If I have a layover in Beijing, have I “been to” China?

by Aaron Hotfelder on

In his “Ask the Pilot” column over at Salon, Patrick Smith has an article of interest to every traveler who has ever wondered, in this age of layovers and transcontinental bus trips, so how many countries have I visited? What constitutes “visiting” a country? If I’m flying from Chicago to Bangkok, and I have a six-hour layover in Tokyo, does that mean I’ve been to Japan? If I’m on a bus from Prague to Budapest, and we stop for a bathroom break in Slovakia, does that mean I’ve been there?

Salon’s article provides an answer– albeit an unsatisfying one– for those who care about such things. Smith writes that, of course, each traveler is free to come up with his or her own criteria for what constitutes a “visit,” but his own criteria are as follows: “[A] passport stamp alone doesn’t cut it. At the very least, a person must spend a token amount of time — though not necessarily an overnight — beyond the airport and its immediate environs.”

What about a visit to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in northern Morocco? Here, Smith has no answers– only more questions. “Consider the world’s various territories, protectorates, self-governing autonomous regions, occupied lands and quasi-independent nations. Yeah, I know, Vatican City is a sovereign state, politically speaking. But in practical terms, is it really? Did my visits to Hong Kong count as visits to China? What about Tibet? Western Sahara? Sure those are foreign nations, but which ones?”

Feel free to list your own criteria, if you have any, in the comments.

Read the whole article here.

Looking for cheap art? Where else but China

by Jerry Guo on

You know those innocuous paintings hanging in your average hotel room? Ever think where they came from or who painted them? Well, like most consumer products, in all likelihood they came from China, specifically a village near Hong Kong called Dafen. And they were probably painted by poor–but entrepreneurial–factory workers who dreamed of becoming successful artists in a big city (but never quite got there).

Here are some pictures from Dafen, which looks like a remarkable place. In China, what you’ve got are entire villages popping up that are devoted to manufacturing one single item. In the case of Dafen, it’s your standard Andy Warhols, Gustav Klimts, Manets, Audubons, Da Vincis, etc.

Some of the paintings are a steal. $3 for a hand-painted Vincent van Gogh (sunflowers). Others are a bit more expensive, a $350 sprawling canvas of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “The Luncheon of the Boating Party.”

Here are more shots. You’ll have to see it to believe it.

Photo of the Day (1/10/08)

by Neil Woodburn on


We’ve all seen so many countless photos of the Great Wall that it really doesn’t seem all that great any more.

There’s something about this shot, however, that really injects that magic back into this ancient Chinese icon. Perhaps it’s the light dusting of snow, or the snake like curves at the front of the photograph. I don’t know. But what I do know, is that this is perhaps the finest photograph I’ve seen of the Great Wall.

Congrats go out to petetamproductions for reinvigorating this ancient landmark and giving it back the mystery and allure which has been so sorely missing for many years now.

Eight mice found – dead and alive – on United Airlines flight

by Catherine Bodry on

If something runs over your foot on your next flight, beware: it might not be the beverage cart.

In a reversal of roles, the United States nearly imported its own tainted goods to China on a United Airlines flight recently. While en route to China, United employees discovered a total of eight mice — some dead, some alive — hidden in pillows throughout the cabin. On arrival, Chinese officials greeted the plane with rat poison and mouse traps.

The story was printed in newspapers yesterday, along with lists of viruses mice can carry. The articles also probably incited panic when they wrote of the potentially fatal damage mice could do by chewing through wires on aircraft.

Could these tiny creatures be more dangerous than the terrorists?

Think that’s bad? Check out some other unpleasant flight experiences. How rotten would it be flying…

[Thanks to Joshua Davis (articnomad) for the great shot of a plane.]

China to start making commercial airplanes

by Grant Martin on

In a bid to reduce dependence on foreign airplane manufacturers, China recently announced that it was conglomerating two of its state aircraft companies into one uber-plane-building entity. Reuters reports that the company, which should operate in direct competition with Airbus and Boeing would be the first major Chinese company to broach the international commercial airline market.

I give China credit for trying. Reducing one’s dependence on foreign manufacturers and resources strikes me as a great way to establish independence and build the foundation of a developing country.

But can the Red Empire successfully consolidate two small state airlines in competition with the giants known as Airbus and Boeing? Will they find a customer base? Will their engineering be robust? Will their test methods be as proven? Will they cover their aircraft with lead based paint?

Only time will tell.