Some thoughts

So I have to say, after seven weeks here, I feel much more adjusted to life in the city. The first three weeks were incredibly overwhelming and exhausting; however, as I have met people and been forced to go out into the city along the many arms of the metro, I find myself unphased by the madness. I am used to the stares, the head turns and the muttered whispers. I have also met some really nice people over the past few weeks. First, there is Javier Miqueleiz, a Spanish photographer who came to Guangzhou for a few weeks last spring and decided to move here and is making it as a photographer here. He is an incredibly brave and passionate photographer with a firm dedication to film photography although he as well is very knowledgeable about studio lightings and all the aspects of the digital realm. Please check out his website: http://www.jmiqueleiz.com/ 
Then there is his girlfriend, Hitomi Ko, who just rocks! She is from Dongguan, one of the many Chinese cities of over 8 million inhabitants that you and I have never heard of. She has a degree in product design but has been devoting herself to photography for the past six months and just a month ago was strong enough to quit her job so she can devote herself fulltime to photographing. Her website: http://www.hitomiko.com/  Both look better on browsers other than Internet Explorer. Last Saturday we went together to Redtory again and met up with a policeman who is shooting with an 8x10 camera. After the shoot, Javi had to leave so Hitomi and I were invited to go down to where the 8x10 photographer lives (for those who do not know photography, 8x10 means the size of the film is 8x10 inches in size) So we ride with him and pick up one of his friends and child along the way, get to his apartment and then all these people come. I was sitting there like ok what have I gotten myself into. Well, what I got myself into was a thoroughly amazing afternoon. We went out to eat China-style...which is so the best way to dine ever! So, you go to a restaurant and in the middle of the table is a glass circle slightly raised that turns. A bunch of dishes are ordered and they slowly start arriving. The glass plate is turned to let everyone eat out of the dishes, it is polite to turn the food so others can eat first. So we get there, wine is poured, and the food starts coming and it keeps coming and coming and coming and the guys are drinking and wanting the girls to chug down the wine as well, lots of glass clinking and toasting. Of course the eating is done with chopsticks which sometimes seems to work for me and then others I fail miserably...this time was a mix. I didn't embarass myself too much! I have to say, it was the best time I have had in China. Only Hitomi and one other woman actually spoke any kind of English but everyone was so welcoming and friendly and it felt good to experience the Chinese at a level more intimate than that acquired by passing them on the streets or standing next to them in the subway. Later Hitomi and I went out to photograph while the others hung around drinking tea and chattting. The first time we went shooting, I had my Holga camera with me and it was the impetus for Javier and Hitomi to both get Holgas themselves and they have a site they just started with their Holga work where you can yours truly (yes me) making ridiculous faces per usual... http://www.wedonthink.com/  I was also introduced by them to a Canadian photographer, Kale Taylor, who is doing some great street photography and who is also passionate about film photography. He has just put up a new site: http://www.clear-photography.com/  Tomorrow he is allowing me to use his set-up to process some black and white film I have shot. He is also teaching photography here and was kind enough to let me come with him on one of his teaching days. It has been so great to meet people so in love with film photography, I feel inspired by them and feel really lucky to have met them. That is the thing about traveling, it is rarely the museum or castle or park that stays with you or that makes the whole venture worthwhile; it is the conversations with the other travelers that you meet, it is the moments where you get a slight glimpse of the real life of the host country you are in ( the moments when you force yourself to eat boiled chicken feet to not offend), meeting people open to the difference in others, that is best! Here I have met people living bravely, making the hard choice and staying open to finding their way to their dreams. It has been a good reminder of things I knew at 24 that I have slowly been losing as I have tried to become a responsible adult (although I seem to fail at that miserably:) Anyways, enough words, below are a few photos I took on walks this week, through nightclubs during the day and quiet parks on edge of giant business fairgrounds.