ByGD
Multi-Use Public Space
Here in America, we have a hard time with sharing, even in public spaces. Americans have an idea of parks as passive recreation spaces, and beaches for swimming, and so on. We get mad when cyclists ride the trails we’re hiking, when people set up a sports game on the grass where we wanted to lie and read a book. We pass laws against bringing the family dog to a ball field or playground.
The Chinese have no such qualms. I guess that crowded conditions breed a certain flexibility. This man was fishing at Qingdao’s most popular beach, surrounded by swimmers and speedboats and kite-surfers and I was the only person who batted an eye.
ByGD
Published in September and October
Ah, back-to-school season. It makes everyone (sample size: one) feels smarter. And it makes sticking to a work schedule much easier. In case you missed anything, here is a roundup of articles I wrote that were published in September and October, and a peek behind the scenes of the blog.
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ByGD
Music I Like – Serendipitous Finds
I subscribe to a bunch of music blogs, and systematically listen to their recommendations throughout the day while I work. This practice introduces me to so much new music I like that sometimes I feel like I never get to listen to stuff I like more than once. But sometimes I find new music in other, more serendipitous ways. Here are some of the discoveries that the universe just delivered to me.
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ByGD
Filtered Songbirds
I posted about a birdcage that didn’t live up to the hype. I posted about some that did. Now, here is a collection of Chinese songbirds that looks just like they do in the movies. (Also, I used a filter! I never do that, so this post is secretly about filters.)