Why is it that when a civilian causes the life of another human being they are charged with murder, but when a cop does it they’re “in violation of guidelines” and placed on “paid administrative leave.” Can’t a guy stand on his fire escape in the nude swinging an 8 foot fluorescent bulb without getting tasered by the po-po?
David :: Sep.25.2008 :: assholes, liberty, power trippin' :: No Comments »
We’re back to business over here after a week off to get our bearings and re-adjust to the time zone.
Check this out, Monty Python would be appalled.
David :: Sep.24.2008 :: assholes :: No Comments »
My trip is pretty much over. My friend Gretchen made her way from Munich to Beijing – tonight we’re going to the theatre to check it out and get some photos for my night collection. I’ve got a few posts coming – I leave for New York tomorrow. Articles will include a wrap for North Korea, wrap for the trip (which I didn’t much care for, really), and a write up on the do’s and dont’s of navigating an airport.
I’ll start processing photos when I get home – this laptop is the dog’s nuts and not in a good, getting licked every ten minutes way.
David :: Sep.14.2008 :: Uncategorized :: No Comments »
September 6
First day in Kashgar (used interchangeably with Kashi). Love, love, love. Now you know I’m not perpetually pissed off. David’s back in a groove. Thank black baby jesus. So, today I visited the Id Kah Mosque, the Old City and the Aba Khoja tomb.
I got into Kashgar around 2pm and hit the ground running. I immediately made friends with the English speaking guy at the hotel named Nasir. He arranged for one of his friends to drive me around the city for a nominal fee. First, a little background on Kashgar for the uninitiated. Kashgar is pretty much the last city of consequence on the Silk Road before Pakistan (which was the original destination for this trip). If you take the world famous Karakoram Highway through the mountains, you will hit Pakland. The people here aren’t Chinese, they’re Uhgur and they’re a beautiful people. They look like a cross between Russian and Chinese – really just a handsome people and quite nice as well. It is a predominantly Muslim area and it borders Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (they’re in the neighborhood) and it is in the foothills of some stunning snow-capped mountains. Ok, enough boring shit.
I was pretty underwhelmed with the sites (they were cute, nothing I haven’t seen before) but tons of people and I just was shooting left and right – about a thousand shots today in a few hours – not bad. The Old City reminded me of Jodhpur (which is one of my favorite places in the world to shoot) and the people were just as friendly. Actually, could be more friendly – at least more receptive to my work. I wasn’t hassled for payment which was nice.
Ok, well, the gist today was that I’m happier than I was the past week and am looking forward to tomorrow when I’ll be going to the livestock market, the world renowned Sunday market, Davakol desert/lake area, and some other places.
David :: Sep.07.2008 :: journal entry :: No Comments »
I’ve had it – the Chinese are the rudest, filthiest people on the planet. They’re as dirty as the French or the Indians and as rude as…well, the Chinese. Take today’s events for example: I was standing in line (something the Chinese never do) to get through Security at the airport in Urumqi. I was in the second to last Security line by a guard rail (see illustration) when some rude fucking Chinese dude tried to jam his way through the small gap between me and the rail to get to the last line…Tough shit for him. 
I have this awful habit of swinging an elbow or two when someone I don’t know touches me. Now, considering I’m about a foot taller than your average Chinese dude, I caught the fucker square in the jaw. Serves him right.
This is not an isolated incident. Whenever there are lines, they try to jam their way from the sides, rear, etc. They will slam your ankles with baggage carts, put their hands on you, etc. When you’re on a line, they will move right up on your ass – there is no concept of personal space. You can be at an ATM and they will be on your shoulder (it happened to me again yesterday – two kids ran up to my ATM and tried to start hitting buttons – swatted those little fuckers away and started screaming at ‘em).
And don’t get me started on the spitting!!! There was a guy in the airport choking on his lung trying to work up a loogie he then spit in the garbage…and kept on doing it. They do it all over the street, indoors, outdoors, in restaurants, into napkins. Yuck. Y’know, the Chinese government handed out pamphlets a year or two ago that taught people manners: what to do, what not to do, etc. It seems that those were tossed out with the Closing Ceremony.
Bah – fuck it…I’m pissed off about screwing up my knees again…doesn’t make my observations any less true, though…
David :: Sep.06.2008 :: assholes, journal entry, travel :: No Comments »
Don’t think I’m out of the loop even though I’m closer to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan than I am to Los Angeles.
Via Gawker (They really have an awful title – very confusing)
David :: Sep.06.2008 :: assholes, liberty, power trippin' :: No Comments »
