Author: Chasing

Treasure chest, garbage can, or….both?

March 14, 2010 / / 14 Comments

This post is an experiment in interactive blogging.  I hope that my loyal readers (yes, all 2 of you) can help me solve a mystery.  A few weeks ago, I was visiting Shanghai when this shiny blue-and-grey beauty caught my eye:

Two words immediately popped out at me – 生化 – which mean ‘bio-chemical’, but more importantly, which are the first two words in the  Chinese title of one of the best movies ever made.  That, combined with the conspicuous lightning bolt symbol, convinced me that this inscrutable piece of equipment should not be ignored.

But I’ve since had little luck finding more information.  That’s why I’m enlisting your help.

Please post a comment with a useful lead (or the best guess you can come up with) that explains what this thing does and how it works.  The author of the most useful and/or most entertaining comment* wins a delicious Beijing roast duck meal at Da Dong.

The catch, of course, is that the winner will have to endure every painful minute of awkward conversation with me during the meal.  The other catch is that you’ll have to come to Beijing to collect your prize. I’ll be really generous and throw in a free night of lodging on my floor.

To give you a headstart and level the playing field for those of you who don’t read Chinese, here are some clues:

  • The first line of text reads “FD-RMCM”.  Sorry about the bad photography.
  • The second line reads “移动式生化处理机”, which means ‘mobile bio-chemical processing machine’
  • The first line on the bottom reads “上海复旦复达科技有限公司”, which means ‘Shanghai Fudan Fu Da Technology Company, Limited’
  • The second line on the bottom reads “上海静安区环建集团”, which means ‘Shanghai Jing An District Environmental Construction Group’
  • The text under the lightning bolt reads “请勿触碰”, which means ‘Please do not touch’
  • The mysterious cabinet was placed at ground level, abutting a multi-unit residential building

Good luck to you all.  May the best commenter win.

*The winner will be picked at my discretion. If all of the comments are worthless, then we will all be losers together.

Beijing Subway and Urban Planning

March 5, 2010 / / 1 Comment

Note:  Read more about Curitiba’s wise urban planning in Natural Capitalism by Amory Lovins, pages 288-308 (full text available on-line).  I promise this blog isn’t an advertisement for Mr. Lovins, I just really like that book.

Beijing’s subway system is, by many measures, a convenient and well-run public transport system.  At two yuan (about 30 cents) per ride, it is very affordable by Chinese standards.  Its average daily ridership is over 5 million (serving a population of 22 million), and its 100+ stops on nine lines render most places in the downtown area accessible with an additional 15 yuan ($2.00) cab ride.  In comparison, New York City’s subway system has an average daily ridership of 5.2 million (serving a population of 8.3 million), 400+ stops and 26 lines.

By the year 2015, Beijing plans to double the number of lines to 18, with a total of 400+ stations (see map above).  Daily ridership is estimated to grow to 8 million.  All of this sounds like pretty good planning, right? Continue reading

Toilets

February 23, 2010 / / 6 Comments

Urination, defecation and flatulence are all favorite topics of mine.  They never get old.  If I live to be 90, I’ll still laugh when someone within earshot lets one rip.  Especially if it’s a shart.  So it’s fitting that my first substantive post is about toilets.

In the past, public toilets in China were notoriously bad – dirty, smelly, leaky, plugged up, and often filled with maggots.  They’re probably still not great in much of the country, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the quality of public toilets in Beijing.  Here’s a urinal I found on Gulou Dajie, in an old neighborhood with lots of hutongs (ancient alleyways) and siheyuan (ancient courtyard-style houses).

Notice anything odd about this urinal?

I’ll give you a hint: how do you flush it?
Continue reading

Welcome

February 22, 2010 / / 3 Comments

After weeks and weeks of empty promises, here it is!  The inaugural post.  I intend this blog to be about environmentalism in China from a street-level perspective.

I will point things out that can be observed and experienced by the average dimwit.  I’m a simple person with simple origins.  If you’re looking for thoughtful policy analysis and other highbrow discussion, you’ve come to the wrong place.  Check out the links area below for suggested reading.

I’m completely new to blogging, so please bear with me as I get used to it and work out the kinks.  Please email me (miragechaser {at} chasingmirages.com) and let me know if anything is messed up or you have any other suggestions.