It’s been a long time since I had time to write an update about what I’m doing. Today is one of the last few days I will spend in China this year. I finally have some time to rest my feet, watch some TV, and tell you about my trip so far, and the many more trips to come.

This month has been a whirlwind of traveling in China; I visited cities that I’ve never been to, and saw more family than I had in the last 5 years. The trip was rewarding in many ways: 4 cities (Beijing, Changsha, Nanjing, Shanghai), 3 weeks, World Expo, and 2008 Olympic sites.

I feel fulfilled and am ready to end the constant traveling for a while - I look forward to stop living out of my suitcase. But the craziness of living in airports, on subways, and at train stations isn’t quite over yet. And you know I’ll sneak in whatever photo opportunities I can get.

For now, here are some loose photos from the 4 cities I visited. It's a mixture of the old China and the modern China, both of tourist sites and everyday lives…

After spending 3 days at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, I am finally getting around to making this update. =)

To say the Expo was crowded would be an understatement. Based on last few days’ records, there are 30+ million visitors per week. I spent all 3 days walking from pavilion to pavilion, often waiting in line for hours, which is more tiring than it sounds.

The pavilions are a lot like tourism museums. I have to admit, not all of them were very exciting; some countries only brought pictures and video clips. But some pavilions were breathtaking and eye-opening; my personal favorites include Portugal, Monaco, Iceland, and numerous small Asian countries. I visited roughly 35 pavilions in 3 days - my feet want to detach themselves from my body but my heart is very happy.

"Regular" World Expo photos didn't interest me much, but here's a glimpse of what I saw through my lens.

Exhaustion is setting in, so until the next post, stay classy.

Shanghai welcomed me with heavy fog and humid air. The city resides by the sea and enjoys relatively mild weather, which reminds me of Vancouver. Shanghai is the largest center of commerce in mainland China; there are more international companies with offices here than in Beijing. I was especially amazed at the historical architecture of buildings in downtown Shanghai where many financial institutions have set up their headquarters.

Shanghai is a popular tourist destination and although I was there for the World Expo 2010, I had to see the city’s modern and luxurious Pudong district with its beautiful skyline, which includes the Oriental Pearl Tower. Even though the fog made the day less than ideal for picture-taking, I couldn’t have asked for a better time in Shanghai.

This was my first time there, but I’ll definitely be returning soon.

Pudong and downtown Shanghai:

My Grandma has lived in the same gated retirement community for more than a decade. There are 5 low-rise apartments in the community. Grandma lives in building 3, second floor, first unit - unit 321. As a child, I always found humor in the convenience of that apartment number.

When I attended elementary school in China, my parents both worked late into the evenings. Every day after school, I would walk to my Grandparents’ place, eat dinner with them, and do my homework there. Then, my father would come pick me up just before 8pm. This was my after school routine for many years, like clockwork.

I have a lot of childhood memories at my Grandma’s house: riding my bike in the courtyard, doing my homework on the sewing machine, and telling jokes with the gatekeeper.

Even after 9 years, I still have vivid recollections of this home. But the place is smaller than I remembered, and dimmer. Everything and everyone seem a lot smaller, now that I’m bigger. The apartment is undergoing renovations for the first time since it was built 20 years ago. It’s out with the old furniture and old windows, and in with the new tiles and new technology.

I took these photos as a last memory of this home, as I remembered it. A lot of the appliances and kitchen utensils in this place are older than me; Grandma is stuck in more traditional times. This was how people lived here, 10 years ago.

An airport is a “tween” place.

“Tween” places are like doorways, windows, shadows, and midnight – the in between of 2 worlds. I think of airports as the place between the lives of those coming and lives of those going. I can sit here for days and be absorbed in the people arriving and departing.

There’s something peaceful about waiting at a gate – you can be perfectly undisturbed and alone, yet never lonely. Not to mention it’s a great location to people watch. Aren’t photographers just professional people-watchers anyway?

From Gate 76 in Tokyo, Japan