Camera Fu
Camera Fu, the ancient art of photo taking, with style and intensity.
During my trip in China, I couldn’t help but notice how many people put on unusual stances while taking pictures with a camera. It’s as if they used their body as a flexible tripod, and instead of stepping backward/forward/sideways or zooming in/out, they adjusted their body while keeping the spot where they stood.
Like this…
Get what I mean? If that guy lowers his hip even more, then you’ll get the Shaolin stance.
How about these ones?
Those two dudes remind me of a Hadoken sequence from Street Fighter.
This one reminds me of Liu Kang from Mortal Kombat.
Holding a bag while taking a picture was pretty common. Bending the body was common. Having an observer, or several observers, behind the photographer was also common. Seriously, I’m not joking.
Crouching tiger, hidden dragon. Obviously popular.
And the most bad ass of them all.
Someone in China please start a Posterous or Tumblr blog dedicated to Camera Fu! I have 65 pics to contribute.
Update: Oh wait, Posterous and Tumblr are blocked in China.
Sydney Getaway 2010
Last weekend I went up to Sydney for yet another friend’s wedding. Spent Saturday and Sunday morning in Katoomba, a nice little town in Blue Mountains, then returned to Sydney by train for the wedding ceremony at Shore Chapel, followed by the reception at RSYS.
I really like walking along Katoomba St, from the station all the way to Echo Point. A quite relaxing walk is always a nice escape from daily work ritual.
Echo Point, the thick fog was blocking the view of the valley.
My past few getaways tend to end up with a walk an exercise in a national park. I went down the Giant Stairway, walked along the Dardanelles Pass, and climbed back up to the Kiah Lookout.
The Shore Chapel, where the wedding ceremony was held. Congratulations to Kristiana and Adam for the wonderful wedding. Made some new friends during the reception dinner, everyone was so friendly and welcoming.
And some more pictures from the Blue Mountains.
How Big Is The NBA In China?
Big.
I don’t have any statistic to throw at you, only these first hand observations during my trip to China a couple of months ago. I’ve been following the NBA since Ed Pinckney‘s Boston Celtics years, when no one thought that China would someday become the world’s second-largest economy. So it was quite amazing for me to see how popular the NBA, and basketball to that extend, was in China. I mean, I knew it was popular, but I never thought it was _that_ popular.
1. The Jerseys
Some authentic, the rest… .
Starting with Steve Nash, the best point guard in the NBA. Followed by Spurs #21, the Big Fundamental. Then Kobe’s Lakers jersey, oh wait, Kobe’s LAEKRS jersey. Iverson’s #3 at Denver.
LeBron James, walking away from the Cavs. Dwight Howard’s #12, staying true to character, those two kids’ elbows were too high. And last but not least, Yao Ming’s Rockets jersey, I’m positive that’s not Carl Landry’s.
2. Yao Ming
Who would have thunked that the tallest player in the NBA hails from China?
In China, Yao Ming was everywhere.
A giant floating Yao Ming statue at Wangfujing, Beijing.
On a giant billboard ad for China Life, an insurance company.
Life-sized wax Yao Ming at Madame Tussauds Shanghai.
A badly cropped Yao Ming’s head at a shop in Hangzhou.
3. The Brand
NBA logo on Tsingtao beer. God knows how many bottles Stephon Marbury has had since he started balling in China.
NBA accessories, watches, blings.
4. Basketball Itself
A makeshift basketball court inside the Forbidden City area.
A massive Nike basketball ad at People’s Square in Shanghai.
A re-run of China vs USA during the Beijing Olympic on TV.
How big is the NBA in China?
Big enough for Forbes.com to speculate that The Decision was all about China and its huge market. ’nuff said.
Update (30/12/2010): Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com wrote a blog post titled Was The Decision all about China?, also citing the same Forbes article. LeBron might have made the right decision after all.