter morning. The streets were littered with remnants of fireworks packages and boxes---and the air smelled awfully terrible with gunpowder.

We went to Shooters bar first to get drunk with cheap beers. I ignored the doctor's advise--not to drink for 3 months because of my ulcer--and bought a beer. Then, three more followed.

By the time we left the bar, I was already tipsy.

Next stop was Club Lantern. Music was good. Electronic music is always good. We stayed for only an hour an a half then moved to our next destination: White Rabbit.

At the rabbit hole, I met up with my two gorgeous pinays who were dressed to kill, head to toe.

Dance, dance, dance.

Drink, drink, drink.

Later, there's this middle-eastern guy who groped my lady friend's butt and it was a bit of scene. Then, the asshole realized he was sooooo wrong so he asked for an apology. But such apology was fake, I'm sure. He's such a dick.

Arrived home at 6:04 in the morning.