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Photos Say What??

Say What?? Travel Photo: Fear Factor?

The lights flash. The music starts. The camera angle dramatically changes. This is the TV show “Fear Factor,” here in Lijiang, China witn their latest gross eating stunt. After all, why else would anyone give a restaurant this name? (And no, nobody was actually filming an episode of “Fear Factor”…but “Fear Factor…” “Rice Noodle Factor…” […]

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Photos Say What??

Say What?? Travel Photo: China Who?

China is a big country. And that big country has two very big cell phone carriers. They have offices just about everywhere so I’m sure everyone can learn their names and distinctive logos: Photo Credit: Wikipedia Photo Credit: Berllin Heck, even their names are always written in both English and Chinese. This just isn’t a […]

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Photos Say What??

Say What?? Travel Photo: Mountains

Who here knows a Chinese proverb or two? Perhaps you can help me decipher this mystery of a sign? Now, a little background. This sign, like so many, many others, is in the Chinese UNESCO World Heritage Town of Lijiang located in the southwestern Yunnan province. Lijiang is surrounded by lots of dramatic mountains and […]

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Photos Say What??

Say What?? Travel Photo: Minors?

WARNING! THIS POST MAY OR MAY NOT CONTAIN INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT AND/OR THEMES! OR MAYBE IT WON’T… EITHER WAY, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Welcome to “Say What??,” my ongoing series of signage from around the world that makes you scratch your head and say, “What??” Today’s, “Say What??” is coming to you on a brand new […]

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Photos Say What??

Say What?? Travel Photo: Massage Room

When you arrive in Shangri-La, you’ll notice one thing. You have to do a lot of walking! Much like some other historic “old towns” in China’s Yunnan province (like Lijiang or Dali), Shangri-La’s “old town” is free of vehicular traffic, leaving the cobblestone streets looking quite picturesque! And if the streets aren’t enough, you could […]

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Asia 2010 China

Social City

Cities certainly have redeeming qualities, even after they’ve chewed you up and spit you back out again! Such was my first experience in Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province, nearly 2 months ago, when I had an amazingly frustrating day trying to figure out how to get out of this place. Then, I did […]

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Asia 2010 China

Old China: Disney-fied

What is it about fame that changes people…or towns for that matter? As if I hadn’t experienced enough of a town gone famous in Lijiang, I’m now getting a full dose of it in Dali (pronounced Daw-lee), another of Yunnan’s “must see” sights. Touristy barely begins to describe this town (and Lijiang, for that matter); […]

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Asia 2010 China

Old Towner

Picture, if you will, that vision of ancient China you’ve always had. Tiny stone streets that weave their way from one plaza to another, passing endless Chinese-style buildings with that oh-so-distinctive style of roof. Now what if I told you I was standing in the midst of a Chinese town that looked just like that […]