Tough, That is a good way to describe the lifestyle here in Wuxi. When it is cold outside it is cold inside. In China, so far as I can tell, there is no central heating anywhere I have been. Everything is made with stone and concrete. It is beautiful in a very austere way, but butt freezing cold. Everyone wears layers and never takes them off no matter where they are. In a restaurant the matr`e de never asks to take your wrap cuz you'd freeze... cocktails are always served warmed and then are cooled down in your hands. The school sits right off of lake Tai. Tai is the size of Delaware. It is a very big lake. When the winds wind their way through the mountains in the north from the steps of Mongolia they pass over this lake on their way to Wuxi. The end result is fog most of the time mixed with intense pollution and freezing cold rain and wet wet wind. Yet when the weather breaks Wuxi can be fairly pleasant with temperatures in the mid 50s. That doesn't mean you don T shirts and go running around in shorts and flip flops. That only means you can take a layer off if you dare. Needless to say us westerners with our creature comforts are no match for these living conditions. Either man up or turn the heat on! In the end though I seem to be the only one concerned with the weather. It's a so what matter. So what... who cares how cold it is. Bundle up!
The other day I decided to walk over to Jiangnan University. I wanted to find the post office. I have been remiss in sending postcards to Libby. I start walking and asking questions but no one seemed to understand what I was saying. Funny, for a moment I thought I was in Texas. I found instead the school for the Arts of Jiangnan U. I thought maybe they'd have a darkroom or at least a photo studio where someone could lead me to a darkroom. The idea of sending my film overseas to be processed does not appeal to me though I have an arraingment set up back in Albuquerque. I was not even sure anyone shot film or did photography at all in China. There is so little I know. What I found poking around is that the arts are alive and well here in Wuxi. The arts are taken very seriously. In fact I met the graphics arts teacher who also happens to teach photography at the school with his wife. Wang Jun is a very talented, kind and generous person. Though he speaks very little english and I speak basically no chinese we talked about my needs through a student interpreter that I brought along with me just in case we had a communication issue. I was able to tell Wang Jun what I needed and he told me I could use the darkroom at his studio since the schools facilities were pretty non exsistent. Here is someone that doesn't know me from Adam and he offers his darkroom to me. We exchange information and I leave. to make a rather long story short he invited me for tea. Wang Jun lives on the 19th floor of a 30 something story apartment building in a studio loft apartment with his wife and 5 year old daughter. The apartment is tastefully furnished with antique chinese furniture along with some other things I don't know what they are for... An eating table made of what looks like mahagony is tucked underneath the loft next to the kitchen counter. The view from his landing is of a section of Wuxi overlooking the great canal and other rather large apartment complexes. His bathroom has been converted into a darkroom with one of the coolest contraptions I have ever seen. It is a mini water bath for keeping soup at temp. Or in english. it keeps all the chemicals at 68 degrees. The coolest part of this mini water bath is it has a rotator that you can put a jobo developing tank on an let the machine gently rotate the film.All this in a bathroom the size of a closet. So cool! This is his darkroom. He uses a changing bag to roll film and a cedar colset to hang film in. totally dust free! So you ask where is the Robert Capa that moved to China to be the grand adventurer... Well that is what I was asking myself after seeing the possibilities. Though I would be hard pressed to have brought the film scanner he has. Yes times have changed since the Spanish Civil War. Wang Jun is a photo god! After a tour of the darkroom and processing center, we shared our cameras and talked about what we used what for and then we sat down to tea. The tea came from I think Binhu just to the south of us. Wang Jun tells me that many areas grow their own tea and are famous for it. Wuxi has a special tea they grow that is very aromatic. The tea we drank though was ambrosia. We drank a lot of tea served in special ceremony teacups of porcelain. It was awesome and Wang Jun and his family are great. So now I am a tea snob. No more of the cheap stuff from China Wall Hell. I only drink the good stuff. We talked books and other photographers who are our personal inspirations and he showed me someone I am not familiar with but her work is world class stuff. Mary Ellen MarkCheck her out.. 4 hours later we finish and he brings me back to campus... ps I cannot forget the great job our interpreter did for the afternoon, FanBing, psychology major at the university with a minor in advertising... Hmmm think there is a career waiting for him when he gets out? Bright, intelligent, and funny... what a dude! Wang Jun and I are going shooting on Saturday. He wants to show me Wuxi. I can't wait. Fan Bing though will be in exams. Yes here in China Students go to school sometimes all week. Fan Bing has a blog if you want to check him out.. it is Wang Juns blog is Catch you later
Steve
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