Author Archives: d4vid

Inception

Posted on April 30, 2017 by d4vid

I took this picture of Debbie taking a picture of the award-nominated picture she took in Tibet.

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Classy

Posted on April 21, 2017 by d4vid

Spotted this monument to excellence parked in a driveway.

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Protest

Posted on April 15, 2017 by d4vid

Went downtown to the Tax March to protest Trump. There were lots of clever signs, but this was my favorite:

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Tenacious

Posted on April 15, 2017 by d4vid

On the bridge over the 101, walking from my new place to the Universal City Metro station, I spotted this beautiful flowers in the ivy clawing its way up the telephone pole’s guy-wire.

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Hometown

Posted on April 13, 2017 by d4vid

This is looking back at Burbank and the Verdugo Hills as seen from the top of the Universal Studios parking structure. One of the words for “hometown,” 老家 (lǎojiā), literally means “old family.”

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Carbon

Posted on April 10, 2017 by d4vid

I still had some charcoal hand soap I had bought at the Shaanxi Dr. CitySuper.  I took this (potato quality) picture before the character washed away.  炭 (tàn) means “carbon” as in “coal”. 山 (shān) means “mountain.”  灰 (huī, meaning “ash”) is … Continue reading →

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Vaulted

Posted on March 30, 2017 by d4vid

I settled on Studio City because it was centrally located to the things & people I love.  I chose a corner unit on the fourth (top) floor, sight unseen, because it had vaulted ceilings and ceiling fans.Far bigger kitchen than … Continue reading →

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Oakwood

Posted on March 8, 2017 by d4vid

The Oakwood is the stuff of legends.  It’s a complex of apartments and temporary housing nestled in the hill at Forest Lawn Dr. and Barham.  Growing up in Burbank, I always knew it as the place where Midwestern stage moms … Continue reading →

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Golden

Posted on March 6, 2017 by d4vid

I drove the 101 from the Bay down to Pismo Beach. I have never seen California so lush and verdant. The winter rains had made the state burst with growth. Watching the sunset behind the oceans through the palm trees … Continue reading →

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Unhelpful

Posted on March 6, 2017 by d4vid

I found this cryptic marking at the edge of a path in a park in Berkeley.  I can’t help imagining the person painting it thinking to themselves, “The person who sees this will know exactly what it means.”

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Peregrination II

Posted on March 5, 2017 by d4vid

“It’s not the years, it’s the mileage” as Indiana Jones once said.  These shoes have been all over the world. They’ve stood overlooking the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco and overlooking Qinghai Lake at the center of Eurasia.  They’ve walked … Continue reading →

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Photogenic

Posted on March 5, 2017 by d4vid

I’ve selected some of my favorite photographs from over the last few years: Boutique: Sunrise in Beijing Goose: Xi’an’s Big Goose Pagoda Deckard: Hong Kong looking like something out of Blade Runner. Brigadoon: Pudong’s tallest buildings disappearing into the clouds Wall: … Continue reading →

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Preoccupations

Posted on March 5, 2017 by d4vid

In reviewing my blog posts from over the last few years, all of my preoccupations come sharply into view. By far the biggest two are language and film. Other topics that recur over and over include television (especially The Simpsons), music, … Continue reading →

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Best

Posted on March 5, 2017 by d4vid

I’ve looked over my blog posts from the last couple of years and have picked out some of my absolute favorites: Elevation Distance Population II Dialects Autonyms Blasphemy Cuisine Terminus X Wonderland Mahjong Peace Lost Sports Safari Wild Peninsula Connubial … Continue reading →

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Signs

Posted on March 2, 2017 by d4vid

For your amusement, a collection of some of the stranger brand names, store names, and English translations I’ve seen on billboards, signs, posters, etc. Finally, here’s an elevator floormat in a Datong hotel……and a similar one in an elevator in a Jiayuguan … Continue reading →

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