oh motherland

I finally developed my photos from China. They are few, but, in my opinion, quite representative of our routines.


I visited my cousin in Shanghai when I first got back to China. She was sharing an apartment with over 10 other people. The place had two levels, probably no more than 150 square metres combined, and the owners had split the original rooms into tiny 2x3's. There was a nice view from the balcony, my cousin was lucky enough to have the door of that balcony sectioned into her room, but that's about the only attraction. My aunt, my cousin's boyfriend and myself were all visiting in those few days, so the four of us literally filled just about every inch of space when we laid down for sleep. Since a lot of the young people living in Shanghai are from out of town, this sort of get-up isn't unusual. After realising that there were 5 doors to bedrooms on my cousin's floor alone, and each bedroom housing at least one tenant, it baffled me to imagine just how many kids are there altogether trying to make it in this city. Feeling insignificant seemed somewhat inevitable.

I forget to mention that her 4 months old puppy had also come to visit. After he dug a hole in the mattress while we weren't looking, we had no choice but to lock him in a cage during the night. Poor bubba, so cheerful to be let out the next morning!

Yawn and stretch.


My cousin decided to move out of that apartment before we went back to Nantong for winter break. She didn't want to have to deal with the contract and paper work though, so it was somewhat of a thrill to make an escape overnight in secret. We took all the boxes into her friend's neighbouring apartments by 1am and spent the rest of the night at a cheap Karaoke place. It was too dangerous to fall asleep since her boyfriend's train for Henan left at 6am. 

After the ordeal that is living in Shanghai, Nantong felt like a relief. Afternoons were predominantly spent in tea houses with our pharmacology student neighbour, the skinny girl in the above photo who had digestive problems and an incredible metabolism. 

On the 3rd day of the lunar new year, we always visit my grandfather's brother. I appreciate that unlike most of Nantong, his home is still the same as I remembered when I was 7. 

At night we waited at McDonalds for our neighbour to come so we could go out together.

We drank lemon tea under this strangely glossy lighting. 

As I'd mentioned before, we also went to Suzhou for a few days. 

Where ever we went we made sure we were well fed. 

We stayed at Guan Qian Jie, and whilst it was also a bustling area, it didn't have that threatening aura as Shanghai's shopping districts. 

Back in Nantong. Towards the end of the holidays, we grew less eager to dress well, and so the puffy jackets came out for an airing. 

These are taken by the riverbank. Nantong has one main river, and almost everywhere you go is next to the riverbank. 

A portrait of the usual gang before everyone went about their separate lives once the holidays ended.

The 'asian squat' deserves a double exposure.

This playground near our house is a frequent last stop for a smoke. Once there was a dog that looked like a wolf here, but the lighting was bad, and I'm pretty sure it was a husky.

Nantong and Suzhou both have a very slow rhythm of life. For young people especially, this is both a blessing and a curse. I guess this is why most people have left. 

Melbourne is slow too, but I have to act more purposefully here. The lighting from my window was quite rejuvenating the other Sunday.