Wednesday, December 01, 2010

practice - polaroid # 33


practice - polaroid # 33, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

four students attempt to practice football on the main football field of "Hunan University of Technology" - Zhuzhou, Hunan, China

photo: mark hobbs

massive


massive, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

large apartment block - TianYuan district - west of the city - Zhuzhou, Hunan, China

photo: mark hobbs

observe


observe, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

street vendor - west of the city - near "Hunan University of Technology".

photo: mark hobbs

homing # 2


homing # 2, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

late for class - student of "Hunan University of Technology" - Zhuzhou, Hunan, China

photo: mark hobbs

stand


stand, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

small "backstreet" east of the city - near the main campus of Hunan University of Technology" - Zhuzhou, Hunan, China

photo: mark hobbs

open


open, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

lane between "Hunan University of Technology" and the 'workers' housing. Zhuzhou, Hunan, China

photo: mark hobbs

croquet


croquet, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

every morning and afternoon a group of elderly men and women gather under the shadow of the apartment buildings, inside the grounds of "Hunan University of Technology" to play croquet, gently hitting the hard ball around the sun parched 'pitch'.

photo: mark hobbs

Monday, November 08, 2010

the shadows stay


the shadows stay, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

the concrete stairs and wall, outside my door - apartment building - "Hunan University of Technology", Zhuzhou, Hunan, China.

photo: mark hobbs

comfortable


comfortable, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

store keepers, small "back street", west of the Xiangjiang River, Zhuzhou, Hunan, China

photo: mark hobbs

corner


corner, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

the last 'apartment' in a long row of buildings - late afternoon, central Zhuzhou, Hunan, China

photo: mark hobbs

Thursday, November 04, 2010

amongst the clouds


amongst the clouds, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

Back in China - a rusting bicycle, under the stairwell of my apartment building, old campus - Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, Hunan, China.

photo: mark hobbs

apartment window


apartment window, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

Back in China - My apartment window - old campus - Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, Hunan, China.

photo: mark hobbs

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

students


students, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

first year English major students - "Dahongying University" Cixi campus

This class has about 40 students which is an average number for classes in China (I have taught up top 57 students in one class and as little as 17) this class is mainly made of young women (read girls) with about 5 boys, which is also the average. The boys either choosing to work on the family farm or look for a position in one of the big cities on the south east coast of China - Education at the University level in China is very expensive.

On the blackboard in the background the students have written Chinese quotes suggesting that "the students should not forget their dreams...." great advice of course, but these students have like most students of their age in China, very little knowledge of the outside world or any expectations beyond returning to their village or 'hometown' and doing exactly what their parents insist, settling down and having families of their own.


photo: mark hobbs

a patch of blue


a patch of blue, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

wall - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.

photo: mark hobbs

when they are together


when they are together, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

two young boys at the entrance to a small hutong (traditional Chinese alley dwelling) - early evening - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

Happy "Fathers Day" to all of you 'Father's and to me :)

photo: mark hobbs

when the door is open


when the door is open, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

a woman sits outside her home, making a hat - late afternoon - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.

photo: mark hobbs

Guozhi Geming


Guozhi Geming, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

standing tall - Guozhi Geming the "Party Boss" (Chinese Communist Party) of the Gaoqiao market - late afternoon - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.

This stern looking man, is both the "Party Boss" and manager of the Gaoqiao market, his word is final - no discussion. A translation of his name is "may the state govern" (Guozhi) and "revolution" (Geming) I love the contradiction.


photo: mark hobbs

when he reads


when he reads, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

leaving a residential area, a young man reads a txt on his cellphone - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.

In China it seems that everyone has a cellphone (perhaps, this is the case across the globe?) Actually it is over half a billion people who own and use a cellular phone in China. Amazing statistics when you consider that the mobile phone was first introduced in 1995. Many of the phones are of course Shanzhai (which can translate as "A Chinese imitation and pirated brand and or good, particularly electronics")

photo: mark hobbs

almost here


almost here, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

wall - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.

photo: mark hobbs

feel that funky groove


feel that funky groove, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

i love the irony here - a 'disco' tshirt hangs in a "nong tang" (alley) Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China


try explaining in Chinese what this 'Funky thing' is....


photo: mark hobbs

when the road turns


when the road turns, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

intersection of two alley's "nong tang's" - early evening - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

photo: mark hobbs

at 5:36pm


at 5:36pm, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

going home - afternoon - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

photo: mhobbs

Friday, June 25, 2010

dust sweeper


dust sweeper, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

the endless job of sweeping the dust - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.

Since first coming to China in early 2004, I have seen countless numbers of these "road sweepers", who seemingly have a thankless, endless task. In some cities such as Taiyuan, Shanxi province, the sweepers work in groups (both men and women). Taiyuan has the added 'problem' of dust both local from coal production and dust blown into the city from the ever expanding Gobi dessert. In a relatively modern/developed city such as Ningbo the road sweepers work from very early in the morning to just before sunset. I have seen (and photographed) mechanized truck road sweepers, but these are rare.

photo: mhobbs

hutong wall with detail


hutong wall with detail, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

i love the way this wall is constructed - the laying of the narrow stones one upon the other, stones or bricks gathered from various sources including of course older destroyed buildings, now recycled. (the proof of this is in the detail) The wall is constructed without any mortar - and forms the exterior wall on four sides of a hutong (tradition Chinese alley dwelling) Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China - late afternoon

photo: mhobbs

turn - nong tang # 37


turn - nong tang # 37, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

after work a man walks home - "nong tang" (alley) Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China - late afternoon

photo: mhobbs

still


still, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

a bed sheet hangs between two small hutong (traditional Chinese alley dwellings) in a 'courtyard' small village, Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

photo: mhobbs

she turned


she turned, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

a factory worker still wearing her uniform heads home at the end of the work day - early evening - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

I have been exploring the countless alleys and small streets around Gaoqiao since I first moved to Ningbo twelve months ago. The seemingly endless variation and hidden spaces never cease to amaze me, from a purely artistic point of view, the textures and "play of light" in these spaces has given me a wonderful opportunity that I will always remember.

photo: mhobbs

the time is always 6am


the time is always 6am, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

student dormitories "Dahongying University" - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

these are the first year student dorms' the girls dorms opposite my apartment building - in all the schools (read Universities) that I have taught at in my five + years in China, all the dorm buildings are the same (not just similar, but exactly the same) which isn't unusual for China. They are six level (seven levels and a building must have an elevator) concrete buildings with a balcony for each dorm room (which is used to hang washing) the buildings are tiled on the exterior walls and have neither heating nor cooling, no hot water and no cooking facilities

photo: mhobbs

Monday, June 21, 2010

shallow - nong tang # 35


shallow - nong tang # 35, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

after a day of showers and some heavy rain the "nong tang" (alley) is dark and 'heavy' with water - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

photo: mhobbs

she has some red


she has some red, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

a woman strolls along a "nong tang" (alley) - protecting herself from the rain with a bright red umbrella - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

photo: mhobbs

bleach


bleach, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

washing hangs outside a small home - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

photo: mhobbs

corner


corner, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

a house on a corner - Gaoqiao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

photo: mhobbs

Friday, April 16, 2010

they walk


they walk, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

two young men walk amongst the 'hutong' (Traditional Chinese alley dwelling) - Gaoqiao

photo: mhobbs

when arriving is all # 2 - color

waiting in anticipation for the next subway station - 'orange line' Shanghai, China

photo: mhobbs

Canola


Canola, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

a small row of houses at the edge of a canola field - Gaoqiao

photo: mhobbs

in - spire # 2 - bent


in - spire # 2 - bent, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

bank - central Shanghai

photo: mhobbs

obedience


obedience, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

a line of small homes, amongst the patchwork of rice and canola fields, close to Dahongying University - Gaoqiao

photo: mhobbs

Friday, April 09, 2010

when the bike comes home


when the bike comes home, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

a man enters his 'home courtyard', through a small door in the wall that surrounds his home. - Gaoqiao

photo: mhobbs

wall with windows


wall with windows, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

a now derelict factory - Gaoqiao

photo: mhobbs

he has smiles


he has smiles, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

through the window of a small hutong (courtyard home) narrow nong tang (alley) - Gaoqiao

photo: mhobbs

when waiting


when waiting, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

ningbo south bus station - waiting for the bus to Shanghai

photo: mhobbs

shanghai


shanghai, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

view of 'The Bund' from across The Huangpu river.

photo: mhobbs

a family with bystanders


a family with bystanders, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

a family group - nong tang (alley) Gaoqiao

photo: mhobbs

Monday, April 05, 2010

a solitude # 3 - singular


a solitude # 3 - singular, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

she rides her bicycle home - late afternoon - Gaoqiao

photo: mhobbs

the walls


the walls, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

an old man stands in the doorway of his small "nong tang" home, late afternoon - Gaoqiao

photo: mhobbs

rising


rising, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

apartment building on NanJing Lu - Shanghai

photo: mhobbs

when arriving is all


when arriving is all, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

waiting in anticipation for the next subway station - 'red line' Shanghai, China

photo: mhobbs

Sunday, March 28, 2010

another look


another look, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

man 'taking another look' - "nong tang" (alley) - Gaoqiao

photo: mhobbs

when she sits


when she sits, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

an elderly woman sits by her wares, near the back entrance to the Gaoqiao market, Gaoqiao

photo: mhobbs

Monday, March 22, 2010

night comes early


night comes early, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

tunnel leading to a small residential neighborhood - haishu

photo: mhobbs