Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
The Second Coming, William Butler Yeats

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
Hamlet, William Shakespeare

For the Love of Money is The Root of All Evil
Timothy 6:10

Let be be finale of seem.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.
The Emperor of Ice Cream, Wallace Stevens

From a fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty “Hi-yo Silver,” I say Peace Out.

I’m back in China. Okay, Hong Kong is China so I never really left. If that’s the case why is there that pesky border?

Three days in the city I love to hate. Some times I think that Hong Kong is the city where bitter expats go to die, like an elephant graveyard. It used to be the city that Brits who completely f*cked up fled to the start over. Now? Not so much.

The “visa run” is a trip many expats are well acquainted with. Luckily, Shenzhen, China (my home base) is right beside Hong Kong. It’s a very quick trip to one of the world’s financial centers (and nearest locale to have a Chinese visa issued).

My brief observations on Hong Kong:

1. It is beautiful.
2. It is crowded.
3. It is expensive.

I spent two nights in the Mirador Mansions, an ancient building full of guest houses, tailor shops, and laundry establishments. The bed stretched from wall to wall, with one square meter at the end of the room by the door for my bags. Think of a roomy casket and you’ll get the idea.

A snippet of conversation before I rented to room:

Guest House Manager: Are you sure you want this room? It is very small.

Stevo: How much is it.

Guest House Manager: 110 Hong Kong dollars a night (about $14 USD).

Stevo: Yes, I want.

The room had wireless and AC. I don’t need much more than that.  Note: For $110 HKD I could get a nearly palatial hotel room in China’s less traveled areas.

Three days: I shot photos. I bought a snazzy Benro tripod and ball head, and five pounds of protein powder. I visited my Hong Kong office.

Paddy in the BA/HK

And I met Paddy.

You’ve seen him around, the large green-headed expat Irishman. Paddy in the BA is no longer in the Buenos Aires. The infamous Irish rover and blogger now calls Hong Kong home. He and I sat at McLovin’s Irish Pub and had a pint of Guinness before he jetted off to a Pacific  island.  He’s a peach and I hope he eventually crosses the border to visit.

Three days away.Three days to chill and wander. It was pleasant. Except for:

1. Hong Kong is crowded.
2. Hong Kong is expensive.

Now it’s “go time.” A lot  to do in the space of three weeks. With a camera in my hand and a song in my heart it will all come out alright.

Shopping and walking in China

Shopping is a pastime enjoyed by many of China’s foreign residents. Clothing, electronics, assorted kitsch items: It’s all affordable.

I shot this image last weekend as Mrs. Stevo and I were taking a break from shopping. What attracted me was the lovely and long 4 pm shadows.

I bought a shirt and a headband for my torturous adventures in the local gym. Mrs. Stevo purchased a shirt, a yellow number that proclaims “Superstar” or some such statement to the world. Ah, shopping. I hate it yet love it.

As I was saying, Shenzhen, China is a sprawling city, it’s hard to believe that places like Sanmenkou Island co-exist with monolithic concrete creations. The airport and the Shenzhen’s beaches are separated by 50 km. I’ve been to the beach twice in my almost five years in China. I like the beach, I don’t like public transportation. Luckily, on our October holiday excursion, a friend had a car.

Dongchong beach was our destination. From there it was tickets on a small and scary boat across the water to Sanmenkou Island. The boat’s pilot, a Kejia man, has skin the color of leather from his daily journeys back and forth across the south China Sea, smiled as his craft smashed through the waves and his passenger squealed.

A large dog, in China? Sanmenkou Island must be a magic place.

If you’re from a large city you can appreciate what Sanmenkou has to offer. The island rises like a tree-covered, crooked finger from the Pacific. There are few cars, few people, and the only sounds are children splashing in the sea and the waves lapping at the sand and rocks.  Peaceful. Serene. Idyllic.

A photographer (or two) have been known to shoot Shenzhen's Sanmenkou Island.

Most of eastern Shenzhen is undeveloped. There are settled areas, but the green mountains make urbanization difficult. Two nuclear power plants and a prison share the area, as do merry-makers looking for a quiet escape.

Sanmenkou Island is place where time has little meaning. People seem to drift from place to place, ghosts of their busy city selves. Small hotels, fresh seafood, the remains of a military facility, and climbable hills offer these ghosts a variety of way to stay content. An afternoon on the island is a restful tonic to the weary urban warrior or the burnt-out traveler.

The day never ends at Sanmenkou and Dongchong beach. As dusk settles hordes of people arrive to spend the night on the beach. Facing east, it offers the early-riser a chance to watch the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean

Dusk over the mountains at Sanmenkou Beach, Shenzhen, China.

Thanks to David at Random Wire for recommending this great spot. His flickr images gives a much better picture of the place.

Getting to Sanmenkou Island, Shenzhen

Boats run from Xichong Beach and Dongchong Beach to Sanmenkou Island. Prices vary, be prepared to bargain.

Beach at Sanmenkou Island, Shezhen, China

It’s easy to forget that Shenzhen is more than just concrete. It’s a sprawling city, the east on the South China Sea.

Tomorrow: My day at the beach.  Stay tuned.

The start of things always sets me back: It use to be the start of a school year or term. So much to do, so little time. Now it’s a “real” job (there are some who believe that teaching overseas is not a real job. News Flash: It is.). A desk covered in cameras, flashes, and odds and ends, emails, blog posts, memos, instructions, and a hard drive full of JPEGs.

My posts here have been erratic. I’m not only trying to transition to a new career but this place too. I have no new humorous classroom tales, no stories of drunken foreign teachers, no deep insights. But, I can tell you about the AV/USB jack on the new Canon 7D.

Some random tidbits instead of anything meaty:

1) I now have hot water in my second apartment. Drawback: I have to stand with one foot on either side of the “squatter” to shower. A small price to pay for a hot shower. I had a blog post written about my DIY shower project, to avoid the “shower in the bucket.” I waited too long to post.

2) I also have a fridge. Now I have the ability to keep beer cold instead of drinking it right after buying it.(Come on, like that will happen.) I may use the empty fridge box to build a fort of some kind.

3) I’ve gone back to the gym after a one month absence. Pain is now my constant companion.

4) In an average week I am fed six pounds of rice over three days at the factory cafeteria. (That estimate is conservative.)

5) My translator/assistant is a fresh-faced 22-year-old. She stands too close to me and makes me uncomfortable.

6) One of my co-workers has an infectious laugh. Imagine Eddie Murphy’s laugh, combined with Helium and crystal meth.

7) My Chinese has expanded beyond vulgar things to say to wayward taxi drivers.

8 ) When I use to work until 8:30 pm I dreamed about a job with normal hours. Now, I’m incredibly bored and go to bed early.

9) I don’t like sleeping alone. My stuffed pig was lost in my last move.

10) I’ve watched both seasons of True Blood and am upset I have to wait for more.

11) My battle discussions with Mrs. Stevo about getting a dog are not progressing well.

12) To kill the time I’ve considered having a Qipao (see photo at right) tailored and taking a series of self-portraits in drag.

13) I thank the universe for Facebook and Twitter although I really hate both of them.

14) The Chinese dentist I went to was 1000-times better than any dentist I ever saw in Canada. I can’t say the same for the doctors.

photo credit: Marc van der Chijs