Work Work...

I had a pretty busy week and the coming ones show no signs of rest. That is to say that no matter if you are on the other side of the world, little routines end up catching up with you sooner or later. After all, I came here with the intention to work and for that; I do have to settle down a bit. So it’s all for the best. And as for my 7 o’clock resolutions, well as most good resolutions, it didn’t hold for very long. I still try to get up at a reasonable time which varies according to my schedule. That makes a lot more sense to me.


I present you my buddy Jean-Charles Chabot, known as John. He is also from Québec, more precisely from Sherbrook. He’s been in Beijing for over 3 years. It was for the company that employs him that I went to The Great Wall. I got to take in-studio corporate portraits of all their team. John is one of the rare people I get to talk French with and the only one I get to talk “Québécois” with. He is also the only one I get to play chess with, although after well over 12 games I was not yet able to defeat him once. I came close a few times but to no avail.

Here, you can see him helping himself to a typical Chinese meal. Unlike what we are used to, here they serve the food in the middle of the table and everybody digs in a bit everywhere with their chopsticks. All we have directly in front of us is a little plate that’s serves only to recuperate the bits and pieces that don’t make it to destination. When there are many people, they sit around a big round table which has a kind of rotating shelve at its center. These big tables are the most interesting since you get to try many different meals and mix all kinds of flavours.


The other day, as I was coming home on a beautiful and sunny afternoon, I came across this man who had a bird perched on his finger. Intrigued I moved closer to have a better look. He then fledged the bird but it turned right back around to that man’s hand. The next time I realised that there was a second man a few meter away who, at the precise timing, threw a small plastic ball in the air. The bird then catched it in mid air and came back with it in its beak for a few grains reward. It was a pretty neat trick which they did time and time. Maybe you wander if he often loses his birds. The story doesn’t say but all I know is that he had four other of these birds perched and tied to his bicycle handles.

Cute little golden fish

A Chinese classic

I said before that Beijing is a relatively clean city considering... but nothing is perfect.

One of many cleaners that constantly busy themselves booming the streets and side walks.

Goodbye!