May 1 through May 7 is the Chinese Labor Day holiday period. Sun-Ling and I will spend it in Tibet. We will stay in Lhasa, the capital, for the entire time.
Then it's back to work for 5 days before heading to Bali, Indonesia for 9 days to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary.
We will try to squeeze in a short Tibet blog report between trips. See ya!
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Metro station photos
Last weekend, I took some photos at a metro station on Line 3/4 while waiting for our train. There is a story about the first photo. Notice the guy who is stretching (his girlfriend is carry the red bag). Shortly after this photo was taken he somehow dropped his left shoe down onto the tracks. I did not see it happen. However, a few minutes later a guy in a transit uniform walked up with a long pole with a hook on one end and fished up this guy's left shoe. Of course I was too busy watching to pull out my camera during this operation. Bummer.
Waiting for the train. Click here to see a larger version of this photo.
The line 4 (purple line) train.
Waiting for the train. Click here to see a larger version of this photo.
The line 4 (purple line) train.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Xitang
A few weeks ago we made a weekend overnight trip to Xitang, a nearby watertown in Zhejiang Province, whose most recent claim to fame is that Tom Cruise filmed part of Mission: Impossible III there in November of 2005.
We arrived in Xitang after a 75 minute train ride (8Y), a 10 minute bus ride (4Y), and short walk. We paid the 65Y fee to enter the old town (ticket is good for 2 days) and started looking for a room for the night. The first place we inquired was full but the owner walked us a few hundred meters down the canal where we found a nice, first floor canal-side room for 110Y a night (about 14 dollars). This "hotel" is actually a bakery that rents out several rooms. Our room was on the canal with a back door that opened right to the water.
Xitang was crowded on this nice spring weekend with both daytrippers and overnighters. There were many more overnighters than I expected and proved false the assertion that "it's a quiet town at night after the tour groups have gone". In fact it was very busy after 5PM with late arrivals looking for places to stay and everyone else eating dinner or shopping. We ate dinner on the empty second floor balcony of a tofu restaurant.
After dark, it seemed that each tourist in town wanted to take a canal boat ride. There was actually a queue. We took the plunge and hired a whole boat for ourselves (100Y) for a relaxing, fun, and romantic 30 minute ride up and down the lantern lit canals.
On Sunday morning we visited the attractions missed the day before including a famous woodblock print artist's house, and then took the bus back to Shanghai.
Sun-Ling exploring our room's canal-side "entrance".
That's me below - sticking my head out from our room.
It was a beautiful spring day in Xitang and we strolled around town checking out the old buildings, temples, quiet back streets and canals, and the local fish market.
These ladies were sitting outside knitting slippers.
The local seafood market.
The Xitang Button Museum has a "live" exhibit showing how buttons used to be made from shells.
The town is lit up at night with red lanterns.
A busy side street near our hotel/bakery.
This is the kitchen of a mobile restaurant which was busy every time we walked by. Sun-Ling had to wait for several minutes to get this unobstructed shot. The red and blue canisters are full of hot water. That's the proprietor's business permit the upper right corner.
There were a couple of guys boating around with their cormorants doing shows for tourists. That is, the master has the birds repeatedly dive into water on his command to hunt for fish. The cormorants have a ring around their neck which keeps them from completely swallowing the fish they catch. Thus their master can retrieve the catch and sell for profit. These cormorants were on a long leash. While we watched, no fish were actually caught and retrieved.
Sun-Ling took this photo while we were waiting for breakfast to arrive at our quayside table.
And from a bridge the previous day
Reportedly, Tom Cruise will be seen running and leaping across the tiled rooftops of Xitang in MI III. Here is a shot of a tiled roof with afternoon shadows.
Fishing with batteries and electrodes: It is illegal in China as in most places but these guys were using electricity to stun fish in "almost city center" Xitang. Check out their rigs to hold batteries on straps over their shoulders, electrode in one hand, and net in the other.
Click on the links for more mops
mop on wood
mop on stone
two mops
mop and clothesline
five mops
three mops three brooms
mop shop
mop and scooter
red mop
A final shot from Xitang of a work boat chugging through a canal near the old town.
We arrived in Xitang after a 75 minute train ride (8Y), a 10 minute bus ride (4Y), and short walk. We paid the 65Y fee to enter the old town (ticket is good for 2 days) and started looking for a room for the night. The first place we inquired was full but the owner walked us a few hundred meters down the canal where we found a nice, first floor canal-side room for 110Y a night (about 14 dollars). This "hotel" is actually a bakery that rents out several rooms. Our room was on the canal with a back door that opened right to the water.
Xitang was crowded on this nice spring weekend with both daytrippers and overnighters. There were many more overnighters than I expected and proved false the assertion that "it's a quiet town at night after the tour groups have gone". In fact it was very busy after 5PM with late arrivals looking for places to stay and everyone else eating dinner or shopping. We ate dinner on the empty second floor balcony of a tofu restaurant.
After dark, it seemed that each tourist in town wanted to take a canal boat ride. There was actually a queue. We took the plunge and hired a whole boat for ourselves (100Y) for a relaxing, fun, and romantic 30 minute ride up and down the lantern lit canals.
On Sunday morning we visited the attractions missed the day before including a famous woodblock print artist's house, and then took the bus back to Shanghai.
Sun-Ling exploring our room's canal-side "entrance".
That's me below - sticking my head out from our room.
It was a beautiful spring day in Xitang and we strolled around town checking out the old buildings, temples, quiet back streets and canals, and the local fish market.
These ladies were sitting outside knitting slippers.
The local seafood market.
The Xitang Button Museum has a "live" exhibit showing how buttons used to be made from shells.
The town is lit up at night with red lanterns.
A busy side street near our hotel/bakery.
This is the kitchen of a mobile restaurant which was busy every time we walked by. Sun-Ling had to wait for several minutes to get this unobstructed shot. The red and blue canisters are full of hot water. That's the proprietor's business permit the upper right corner.
There were a couple of guys boating around with their cormorants doing shows for tourists. That is, the master has the birds repeatedly dive into water on his command to hunt for fish. The cormorants have a ring around their neck which keeps them from completely swallowing the fish they catch. Thus their master can retrieve the catch and sell for profit. These cormorants were on a long leash. While we watched, no fish were actually caught and retrieved.
Sun-Ling took this photo while we were waiting for breakfast to arrive at our quayside table.
And from a bridge the previous day
Reportedly, Tom Cruise will be seen running and leaping across the tiled rooftops of Xitang in MI III. Here is a shot of a tiled roof with afternoon shadows.
Fishing with batteries and electrodes: It is illegal in China as in most places but these guys were using electricity to stun fish in "almost city center" Xitang. Check out their rigs to hold batteries on straps over their shoulders, electrode in one hand, and net in the other.
"With a plentiful water supply and keen awareness of civic pride in their clean city, Xitang boasts the most mops per capita of any city in Zhejiang Province." - 2006 China Atlas of Tools and Acreage
Click on the links for more mops
mop on wood
mop on stone
two mops
mop and clothesline
five mops
three mops three brooms
mop shop
mop and scooter
red mop
A final shot from Xitang of a work boat chugging through a canal near the old town.
Shanghai Botanic Garden
This past Sunday morning, we packed a small picnic, hopped on bus #720 (1Y) and rode the 5km to the Shanghai Botanic Garden. It is a great destination on a clear spring day. 81 hectares (100 hectares = 1 square kilometer) of plants, shrubs, flowers and tress in almost downtown Shanghai. The 15 yuan admission charge keeps the crowds manageable. One negative: Of the plants, trees, flowers and shrubs that are displayed, less than 1% are identified.
The highlights for us were
- the Peony Garden which was in full bloom
- The Cymbidium Orchid Pavilion (7 yuan additional). Actually the pavilion itself was not that great but the surrounding environs were peaceful and pleasant. One hillside of Japanese maples was particularly brilliant in the sun.
- Watching the locals enjoying the park, sitting with their songbirds or ballroom dancing.
- The picnic lunch!
We did not visit the main conservatory as we will save that for our next visit.
Here is the evidence.
On the bus.
The Main Conservatory Building.
The peonies (with photographers of course).
Ballroom dancing
Men and their birds
The Cymbidium pavilion area. The big structure is the pavilion.
Japanese Maples on a hillside
The highlights for us were
- the Peony Garden which was in full bloom
- The Cymbidium Orchid Pavilion (7 yuan additional). Actually the pavilion itself was not that great but the surrounding environs were peaceful and pleasant. One hillside of Japanese maples was particularly brilliant in the sun.
- Watching the locals enjoying the park, sitting with their songbirds or ballroom dancing.
- The picnic lunch!
We did not visit the main conservatory as we will save that for our next visit.
Here is the evidence.
On the bus.
The Main Conservatory Building.
The peonies (with photographers of course).
Ballroom dancing
Men and their birds
The Cymbidium pavilion area. The big structure is the pavilion.
Japanese Maples on a hillside
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Back in the PRC
We're back from our trip to the US. It was good to visit with friends and family in Fairfax, Raleigh and Newport News.
The 50th wedding anniversary party was awesome. Visited with some people I had not seen in over 20 or 30 years. Wow! Also got to jam with the boys in the band. That's always fun.
The flights to and from China were long but uneventful with one cool thing. The flight from Chicago to Shanghai first heads north over Canada's Hudson Bay, goes across the Arctic Ocean east of the North Pole, and then down over Siberia and Beijing before landing in Shanghai after 14hrs and 16minutes. The cool thing is that the flight is in daylight the whole time and on this particular day(s), the skies were clear allowing great views of the still frozen Hudson Bay and its tributaries, and of the completely frozen Arctic Ocean. I did not take any photos out the window. Bummer. Anyway the views were fantastic.
-john
The 50th wedding anniversary party was awesome. Visited with some people I had not seen in over 20 or 30 years. Wow! Also got to jam with the boys in the band. That's always fun.
The flights to and from China were long but uneventful with one cool thing. The flight from Chicago to Shanghai first heads north over Canada's Hudson Bay, goes across the Arctic Ocean east of the North Pole, and then down over Siberia and Beijing before landing in Shanghai after 14hrs and 16minutes. The cool thing is that the flight is in daylight the whole time and on this particular day(s), the skies were clear allowing great views of the still frozen Hudson Bay and its tributaries, and of the completely frozen Arctic Ocean. I did not take any photos out the window. Bummer. Anyway the views were fantastic.
-john
Hypothesis
Hypothesis: Shanghai has the coldest winters of any city in the world at similar latitude and elevation.
Income tax
It's income tax time in the US. Sun-Ling and I have to file a 2005 Federal tax return with a status of "living in a foreign country on Dec 31 2005". The whole thing is a bit tricky since we were in China for only 2 months of 2005. However with the help of Turbo Tax, I think I'll get it straight by June or so. ;-)
An additional twist is that Chinese companies do not provide something like a W2 with salary and tax totals for the calendar year. Wages and interest are taxed at the source on a monthly basis. Period. There are no refunds. No year end balancing. Your monthly pay statement is all you get.
The tax rates on monthly income are progressive. For PRC citizens, the first 1600 CNY per month is not taxed. For foreigners, it's the first 4800 CNY. After this "deduction", the rates are as shown below. [Reminder that 8.1 CNY = $1US.]
Table of Income Tax Rates in China for an Individual in 2005
Tax%..Income (CNY)
5% 1 - 500
10% 501 - 2,000
15% 2,001 - 5,000
20% 5,001 - 20,000
25% 20,001 - 40,000
30% 40,001 - 60,000
35% 60,001 - 80,000
40% 80,001 - 100,000
45% 100,001 and above
For more China tax info check out www.worldwide-tax.com/china/china_tax.asp
An additional twist is that Chinese companies do not provide something like a W2 with salary and tax totals for the calendar year. Wages and interest are taxed at the source on a monthly basis. Period. There are no refunds. No year end balancing. Your monthly pay statement is all you get.
The tax rates on monthly income are progressive. For PRC citizens, the first 1600 CNY per month is not taxed. For foreigners, it's the first 4800 CNY. After this "deduction", the rates are as shown below. [Reminder that 8.1 CNY = $1US.]
Table of Income Tax Rates in China for an Individual in 2005
Tax%..Income (CNY)
5% 1 - 500
10% 501 - 2,000
15% 2,001 - 5,000
20% 5,001 - 20,000
25% 20,001 - 40,000
30% 40,001 - 60,000
35% 60,001 - 80,000
40% 80,001 - 100,000
45% 100,001 and above
For more China tax info check out www.worldwide-tax.com/china/china_tax.asp
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