Thursday, July 30, 2009

China snaps 2006-2009

Even though I am currently in Finland, I constantly think about China and about all the things that has happened since I moved there in 2006... It's been some interesting years, to say the least! Here are some of my favorite moments captured: 

Shiji Gong Yuan (Century park), Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai
Temple of Heaven, Beijing
Green Lake park, Kunming, Yunnan
Daxi, Yunnan
Daxi, Yunnan
Dalian
Russian street, Dalian
Beijing Olympics (men's basketball final) 
Beijing Olympics
Hainan Island


Hainan Island
Shuangxi, Hunan
Shuangxi, Hunan
Changsha, Hunan
Suzhou
Half marathon in Hangzhou 
Chinese wedding in Shanghai
Beijing's Great Wall


Shanghai marathon

Can't wait to explore more of this amazing country! 

14 comments:

Book Bird Dog said...

Very nice photos! Are you working there temporarily? Would love to visit the country some day.

Martin said...

You have such beautiful pictures. I really enjoy it when you post pictures. Keep up the great work.

Anonymous said...

Great photos!

Anonymous said...

sounds like somebody's a little homesick.

Tarja said...

Heh, I prefer pictures of Finland or Sweden. Wonder why... I don't miss Shanghai at all. I think I have big problems a head of me because we have to go back end of august. It is so much easier living in Finland if you have a kid. I allready miss clean and delicious food, beautifull nature, tap water, friends, family and so on...

Maybe I survive, have to try to be positive! I'm happy for you that you love China that much. But tell you the truth I really don't understand why. Your home in southern Sweden looks amazing =)

Aileen said...

Great pictures!! You should definitely travel more around when you go back =) I heard jiu zhai gou is beautiful!!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you've seen most of the main things. Doesnt one place in China tend to start looking like another after 3 years?

Having said that, there's a real energy in China isnt there, especially in the cities? Always hustle and bustle.

Adrian

Pete In Syracuse said...

The more pictures I see the more pull I get to explore China & other places in the world I've not seen! Modern day explorers when you've got the wanderlust there is alway the pull to travel! Thanks for the photos....

Carl said...

Fantastic photos, Jonna! How fast did you run the half-marathon? Are you planning to run another one? Or perhaps a full marathon?

******************** Shanghai MiFeng said...

I lived in Germany , New York and now California . But having been to China ( Shanghai , Hangzhou , Beijing ) three times now , I have seen enough to move over there . Anytime . I love it . jonna , I don't blame you for missing China , it just grows on you .

MJ. F said...

I believe China is a great place to be in for people that understand chinese, if you dont like big cities and polutions there is always smaller ones closer to nature, but it's abit of difficult for peole that don't understand chinese language, and the country is alot more competitive, it is indeed much easier to live in a nordic country. The cheap and delicious food which are offered in great variety in China are REALLY unmatched anywhere in the world, and I have been to many places around the globe, its not just food, for the chinese its culture, but ofc sometimes you might miss some swedish meatball and Falusausage, hehe, which btw. can also be found in china nowdays...

Jonna Wibelius said...

Book Bird dog -Glad u like the shots! I have lived in China for the last 3 years. I've been working and studying Chinese.

Martin -Thanks a lot! :)

Anonymouse -thaaaanks!!

Ed -oh, you are so right... hehe.

Tarja -I think we came to China for different reasons maybe? I came there because I was dying to go there and I was super keen to learn Chinese. It had been my dream to go to China for a while. I was living in Finland for 1 year before China, and although I liked it OK (especially during summer) I was really keen to go somewhere else. I have been like this since I was 15 years old -I've always wanted to live abroad, preferably far away from Sweden (which Finland isn't). I don't know why I've always wanted that, it's not like I had a bad childhood or anything, I had a great life in Sweden that I left behind when I eventually graduated from high school, packed my bag and moved to London before even turning 19... I've just always been so keen to travel and to explore new places.

I know that when I eventually choose to settle down and have a family I will not be able to move around as I do now. I might also have to invest money in things like a house, a car and furniture, something I don't even think about right now. All my money goes to traveling and living abroad. It's the way I want it while I can. Eventually I will go back to Scandinavia, probably Sweden or Finland, and do the whole settling-down-thing. I think if I had a child I would probably already be living in Scando. This is a good place to raise a family and also close to family and friends.

I sometimes get really sick of China/homesick etc... but overall I am happy I am living there. I see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When I stop feeling like that and start feeling like Sweden/finland is where I want to be, I know it is time to move home. I can understand that u prefer Finland if you've got a child/don't really enjoy living there. I hope you get a chance to move back soon.

Aileen -U know what, I recently read a whole lot of articles about Jiu zhai gou, and I am super keen to go there!! Haha, what a coincidence!

Adrian -it really depends where u go. I find the north and the sound to be quite different, not to mention the cities and the country side... I mean, a Chinese city is like any big city, but when u start scratching on the surface or leave the city behind and go for a hike in the outskirts, that's when it gets interesting.

Pete -you should definitely go!! And if you do, don't just settle for Beijing or Shanghai... go to Yunnan, Hunan or Sichuan!

Carl -it is one of my far-fetched dreams to run a full marathon. It won't happen while I still live in China though. I don't enjoy running outside when the air is so polluted, and if I wanted to prepare for a marathon I'd have to do a loooot of running.

I've done a few half-marathons in my life. My fastest one I did in Copenhagen, when I finished on 1:50. The Shanghai one was much slower, even though the course was flat as a pancake. But the start was slow, I had a stitch for the first 5 km didn't get enough water from the water stations etc etc (excuses, excuses!!!), and finished on 2 hours.


Shanghai mifeng -it sure does! Got to love moving around though! I know I won't stay in China forever.

Mj.F -yes, meatballs and sausages are all available from China these days, and actually, from most places in the world... I think people come to China for different reasons. I think it is normal to like it at some days and loathe it at other days... after all, it's a huge country that takes some time getting used to.

Shopgirl Shanghai said...

hjonna, är du i suzhou den 9 aug?

Jonna Wibelius said...

shopgirl -nej tyvärr... jag kommer inte tillbaka förräns i slutet av aug, typ den 29:e (tror jag) o sen ska jag nästan direkt till Yunnan. Men du stannar väl ett tag denna gång?? Så gott om tid för en drink!