Been a long time I know...

So it's been quite a while since I've updated my blog. I would love to regale you with tales of adventure, but I work in the TV news business and with that comes the fact that owners want to make money, news people want to cover the news. Guess who wins most of the time?

Hunter S Thompson in Generation
of Swine described the media this way; "The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason." I agree.

China has had some interesting stories going on. Floods in early July displaced half a million people and killed over 60. We didn't cover it. There has also been much unrest in Urumqi in the North West of China. It is an area of unrest that contains considerable oil and gas reserves. Seem that the exploration has brought the ethnic Uighur population out of balance. The in flux of the Han Chinese seems to have meant no benefits for the Uighur's in the area. A fight at a factory last month was the trigger for this violence. The Chinese feel that there are outside influences, but I'm not sure that would be a huge influence as outside sources would be at a minimum due to the control the government exercise over media and internet.

We unfortunately (or fortunately depending on if you're a member of my family,) weren't given the green light to cover what is arguable the largest protest in China in 20 years.

So what have been doing? Well here is a little happy story on the children of prisoners in Chinese jails.

New use for an umbrella

Been a while since I updated so in answer to my brothers question, yes, I'm still alive. We could ask the same of him.

Since the last post which was all about the quarantined students from Quebec it has been a busy time. I was lucky enough to have my lovely wife visit for a couple weeks and was able to see some of what Beijing has to offer for tourist.

Most interesting was the Beijing gardens. It's huge. We spent 3 hours exploring and all we really saw was the Rose Garden. We also did the Forbidden City which is spectactular, but very repetitive. Courtyard after courtyard. Very beautiful but after a while you're not sure which is which anymore. After the Forbidden City we hit Tiananmen Square and had fun identifying all the under cover police. Took Maggi to the Great Wall on the Sunday before she left. All in all a great visit for her first and hopefully not last visit to China.

Had some interesting times in the lead up to Tiananmen 20th Anniversary. Ben and I heading out the week before to do some oncamera stand ups. We went the sme day as Nancy Pelosi was in town so as to have an excuse to be there. Security was getting tighter and tighter in the days leading up to the 4th of June.

Qi, our producer and I headed to a spot to get some shots of the area where one of the Tiananmen mothers had lost her son. It is almost directly across from the Great Hall of the People. As I was shooting, the police approached Qi and I and asked to see our ID and asked what we where up to. Used the line about Nancy P and I continued to shoot. By the time they where done, several more police appeared, I was done.

Next stop was the Square itself. Ben had gone in on his own and was wired with the mic as we knew we would have much time to set up.

I headed through security and told Qi to get lost as he doesn't need to be there and complicate his life by being involved in Tiananmen Square stuff. Just simplier that way. I was tailed by two undercover police who did a very poor job of blending in. They started tailing me from when I left the corner with Qi.

After several minutes of them looking at my Press Card and Passport and copied several things from them I was allowed in and told pictures only no interviews.

Ben who was wondering where I was meet me on the stairs and I just told him to keep walking and find me later. I then set up and started shooting the guards and the flag. It took less then 30 seconds for at least 6 police and military to drop by and say hi. They to checked my ID and allowed me to continue. I moved on to a different spot, and met more police and military who wanted to see my ID. At this point Ben dropped by and was treated to the same checks.

Having enough visuals we moved to the back of the Square to do the on cameras. Our new friends followed to see what we where up to. Ben had put together a stand up about Nancy Pelosi so we where left alone. After several takes, our friends had relaxed due to the content.

So Ben decides to go for the big one and unfortunately didn't get a great take on it. So he tried a second and by this point our friends had heard the words tanks and Tiananmen and even if they couldn't speak English figured it. So they start trying to rattle Ben and were hang so close to me that I should of been able to tell what they had for lunch. They also started walking in between Ben and the lens. So we have these lovely umbrellas in between takes.

We did final get a couple of clean takes, but they never made it into the story. All in all just another day working in Beijing.

Swine Flu

So after working to 4:30 am on Tuesday morning on the Quebec students being held for quarantine we head off to the airport at 9 am for a flight to Changchun. It's in Jilin province. North of North Korea and West of Russia.

We land and Qi our producer, fresh out of Carlton with a Masters , turns out this is his home town. After much pressure from Qi and I think his mom, we are picked up by some folks from Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Off we head to a university where the students are being held. We had lined up a phone interview with one of the students, and were getting close to that time. After a brief drive around the new campus we wind up in front of the Hotel that the students are at. We're greeted by a Health Official in full garb. After a few pleasantries we can see two students sitting on the step. One of the heath officials inside says we can call them over. After a bit of shouting Bonjour! they wonder over to within about 10 feet of us.

They are all well. No signs of flu and just want to get on with there studying. Seems this is all really for show. Everyone seems to know, but it isn't going to end until the 7 days are up and no one is going to say "sorry". A couple more interviews with officals then back to our hotel for the writting and cutting.

We got a nice little package out and the folks who pay the bills seem happy. 36 hours in 2 days. Seems like this week will be a long one.

Thailand

Had never been to Thailand until this week. Seems its a country that loves it coups. I believe 10 or so since 1971. We had been watching it simmer for a couple of weeks and were wondering if the lid would blow off. Well it didn't quite blow off but boiled over enough for us to convince the desk to drop the Stockwell Day visit for a quick trip to Bangkok.

We were having lovely evening feast at Mark McKinnon's house. Lamb shank. The best meal since I got here. Just as dessert was appearing the buzzing of blackberries interrupted us and people started to shuffle off to do their jobs. Ben left at 10 and I hung on til 11 then off to the office. I was about 4 am when I finally got home and we were do for Photo op at 8 am. We did catch up with Stockwell at 9:30 am and where back in the office around 11. We then pitched the idea of going and the desk said yes about 1pm and by 3 we where heading to the airport.

We arrived in Bangkok around 11 pm and were met by a friend of a colleague, Melissa. She works for the UN in Bangkok. Now I think she wants to be full time fixer/producer. Off to the hotel to drop the bags then off to the demonstrations which where mostly drunken hooligans. Quick stand up then back to file with AP (wire service) pictures. Another 4 am night. By the way it was 30C
at night.

Tuesday morning we headed off to find the "red shirts" and eventually found them burning buses and in a bit of a standoff between police. I was warned by a friend, Jim, to watch out for the sling shots. Lots of rocks had been thrown, but fortunately I missed the bulk of the violence.

By late afternoon things seemed to had calmed down and the country was back on a normal even keel. Well as even as Thailand can get.

Was pleasantly rewarded for putting about 45 hours in 3 days with Wednesday off in Thailand. Ben flew back Wed as there was only one seat available.

So it simmers while I take a week off and head home to see Maggi and my dog and have a few meals with my family. Above are a few snaps from Melissa. She was kind enough to give them to me as was a victim of a pick pocket and had my cell phone and digital camera pinched. But that's another story....

The Great Wall

"Location Scouting" is the term I will use for our little hike today. Steve and Sean were my leaders on this death march. We went to section that is not very touristy or "improved" like the regular areas. So we get out at this recently upgraded village. Nice buildings and a decent road. We pay our 25 RMB or about $4.50 and off we go. Now I'm not in the best shape I could be. Granted I do work out a bit and have OK cardio. Yeah, well I thought so. We head up a trail followed by a little dog that seemed to like us. It's a steep scramble but once I catch my breath, we are rewarded with this view.

It's a pretty rocky trail along the top of a ridge, it eventually leads to the top of the wall. We are on and off, up and down the wall several times for the next hour and a half. We eventually hit a more regular and less overgrown area of the wall. The dog keeps coming back to check on my as I'm trailing Steve and Sean most of the time.








We run in to only other people that we see that day, other then a couple of people who are doing a little repair on a section. Well and Laura are from England and taking some time before they start there full time careers as Lawyers back in England. They were actually feeling lost and where happy to see 2 asian guys and very excited when I stubbled along and said "how's it going?" in english. Seems they followed the path through the village and where able to shave 1.5 hours of the difficult part of the hike.

So the five of us kept going on the top of the wall until we hit the military section that is off limits.



Down through the valley, up and down over the hills and far away. We weaved in and out of some cultivated land. As we started back up my legs start cramping up like you wouldn't believe and not much option other than to limp through it. Here is a little shot of hut that was on the way down.













It seems to just go on and on. Can't believe the history that I was walking over. The number of people and years to build it, let alone the armies that sat on it watching and waiting or had to cross it.








We did eventually get close to one of the more tourist oriented areas where Steve's drive was waiting for us. Then off to a truckstop for some home cooking. I past on eating the intestine. The rest of it was good though.

to ipod or not to ipod

As you move around the city here there are the distinctive white headphones sticking out of most peoples ears that are under 40. (That includes me for one more month.) It's a coping mechanism I guess. When you don't speak the language and the only English words I hear when walking to the subway or home from work are "DVD," "socks, " or "lady bar," it is a way to tune most of it out, including the incessant use of the car horn. It also helps give you the sense of isolation when you crammed on the subway

Now I have walked the 40 minutes to or from work and been pleasantly surprised by couple of people who actually just want to practice their English. It is often a scam to get you to go to an overpriced tea house or art show. So I usually give most of them enough rope to hang themselves then bail as soon as the mention tea or art, I'm still Canadian so somewhat polite.

What I've noticed is I seem to be more engaged by the city without them. When you walk around some of the back hutongs, (backstreets,) you get a lot of looks as a white guy but seem to be greeted with a smile or an acknowledgment of some kind. When you're "tuned out" you don't get so much as a smile. Perhaps it is just spring and people are in a more positive mood with the brighter days and warmer temperatures.

The only draw back is that, and I don't know who said it first, not me, but music is the sound track of life. Think of a song that brings a smile to your face or takes you back to that "one time" event. Carl Dougles Kung Fu Fighting is memory of a shortwave radio in crackling it our in Africa for me. Now it also included about 20 people poolside and numerous beers.

So that's the dilemma to ipod or not to ipod. Not sure, I guess I will just play it by ear.....

Hohai

The weather is turning better and we've had some mild days here. Very pleasant actually. The cherry blossems or starting. Was out to the Great Hall of the People for the National Peoples Congress last week. It's the yearly meeting of the government and is an "open forum". Ah ya, sure it is. We returned later in week for Kim Yong-Il, not to be confused with Kim Jong-Il. Jong is the Supreme Leader of North Korea (think Stephen Harper), Yong is the Premier of North Korea (think Danny Williams).

Enought about that. What I want to say was that it's nice to get out and see some of Beijing. Hohai is an old area that has not been plowed into the ground for the sake of building a shopping mall. It has lots of old hutongs (back streets) with little shops, bars and tea houses. It is on both sides of a lake and other than a bit of a breeze today was a great little walk. I think it will be a great spot for taking visitors to enjoy a little coffee or a beer and sit and people watch.

Here are a few photos off the old camera phone. Enjoy