it rained today - i love the way the weather changes here in Huaihua - it reminds me of Melbourne.Each day on the street - vendors intall themselves - and set up trading for the day - selling everything from nail clippers to fried tofu.
photo. mhobbs

another bus - across the road from the university. (Huaihua) Drop one yuan into the tray and the bus takes you as far or as short a distance as you choose on its route.
photo. mhobbs

this afternoon had lunch here - a small place outside the "gate" of the school - noodles with vegies and chilli.
photo. mhobbs

being in China is an unusual/strange experience...History is everywhere - not physically - but - within the people - most ancient buildings were destroyed during the cultural revolution (1966-1976) these were classified as one of the "four olds" and systematically eradicated during this era - Mao's presence can still be felt everywhere....
photo. mhobbs

sugar cane - I love the look on this older womans face - chatting to the guy cutting the sugar cane pole - In the background of the photo to the left - is a guy asleep on his chair -
photo. mhobbs

last week on my way to class I noticed this........a new building being constructed on the campus - Its interesting 'cause if you look closely you'’ll see a figure in the image - Its a woman - In a society that is basically paternal - with a strong emphasis on the work ethic and the need for the many - not the individual - woman are often "workers" - of course in a "western" so called developed society this would be unusual - Are we in the west still living in a 19th century - that does not include women as Laborers or is China - just being logical?
photo. mhobbs

Mong Kok - love Hong Kong - just got back this morning - had a great time, met my Fiancee "Cecilia" - at Hong Kong airport, very easy place to get around - the subway in Hong Kong is really cool - very easy to navigate - the trains run every 2 mins or so - the ferry service from "the mainland" to Hong Kong island and elsewhere is great - love the old ferries - all the ferries that we rode on were built in 1958 - had an easy time obtaining my Visa "a Z class" and even easier getting Cecilias "F class" from the China resorces building - on "the island" - went shopping in "the ladies market" got a couple of things for Cecilia and also a nice shirt for myself...........This image is typical of Mong Kok - busy, full of Taxi's and really cool - an interesting mixture of western and eastern cultures....gotta go back......!!!
photo. mhobbs

hong kong for a few days - back next week!
photo: spaceimaging

"Remote City Evening Newspaper" - the restraunt didnt ask "us" the foreign - (: not being within the jurisdiction of a political unit (as a state); especially : being from or in a state other than the one in which a matter is being considered - a foreign company doing business in a foreign country :) - guests - but we thought "what the hell" - We got a free meal! The headline reads - "Huaihua'shine', western restaurant OK!"
photo. mhobbs

No not 1966 - April 16 2005. Anti-Japanese Protests in Beijing
photo. Abc. Australia.

Mao sits behind every person in china even today almost 30 years after his death. - even though the "door" may be open - as far as business is concerned - The "door" is firmly shut and perhapes the key has been lost - for many of the people.
photo. mhobbs

i was in a market......in the middle of the city...(see photo)....i dont really get time to hang out - most of my time when im not actually teaching is spent organizing stuff - and trying to solve the complex maze of chinese "red tape"....im not kidding.......! it really is a complex society...i was in a bank today - changing money - ha! You might think that this sounds easy - they wanted proof of where the money came from........so i had my contract faxed to the bank.....this simple procedure took 45 mins...all for under $400 - then i went to a differnet bank to send the money......Im sending $ to Cecilia (my fiancee) so she can get her ticket.(to come here)...Its been booked - Then Wow.....The Bank could not do it - so then i went to the main post office "China Post" they are open till 8pm - but the person who does the western union (the money senders) stuff wasnt available till 6pm - so i waited - then when i got to see her - i was told - (thru an interpreter) that western union doesnt operate after 5:30pm.......and it is new at the post office!! Anyway - so they suggested i go to a bank - no not the same bank a differnt bank - the bank shuts at 5pm!
wow! So ill send the money tomorrow! ha! i also had an argument (sort of) with the forign affairs - guyat the school that I'm teaching at, a prick who does nothing - and orders around his young assistant - he told me that only the president of the school can get a soft seat on a train......all the other seats are like park benches........so i offered to pay the difference in the price - (maybe 12 yuen) ha! If it was a short journey i wouldnt care but - im talking 18 hours on a seat! (They dont have beds for anything less than 20 hours!!!) ha!!! Man......Thats why i like travelling - it makes us - count our blessings......(No - im not kidding) Rant Rant Rant..........
photo. mhobbs

view from "the top of the world"

photo. mhobbs

these simple elegant forms are - so beautiful - not just food but works of art - carved pineapple anyone?
photo. mhobbs

no - not - 1949.
photo. mhobbs

spring is in the air........love the 'spring onions'
photo. mhobbs

my students from class 2..year 2.....note that most of these are seemingly young girls....infact they are around 21 or 22 - ! second year uni - english majors.....i took them for a walk around the campus - pointing out the english names of everything they asked me......"whats that?" Or "Gummar?"..(pinyin).....so......i would reply - "blossom".......or maybe "tree".....or maybe "fence'......or maybe "duck"......or maybe......"canteen". Yes the students enjoyed walking in the sunshine - in the early afternoon....an interesting change for them..
photo. mhobbs

Walking behind a market the other day - I noticed a set of stairs - so curious as usual I followed the stairs up two flights - then entered a courtyard - This was the surreal scene that I encountered Orange walls - a courtyard filled with orange light - This is a long exposure photo of what i saw....
photo. mhobbs

the same market - these two women could easily have been from early the last century - outstanding "hats"...
photo. mhobbs

went to the market today saturday - whilst buying some "four seasons beans" green beans - I noticed this man - shelling the beans - around him you can see the shelled beans - his "red" shirt and his obvious pleasure in his "work" drew my attention - ha! What a life - watching the world go by from knee level shelling his beans -
photo. mhobbs

this "patch" of ground - this earth - this tooled soil.......Every morning before class i look out onto this "space" from the forth floor balcony of the teaching building - it always inspires me..
photo. mhobbs

art building - take a close look at this photo - on the first floor window a student - like any other student "wonders" !
photo. mhobbs

a student of mine with natural ability - this guy like most of my students is worried to the point of exhaustion about an upcoming exam - the TEM 4 this exam like all others in china is not about ability but about how much "one" can remember - its really strange - some of the students - and others who take the exams (like the TEM 4 an english - grammer and vocab test) employ professional exam takers!
photo. mhobbs

the poster reads......."one shot and your cured" The blue poster reads....."Cured of - sexual disease - impotence - drug addiction etc"......my feeling is that if we cannot choose who we love or what we are we should never "take the shot".....
photo. mhobbs

this man - probably in his late sixties - seems very astonished to see a "white" person - in his environment - i was at the market having a key cut - he wouldnt look me in the eye - which in itself is not suprising - but usually the older the person in china - the more likely they are to be "forward" his "uniform" a remnant from another time - very "red gaurd" seemed completly out of place amongst the "consumers' happily shopping at the well stocked market.
photo. mhobbs

travelling into the city today to get a key cut - a spare key for my door - I noticed this beautiful little girl she was so interested in my curley hair - I loved the way her Father encouraged her to look at me - and the way he - responded to her - in China usually girls are treated with contempt by their fathers - it seems in most places that I have been to around China, "Boys" are still the prefered offspring...
photo. mhobbs