Monday, October 13, 2008

yearning for china

Was browsing through my China photos and couldn't believe that it's been two months! I really had a blast, and two weeks is not enough. I've been bugging Faith and Don to go back and this time, do the Trans-Siberian Railways... China - Mongolia - Russia. Might be next to impossible but hey, there are tourists now in space!

I simply miss China. Even without the olympics, I think I would have still fallen head-over-heels with it. Getting back to Beijing is enough...


I miss its hutongs and lively streets...


I miss the sea of faces... a billion and a half of humanity...


I miss street culture and the beat of China's youth...


I miss its mad rush to modernity and its priceless heritage...


I miss seeing nostalgia creep in like yesterday's papers...


I miss its daring contrasts...


I miss its love affair with its poetic past, its aching history...


I miss the vulgarity of its authority...


And I miss the rhum ice cream in this cafe! Yum!

I have almost a million photos of China awaiting to be uploaded, so it will be a hundred years of posts like this!
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26 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 13, 2008 at 11:39 AM

    Eversince I visited Hanoi I want to visit China na rin.. except that I developed this thing of wanting to stay in really good hotels when I travel hahaha ever the social climber trophy wife in me... I only want to stay in Aman Beijing second choice na ang Raffles Summer Palace =) ambisyosa ever... I dont like backpacking.. except if LV rin ang backpack ko bwahahahaha btw I like the idea of travelling sa train.. may Orient Express Train kaya? choz

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  2. the spool artistOctober 13, 2008 at 11:44 AM

    that means we'll meet you in moscow na lang palangga...

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  3. rainboyOctober 13, 2008 at 12:09 PM

    loved the spanish guitar pic.
    visit india sometime...

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  4. the spool artistOctober 13, 2008 at 12:19 PM

    rainboy,

    i just discovered i have a good friend/classmate back in college who now works and lives in india... so i'm definitely hitting Incredible India soon! Am planning to go Rajasthan, Agra, Mumbai and Kerala and I'm really excited! Which part of India are you based now?

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  5. rainboyOctober 13, 2008 at 12:23 PM

    i live in north india..in a state called Uttaranchal..near a hill station known as Naini tal.
    You can See images of naini tal on Google or Wikipedia.

    that's great news that you are coming over here..Hope we meet up bro
    cheers

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  6. wanderingcommuterOctober 13, 2008 at 4:42 PM

    wow, few more pictures and you almost made me pack my things and buy a ticket to china... i always love this country despite the things i hear in the news. i think the country is one of the most majestic country in the world...

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  7. Borneo FalconOctober 13, 2008 at 5:52 PM

    I never been to China but my parents been there several times. The photos are enough justify how beautiful and diverse the country is

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  8. the spool artistOctober 13, 2008 at 8:49 PM

    @rainboy: wow, naini tal looks magical! And you have a train that connects it from Delhi... i have always fantasized about traveling through India by train after seeing that wonderful movie Darjeeling Express! Hmmmm... now, I'm rethinking about my travel plans!

    @wandering commuter: i suggest that you pack your things asap and get yourself in china... it will change your views about how misunderstood this nation is in the news... CNN is overdoing its negative reporting...

    @borneo falcon: you should visit it soon... i'm sure the china your parents knew are so different from what it is today!

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  9. eDreGiNOctober 13, 2008 at 11:37 PM

    -my plans on visiting China eh laging nauunsyame' I really hope to visit China before the year ends...Im sure like in Cambodia they serve good food din, yum! yum! Hehehehe...

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  10. the spool artistOctober 14, 2008 at 1:18 AM

    @edregin: they sure do have an exciting array of food trips in china... beijing alone is a paradise for any certified foodies!

    but i'll tell you a very stupid secret of mine... i ate almost everyday in mcdonald's when i was there! hahaha

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  11. euniceOctober 14, 2008 at 2:08 AM

    Great photos, really. Only people with an eye for details can capture such moments. I miss China too. My last visit to China was 2 yrs ago to Sichuan province. Glad that I went there before the massive earthquake that occurred this year.

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  12. [G]October 14, 2008 at 4:07 AM

    nice pics!

    count me in sa trans-siberian trip na ito.

    i've been planning to do it, never had a chance. i even got the lonely planet book trans-siberia.

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  13. lucasOctober 14, 2008 at 8:06 AM

    as expected from a great artist. brilliant shots :) i remember your trip to china and the olympic games, really cool. what i love about china is that its culture is very rich and very old. makapunta nga dun minsan. hehehe!

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  14. Felix WerbowyOctober 14, 2008 at 8:52 AM

    your second image is pure so great.

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  15. MeganOctober 14, 2008 at 3:35 PM

    fabulous imagery, your photos are just amazing. I love being able to travel from my desk to all these distant places!

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  16. chezzaOctober 14, 2008 at 4:38 PM

    Next to Japan, China is my second country on my "tour in Asia" list---after Cambodia stopover of course, he,he,he....Post ka pa ng pics dali!

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  17. the spool artistOctober 14, 2008 at 7:58 PM

    @eunice: wow, you were lucky to see Sichuan before the devastation. I know the province is picking up the pieces and moving on, but it will never be the same way as you've seen it before!

    @gibo: sige, let's plan it out with don! this will be an adventure of a lifetime pag nagkataon... i am excited already!

    @roneiluke: you should start packing your bags already and travel! salingpusa started his journeys already, so we're looking forward to where destiny might lead you... the first filipino space tourist perhaps? lol

    @felix werbowy: thanks for dropping by!

    @megan: we hope this inspires you to travel beyond the desk and see the real deals! cheers!

    @chezza: hahaha, sige, let us know if you guys are planning to visit cambodia so we can take you around!

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  18. pusangkalyeOctober 15, 2008 at 12:12 AM

    A Trans-Siberian trip kuya Loven sounds very exciting.....


    drama in every picture and very appropriate words to highlight each. Lavit.

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  19. muscoOctober 15, 2008 at 2:49 AM

    u make me wish i was born in China.when are u visiting NIGERIA?

    u ve a great blog!

    luv 4rm NIGERIA!

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  20. the spool artistOctober 15, 2008 at 3:29 AM

    @salingpusa: sama ka sa trans-siberia trip anton! blog-galore yun pag nagkataon!

    @musco: i definitely will visit nigeria sooner or later, musco! i have great memories of seeing lagos and the nigerian countryside through postcards from my uncle who used to work there! cheers!

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  21. AnonymousOctober 15, 2008 at 5:56 AM

    amazing photos loven!

    china's amzing! minus the milk scare of course

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  22. the spool artistOctober 15, 2008 at 8:56 AM

    hahaha, yup Alex, i will never look at milk in China the same way again!

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  23. KRIS JASPEROctober 15, 2008 at 11:05 AM

    Im not Chinese.. but if you miss China, just look at my photos...

    I'll be glad to help you in my own little way, my friend. lol.

    :)

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  24. the spool artistOctober 15, 2008 at 12:08 PM

    kris, in some angles, you can pass for a korean, while on other days, japanese ka... but then again, your chinese-ness is very evident... you're right, i don't miss china anymore! thanks my friend! lol.

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  25. AnonymousOctober 15, 2008 at 7:06 PM

    If mayamang mayaman lang ako,I should have gone to the recently concluded Olympics!! ang swerte mo naman.nice pics!

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  26. the spool artistOctober 16, 2008 at 1:03 AM

    Ey Sherwin, you should have experienced the olympics... the nice thing with beijing is they have so much options... so kung gusto mong on a budget, you would have done it easily. it won't be the case in london 2012. even without the olympics, sobrang mahal na sila with everything!

    well, you can always visit china anytime... its gorgeous all year!

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