Standards, but what’s the point?

Masters of IT hardware standards Taiwan may be, but this has not translated into noteworthy capabilities in the softer side of information technology. No where is this more true than in web development in Taiwan and especially web development standards as defined and mandated by the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission. The RDEC, as it [...]

Food Signs in China

Food Signs – Gaoyang Restaurant in Yinchuan

Food Signs – Pingliang 1

Food Signs – Pingliang 2

Food Signs – Pingliang 3

Food Signs – Pingliang 4

Food Signs – Pingliang 5

Food Signs – Pingliang 6

Food Signs – Yinchuan 1

Food Signs – Yinchuan 2

Food Signs – Yinchuan 3

Food Signs – Yinchuan 4

Ancient Rock Carvings Near Yinchuan, Ningxia Province

The first photo shows XiXia or Tangut script next to an older carving of some nomad’s deity; the script is sort of a Buddhist commentary on the earlier image.
The XiXia script has to date between the early 11th century and 1227, when Genghis Khan’s army took vengeance on those duplicitous Tanguts. The script looks pretty [...]

Lois in the Sky with Mine Dust — Time Spent on The Loess Plateau, Where All That Loess Comes From

Beijing from an office window.

Loess is the main reason for Beijing’s haze. When the sky looks milky where there are no clouds, and the haze is consistent from the ground to the tops of skyscrapers, this is loess.
I pronounce it Lois–how ’bout you?
I had to [...]

Xi An Photos

Visitors are seemingly allowed to take photos everywhere in China now, including at such places as museums and the terra cotta warrior pits, so I have hundreds of technically illegal photos.
Back when most tourists in China were foreigners, our tour groups would arrive at the terra cotta army exhibit, the local guide would [...]