Grand Buddha of Lingshan, Wuxi China

Posted on March 8, 2011 by susan

Today is the official International Womens Day. America does not celebrate this holiday and I wonder why not rejoice in womanhood? My school invited all the women from janitors to admin on a bus trip to the Lingshan Buddhist Temple in Wuxi on Sunday.

I had no idea this was the home of the largest bronze Buddha in China at 80 meters tall and 700 tons in weight. It was a misty rather gloomy day for site seeing, but the place was brimming with women from all over China. The site included the Grand Buddha, a bronze duplicate hand of Buddha, a bronze Happy Buddha and other sculptures. The Brahma Palace was much like an exquisite cathedral inside, with an area for an Imax show and a live performance of Siddhartha’s life. The musical included Chinese Bollywood dancer’s acting and dancing the early life of Siddhartha, quite a site!

It wasn’t until we had walked half way through the park, that I looked up into the sky and low and behold nestled in the clouds was the Grand Buddha’s face! What a magnificent site, just a head in the clouds, the rest was covered in the fog. I think this was the precise time that I had my “come to Jesus” moment, realizing spirituality is everywhere. I walked up 217 steps and then an elevator to the platform where his feet were. It was raining cats and dogs, my hair was a mess. Looking up at his face huge droplets of water cascaded down his cheeks onto his nose and feel off right toward my face. Ka splat…. I thought to myself move over, those are huge drops of snot falling. I was reminded of the local Chinese men and the constant “hawking of a loogie” on a daily basis in China! These thoughts caused me to laugh out loud. My spontaneous laugh seemed to echo in the misty laden aura of the Great Buddha. It was a glorious, innocent happy moment full of joy!

I saw the cute Happy Buddha overrun with bronze children crawling about him. Five old women where laughing just looking at this sculpture, and they poised for a picture. What a day for laughter, happiness and amazement.

Why does the happy Buddha laugh, he has no fear? He sees with the innocence of a child.

Sorrow will dissipate when you no longer fear — A Buddhist saying.

Light as an angle.

Posted on February 27, 2011 by susan

Teaching photography tomorrow to Chinese students, I want to introduce right brain thinking and how to use intuition to capture strong images. The one thing needed is an interesting light source. We will be on the prowl for an unusual composition, which others will walk past. Sometimes it is in the detail, the zooming in and finding a design with strong contrast of light and dark. It might be catching someone doing something interesting or humorous without their knowledge. Ann made a comment my photographic angles are getting better. Thanks Ann, I think it is the passion that bubbles within to create a good artistic composition. My friend Bill said my eyes twinkle when I am interested or get excited about something. It must be the light within my soul shining through those blue eyes, creating a genuine sparkle! Once again the passion within. Thanks Bill for the compliment!

I want to enlighten my students on passion and how to use it to create strong art work. Here are photos I think that have that sweet twinkle, a bit of passion, and humor too. Check out those lions! The light within directs the light in a composition. Use it to your advantage.

Zhujiajiao, another Venice?

Posted on February 23, 2011 by susan

A lovely ancient water village in the Qingpu district of Shanghai, Zhujiajiao is a unique city. (pronounced zoo jowl jowl, sort of…) Randy and I spent one full day sightseeing during the spring festival.
Here is a little snip-it of our day. I love finding images of people without their knowledge your taking their picture.

What is your angle?

Posted on February 22, 2011 by susan

Exploring Shanghai I found some interesting pictures, angles of life.

I was thinking about “angles”! An interesting word, with many definitions. How we manipulate one another, “What is your angle?” and “What is the angle of that building?” or “What angle will I shot this picture?” How can I combine all these angles into one blog. Many facets into one.

I asked a question today about angles…on Facebook, and to my co-workers, just to see what responses I would get. Thanks Mike Bell for “Obtuse!” Peter Smith said his angle when it comes to women is to ask, “What is your star sign?” Then there was Joey in “Friends” and his famous “Howww you, do-innn?” in his Bronx voice. Alice said the Chinese angle was for a young man to ask a young woman to borrow her book, then return it with a note inside. The note would say how about going to a film? If he returned the book without a note, guess he wasn’t interested! Poor girl.

My angle or ‘one line’ was never to have one. But by not having one, I have one, no matter. It is like being alone, or lonely or on your own. It is one in the same, like an oxymoron. You don’t have one, you have one.

My artist angle is to zoom in and crop what I like, look for the details. Are you what I like? Let me adjust my aperture and decide on my angle! Click! Nice shot! I like this one.

For Jess, Randy’s gal!

Posted on February 15, 2011 by susan

Randy the other Beatle……. trying on wigs in the market…. hee hee

Photo shots of just Randy and Susan… Jess this is for you! Hugs……
My favorite is this one of Randy walking away!

Shanghai Zoo, pandas and lions, me and Randy

Posted on February 15, 2011 by susan

Where to start! Shanghai Zoo! Panda bears, oh my gosh…. cutest things ever, I wanted to take one home. How many people own pandas….? Only the Chinese government. But I see why they are precious. So here are photos from the the zoo with my son Randy.

Okay the male lion was trying to get some from his harem… She wouldn’t him. Too Funny! He had three lionesses and they just blew him off. Such is the life of a male bubba lion! HA!

Randy and Susan

Posted on February 9, 2011 by susan

Randy is in China with his mom!

Christmas 2010 in China

Posted on December 26, 2010 by susan

Christmas dinner at the Parkview Dingshan with the IB faculty.

Peter and Michael, the men in my life. These guys keep me sane! They are my best friends.

A Vienna Latte at the mall with colleagues on Christmas eve.

Christmas dinner with my friends, Armando, Gina, Santa Peter and me. The rabbits are the symbol for the Chinese New Year.

Lions everywhere

Posted on November 30, 2010 by susan

Chinese guardian lions, known also as stone lions and often (incorrectly) called “Foo Dogs” in the West, are a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China. They are believed to have powerful mystic protective powers that has traditionally stood in front of Imperial palaces, Imperial tombs, government offices, Buddhist temples, and the homes of government officials and the wealthy. Pairs of guardian lions are common decorative and symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and other structures, with one sitting on each side of the entrance. The lions are always created in pairs, with the male playing with a ball and the female with a cub. It is auspicious to have pairs but four is an unlucky number much like our thirteen.

Lions are very much a part of my site seeing tours and I photograph all the different poses a lion can make. My astrological sign is Leo, no wonder I am attracted to the lion.

Yuejiang Pagoda, Lions Gate Temple

Posted on November 19, 2010 by susan

FIELD TRIP….. I took my senior IB students to the Yuejiang Tower or Lions Gate Temple for an art outing. We had a lovely afternoon. The focus was on photographing patterns, architecture, people, light and shadows. Mike, Anna and Ophelia accompanied me along with the economics teacher, Michael. When we got to the steps to climb the hill to the pagoda Michael took a leave (something about nap-time) and it was just me and the students. The temple was part of a Buddhist monestary built in 400AD. Much was destroyed, rebuilt and opened to the public in 2001. Being new, there are no Buddhist monks to be seen. More of a tourist attraction, it still represents the Ming Dynasty when Zheng He sailed to the Atlantic. It includes complex architecture lines in traditional Chinese style. Housed inside is information such as ship building, scientific sailing, how to conquer the ocean, peaceful diplomacy, good-neighborly relationships, transmission of civilization, equal trading and culture exchanges as well as local customs and practices in western countries. (This last sentence I copied from a tourist guide!) Since I can’t read the Chinese characters I enjoy the museum visually.

This tower can be seen from my office window and I look at it daily. It is fun to be standing on the top balcony and see my building for a change. I can see the Yangtze river bridge, the vast array of apartment building, old and new, hi rise and small old hutongs. It is miles and miles of building, so unbelievable, bigger than New York City, so awe inspiring.