In The News

I like reading news on China. Here's two stories of bizarre things:

China to embark on Yeti expedition
A group of Chinese scientists and explorers is to embark on a £1m-expedition in search of the country's equivalent of the Yeti, or Bigfoot, which is said to stalk the high mountains and forests of the central province of Hubei.

Yes, it's true. Yeti :: Bigfoot. And they want to spend a million Pounds looking for it.

Suspended disbelief: the amazing art of Li Wei
Chinese artist Li Wei creates images of himself and his friends being thrown off buildings, dangling from bridges and hanging off cars, all in the name of art. Li's photos can take up to six months to set up and involve huge crews organising props such as smoke, mirrors, wires and cranes. After the photographs are taken the father of one removes traces of the wires with a computer.

This one was way cool. If you like pictures that make you go, "huh?" this is a good one for you. And his quotes were revealing too. For example:

He said: "I like to achieve the impossible. I have hurtled to the earth like a meteorite and flown through the air. My pictures show the unstable, there's a lot of danger and I love to create that feeling in my work"

I think this says something about Chinese society in general. There is always a sense of instability, things could come crashing down at any moment. But there's also a sense of normalcy to it all. You don't walk around wringing your hands or fretting about it, at least most of the time.

"Sometimes I am in real danger - I have to hang myself high with steel wires and people do get a little worried for me - but I am fine"

I think this is just funny. "Sometimes I am in real danger...but I am fine." It's also true. When things are unstable there IS real danger. But, "I am fine." The danger may be immanent, but it's not quite here yet and we feel quite comfortable.

America is in real danger, but it's fine. Your life is in real danger, but you're fine. It's not until things come crashing down all around you, and inside you, that you realize things are not fine; and upon reflection, that they weren't fine before - you were in real danger.

Li has a website too, with a lot more pictures. Though I would add, viewer discretion is advised. You can tell by the thumbnails that not all the pictures are good for your soul.